WE9 Gameplay Review
Ok, picked up a copy on saturday and lobbed it into the PS2 and viola! No life until work monday morning.
This game is absoloute class, no two ways about it. You are greated with a nice Intro movie and then slick option screens before of course you enter into the gameplay itself and oh how fantastic it is.
the first thing you will notice is how fluid and organic the players feel. Dribbling is no longer easy and you have to really think about what you are doing. Added to the usual, step overs and flip flap from last game, added are the drag back which i quite a cheeky move and a way to hold up possesion and shield the ball. You can also skip challenges, shoulder challenge an opponent off the ball holding R2 and using L2 cut inside which shows a lovely little bit of animation of your player controlling the ball on his outstep. There a are new animations for tackling too, including little steal attempts and full on crunchers, it all feels as what can only be described as 'meaty'. Other new stuff i have seen is the abilitly to bring the ball down using your heel, although it must be implemented to more skillfull players, a mini hop over a running ball to get onto it, a new cheeky back flick, a different variation to the one one WE8LE and various chesting animations. Add to that the new headers and this is one hell of a package. Some of the headers are really beautiful, i scored a fantastic header at Highbury with Henry from a Fabregas cross, Henry nipped in between two defenders while all jumping and flicked it into the top corner.
Shooting has also been improved. I dont know about this middle shoot but now you can control shots better and now players have the ability to curl the ball with their instep. One great example was a goal i scored with Shevchenko. Gilardino put the ball through, across the defender to the edge of the box and Shev got onto the ball and hit a lovely top corner effor with his intep, curling away from the keeper. The shot animations vary greatly and offer up a full array of volleys and finishes. Scoring is also a lot harder as the A.I has been vastly improved making space for chances is tough and requires a bit of nouse, thats not to say that you have to put pass after pass together, but scoing is a real achievement and gives you a great sense of satisfacton.
Goalkeepers were a real bugbear to me on the last version and although theres still a bit of work to do on them they are a lot better and react more quickly. Unfortunately the two handed dive is still there when a one handed one would suffice, but they have added in new animations and the keepers pull off some nice saves and seem to no longer do thos ridiculous two fisted saves at freekicks, where they parry it up in the air. they also have a new throw out where you can launch it to the halfway line for a quick breakaway.
freekicks have improved they are now easier to execute, the referees are more solid and now we have injuries during play not just from tackles. We also have fair play where the ball gets kicked out and returned or a drop ball!
Although the kits are still from last year the ability to mix and match kits is a welcome addition just to add a little bit more realism. 5 new stadiums are added as well as snow, for those European excursions to Kiev or in Serie A. ball pack includes Pelias 2, Finale orange for snow, Finale Blue, F 50 in three colours, classic and plain. Theres also an extra stadium in the shop but i havent the foggiest what it is yet.
I've yet to sample master league but i had a quick bash on the nippon challenge and i tell you Japan are terrible! LOL Although you can arrange friendlies and make the world cup playing sides that arnt playable in the exhibition modes.
Editing has improved, with a lot more kits avaialable and each shirt can be built up in layers to get the desired effect. Players can now have cycling shorts, wristbands, tape and necklaces as well as their shirts out.
All in all im still discovering with this title but its a thoroughly solid title, much much improved on the impressive WE8LE and well worth getting a copy.
My hope is that for October that PES5 has more licenses, rumoured to be German and French League licenses and updated transfers.
9.5/10
