Let's face facts: Nowadays, it's hard for any sports title to dent the EA Sports juggernaut. If the marketing might and expansive budgets weren't enough, EA's also got the habit of securing exclusive licenses to as many teams, leagues, federations, and stars as humanly possible. So let's make this clear right off the bat: Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 won't feature as many real-life teams as rival FIFA 2009. But rather than trying to play the numbers game, Konami's focusing on the overall experience and trying to make the best damn soccer experience it can -- licenses be damned.
Well, maybe that's going a bit too far -- PES 2009 does offer a fair number of recognizable teams stocked with familiar players, after all. National sides from World Cup stalwarts like Brazil, Italy, and France are here, as well as powerhouse club teams like Manchester United and Liverpool from the English Premiership. PES 2009 also includes a large number of South American and Asian club sides, but fans of Italy's Serie A and the German Bundesliga will have to make due with generic, unlicensed incarnations of their favorites.
Soccer videogames have a reputation for straddling the line between the too-loose arcade style and the beginner-unfriendly simulation; PES 2009 manages to deliver both experiences at once. Neophytes can use the face buttons to execute all the key moves: pass, lob, shoot, tackle, sprint, and so on -- the computer even switches players automatically. On the lowest difficulty level, even the clumsiest player will find himself streaking down the pitch to score spectacular goals. More experienced players will want to check out the advanced controls, though. With just a few flicks of the right analog stick and a couple of shoulder-button taps, you can start showing off fancier moves: crossover ball flips, through-the-legs passes, lightning sidesteps -- each more impressive than the last. The advanced controls aren't easy to master, but the benefits are obvious. Plus, PES 2009's adaptive A.I. allows the game to scale itself to individual skill levels.
Dedicated fans can dictate in-game strategy, manage rosters in career mode, and, best of all, hop online to challenge friends and strangers alike to see who's best at the "beautiful game." Camera peripherals for the various consoles will even allow you to slap your own face, logo, and emblem on a truly personalized team.
At first blush, PES 2009's graphics look nice but not particularly exceptional -- it's only as you begin to play that you start noticing the little things. For example, the animations are tremendously fluid and responsive, particularly when using the advanced controls. The ball actually responds and moves like a real soccer ball, as opposed to the "magic tether" most other footy titles employ. The field itself even seems more lifelike than in previous PES entries -- a divot gouged out by a hard tackle persists instead of just disappearing. Unfortunately, the camera's pulled out too far for any of the players to be terribly recognizable, but close-up replays reveal lifelike facsimiles -- although still a bit too shiny in places. PES 2009's pleasing to the ear as well; the announcers never seem to get behind the action and accurately recognize both individual players and situations. Even in this early state, PES 2009 already looks and plays like a legitimate challenger to the EA Sports juggernaut.
