Emmo’s Blog

Avid readers of this site (Hi Dan) will remember my scathing attack on PES2009 back in Oct08.
Without repeating myself I was severely disappointed with what seemed like a half finished game. Half the teams wasn’t correct and transfers that happened nearly 6 weeks before the game was released (Berbatov and Robinho to name two) hadn’t been updated. FIFA09 had and was released two weeks before PES09!

After many years of buying Konami’s games starting with ISS for the SNES back in the early 90s right up until PES2008 for the 360, I ditched them this year for EAs Fifa09.

For 6 months I loved Fifa09. Official kits, correct player names, properly named stadiums and real time player form (via Xbox Live) made PES2009 look like the Luton Town of football games. But last week for the first time ever I went to switch on Fifa09 and I changed my mind. I felt bored of it. Don’t get me wrong (as per Oct review) Fifa09’s game play is the best EA have come up with since the game began back in 93. The game plays well and looks amazing but for all its flaws you still can’t beat PES game play.

As previously stated EAs game looks amazing but after a while you notice that the game is too scripted. You can’t seem to have flowing moves from one end of the pitch to the other. Also you never seem in total control of your players. Many times all my defenders just seem to stop and stare as the other team bear down on goal as I frantically push every button to try and get them to tackle. In the end the AI will tackle someone for me. Another annoyance is that no forward can ever seem to find space. The game seems to be built around counter attack football. The ball seems to stay in the middle of the pitch until someone passes it through a gap and the fastest player on the field can race through on goal. Long range goals are rare as the ball is like a balloon and ends up in row Z. The “finesse” shot is a great addition and but most goals are scored this way.

Like PES’s Master League EAs version, Management Mode, has its flaws. For all EAs efforts to try and catch Konami this mode lets the game down. Silly things like Euro games are never played at night, never seeing your team lift a trophy, £750k sponsorship per game for Division 2 teams, lower league teams signing top Premiership players and no pre-season so you only have 1 month to sign players makes things awkward.
It has it pluses like selling players is easy, they use real money not points, players can improve their contracts at anytime, games can be simmed and you can upgrade backroom staff and stadium. If you think you have taken the team as far as you can then you can join another team at the end of the season.

So last week I re-bought PES2009 and thanks to Konami’s updates most of the teams outside the Premiership are correct and the Jan transfer window moves have been adjusted. This weekend the new download included the new England strip.
I have also just bought of eBay an option file so when I plug in my memory card every team, kit, player name and stadium will be correct The menus still look like a 80s game that someone has been sick on but get past that and you have a not a great game but a very good game.

PES’s game play is what it’s all about. Scoring goals is the best part of football and PES capture that moment brilliantly. After scoring you see the ball in the net, the other team disappointed and your players wheeling away in celebration. This is another feature of Fifa09 that I dislike. The moment of scoring is quickly taken away as the camera doesn’t want to see the ball in the net but wants to see you choose a silly celebration for your goal scorer.
Scoring a goal in PES feels like you have really had to earn it. The other day I scored a 25 yard pile driver with Aguero and I jumped off the bed in delight. I have never had the slightest inclination to do this with FIFA as it’s all a bit emotionless.

PES for me although miles behind FIFA09 in its options and presentation has that “something” during game play that EA just can’t quite find. If EA do find the missing magical ingredient then Konami are in trouble. EA have so much depth to their game from the loading menus to the stats on how many goals, fouls and offside’s you have had since you bought it. It’s a statisticians wet dream. But Ill forgive Konami for their ugly menus and late updates if the game play remains either the same or improves. Most PES fan boys claim that PES5 or 6 was the best and they just want to see PES10 to have that engine with new-generation graphics and I would also be more than happy with that. But for now until Oct when PES10 will be unleashed I shall enjoy the beautiful game that is PES09

Agree or disagree with me? please comment………..