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Pro Evolution Soccer 5 Review
Score: 
By: Andrew Castenmiller
Date: Saturday, 19 November, 2005
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review
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Pro Evolution Soccer 5 |
| Game Type: Action |
| Developer: Konami |
| Publisher: Konami |
| Platform: PS2, Xbox, PC |
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Konami’s improvements to a winning formula make Pro Evolution Soccer 5 the game you’ll want to play until season’s end.
Gameplay ?10/10
The Pro Evolution Soccer series has always been about gameplay, and this year is no different. Any football lover would no doubt appreciate the depth and realism that PES 5 offers.
The players move around the pitch and utilise the empty spaces very well. Because of this goals can be scored from anywhere. You can score from anywhere, from any angle. There are no sweet spots either. Every goal you kick is different.
As has been the case in all PES games, ball physics are near perfect. Passes, crosses and shots along the ground and through the air are all realistic. There’s no lack of variety either. Sometimes a through ball along the ground is the best way to unlock the opposition defence. If that’s not on, try the full-length crossfield pass to a teammate in space, which not only looks great but also is also very effective when executed perfectly. If you have exhausted all options, have a shot from long range. If you try this and don’t have much time or space, the most likely scenario is that the ball will fly over the bar. If it does go in, you’ll no doubt want to show it off to your friends. That’s the beauty about PES, it captures football perfectly.
With all the compliments aimed towards PES’s gameplay, it’s easy to forget what really makes the game great, and that’s the controls. They just feel perfect and become second nature, almost as if you’re playing for real. You end up performing some wonderful moves without even thinking about it. It just makes PES’s gameplay very fun and will have you itching to play more.
Adding to the controls this year is the ability to sidefoot your shots. Just like all the PES controls, this becomes second nature when you figure out how it works. Side footing the ball adds curl to your shots and also makes them easier to control, depending on the situation. However, if your player isn’t in the right position for this type of shot then don’t bother trying it. Even if you are in a good position and attempt this shot it still can be easy for the goalkeeper to catch as in general it is not as powerful as normal shots. It’s more about the placement, and when done right can result in some very nice looking curled goals, something that we only saw from free kicks in previous versions of PES.
In some ways PES4’s gameplay went backwards compared to PES3. One of the major flaws in PES4 were the goalkeepers who just stood still as shots drifted by them and into the back of the net. I am yet to see this happen once in PES5 as goalkeepers have been smartened up, now positioning themselves better than ever as well.
If there were a negative in the gameplay of PES5 it would still be the amount of minor free kicks that disrupt the flow of the game. Fortunately the advantage rule has been put to better use this year, meaning these minor fouls don’t always stop the game. However these fouls are still awarded, and sometimes you even get a soft penalty even if the player who was apparently fouled goes unharmed and stays on his feet in the box. This is frustrating because scoring from the resulting penalty just isn’t as satisfying as scoring from open play as you could have done.
Overall, PES5’s gameplay is still quite far ahead of its competitors. I have never played a sports game that has such complete gameplay and we can count ourselves fortunate that the beautiful game is replicated in all its glory.
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