I have always loved Pro Evolution Soccer and with a brand-spanking new game engine, Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 is bigger, better and more stunning to play than ever. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 focuses on enhancing the excitement of matches between players, making for a truly challenging experience that constantly tests the player. Intuitive zonal defending covers spaces and players need to look constantly for new ways to attack. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 focuses on being a real soccer simulation, as it requires both strategic play and quick reactions, as in real life. In addition to key out-field elements, goalkeepers are more versatile and with abilities matching those of modern shot-stoppers. Gameplay is the most important factor in any brilliant football game. You can have all the fancy graphics you like, but if the gameplay isn't polished enough then there is no point in even playing any longer. The passes and sublime crosses to your favourite superstars feel fantastic. You get the awesome feeling you got from early Pro Evolution Soccer games when you manage to pin-point a perfect through-ball or whip-in a cross landing straight at your strikers' feet. It's good to see that Konami have made such a massive improvement in that field alone. Game modes have always been dominant in Pro Evolution Soccer games.
The main mode, Master League has had a massive overhaul this year. There are so many things to get your teeth into with a massive amount of in-depth options and menus. You have: sponsorships, operating costs, a fanbase, a youth team, real money, player dossiers, specialist training, skill cards and player indexes. All the money spent and received can be in £'s, $'s, €'s or Yen instead of the game's old currency. Skill cards and player indexes showcase special abilities individual players have allowing you to choose if they use these abilities or not. E.G. Rooney can be chosen to run back from his forward position to help defend by switching that card on. AI has been one thing footy games do incredibly bad or incredibly well. In Pro Evolution Soccer 2010's case, it's the latter. Konami's trademark Team-vision system is now in it's second version. You can really feel tell that almost all the time your team-mates that aren't in possession are doing all they can to make themselves available to pass to or mark opposing players etc. This is aided with the help of the skill cards I mentioned earlier - giving some players the physical edge over others. Opposing players have some great vision and AI too. I was losing 1-0 and with the last few moments of the game, the opposing AI ran the ball to the corner flag and wouldn't let me have it. I was shocked knowing how realistic this game's AI has become.
The game's referees have also been reworked, with smarter AI elements allowing them to make more balanced calls during matches. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 has undergone a major visual revamp, with its celebrated player likenesses and animations now even closer to those of real-life players - including live player expressions to be depicted with an improved lighting system, which differentiates between various conditions! The sound in the game is something that definitely needs to be brought up. The crowd has had a massive improvement in terms of reacting to what is happening on the pitch. They will boo and whistle when the away team has the ball for too long and will chant depending on how their team is doing. The music has had a massive improvement too, you can say bye-bye to the homemade rubbish that Konami used to shove on the menu screens and say hello to some real music. Artists like The Kaiser Chiefs, The Klaxons and The Chemical Brothers are among many that give the game a good atmosphere when you aren't even kicking a football about. There are so many enhancements in this game to look forward to in Pro Evolution Soccer 2010. Whether you are a fanboy or not, you will love how well this game plays. Besides, what other game can you belt them past the keeper from 40 yards?
