Games: KCET - Pro Evolution Soccer 6

KCET
Pro Evolution Soccer 6
[Sports Simulation]

Contrary to traditional Musically Sound methodology, I decided to browse through a handful of Pro Evolution Soccer 6 reviews prior to writing my own. However, fear not loyal readers, for this investigative journalism was undertaken purely for pleasure. You see, the Pro Evolution Soccer series has long been subjected to what I call "back of the box" reviews - that is, reviews simply listing the features given out in press releases - which are often highly amusing. The sixth instalment in the series is no different, with analysis focused on such trivialities as the new animations, new teams, and even, wait for it, fully licensed French, Spanish, Dutch and Italian leagues!

This style of review also inevitably leads to the same conclusion year upon year - that nothing much has changed and FIFA is catching up slightly and the commentary ain't great and ooh er that Seabass fella better buck his ideas up or he could find himself out of a job. Not only is this conclusion worryingly widespread, it is completely farcical and something I hope to debunk over the course of this review.

Analysing what it is exactly that makes Konami's long-running series of football games so majestic is made increasingly difficult when horrid clichés are banded about and consequently accepted as the definitive explanation of the Pro Evolution Soccer experience. While such slogans are plentiful, the claim that PES "feels just like real football" is my personal favourite. Having seemingly been mandatory for the last five years, this phrase is beginning to wear thin even by games journalism standards. Not only that, it simply isn't true. Ask anyone new to the series to describe the game’s mechanics and I guarantee that the clunky, loping style and mathematical, unforgiving passing system would not make their fingers tingle with appreciation for the beautiful game.

This is especially with true PES6, whose overhauled passing and shooting system initially feels entirely broken; passes dither and are easily intercepted, shots float harmlessly into the keeper's arms, scoring one-on-ones is practically impossible. The frustration grows when free kicks appear to have no power, headers are horribly misplaced, tackling doesn't always work and through balls are impossible to defend against. Make no mistake - the first few days of PES6 are brutal; relentless; unfair; helpless.

And then it comes. Firstly, a slick passing move - one-twos, full backs overlapping, midfielders surging beyond the line of defence - moving the ball becomes easier, quicker and more responsive. Shots from outside the box suddenly have more bite to them; free kicks are whipped rather than floated; headed pellets become headed bullets; slotting the ball past an onrushing keeper seems too easy. "How can this be?" comes the first question, "What am I doing now that I wasn't doing before?" And yet there is no answer, no explanation, nothing to measure your achievement against except that you have cracked the uncrackable and haven't the foggiest idea how or why.

This elation, of course, is followed by utter dismay as the inevitable dip in form sets in. Games you should win are frustrating draws, even games result in defeat and goals seem a million miles away. And so the process continues for the next twelve months – peaks and troughs, highs and lows – a relentless ride off which there is no escape.

And it is this seemingly ridiculous, emotional attachment to every minute of every game that ensures the PES format will always be a successful one. There are as many tight midfield scraps as there are incidents in and around the penalty area, yet the thrill never ceases. Some would argue that this is simply the nature of the sport, however that argument is easily countered by the torrent of horrendous football games we have been subjected to over the years (Three Lions, FIFA post-1996 and the This is Football and Actua Soccer series to name but a few).

Yes, some teams don’t have full licensing. Yes, the translation isn’t word perfect. Yes, the number and format of competitions has remained unchanged for a number of years. In addition, you could even argue that this review doesn't actually review the specifics of the game at all. However, it doesn't need to.

No amount of graphical polish, licensed music, marketing campaigns or attempted gameplay theft can ever make a FIFA game comparable to a PES game in the foreseeable future. Football is a sport so diverse and complex that it is impossible to ever imagine recreating it on a small screen in a living room. Make no mistake, however, that the Pro Evolution Soccer series is the only worthwhile attempt to extrapolate what it is that makes the sport so appealing. So, while caressing a pad in a muggy room may never feel like football, Pro Evolution Soccer 6 takes another important (and successful) step towards understanding what it is to feel football. 98