There are two ways to judge Pro Evolution Soccer 3 from Konami. The first is to compare it pixel by pixel with “the other football title” released annually. The second is to take it as a standalone title and judge it not only on its accurate portrayal of the beautiful game but also its merits as a piece of virtual entertainment. I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of bored by the endless comparisons. I have no allegiance to either game and all I really want to know is whether PES 2010 plays a good game and is worthy of your money.

Let’s deal with the background for those not in the know; Konami have been producing crowd-pleasing football games for over a decade. Focusing on capturing the ebb and flow of your average professional match, the series arguably peaked with the much loved PES 5 in 2005 (no, it was PES 6 – argued Ed.)

Upon loading up PES 2010 for the first time, it’s immediately apparent what one of this year’s big developments has been. Konami have been able to secure the rights for a number of high-profile teams as well as licenses for leagues. The fully licensed leagues are Ligue 1, Serie A and Eredivisie including all teams and players. Part-licensed are the Premier League (represented by Liverpool and Manchester Utd) and the Primera League which includes the big-guns Barcelona and Real Madrid in all their glory. Outside of the licensed teams Konami has given each team a recognizable moniker, so Aston Villa fans will be seeking out “West Midlands Village” and Arsenal fans will again be playing as “North London”.

Konami have also scored something of a coup by securing the rights to use the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League brands within the game. They’ve used this to great effect by developing a game-mode that allows you to play through the actual competition format. The presentation of this mode really is superb, fully utilizing that theme music before and after every match and all menus look exactly like you’d see on Sky Sports (or I guess ITV’s) coverage. It’s a small touch but one which really adds to the atmosphere and occasion.

Gone this year is the standard rock soundtrack, replaced by licensed tracks from the likes of The Chemical Brothers, DJ Shadow and The Klaxxons. It gives the whole package a more professional sheen that was perhaps lacking before.

It’s clear within a few minutes that graphically things have really taken a step forward from previous versions. Stadiums are gloriously detailed and on occasion bathed in sunlight and casting realistic shadows across the pitch. Players in close up are instantly recognizable and no longer look as though they’re some Frankenstein’s monster version of real thing. As a Liverpool fan (should I really admit to that based on their woeful current form?) it’s easy to name each and every player lining up in the tunnel based purely on their appearance.

I found matches to have an enjoyable ‘arcade’ feel where the action was end-to-end and less likely to get bogged down in crushingly dull midfield battles.
Although the new control method is a welcome addition, I didn’t feel as though the player animations or game engine was really strong enough to support it. Matches don’t run quite as smoothly as you’d hope and players seem to jerk a little from one animation frame to the next. This lack of finesse does drag you out of the moment which is a shame when the rest of game’s presentation is so faithful.

With next-gen sports titles we’ve come to expect ultra-realistic player animations but Konami’s game engine is starting to show the cracks. I can only assume this is Konami’s number one priority for next-years inevitable follow-up. On a more positive note Konami seems to have really removed the shackles from the footballers, giving them more power to really go for it.

At times the AI of the defence is remarkable and they seem to make brilliant decisions for the team. For example, dangerous corners were hoofed out of touch when that was clearly the smart option, but your defence will also play their way out of their own box when there is less pressure.

Conversely your goalkeepers can make ridiculous decisions and often find themselves stranded when the opposition is attacking. This is obviously infuriating, especially at the harder difficulty levels where small mistakes can make a big difference to the outcome.
Another area that Konami have excelled is in the team management element of the game. There are a huge variety of ways for you to tinker with strategy and training, even going so far as allowing you to scout for talent in the lower leagues. With so many options at your disposal, it is something of a miracle that Konami have delivered such a simple and intuitive menu.

After a very successful first half as Liverpool, I was 3-0 up against the old enemy Man Utd and feeling pretty chuffed about my performance, only for Jon to announce that I’d have to improve in the second half. I’ll admit, it’s funny the first time it happens, but when the commentary is consistently wrong, it just destroys the illusion. It’s a real shame that the overall excellent presentation has been dragged down so much by this.

In summary, PES 2010 is an enjoyable and well presented game of football. Clearly Konami has improved some of the areas of weakness from last season by enhancing player control, giving more power to the attacking team and placing greater emphasis on team management. It’s somewhat of a shame therefore that the game engine hasn’t also been overhauled to match the developer’s ambition. You’ll have a great time with the game, but there will be that lingering thought that it should have been so much better.