PES Chronicles

I’m still disappointed by PES5′s PS2 graphics. It’s extraordinary how quickly you can become used to a new console generation’s graphics – how quickly they become the norm.

I experienced the same problem back in 2002. After moving from the PS1 to the PS2, a few weeks later I put on one of my favourite PS1 games – Syphon Filter 2 – and I couldn’t play it for more than a few minutes. The PS1 graphics looked horrible. I couldn’t stand them. Things are not so bad for PES5. The PS3′s upscaling capability helps a lot.

I’m being a bit of a football game whore at the moment. I’m spreading myself around between two console games. Add PES6 and FM2007 on the PSP and I’ve got 4 ‘mistresses’ on the go at once.

I’ve been thinking a lot about PES2008 over the past few days. I’ve been thinking that PES2008 was a nearer miss than I gave it credit for. But for its terrible, unrealistic, perennially butter-fingered goalkeepers, and its overpowered dribbling, PES2008 could and should have been what we all anticipated it would be: the best football game ever. I am absolutely certain.

Which only makes it all the more personally disappointing (even crushing) that we were served up with the game we got. Could Konami issue a gameplay patch for the goalkeepers? Probably yes, if they wanted to. Do they want to? Probably not. They’ve probably drawn a line under PES2008 and already started to plan their marketing strategy for PES2009.

They got the passing right in PES2008. I also now think they got the pace of the gameplay about right – maybe 10% slower would have been slightly more comfortable, but it’s still a long way short of the insane speed of PES5 and PES6. The shooting, while less than entirely satisfactory, is a bit more difficult than the regular 6-2 scorelines might suggest. PES2008′s shortcomings – its lack of the sheer daily satisfaction that its predecessors had in bucketloads – can largely be traced to the atrocious goalkeeper AI. In my opinion.

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I’m plugging away at PES5, and yes, I finally won a tournament (on 4*).

Here’s the winning goal in the final, scored by Owen against Belgium (of all teams):

I hate to be always sounding so picky about PES. Believe me. But I have another picky point to make: Owen clearly shins that ball into the goal. From 30 yards out.

Sadly, winning this tournament doesn’t mean that I am now going to start a PES5 Master League. I was only playing on 4* and I have to win a tournament on at least 5* before I can consider myself ready and able. Ah, but am I willing?

That is the question. Behind all the bluster and grandstanding of the last week, I am experiencing doubts about continuing with PES5 as my main game for the rest of the year.

I don’t think I want to go back to PES2008. Although I have dreamed up a set of House Rules that would make things very interesting – you know, if I wanted to go back (not saying I would; just speculating here, is all).

I might turn my attention to PES6. Or I might – and this is going to sound like the ultimate heresy – turn to next-gen FIFA08.

After 400+ games on FIFA08, I’ve found that the reasons why some people hate it are the reasons why I like it. No, I don’t want to be able to zoom through entire defences with one player, thank you very much. Yes, I like to take my time. Yes, I enjoy dour 0-0 draws. Yes, I enjoy the challenge of a fantastically difficult and unforgiving shooting system. And so on…. I believe FIFA08 is a game that could easily occupy me until October. Now that would be a turn-up for the books. It would also be a considerable amount of egg on my face. Of all the years I picked to start a PES blog, it had to be this one…

I have a couple of days off work. I’m going to spread myself around a bit, see what feels right.