Written by: Chris W.

 

 

 

It's funny how we have such little choice with football games in this modern age, there aren't many options if you are seeking a virtual recreation of the sport.

 

Today it's FIFA 10 or "Pro Evolution Soccer 2010", or more specifically FIFA vs. Pro Evolution Soccer, a battle that is currently being won by the mighty FIFA franchise, at least in terms of fluidity and realism.

 

 

There's one word to describe the series: dated. FIFA's rebirth has just been too successful for Konami to continue to ignore most of our pleas for a "throw it all out and start again" upgrade. That's not to say that the game doesn't remain a lot of fun, because that it certainly does.

 

FIFA definitely beats it in every area, though, with much more of a focus on the physical play of football as well as much more of a lovely fluidity and flow to each match, although Pro Evolution Soccer is still the fast and fun game that has been tweaked and overhauled for almost a decade. The game, like FIFA, includes 360 degree dribbling this year, though it doesn't work in as noticeable or as satisfying manner as EA's latest update.

 

 

Moving on and sadly, the keepers are regularly comedy acts: pouncing on the ball and knocking it into their own nets, as well as allowing it to sail past them at some really dubious angles. That's not to say that they don't make some amazing saves at times, as you'll feel like shaking their hands when they stop the ball from crossing the line with their athletic abilities, on the flipside, though, you may very well feel like giving them a bloody nose for some of their stupid mistakes.

 

Moving off the pitch, remember the custom tactics of FIFA? There’s a similar option here, allowing you to toggle sliders to alter the various behaviours of your team: the defensive line, supporting players and attacking style amongst them. Like FIFA, it’s a great option that tacticians will really enjoy tinkering with.

 

As for options, the Master League has seen some improvement. This year, the 'UEFA Champions League' has been included in the mode, after being oddly absent from the 2009 Master League, despite being an individual option. Also, the Europa League makes its fully licensed debut and appears within the Master League, whilst improvements to the menus and various other enhancements makes the popular mode even better than it was previously.

 

 

'Become a Legend' also makes a return, although it's pretty much the mode that was introduced last year, with few noticeable changes. For those who don't know, this great mode allows you to fill the boots of a single player as you make your way through his hopefully successful football career.