Horhay's Full Review: Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 for Xbox...
Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 is Konami’s first attempt at bringing their legendary soccer series to the Xbox 360. But just like previous editions, there are some licensing issues. A ton of international teams have generic lineups. A majority of clubs from the English Premier league contain fabricated rosters, and the complete lack of a German league is puzzling. The limited editing options are equally disappointing. You can only edit player names and stats. You can’t trade players, rename clubs, and you can’t create your own logos and jerseys. There’s also other missing content. Stuff found in the PS2 version (International Challenge, PES Shop) is absent on the 360.
Missing features aside, there’s still a healthy dose of modes and authentic teams. The Italian, French, Spanish, and Dutch leagues are fully licensed. There are a handful of International tournaments, but the Master League provides the most customization. Your goal in this mode is to successfully manage a club and work you way to the top division. During your campaign, players develop new skills and you’ll need to dip your feet into the transfer market in order maintain a profitable team.
Gameplay
The computer AI is tougher than ever. Defenders cut angles better and do a tremendous job of pressuring. It gets to the point where you can’t even move three steps before two defenders come plowing at you. They also aren’t afraid to bump a player in order to stop a run. You’ll see a lot of players falling and slowing down as they collide with other players. Lastly, the goalies actually react to the action. They are very aggressive and come charging out if a one-on-one opportunity occurs.
The shooting mechanics have seen the most change. The power meter acts different depending on a player’s stats and body orientation. Sometimes a medium powered shot will find the back of the net, but minutes later a contested shot of equal power will send the ball into the nose bleed sections. Tricks and other skills are still intact. Performing feints, fake shots, and sidesteps is necessary if you get into trouble with defenders. Unfortunately, your teammates are on another page. They play way too conservative and if you’re on the counterattack, you’ll usually have to slow down and wait for someone to make a run. They also do a poor job of reacting to loose balls.
The passing system takes some time to get comfortable with. It might be just me getting familiar with the 360’s analog stick, but I experienced a lot of miscues and turnovers in the early going. But once you find rhythm, you’ll be able to effortlessly deliver dangerous crosses and through passes. The Xbox 360 control scheme will no doubt frustrate PS2 veterans. I spent a good half hour swapping buttons around until I found a setup that was comfortable. My major problem was with the “switching player” button. The LB button is used for this action, but it felt too awkward.
Online
Players start out in division 3A and work their way from there. Winning ranked games adds points to your profile and bumps you up to higher divisions. Unfortunately, the action online is horrific. Every game I played contained moderate or serious lag, and there are a bunch of glitches and lost connections problems that favor people who quit. Konami recently issued a patch that fixes the connection issues, but it’s actually made games worse for me. So yeah, the online needs a lot of work. Some online tournaments and roster updates wouldn’t hurt too.
Graphics & Sound
The graphics don’t feel next gen, but you’ll see the difference when you compare it to the PS2 version. Everything is much sharper and the close-ups are impressive. Crowd effects are immersive and there are some great camera angles during celebrations and replays. Sadly, the sound doesn’t hold up with the clean visuals. The commentary is extremely shallow and the color is rarely heard during matches. The music is the biggest turnoff though. It’s a mix of generic rock and techno that doesn’t belong in the game.
Final Thoughts
The single player modes are deep and the action on the field can’t be beat. On the downside, the online play and lack of editing options spoil some of the fun. Causal sports fans and soccer enthusiasts should give the game a spin. But for the obsessed Winning Eleven followers looking for the total package, your best bet is with the PS2 version.
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