As a fan of the Pro Evo Soccer games I always look forward to the latest release. PES2008 is no exception. However, almost unbelievably, Konami have managed to take one step forward and two steps back…
I play the Xbox 360 version and almost always online. After only a few days play - here are the problems with this release. Many of these problems were present in PES6, many more are new additions…
1. Storage device on start up. There is no need to ask the player each time the game is loaded whether to use a storage device or which one to use. Simply remember the last one used and give an option to ’select different storage device’ in the options.
2. Can’t change teams - when you select a team, if the other player has also selected a team, it is then impossible to go back and change your team. Furthermore, there is no option to them quit the game and set it up again. You literally have to either log out of X-box live completely or play with a team you don’t want to play with.
3. Doesn’t remember selections - where is the option to save default selections? I use the same team and the same selection of players every time I play. Give us the option to save these settings as a default selection. This should also save formation settings. Having to change this each and every time a session is created is a farce.
4. Remember game defaults/ball options - enable the user to save options for the ball, stadium, cursor options. Save the selections last used by default but give the player the option of changing them with options. Better still give the option of ‘reset options each session’ or ’save session settings’ and then everyone will be happy.
5. Lag during play - There was occasional bad lag in PES6 but this version is shameful. The ball and players literally teleport about the pitch whilst the game plays. Occasionally what happens on one screen, doesn’t happen the same on your opponents. This is really basic stuff. That Konami can release a game in this state shows real contempt for the customer.
6. Replays are terrible - seriously, this wasn’t even a problem last version. Now, the replays are WORSE. They are so slow as to be almost unwatchable. Again, disgraceful.
7. Replays can be skipped by one half but the other player then watches and empty screen - In the past version, while playing online, if one user tried to skip the replay but the other user wanted to watch it, the replay was viewed until it had either ended or both users had pressed ’start’. Now, once you have pressed ’start’, if the other player is still viewing the replay you just get to watch a blank screen saying ‘waiting for other player’. Please Konami, change this back to how it used to be, you have solved nothing but created a new problem.
8. Occasionally, despite the keeper making a save and the ball remaining in play, a corner kick is awarded. This is a definite bug. Not much else to say - fix it.
9. For reasons that escape me, the delay between a set piece being awarded and the referee blowing his whistle is far too long (same for goal kicks, throw ins, corners etc). There needs to be an option for ‘whistle delay’. It’s only seconds but waiting for throw ins, free kicks, centre kicks etc is now incredibly frustrating. It wasn’t a problem in PES6 - why has this been added/changed?
The really frustrating thing is that all these issues have become obvious after only a few hours of play testing. It is quite obvious that either the code hasn’t been tested before being giving a release candidate (or similar) status or Konami and Microsoft were aware of the issues but decided to press ahead with the release because they know the title is a huge money maker. Either way it is cynical and shameful. The paying customer deserves better. My advice: if you have PES6 then hold on to it until this new title is significantly patched.
