Saturday, May 3, 2008

xBox 360 Game Review - Soccer on the XBox - Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007

Soccer on the XBox - Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 xBox 360 Game Review - Konami has always been the underdog of sports games. They never had EA backing, or the support of the big sports companies. But, they always managed to create games that played like a dream.

Winning Eleven is Xbox's first soccer offering. It's basically the same as the PS2 game but with improved graphics. It doesn't have all the features of the PS2 game.

Konami's soccer games in the past have always had an edge over everybody else's. This is because of the stunning realistic movement of the players. The team really plays together like a real team. The developers have really studied the physics of soccer and used the best technology available for the game.

Winning Eleven also has the best graphics I've ever seen on any soccer game. The backgrounds are so realistic you can almost make out the fans' faces, and the players look almost real. This is helped by the smooth movement of the game.

There are lots of set-up options so you can build your team. You can play quick games, career games or online play with other Winning Eleven players.

Most of Winning Eleven follows its predecessors, with the exception that there is more you can do offensively. There are so many ways to control dribbling, you really have to practice with the machine before you can start playing. If you know how to do it, you can control the ball perfectly, just like a real soccer game. You can stop or turn quickly, and even control how much time there is between taps on the ball. The controls are so sensitive to the touch, you can practice and learn how to finesse it just like you want to. The degree of control the player has is one of the best things about this game. You have tons of options for passes, using button combos on the controller for short, long or through passes. They've used AI technology to create the players, so you can really develop your passes like a real soccer pro team.

After you've reached a certain score (meaning that you have the technique to do them) there are a bunch of tricks you can do. You can fake out the other players, or do jutes or other common soccer tricks. These are tough to do, but can come in handy and make your game much tougher. When you first try to do tricks, it'll seem slow, clumsy and impossible. But, practice makes perfect.

The only thing I don't like about the game is the horrible music. For some reason, soccer games always have a terrible techno-electronic soundtrack. It might be the tastes of the primarily European audience. It's a minor detail, but it gets annoying. Some music preference features might be a good idea for future versions of the game.

If you want the most realistic soccer video game experience, XBox's Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 is just what you need. With some practice and experience, you'll be able to control your players so well, it's like a real game of soccer.

No comments: