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By Scott N (9th May 2008)Not much gets the blood racing quicker than a really good football game that embodies all that the round ball game has to offer.

I am an ex-football player and footballfan. Not much gets my blood racing quicker than a really good football game that embodies all that the round ball game has to offer and brings you to a place where you are pumping the air with every goal you score and tearing your hair out with every miss your goalie lets slip. In my opinion, football games are ideal vehicles for time wasting situations, and a good one helps the time go that little bit quicker! So strap on your footy boots and brace yourself for the latest take on the beautiful game on the PSP, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 – Winning Eleven (PES).

The visual package is showy and impressive. From the very beginning the intro explodes onto the screen with up-tempo techno music and an animated sequence that couples football with urban freestyle running (Parkour) and some crazy colours. Going simply on this, you begin to expect a complete re-invention of the sport. Of course, this is not the case. PES provides a stylish package for a game that runs very smoothly, is uncomplicated and covers pretty much all you could hope for in the world of football, minus the tabloid stories associated with many of the players in the real world!

PES has what seems to be a limitless amount of game options to keep even the most dedicated football fan occupied. From what I can tell it doesn’t actually offer anything new, rather more refined takes on what we have seen in many other football games. Game modes, such as Exhibition, Tournament/Cup, World Tour, League and Master League are up for grabs, with the more complex options offering full team/player design and management.

The management options are very thorough, with an amazing array of variables from player appearance and abilities to logo design, trading options and weekly scheduling. Of course you can also create your whole team and lace it with talent such as Ronaldo, Henry and Kewell (for the Aussies reading). The difficulty levels also give you a great deal of control, with the easier options allowing you to have an all star team and the harder ones leaving you with a minimal budget and a team full of green recruits! You can, quite literally, waste a few hours without even playing a game, just picking players and fooling around with the stats!

One option that I must make mention of that really demonstrates the level of control you have over the game is that when creating your team you also get to alter the variables of your fan base! You can choose South American style of supporters who use drum rhythms or English fans who use songs and chants etc. When you do decide to play a game, again, there are an immense amount of options at your disposal, from rule variations to camera angles and difficulty settings. Although there are a lot of trick and nuance moves at you command, the basics are very simple, which is the major reason this game is a winner! It really is one of those games that takes five minutes to learn the basics and hours upon hours to perfect the intricacies!

The button layout is easy to get down pat, with the ideal placement of the ‘run’ button being the right trigger. One minor issue is you can ware away your thumb print through excessive use of the stick, but that is the case with most PSP sports games. The only important control factor that takes a while to get used to is the kick power metre. Often you forget to keep an eye on it when you strike and over play the ball….harder is not better in this case!

The visuals are excellent on all levels. Menu’s and cut scenes are very slick and the in game animation runs very smooth. The game commentary is a little odd, with absolutely none until a goal is scored, then a generic comment suddenly rears its head! The music is quite amusing, with some interesting Japanese style techno mixes with some incredibly corny lyrics that take quite a while to get used to. You can use your own on board MP3’s, which is good and all, but take my advice and stick with what they give you…some funny stuff!

One option that can be quite useful is that if you also own the game on the PS2 you can link up your PSP and update game info, meaning you can play on your PS2, then take it on the road and progress in the same game. I don’t do it myself, but it’s nice to know it’s there….makes you feel all warm and fuzzy!

This is a game that you definitely need for your PSP library. As I mentioned earlier, football games are ideal for wasting time on a portable system, and PES is an exceptional example. It wins on all levels, being an exceptionally polished game in appearance and also simple enough to pick up and play without knowing the technical skills. The inclusion of player retirements and popularity levels (largely based on team success) help make the game as realistic as possible, and the sheer amount of game control options allow you to tailor your experience the way you want it. The beautiful game just got even prettier!