The animation system has been sent to a tough training camp, forced to hit the weights and is now finally match fit for the first time in years. Yup, player movement now looks like actual humans running about, rather than a bunch of slightly stiff metaliic men.
Movement, both on and off the ball, looks more fluid and natural than before. There’s a greater variety in animations for different players, too. So now you can really tell the difference between a Kaka (who looks elegant and powerful bombing down the wing). And a Kuyt (who looks more ponderous and clumsy). Compared to last year, it’s like going from the Conference to the Champions League.
Master League has actually changed%26hellip; a bit
The first bit of good news? They’ve sacked off the stupid, make-believe PES points. Now, when signing new players, you’ll deal in your chosen currency, whether that’s Pounds, Dollars or Euros. The whole menu system is also more streamlined, making it easier to switch between transfers, training and managing your club's finances.
You’ll actually have to balance the books in PES 2010 and a lot of your time will be taken up sorting out sponsorships deals and managing the wages of club personnel. Better still, there’s now a youth academy to bring through those promising, young Ecuadorian wings-backs. And Konami have at last implemented the Champions and (and newly acquired) Europa Leagues into the mode.
They%26rsquo;ve fixed free-kicks
In the past, decoding the art of PES’ free-kicks felt like some sort of black magic. Almost impossible to get any sort of consistency, the system felt hugely unfair and random. So when we step up this year with Ronaldo in his freshly unboxed Madrid shirt we’re not expecting much. Five seconds later, after we’ve rocketed a piledriver in off the bar from all of 35 metres, we can safely say free-kicks have been fixed.
The flight of the ball no longer feels like it’s on some predetermined path. Thanks to the new physics, free-kicks feel weighty and exciting. For the first time since PES 5, it actually seems you can hit the ball into the same areas consistently. It means we’re now more than happy to draw a foul, because stepping up to smack a set piece feels alive with possibility.
Aug 20, 2009
PES 2009: 23 weird & wonderful goals
See some brilliant onion bag-blasters
The giants face off in our footballing farce
