Operation Sports 2008 Soccer Game of the Year

[therizing02]

Be A Pro Seasons or Become a Legend?

Become a Legend by far a lot deeper.....A LOT Deeper

Manager Mode or Master League?

Master League...don't even need to get into it

Kick Off or Exhibition

Kick Off...only because BAL and ML are so deep there is no point in playing Exhibition.

Leagues/Licensing

Yes FIFA has more but I really don't need over half the leagues that are in the game. I do need the Russian teams and the African nations that aren't in the game so.......PES because they have both.

Player Control

PES by far. Way too many little irritating things in FIFA. The pause, the stop and let the CPU get a pass intended for you, the backup when a pass is intended for your player...I could go on.

Camera Options

I love the Broadcast 1 cam and Verticle Wide is much better than Be A Pro cam.

Player Models

PES

CPU AI

In PES they adapt to what you are doing on the pitch. Keep attacking down the left wing they adjust.

In PES, the sub patterns are light years ahead of FIFAs.

Teammate AI

Again...don't even need to get into it. PES

Stadiums

FIFA 09

Passing

I love the Manual passing option in FIFA. Much better than PES.

Tournament Modes

UEFA Champions League...PES

Ball Physics

No preference. In FIFA, the on the ground physics are better and the in the air physics are better in PES.

I guess you guys can figure out how I voted.

[Dislimb]

Absolutely FIFA here.

[Pared]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bahnzo

Don't rely on video, and try to play a game before you say it's not realistic. The ball in FIFA is floaty and not nearly as realistic as in PES. Not saying PES is perfect, but it's done a much better job than it's counterpart. PES 2009 is at least on par as where it was back in the PS2 days. FIFA looks good, but when you spend time with it, the flaws become obvious and are really maddening. FIFA08 was a really good game, but 09 for some reason has taken a step backwards. EDIT: Also, IMO the management games don't belong in this category, they belong in the text sims. Comparing FIFA to Football manager doesn't work....as IGN found out.

Quote: Originally Posted by therizing02

Of course the ball physics in FIFA, while not of the "lead balloon" type, the floatiness of the ball is more hot air balloon type. I think the on the ground ball physics in FIFA are alot better than PES and the in the air physics in PES are much better than FIFA.

I'll give it a look sometime I guess. I have a group of guys that played W11 religiously and since it has moved to the PS3/360 they have been terrible.

We're all playing FIFA now, as the game with everything manual feels very organic.

[poster]

PES hands down has better gameplay than FIFA. It also has a competent CPU AI in franchise mode.

[tabulaRasa]

If you know soccer, it´s easy, PES once again.

[Bahnzo]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pared

I'll give it a look sometime I guess. I have a group of guys that played W11 religiously and since it has moved to the PS3/360 they have been terrible. We're all playing FIFA now, as the game with everything manual feels very organic.

I was the exact same way. I bought a PS2 strictly for WE9 (or 8 maybe, can't remember). But next gen PES has been terrible...until this year. They've made some inroads this year and I'm really hoping that next year will shine.

But Rizing's post above pretty much sums up my feelings about FIFA vs PES this year. The only area that FIFA is a clear cut winner is online play....everything else PES has the upper hand in this year. And it's one of the great things about having two franchises competing for our dollar. If there was no PES, then would FIFA even be as good as it is now? And if FIFA didn't take a great leap forwards last year, would PES even be bothering to improve it's game? Everyone wins here, something the NFL doesn't bother to realize...I sure hope FIFA and the other football/soccer governing bodies understand this.

[clw22580]

PES.

Anyone that actually knows anything about or has played soccer knows that EA simply cannot make a realistic soccer sim.

[DaWolf]

Fifa gets my vote because overall it is the better game. Even though the ball physcis are not that great and the keepers are way too good the whole "feel" that you get while playing it is awesome.

[BrianFifaFan]

It would be a "no-brainer" to say who I voted for... With that said, I'm gonna have to say that PES is deeper in a lot of the single-player stuff. But it's the same old stuff. EAC let us know that MM is pretty much the same as last year. While annoying, not anything that kills it for me. Now gameplay, I'll say all I played was the demo and WE9. I've never really felt PES's gameplay, so them digging up an old version's gameplay doesn't really impress me, either. Also, while I'm one of maybe 100 people on the planet who plays Pro Cam religiously, it's the best soccer experience ever. And how Fifa's gameplay reaches the best footie experience ever. It takes some real getting used to for the sideways player, I'll grant. But it was the way this game was designed to be played. Hence, the Arena.

Now, I'll say this about 08vs.09's gameplay. Apples and oranges. If you can't do a basic tricks and control pace, you'll lose. And you also have to change your style of play for different opponents, even change them based on whether a team you're facing is in a "must win" coming off of a loss or at home, etc... I'm sorry but I have to say that this game has many hidden gems underneath a few flaws. I've never played any game that challenges me so much. Fifa09 is my favorite sports game ever and if they get the MM stuff worked out, it'll be in the pantheon of all time great sims like "The Show" and NBA 2k series.

P.S. Player models aren't even close... PES's models look like PS2 models....

P.S.S. Before you guys say I'm smoking crack, let me prove it to you come the delivery of my Hava which I'm buying off of my buddy/sensei Wepeeler. When the tutorials flow, you'll see what this game can really do! Here's a quick tip. The game doesn't suffer from "lag" in it's controls. There is a heavy sim element to it where you need have what you want to do ready right as the ball arrives. That's why they have the "button memory" built in for extensive preloading. Try setting up your low cross or trap and shoot as the ball is still in the air. You'll see a far more responsive and fluid game. Once you learn how to think one step ahead (which real athletes must do) you'll lose a lot of frustrations about getting planted on your backside. Also, learn to shoot while the ball is on it's downward plane, that's how you get those neat benders and really random gameplay....

[theaub]

I have spent far too much of the past month playing Football Manager. Easy vote for me.