Operation Sports 2008 Soccer Game of the Year

[Bamtino]

Long time PES fan who made the jump to FIFA this year...

PES 09 feels more like a pinball game than a football game...The physics engine is so dated its god awful...Konami needs to scrap this archaic engine and make the jump to next gen...

FIFA 09 from a physics perspective isn't that much better than PES this year but overall it is by far the best and really only next gen football game...The gameplay isn't perfect by any strech of the imagination but at least is feels like football...

[Pared]

Quote: Originally Posted by clw22580

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

These type of comments shouldn't be allowed here. What if EA hired a few developers who worked on PES? You wouldn't have any idea because that sort of thing happens behind closed doors. The guy responsible for making W11/PES so great on the PS2 may not even be working on it anymore.

Look, you like a game, fine. But this sort of thing is very short sighted and looks very badly if you want to be taken seriously here.

If your intent is simply to post nonsense, then by all means...

[NateTeut]

I have to say....people will probably think I'm a lunatic, but I personally think I have more fun playing PES than ANY other sports game out there this year. I'm not a big soccer fan by any stretch, but I have a group of five other co-workers that had a fantasy draft and play PES with our six fantasy teams, and I can't get enough of playing this game. I won't say it's the best out there (I'm a touch partial to The Show), but I really enjoy the heck out of this game.

(Now if they could just get rid of that commentary line "...he found himself within good sight of goal, but he rooshed it" - then we'd really be in business. Do we need to hear that seven times a game? After last year, wouldn't we think of...I don't know...maybe getting a few other varieties of it to play in that spot????)

As for FIFA, it's always been a game that I've played once or twice a year and then sorta put down, but I've enjoyed that one this year as well....probably for the first time ever.

[bucksfan07]

PES 2009. Despite the dated graphics and animations, it's still one of the best sports games around. Fifa feels way too scripted to me while PES has more of a unpredictable, each game plays different feel. Also there are great editing options in PES so you can download the major leagues in the game that are in Fifa like the Premiership from sites like pesgaming.com

[sannti]

If it was an another year, my vote was absolutely for the Football Manager series but this year FM sucks. PES is terrible too for me and FIFA couldn't meet my expectations. I think Euro 08 is the best.

[Matt10]

Look at how many different type of goals are scored here:

http://s55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...atteogoals.flv

Physics? Are you serious - who cares about physics when gameplay is what truly matters. You want playability in a soccer game and that has to do with game play - if you say otherwise then you are kidding yourself.

[therizing02]

Nice video Matt. I have absolutely NO idea where the lack of physics in PES comes from. I think it might be the fact that ball rolling on the ground needs to be improved (looks like a golf ball rolling on a green), but your video proves the "terrible physics" argument is just wrong) Graphically, the only thing that makes PES seem current gen is the fact that the players move in only 8 directions.

The player models have improved a TON over the last two years and the stadium lighting in PES MUCH better than FIFA. Man, when I play the UCL mode, it FEELS like a UCL game. The night games in FIFA seem like they have this huge spotlight in the middle of the field and the corners are dark.

Bottom line for me is that PES is unquestionably the deeper game. Yes the Master League is dated and a few things could use a little polish but, it's a solid recreation of a league/franchise play so why make drastic changes when the mode does so many of the basic things right? They actually made a great transition from current gen to Next Gen without stripping it down. Are you listening EA?

Seriously though, I love the fact that I have a choice. I enjoy both games for different reasons. I was sooooo close to returning FIFA, but decided to go into the lab for a week and create some custom tactics (they're in my EA Locker...jack72906) that have turned the game around for me from a game play standpoint. That and the fact that I have given up on trying to get a decent amount of fouls in a game. With the tactical changes, I'm seeing more goal types, goals from players other than strikers, a lot less route one football, the CPU working the ball around, and just better all around games.

I'm trying but, it's really tough to get into the generic/vanilla manager mode. I'll be working with Serie B team Vicenza and trying to get them into Serie A. Between the fatigue, loan, and transfer problems it's kind of tough.

To me I get the best games from FIFA in tournament mode and online against OSers. I recently started (and got knocked out in the group stage) a custom tournament with Arsenal and every game had the gut wrenching pressure of a UCL match and I never felt that any of the games were scripted. I just lost fair and square.

PES is the more "complete" game but, I'm glad I have a choice. Too bad the NFL doesn't understand that.

[Pared]

Quote: Originally Posted by therizing02

Nice video Matt. I have absolutely NO idea where the lack of physics in PES comes from. I think it might be the fact that ball rolling on the ground needs to be improved (looks like a golf ball rolling on a green), but your video proves the "terrible physics" argument is just wrong) Graphically, the only thing that makes PES seem current gen is the fact that the players move in only 8 directions.

Bingo. And it's ridiculous that the game STILL only has movement limited to 8 directions. In what way is the game better than its PS2 counterparts?

Again, WE7:FE is a more complete game than PES has been on next-gen. Where is the evolution in PES?

Posting that video certainly shows off some nice ball physics off of shots but "you're kidding yourself" if you think the dribbling physics are better. The ball looks like a yo-yo stuck to your foot when dribbling. And in terms of shooting you can get EQUALLY as impressive shots in FIFA. There are TONS of videos on YouTube and EASportsworld that show that.

It's nice to have a choice. I used to import and play W11 every single year on the PS2. Used translate it... hell I even wrote multiple walk-throughs that were posted on some British message board (can't recall where... they were HUGE for W11). But until they fix the game where it is equally as good as its PS2 counterpart in all areas and get rid of that limited movement I'll stick with FIFA.

[BIG CAROLINA]

I love fifa and like someone posted, once you get your custom tactics down it becomes a great game. I am getting PES for christmas so I will reserve my vote until I put in time with PES.

Being that this is a two horse race I just hope that people actually play both before saying one is better than the other.

[therizing02]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pared

Bingo. And it's ridiculous that the game STILL only has movement limited to 8 directions. In what way is the game better than its PS2 counterparts? Again, WE7:FE is a more complete game than PES has been on next-gen. Where is the evolution in PES? Posting that video certainly shows off some nice ball physics off of shots but "you're kidding yourself" if you think the dribbling physics are better. The ball looks like a yo-yo stuck to your foot when dribbling. And in terms of shooting you can get EQUALLY as impressive shots in FIFA. There are TONS of videos on YouTube and EASportsworld that show that. It's nice to have a choice. I used to import and play W11 every single year on the PS2. Used translate it... hell I even wrote multiple walk-throughs that were posted on some British message board (can't recall where... they were HUGE for W11). But until they fix the game where it is equally as good as its PS2 counterpart in all areas and get rid of that limited movement I'll stick with FIFA.

I almost at the point where I'm going to buy this game for you so you can get your own opinion as opposed to formulating one based on what others are saying and a few YouTube videos.

Coming from someone that has logged many hours with both games this year there is no clear cut, this game is better in EVERY aspect winner. I think PES is better/deeper in more areas than FIFA, that's why it got my vote.

I think it's funny when people say things like "until Next Gen catches up with PS2 version of PES..." . How does that apply to this year? All editing features are available that were in current gen, the graphics and player models are light years better and the gameplay is great.

On the other hand the Manager mode in current gen FIFA is deeper than it's next gen counterpart. Can anyone explain why?

I agree the 8 direction player movement needs to be updated as do the ground passes. If that bugs anyone more than anything, then yes, FIFA would be a better choice. However, even though FIFA has better player movement from a directional standpoin, there are quite a few irritating things like the physically impossible quick cut backs and unrealistic time to release on shots that trump the directional movement advantage.

The header animations need a ton of work in FIFA. In 09 there are more and I'm certainly thankful for that, but the standing headers and a few others just look wrong.

There is no right answer to this debate. FIFA has improved the most over the past few years because they had more room for improvement. So naturally, it's going to make PES looks like they haven't done anything. PES regressed on Next Gen 2007 and regressed even more last year. 2009 is completely different story. It has the same great PES gameplay with enhancements, full editing capabilities, better player models, and deeper gameplay modes than FIFA.