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Despite always seemingly being viewed as the upstart that never could against EA Sports' vaunted FIFA franchise, Konami has done something special with Pro Evolution Soccer 2011. Picking up from the strides made in last year's game, the . The game has been out since October, so this review may not seem timely, but that's not necessarily true if you consider the real-life timing. The Champions League tourney is about to reach the quarterfinals, and the Europa Cup is moving along with some great action too. Sometimes you want to play the virtual game in the midst of the sport's most exciting tournaments featuring the world's top talent. You might lament the fact PES doesn't have the licensing and merchandising EA's FIFA does, but even I can overlook the fact Chelsea is called "London FC" in this game. And sure, the uniforms aren't exactly what they should look like either, while some stadiums look like altered versions of real ones. You can't escape the revisions, but the game is good enough that you won't really have to. The main reasons why is because the players are here, and the game you control is, well, under your control a lot more. Konami had toyed with the idea of more manual passing last year - meaning that you can control the direction and pace of the pass all on your own, instead of letting the CPU help you along the way. What this amounts to is a more creative element to opening up a defense and giving teammates time and space. The premise goes much further because you can set a formation, and then tinker with player placement depending on whether the team is on offense, defense or balancing between the two. More than that, you can even design tricks and feints to throw off opponents, but they end up being a bit of a mixed bag. Chances are, only the really particular fans will go into trying these regularly. But player placement also comes with changing the speed of the game. It's hard to truly describe, but there is a pace to this game that can ebb and flow between something bordering on frenetic to a methodical chess match in the midfield. I suspect that part of why this happens is because the AI on both sides adapt well to what's happened through the course of a match. Consistently running down one side of the pitch to go in for a cross won't work time and again. You need to be creative because the AI forces you to. This makes possession integral - as it should be - but also forces you to change up the way you pass the ball. If you're used to just using short passes all the time, you might find that there isn't enough mustard on one you're trying to make down the field. Hence, why there's a long pass button. Same goes for the through ball pass. PES 2011 is more forgiving with these than FIFA is, and there will be moments where you wonder how a pass makes it through so many bodies. On top of that, put too much zip on a short pass, and your teammate might struggle to corral it. Watch any real-life tilt, and you see these things happen. What also particularly stands out more this year than in past years is the look and feel of PES 2011. Player animations and other little nuances like the field, the net's mesh rippling and the ambience around the stadiums are easy on the eyes. You feel like you're taking part in a match of footy that is fairly authentic, even if the team names and kits aren't always accurate. The only thing that brings it down a notch is the crowd. Sometimes I wasn't sure they were even into the match at all, and the little noise they did make pales in comparison to the rowdiness you see in FIFA. Master League is pretty much the same as the revamped one that debuted last year, only now the festivities are online. You not only compete against others, but you also compete for talent and money. The more you win or draw, the more money you earn. Lose too many games, and you have a tough time luring players over to your squad. It's easily the best online mode of the game, though you can opt to just play single matches against others outside of Master League. This year's rendition of PES 2011 may just be the beginning of a more competitive balance on the virtual pitch. FIFA has an advantage in licensing, but that doesn't mean it's the best game in every facet. In fact, there are elements of PES 2011 that EA could learn from in developing FIFA moving forward. Competition is so good for sports games because they lead to innovations that make the experience better. Here's hoping we get a lot more of that on the field.   Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 Format: Xbox 360 Publisher: Konami Developer: Konami ESRB Rating: Everyone Official Site: http://www.konami-pes2011.com/ Rating: 8.5 / 10

 

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