Mark wants justice...

We'd like to take this opportunity to appeal to Konami. The challenge committed by our right midfielder yesterday evening was hardly dangerous. In fact, it was barely a foul at all. The broken ankle and swollen knee suffered by the opposing left back were, in fact, due to his own clumsiness and untied bootlaces, and we cannot be held responsible. We have been made a scapegoat in this matter and would like to state for the record that it certainly didn't warrant a red card. We feel shocked, annoyed, and in fact, not a little bit cheated, and will be pursuing the official channels of complaint. We will not rest until this matter has been seen to by the highest authority.

Yours Frustratedly, The GAME.co.uk team.

Ahem. Anyway. Now that's off our chest, we can proceed with the review…

It really is a testament to the quality and realism of the Pro Evolution Soccer series that, even in its fifth iteration, it can still engender such fierce devotion from its fan base - and even fiercer debate. Make no mistake; our ramblings above are typical reactions to any number of matches throughout the series. Pro Evolution has long been the football fan's football game, and PES5 is the best example yet of how the series captures the passion of the beautiful game.

Having said that though, Pro Evolution games always appear - at least initially - to change very little between updates. It could even be argued that the last few versions have changed less and less with each respective sequel. Yet even if there is some truth in that, few would argue against new additions to the series always being an improvement in quality.

In both cases, the same is true here; on first play PES5 seems incredibly similar to its most recent predecessor. However, with extended play, a selection of choice changes, refinements and undeniably welcome improvements become apparent.

The most important improvements of course are on the pitch, and in PES5 these are everywhere, with some being very obvious. Animation is far smoother. Passing from set pieces now has its own power bar. Keepers now throw the ball quite a distance instead of just rolling to the nearest defender. They also now drop the ball when you command, not when they feel like it. Crosses are also now far more dangerous, and with them both headers and volleys vastly improved.

Then we have the more subtle alterations. Both variants of chip shot are now less powerful, requiring more skill to use effectively, which makes perfecting them much more rewarding. Conversely, the Press buttons are almost guaranteed fouls if overused, which puts the emphasis now on sliding tackles. Luckily then, referees now seem to play the advantage both more intelligently, and more often. Oh, and the mythical sweet spot - the position you will score from more times than not - has once again moved, and is now harder to manoeuvre into than ever.

And then we have the amendments to presentation. For instance, while player models are barely more detailed than PES4, we now see fully animated 3D fans when a goal is scored. Injury timeouts now happen whether or not a foul is called, and are followed by the referee playing a drop-ball. Also, after-match reports now delegate a star icon to the games' top player, and provide short notes on the ninety minutes' important events. Overall, dodgy 16bit soundtrack aside, presentation is improved with nice touches that make Pro Evo 5 feel more like the complete football simulator.

Modus operandi

As far as modes go, PES5 has one particular new one. Named Memorial Match, this gametype loads two profiles off separate memory cards and stores records of wins, losses and average goals between two friends. The perfect ongoing multiplayer mode then, which also perfectly compliments the refined Master League - new generic starting players making for a fresh challenge in what is the core of the Pro Evolution experience: building a team up from the bare bones into a world-beating side to be proud of.

All in all, PES5 is basically a far more realistic approximation of real football than ever before, and a more enjoyable game because of it. However, that's not to say that it's perfect. As in previous instalments, being fouled by the last defender will more often than not bring a yellow card rather than the expected red one. Some official team, country, player and league names are still absent. Replays of a foul or shot are still not possible once the following set piece has been lined up. And, sometimes annoyingly, players will still take their time controlling a ball (or even completely mis-control it) when perilously close to the goal or touchline, which can lead to many hilarious (or tragic, depending on your point of view) defender own goals.

In honesty though, the biggest talking point with PES5 is the same as every year; the comparison of Konami's footballing franchise to the latest FIFA. And in that sense, very little has changed. Like its forebears, PES5 still isn't as flashy, brash or pick up and play as EA's game. It's a less instantly accessible footy title that only reveals its hidden depths with hours devoted lovingly to its nuances. Sadly, those wanting a package with more surface gloss are likely to be annoyed by Pro Evo 5.

But for PES fans, like with real football, being angered is all part of the enjoyment. PES5 makes you feel infuriated with the ref or the players in the same way you would with real life sporting stars, not with dodgy programming, bad bug testing or imbalanced gameplay. It feels like you're playing a real football match with ups, downs and bewildering own goals all part and parcel of the experience. And you know what? We wouldn't have it any other way.

GAME's Verdict

• Improved animation and control.
• Refined Master League and handy new Memorial Match mode.
• A more complete football package than its predecessors or its rivals.

• Graphics have barely changed.
• Still some unoffocial team and player names.
• Players' spacial awareness could be better.

Review by: Mark Scott
Version Tested: Xbox
Review Published: 20.10.05