Pro Evolution Soccer

This demo is for Pro Evolution Soccer 2010. Pro Evo is a pretty good series, both for the actual gameplay and the hilarious bugs that make some of the best animated gifs and events on the Internet.

This is one of the last games with the late 2000s engine that the current PES generation enjoys, changed just four years later in 2014. Getting into the game shows the stats with actual numbers instead of an icon, bringing up the stat count to 100. It's an improvement for sure, and I enjoy that feature as opposed to the previous PES system.

The character representations are great. It's a wonderful set of textures with an amazing realism (which we'll no doubt laugh about in a decade), looking far less like wax figurines running across the field than in previous PES titles. Although the models act a bit awkward and stilted, it's to be expected for a 2010 game.

Tripping, falling and the realistic actions that happen on collisions are great. The running itself still feels a bit awkward, but it's a wonderful upgrade from past years. You can move in 360 degrees, stepping away from the terribly ham-fisted movements that were known in the previous generation.

Taking on the Champions League and the Europa League in the Master League mode is available for a bit of an added challenge and to create a bit of a "story" for your game play, also allowing you to play as an individual player. Yes, it's the same thing that FIFA came up with first, but it's a good idea that would be silly not to adopt.

The commentary could use some work, which we thankfully saw in 2014. For PES 2010, there aren't too many lines that truly add inspiration, and the cheers from the crowds aren't as good as they could be with the current technology. A few amateur voice actors who really love football will be able to give you enough ranting and raving to push out some great cheers, but it is what it is.

If you're thinking about switching to PC from Xbox 360 because of this demo, go for it. A PC can handle the game play a lot better, and there are mods that you can add to make things a bit more interesting. Depending on what you need, you may need to add a bit more hard drive space to hold all of the game mods you want.

Pros:

• Excellent graphics. A major jump from previous years with realistic-looking characters and a great field.
• Improved physics. Players fall well, and the ball responds like an actual ball, not a beacon going to a programmed location.

Cons:

• PES 2010 is not fully licensed. You won't be able to play as all of the teams, but the editor mode will allow you to create your team if you want.
• The movement is still a bit awkward to look at. The running seems labored and heavy, probably because the speed doesn't match up with the actual movement.

Give the demo a try and enjoy. Pro Evolution Soccer is pretty good, and won't be a major waste of time. You gave it a try, Konami, and it was a good goal.