Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (0)

Overview

Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 is the 7th game in the Pro Evolution Soccer series. The game is available on  Windows, Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Xbox 360.
The game was released on October 26th 2007 in Europe for the PS2, PS3, PC and Xbox 360. It was released in the US on March 11th 2008.

New Features

• Teamvision: An adaptive AI system for computer controlled opponents.
• Diving and Shirt Pulling (PS3 and 360 versions)
• New set peice managements system. Player can now add players to come up for corners and free kicks.
• You can now add or remove players from the wall in a free kick situation

Gameplay

Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 features a new Team vision system, a sophisticated AI that adapts to how you play. This is noticeable on the higher difficulty levels. Pressing the dribbler with A gives away fouls more often, and slide tackles need to be absolutely spot on, or you'll get a red card from the totalitarian refs. Players keep hold of the ball much easier, and feel like they carry more weight. It's much easier to go past players now and you can get away from defenders once you've done them like a kipper much easier too. Unlike in the last game, fast players are actually fast. Chelsea's Andrei Shevchenko has super pace, unlike in real life, and is really useful for bursting into the penalty area. Pace is now a much bigger advantage than it was before. With a fast player (Odonkor, Martins) you can easily outrun a defender. This give you lots of opportunities to cross the ball into the box. In PES 6 players moaned about how overpowered Brazilian and Inter striker Adriano was. Well, in PES 2008 anyone who's half decent is just as lethal. Shooting feels less scripted. You can apply aftertouch at will. You can pull the shirt of an opponent, but that could result in a yellow card. It is possible to simulate afall in the penalty area. This rarely works and usually you'll get a yellow card for it. The engine has also been changed so that the camera view doesn't always change when the ref is giving out a card, or you get fouled and take a quick free kick. This ads to the pace and flow of an average match, but one thing that does annoy, however, is having to wait for the ref's whistle before taking free-kicks. The keepers have been altered too. In the last game, lots of goals were scored because keepers parried shots into the paths of onrushing attackers, something that drew a lot of complaints from PES's vocal fanbase. It was as if every keeper suffered from a dose of Paul Robinson syndrome. While you'll still be able to score goals in this way, it happens less. Keepers are better shot stoppers too, but will flap a bit on crosses. Keepers in PES 2008 are more Jose Reina than Petr Cech.
PES 2008 marks the first time the series comes without the camera tilt functionality. Previous titles in the series allowed users to tilt camera angles ranging from 0 to 9. Option 0 gives no tilt and the action is followed horizontally along the sideline parallel to ball position, whereas 9 makes the camera fixed in the middle and tilted as the ball moves away from center for a more realistic TV broadcasting feel. 

Game Modes

Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 has 6 main game modes.

Exhibition

Standard option to quickly start a match after selecting various pre-game options.

Master League

The user selects a team to lead through an unlimited number of seasons, playing for success in league and cup competitions. During the season the user must manage the financial aspects of the club, the growth and development of the squad and also negotitate any transfers of players.

At any point in the season the following will result in Game Over:

• If the clubs points (in-game currency) reaches a negative value because of high transfer spending or high salaries.

• If the squad shrinks to 15 players or less.

League

Up to 20 players can play through a league competition with an option to include a cup competition. Other options include whether fatigue is accumulated, game difficulty and if injuries occur.
There are 6 different leagues to choose from:

• England League

• Ligue 1

• Liga Espanola

• Serie A

• Eredivisie

• International League

Cup

Up to 32 players can participate in a group league or knockout style cup competition. Players can specify whether games are played both home and away while having other similar settings to those found in the League game mode.
There are 6 different cup competitions to choose from:

• International Cup

• European Cup

• African Cup

• American Cup

• Asia-Oceanian Cup

• Konami Cup

Online Mode

Players can compete with each other over or the in standard Ranked or Player matches, with the options to search for a quick or custom match or to just create a match. Leaderboards are kept for ranked matches and there is also the ability to view the results to the last 20 matches played. The player could also load their master league data to use in player matches.

Training

Allows the player to simply practise aspects of the game in a training environment.

Wii Version

The Nintendo Wii version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 is much different from the other versions. The gameplay centers around pointing the Wii Remote at the screen and directing players by dragging them with the on-screen cursor. Passing is done by simply pointing to the desired space or player and pressing the pass button. Another difference of the Wii version is the exclusion of the well known Master League. It has been replaced with the Champions Road which lets players tour different leagues around Europe, and when they beat a team it is possible to acquire players from the defeated team.
However the game did have problems that weren't in other version of PES 2008, for instance defending on the game seemed half finished and usualy just consisted of the player pointing at a play they wanted to tackle and pressing the A button, in an interview about the game, Konami announced that in PES 09 the Wii version will have better defending and will also feature full classic controller support
The online mode has been called "The Best Online Experience" when compared to the other versions. The other versions of the game are known for their "laggy" and jerky online play.
The game has been quite positively reviewed and reviewers praised the innovative control scheme.

Teams

Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 has four fully licensed leagues: Spanish La Liga, Italian Seria A, French Ligue 1 and the Dutch Eredevisie.

The Premier League has two fully licensed teams that include real strips and badges. Newcastle United and Tottenham Hostpur.

Other licenced clubs are (in order of country)

Argentina:   
River Plate   
    
Belgium:   
Anderlecht   
Club Brugge   
    
Brazil:    
SC Internacional  
    
Croatia:   
Dinamo Zagreb   
    
Denmark:   
F.C. Copenhagen   
   
Finland:   
HJK Helsinki   
    
Germany:   
Bayern Münich   
    
Greece:
Olympiacos   
Panathinaikos   
AEK Athens  
    
Norway:
Rosenborg

Poland:
Wisla Krakóv

Portugal:
Benefica
F.C. Porto
Sporting Lisbon

Russia:
Spartak Moscow
Lokomotiv Moscow
   
Scotland:
Celtic
Rangers
   
Serbia:
Red Star Belgrad

Sweden:
AIK
Hammarby IF
Helsingborg IF
IFK Göteborg

Switzerland:
F.C. Basel

Turkey:
Besiktas
Galatasaray
Fenerbahçe

Ukrain:
Dynamo Kiev

There are also National team from Africa, America, Asia and Europe along whit classic teams England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Argentina and Brazil.

Covers

Cristiano Ronaldo is on all of the Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 covers. Below is a list of the players who are on the covers for their respective countries.

•  UK - Michael Owen
•  France - Didier Drogba
•  Germany - Jan Schlaudraff
•  Italy - Gianluigi Buffon
•  Australia - Lucas Neill

Commentators

•  UK - Jon Champion and Mark Lawrenson
•  Spain - Julio Maldonado & Juan Carlos Rivero 
•  France - Christian Jeanpierre and Laurent Paganelli
•  Italy - Mauro Sandreani & Marco Meccia
• Germany - Hansi Küpper & Wolff Fuss