Pro Evolution Soccer 3 Review

By Tom Bramwell Published 15 October, 2003

Natural selection favours Konami.

Version tested: PlayStation 2

Do you know football? Konami knows football. Pro Evolution Soccer 3 is the ultimate fan's game. With a proper appreciation of the controls and the right players, PES3 makes it possible to sculpt opportunities out of opposing defences like the finest strikers in the world, without enduring the years of hard graft and rubbish hairstyles.

Evolution

'Pro Evolution Soccer 3' Screenshot 1

You won't just play "a bit" like them, either, with beaming photomapped faces and flapping, ape-like limbs. No. PES3 challenges you to pay attention to movement, just like a real footballer, and mix individual flair - like Zidane's 360-degree spin, or little flicks and feints - with an ability to capitalise on your team-mates' creative thinking.

You'll have to try and remember all of the things your mate's Dad told you when he managed your role in the local under-12s. Pass and move. Don't bunch. Look up. Hold the line. Get goal side. You simply won't keep the ball, let alone break down defences and trouble the goalkeeper, if you can't get your head round the fundamental tactics of the sport - particularly on the higher skill levels, where every mistimed tackle or vacuum in midfield is likely to work against you.

Even if you reckon you know the game like a well-chewed orange, you won't find it easy. Don't expect to run up ten-nothing scorelines in PES3 - ever. This isn't FIFA. Victories are hard fought, the team is more important than the individual, and anything is possible [except 10-0 scorelines, presumably -pedantic Ed]

A precocious talent

'Pro Evolution Soccer 3' Screenshot 2

Take the following situation for an example. Earlier this evening, I was playing a game against Villa. Not too tough, Villa, you'd think, particularly playing as Arsenal, whose combined players represent the toughest team in the game - according to the finely tuned stats. But having decided to give Ashley Cole a run down the wing, the faster but less controllable of the two sprint buttons (R1) clutched firmly, a well-timed challenge from fan favourite Alpay meant that Vassell was able to ghost in on the left side of my defence and slide the ball past the onrushing (triangle) keeper. 1-0 down. Bollocks.

Glory-hunting. It's a tactic you can get away with in other football games, but PES3 will often penalise you for it. In fact, it took a string of passes following a botched Villa free kick to put Thierry Henry on the end of a through ball (triangle), culminating in a lofted (L1) shot (square) which arced into the back of the net.

Like a real football player, my success kept the momentum going. Instead of rushing up the field with the ball and thumping it comfortably along an invisible rail into the top corner, my brown-shirted opposition were rattled, losing it before they could get out of their own half and having to put a lot of men deep to reduce Pires' efforts down the right wing to a corner. By switching to an attacking stance, I was able to push them even harder, and they were in no state to exploit my back line playing halfway up the field.

Then another situation alien to other football titles erupted - a frantic, believable goalmouth scramble. Having played a short corner ("We never score from short ones!"), Arsenal lost the ball, but an attempted clearance merely rebounded off a flinching Wiltord, and bobbled around in the box for a few seconds as a myriad bodies piled in trying to plant a decisive toe-end. Seconds later, it was over - the ball, having cannoned off Bergkamp as the goalkeeper hoofed at it desperately, sat up invitingly for Henry, who sent it skipping off the crossbar like a stone with a scorching volley.

Dual Shocks for goalposts

'Pro Evolution Soccer 3' Screenshot 3

It is fast-paced. It is engaging. It is (mostly) realistic. The ball is its own object, played to footballers on the move, connecting with shins; sliding out of play on the end of a well-timed (and only a well-timed) slide tackle, or being kept in by a sliding, sweeping left foot; bending in the air; ricocheting this way and that, and maintaining its momentum. To harness it, you'll have to remember your player's preferred foot, as he'll try and use it to the point of fudging a perfectly good opportunity, and master an array of buttons used to add height, remove pace, turn fluently and shoot on the move.

One new addition is the expanded role of the R3 button. The aforementioned 360-degree spin is possible by rotating the stick in a circle as you move. Assuming you're not controlling a total dunderhead clutz (and no, I'm not going to make an Emile Heskey joke - he'd be good if they'd learn how to use him) with rubbish stats, then you'll probably manage to pull this audacious move and, with a bit of practice, use it to slide past defences. There are all sorts of other moves to master on R3, including some useful short-range chips and other skills.

But although you will have to learn all manner of button combinations to thrive - to play crosses into the near or far post, to play a looping rather than a swooping chip, to dink the ball when the keeper is committed, to have a pair of defenders charge down an attacker, or to master the game's hundreds of other subtleties - the rewards are definitely worth it, and each skill becomes a vital aspect of your game.

Take free kicks for example. You can (and I do) spend hours practicing these - working out how much power to give a shot based on the distance, how to hold the analogue stick or D-pad to give a shot the best shape in the air, how to bend it with aftertouch, or add that final squirt of venom just before the strike. Developing a knack for scoring free kicks won't get net you a Spice Girl, millions of pounds and kids named after famous cities, but you'll have something that a lot of players don't.

[Shopping? Do a 'Footballer's Wives' joke! -Ed]

'Pro Evolution Soccer 3' Screenshot 4

Of course, much of this could be said of last year's outing, but although it looks very similar, PES3 has been vastly expanded, on and off the pitch, in gameplay and structure. The PES-Shop, for example, where you can spend points earned by winning matches (even those "let's stick it on for a 10-minute exhibition before going out" matches) on extra players, teams, custom challenge options, high speed modes, or exotic stadia (or not so exotic, if you'd like to play on the fern-lined training pitch).

And how about the Master League, now split into four regions, with a Champions League-style competition, an expanded transfer system and a greater emphasis on training up young players? You can even pick one of two completely made-up teams (WE and PES United) to customise to your own tastes. PES3 clearly needs Brighton & Hove Albion - pre-relegation and managerial desertion, obviously, with Bobby Zamora still on our side, sniff. And with options for altering kits, faces, skills and just about anything else, this year it's eminently doable - with no need to sacrifice an existing team! PES3 even has eight-player double multi-tap support, and fixes some interface issues - like letting you switch sides mid-game, or change teams without exiting out and starting over.

But of course the key to PES' success over the stat-heavier FIFA is what happens on the field, and particular the exquisitely rendered and animated players. At ECTS in 2002, the legendary Dino Dini told me that he didn't much care for games that 'fill the gaps' between button presses with an approximation of what the players would actually do, but PES gets it so right it's difficult to envisage a superior alternative. You may not be in absolute control of every limb, shoulder, haircut or curl of foot, but when you sweep the ball in to Raul on the edge of the box, charge up a shot and watch him fire it into the top corner of the net, or tug the R2 button and pull your player back towards the action as he reaches a bouncing ball, only to see him flick it over his shoulder and take off in the other direction, it is what you wanted.

It's the little details in the animation that really make it stand out from the crowd, like the way the striker arches his neck to one side and thrusts it goalwards to drive the ball past the keeper, the way the midfielder opens his body to put in a curling delivery, or the way the keeper gets behind a drive and sprawls his legs out to absorb the pace. Unlike other football games which are driven by the spectacular, PES3's visuals are driven by realism. This is what football - and footballers - genuinely look like, albeit with a bit more detail on close-ups. Sensible Soccer or Kick-Off may have been fun, but this is the actual sport.

Don't poke me in the nose!

'Pro Evolution Soccer 3' Screenshot 5

Elsewhere on the field, referees are allegedly improved for PES3, playing the advantage rule (even if they don't generally pull the play back, ever, and the addition of handball is arbitrary to the point of frustration), volleys are much more dynamic and dangerous, players don't stand around as much, and - perhaps the most important improvement over PES2 - the ball doesn't pinball around the midfield when legs are flying, thanks in part to the expansive range of abilities available to each player.

R2 has always been a useful tool for PES fans, allowing a clever player to dart left or right of a defender and outrun them to the penalty box, but, having dumped RenderWare and moved over to a proprietary engine, Konami is in the mood for showing off its animation skills, and R2 proves just the vehicle, opening the door to backheels, cunning little jigs and the sort of first-touch control that distinguishes top flight teams. By studying the manual, you'll quickly discover even more tricks, like the various dribbling options, and seven different individual stopovers and kick feints.

Beyond the tricks, the animation at large captures the essence of the players so perfectly that even their limbs seem to move distinctively. Henry seems to float over the turf with a delicate grace, Damien Duff almost staggers past defenders where other men would snap like matchsticks, whilst Beckham's characteristic acceleration and aggression are clear to see, as is the way he opens his body and leans a long way over to achieve all that curl. More than just vacuous automatons, each player has a style and temperament of his own, too. Gerrard, for example, will lash in with furiously speedy challenges, even if some of them don't connect in quite the right place...

And unlike a lot of other footy titles, you'll know when you've fouled someone, or when you've been fouled, and you'll feel rightfully aggrieved if the game gets it wrong - penalising you as the ball is cleanly swept away, or allowing play to go on as your star striker falls over an outstretched leg and lands flat on his face. Because the range of animations for every aspect of the game is so good, it seems to paint a more accurate picture than even the referee. It doesn't hurt that they've managed to bag virtually all the actual player names, either, except for a few (the Welsh and Dutch seem to have gone for some odd approximations), although we often recognised players by their style and movement alone in the Japanese versions. A few more club names wouldn't have gone amiss though - we're pleased to see some Italian clubs given the proper treatment, but we definitely want more next time. And how about some up-to-date info, beyond Beckham moving to Madrid? Why is Seaman still keeping for Arsenal? Etc.

Netbusting

'Pro Evolution Soccer 3' Screenshot 6

Ultimately, whether or not you buy PES3 comes down to just one question: do you like football? If the answer is 'yes', then you need this. You need it more than you need oxygen. You need it more than you need us to win next year in Portugal (or, depending on where you're from, more than you need the Dutch or Russians to spontaneously renounce football). Obviously there is still room for improvement; we long to be able to stand still in PES and do something audacious to get the game going again, to bunny hop between a pair of defenders with the ball between our feet, to hold the ball up at the corner flag or shield it out for a goal kick, to charge down a free kick, to stick the boot in after being shown a red card, to take a penalty without cursing the randomness, to play it online - but until PES4 comes around, we don't think anything is going to come closer to the beautiful game as the fans know it than this.

The only clarification necessary is for people who own the Japanese Winning Eleven 7. Unlike last year's transition from WE6 to PES2, which was like watching a fast-paced but largely goalless cartoon morph into a serious but sodding boring pinball table, there is no massive change to note here - just the ability to read the text, and a bit of European commentary. On the latter, we still went to turn it off after a couple of hours, but they're getting there. Basically, fans of Beckham eager to slot him into the Madrid setup will want this, as will those of us without a decent working knowledge of the Japanese language, but the rest of you might want to pick up a demo to try and pick out the changes.

Pro Evolution Soccer 3 is the beautiful game. No other videogame has ever captured the framework of the sport so completely, and ground its subtlest qualities between the vector units of Darth Vader's toaster, as this season's edition of the game. Anyone with an appreciation of football simply must own this.

10 / 10

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Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (91) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Hicksy #1 8 years ago

    \o/

    top banana

  • Nemesis #2 8 years ago

    2nd half?

  • IronGiant #3 8 years ago

    Blows FIFA off the park.. i still have no idea why FIFA sells so many each time round

  • CyberClaw #4 8 years ago

    A 10/10? Wow. A perfect game according to someone's comment ;p

  • Tiger_Walts #5 8 years ago

    "fan favourite Alpay" - hehe, just read that he has been axed from the Turkey international side.

  • Nemesis #6 8 years ago

    Top review by Mugwum by the way, one of his best yet. Good job that man!

  • Abscido #7 8 years ago

    I've been playing this for the last week or so too - and I fully agree with Tom's verdict. PES3 is not only the best football game ever, it is one of the best games in existence, period. I love football, I love PES3, and I love Konami for making this. Don't let any doubts cloud your mind about this - just buy it.

  • bleeptest #8 8 years ago

    Excellent - I'm off to pick it up from cex now. No mention of the dodgy jutters from the demo, so I guess they've disappeared?

  • El_MUERkO #9 8 years ago

    Dribbles on his "I Love Biscuits" T-Shirt...

  • TipTop #10 8 years ago

    Great review and a worthy 'perfect' score (isn't 8 out of 10 better?).

    At this time I too think it's the best football game on the planet (though Fifa on the N Gage .... kidding, no seriously I am kidding, I am not a tard, I am a free man!)

  • gravity0 #11 8 years ago

    Don't expect to run up ten-nothing scorelines in PES3 - ever.

    How about 8-1 scores against France on 5-star difficulty? Eh? EH?!

    Alright, that's the last time I'm boasting about that. :D

  • ST.. #12 8 years ago

    "he'd be good if they'd learn how to use him"

    How? as a worker in the canteen?

  • blablabla #13 8 years ago

    Developing a knack for scoring free kicks won't get net you a Spice Girl, millions of pounds and kids named after famous cities, but you'll have something that a lot of players don't.
    Damn. I've always wanted to get net a Spice Girl. :(

  • Thamuhacha #14 8 years ago

    ".. i still have no idea why FIFA sells so many each time round"

    Because some people only want sticky feet dribbling, 30 yard volleys and 6-5 scorelines.

    And you don't have to work hard for them in FIFA.

  • WogBoi #15 8 years ago

    I take it this masterpiece is a PS2 exclusive. Is that correct, or can i hope to play this on my xbox?

    Oh, BTW Konami; its FOOTBALL, not soccer! ;p

  • binky #16 8 years ago

    "And you don't have to work hard for them in FIFA. "

    hhhmmm in that case why for the last 4 games i have had of fifa04 have we had two 0-0's and two golden goals ..

    Its a shame people look forward to pes and behind at fifa.

  • gizmo #17 8 years ago

    "And you don't have to work hard for them in FIFA. "

    hhhmmm in that case why for the last 4 games i have had of fifa04 have we had two 0-0's and two golden goals ..


    I didn't know you could play 5 second halves in FIFA ;)

  • Soul_quake #18 8 years ago

    Me: No tunnel vision apparent here - heck even I was converted! Just a thought - as a saffa you won't be able to get PES 3 in the shops, so maybe it is jealousy that you will have to prostitute yourself to FIFA 2004, that is causing this opinion.

    Oh yeah guys just to correct something this misguided saffa said - The PS2 scene in South Africa is alive and well, but due to prices and limited software avaliable, the piracy scene is what keeps it going! I know before I emigrated I only bought 2 out of 60 games in original format. I could only get PES2 on a pirate CD copy! Now that I can afford to buy originals I do though!

  • striker #19 8 years ago

    It's a console PS2 exclusive,.

    But it's coming to the PC in a couple of weeks

  • lost_soul #20 8 years ago

    And the Xbox.

    Maybe.

  • Soul_quake #21 8 years ago

    It won't come to the XBOX - not yet...

    Now PES 4

  • Soul_quake #22 8 years ago

    Over my dead body! It won't - if so cough up where we can confirm this...

  • jeff #23 8 years ago

    Probably the best,most indepth review of PES3 so far.Nice one EG.Having the day off on Friday now seems a good idea.

  • bungalooBunny #24 8 years ago

    on me shopping list then

  • prettyboytim #25 8 years ago

    So... er... Is there any kind of multiplayer? Can you play it against a mate? Can you play it with a mate against the computer? Can you play it fourplayer - two on each side?

    The only football game I've ever owned is International Superstar Soccer on the N64, and the multiplay capabilities on that were smashing.

    Also, will it ever come out on the Xbox? I'd prefer it on my Big Black Box rather than my Medium-sized Black Box...

  • Razz #26 8 years ago

    Jesus, I hate footy games. But, this might be an exeption. Is it coming out on GC?

  • Soul_quake #27 8 years ago

    Mine should have also arrived in the mail today! Can't wait to get home!

    I wonder though how it would work with the Xbox controller, just so used to Dual Shock.

  • sir_tripod #28 8 years ago

    I'm an avid player of PES1 and the ONLY thing that gets on my nerves is this - if you play 2 player on the SAME side, whenever the ball is loose, both players automatically run towards it. Which is irritating when you're forumlating a strategy... And then end up tackling each other...

    Does PES3 sort this minor niggle out?
    I'm not sure about PES, but in PES2 and 3 you can hold R1+R2 down and this puts you into a kind of "free mode" and you can run in any direction you want - thus stopping you from going for the same ball as your mate(s), or even worse chasing a ball which is going out for a goal kick, touching it and giving a corner away.

    Hope this helps... d:-)

    While I'm on, does anyone have a site link which gives all the tricks (and how to do them) on the right analogue stick?

  • valli #29 8 years ago

    I've never liked sports games but this may be an exception. Good review, it definitely made me want to get it!

  • Monkey #30 8 years ago

    "we long to be able to ...blah blah ... charge down a free kick"

    Well you can if you hold down the circle button, it says so in the manual.
    I also find you can (using the term loosely) 'sort of' shield the ball out for a goal kick by running with the attacking player and tapping R2 to nudge the player to the side. I used to do the same with PES2.
    :)
    Edited by 1 at 15/10/03 @ 18:43

  • Monkey #31 8 years ago

    sir_tripod places of interest worth looking at, www.pesfan.com and www.evo-web.co.uk
    :)

  • bluebird #32 8 years ago

    I have an X-arcade stick in my self-made arcade machine, which is only digital with 8 buttons and start and select per player.

    Is PES3 playable on such a stick? In other words, can PES3 be played with just the digital controller and the buttons and slides?

  • brutal #33 8 years ago

    incidentally, a download for all the correct player names and player transfers is available on pesfan

    I would expect a kit update or something along those lines will follow shortly ;)

  • #34 8 years ago

    cool, so winning eleven GC is the same thing.

    Personally never been that fond of the PES commentary.... till I started playing with it in German, classic stuff.

  • BLACKSHEEP #35 8 years ago

    It's an awesome game of football, roll on PES Online :D

  • DDevil #36 8 years ago

    The best commentary has to be Spanish with the cries of "goooooooooooal gogogogogogogoal!!!"

    Anyone figured out how to keep down a hard shot? I can never do it, especially during a free-kick.

  • Nobby #37 8 years ago

    Anyone figured out how to keep down a hard shot? I can never do it, especially during a free-kick.

    Assuming it's the same as in PES2, you hold down up on the d-pad to keep a hard shot low (on a free kick, while powering it up), and hold down to get a softer shot but one that comes down faster (for the edge of the box, and so on).

  • Nobby #38 8 years ago

    Bugger. Double post. Apologies everyone.
    Edited by 1 at 16/10/03 @ 13:56

  • striker #39 8 years ago

    Great review Tom!

    Just one question: what's the R3 button?

  • Ivefoundgod #40 8 years ago

    R3=right analogue stick, press it down and it's the R3 button.

  • striker #41 8 years ago

    Thanks, was wondering if the PS2 dual shock had one more shoulder button than the PSX one.

  • Spunkmonkey #42 8 years ago

    Rock the Fucking House....!

    that is all

  • dynarama #43 8 years ago

    Nice review.

    Had this a day and it truly is the son of God.

    A game so good, I can enjoy scoring an 18-yard volley by Scholes.

    'You don't save those'

  • striker #44 8 years ago

    Portugal roolzzz!!!

  • striker #45 8 years ago

    Well, not really, they're a bunch of lazy bastards that can't get enough motivaton from representing the national team to always try their best....

    No, they need to play with Germany or England to run a bit...

  • nasanu #46 8 years ago

    Whats all this perfect talk? 10/10 means best of the best, not perfect.

  • Tiger_Walts #47 8 years ago

    A game so good, I can enjoy scoring an 18-yard volley by Scholes.

    Provided that he finally gets one on target. :p
    But yes, you don't save them when they are on target.

  • Soul_quake #48 8 years ago

    Quick note- a certain internet site that I preorderd my copy from yesterday has um messed up my order! Do i sound french, am I french, can I read french - FRENCH - FRENCH... how the *$#* french?!!! Most dissapointed... can't read the manual anything!

    ARGH... just they wait to hear from me

    PS never had problem with them before

  • jaa #49 8 years ago

    my vote is on Portugal, portuguese always win in football, like look at Pele, hes best football player ever and was Portuguese [brazillian but of portuguese heritage], so id like to see portugal and play as them.

    Don't know if I should thank or pity you... ;)

  • Oceadge #50 8 years ago

    Wow, it does sound good. I haven't played a football game since KickOff 2 on the Amiga. Might just have to give this a go.

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #51 8 years ago

    10/10 does not fucking mean perfect FOR FUCKS SAKE.

  • Errol #52 8 years ago

    It might just as well mean it - PES3 is perfect imo.

    Absolutely top class game. Huge depth, and almost infinite replay value !

  • striker #53 8 years ago

    OMG!! Mugwum said the F word. :)

    Really, is it that hard to understand that a 10/10 review just means the writer had a great, great time with the game?

  • Errol #54 8 years ago

    I thought Pele was Chinese.

  • binky #55 8 years ago

    lol mugwum!!!
    I thought my job was stressful..... ;)

  • dynarama #56 8 years ago

    It's time dude. It is time....

  • funk #57 8 years ago

    can you change the display from metric height into foot and inches?
    183cm means nothing to me

  • striker #58 8 years ago

    183 cm means he's about my height, hope that helps

  • st3ph3n #59 8 years ago

    Couple of questions:

    Does it have a replay mode in the middle of the game? Sometimes you have a goal mouth incident where the ball doesn't go out of play and you want to see that shit again.

    I forgot the second one. Oh well.

  • CerealKey #60 8 years ago

    Yes, you have to be quick though.

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #61 8 years ago

    Right. One final thing I forgot to mention: "Loss Time" is now "Stoppage Time" :)

  • CerealKey #62 8 years ago

    They must have traded it with the second half; which is now the second period.

  • mcmonkeyplc #63 8 years ago

    any chance of a review of the PC version too..

    you people thinking its coming out on the xbox need help...after the jeux france incidence i wont believe it till i see PES3 in an xbox!

  • Whizzo #64 8 years ago

    hmmm, isnt it only yanks who use inches and feet as measurement ?

    It's still in use in the UK and I could tell you how tall I am in feet and inches but don't have a clue what I am in cm.

  • Soul_quake #65 8 years ago

    ELpimp: according to play.com they "accidently" sent out 250 copies in French. A "warehouse" error! LOL - also got the french copy! now I have to wait until I have sent back the French copy and then they will send out the correct English version - so another 10days wait for me minimum before I get to play PES 3!

    /goes off to console himself by playing KOTOR
    /I am incredibly strong Jedi Guardian - feel my wrath!

  • DPMiller #66 8 years ago

    Play.com sent a french version the muppets and don't know when they will get the UK version in stock. Anyone have an electronic copy of the instructions in English?

    PS - Awesome game though - the best yet

  • lucky_jim #67 8 years ago

    I actually booked today off work, well in advance, to spend it with PES3: how tragic is that? It was worth it too, as it's easily the best footie game ever. Didn't feel like it a few minutes ago though, I just lost 1-0 to Ireland as England, despite having 70% possession, and it was only on three stars: I reckon I need some shooting practice!

    One thing that has really annoyed me is how out-of-date the teams are. Chelsea are lacking all their big summer transfers that happened after Johnson's, Spurs still have Sheringham but no Zamora, Postiga or Kanoute, and Joe Cole's still at West Ham- I could go on. Almost as annoying is the fact that they've made Rooney inexplicably mediocre. I know most of these things can be edited, but I really resent having to use the editor to make up for lack of attention to detail (I can deal with it if it's for licensing reasons).

    Lastly, Mugwum, as a fellow fan I've gotta congratulate you on having the patience to recreate Brighton. On present form though, you'd have been better off putting in Leon Knight instead of pretending we've still got Bobby "who?" Zamora! ;P

  • Nemesis #68 8 years ago

    Almost as annoying is the fact that they've made Rooney inexplicably mediocre

    They got that spot on then.

  • lost_soul #69 8 years ago

    Almost as annoying is the fact that they've made Rooney inexplicably mediocre.

    But he is!

    Great thing about the PC version is that you'll be able to download stuff created by the inevitable mod scene that'll grow for the game.

  • mcmonkeyplc #70 8 years ago

    was thinking about the mod scence...and it doesnt really matter if online play is included with the game or not. Someone is bound to release a mod that does this for us .


    November 7th cant come fast enough!

  • Soul_quake #71 8 years ago

    just saw another article stating that PES 3 WILL NOT be coming to the Xb0x, but that Konami ARE working on a footie game for the console

    so that would mean ISS

    /spits upon the rubbish that is ISS

    heck even FIFA is better than ISS!

  • ekko #72 8 years ago

    ISS was flippin' great on the N64, but it all went wrong after that.

  • BartonFink #73 8 years ago

    Wrong! It has been a fookin disaster since.

  • striker #74 8 years ago

    Will the PC version be playable multiplayer through a net conection, or is it multiplayer on one PC only?

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #75 8 years ago

    "Almost as annoying is the fact that they've made Rooney inexplicably mediocre"

    Very true, although he's still better than Heskey for my style of play. And, interestingly, the first time I used him in PES3 he scored twice, including one with his very first touch!

    "Lastly, Mugwum, as a fellow fan I've gotta congratulate you on having the patience to recreate Brighton."

    Yep. I was impressed too. Then a preview copy of a certain other PS2 game swallowed the contents of my memory card. Something I still haven't quite come to terms with...

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #76 8 years ago

    "any chance of a review of the PC version too"

    As soon as we get a copy...

  • Errol #77 8 years ago

    Adds realism though.

  • Ivefoundgod #78 8 years ago

    The advantage rule is a joke too. Absolutely pointless. I still haven't had play called back, first few games whenever I saw the yellow thingy I didn't bother to play on to see if it worked, it doesn't even if you are fouled and the ball rolls to one of their players feet the ref STILL doesn't call play back. AARGGHH!!!!!etc.

  • crizza_uk #79 8 years ago

    oh my jesus god i just scored the best goal ever!!!!!!




    i was running rings round the brazilian defence when i came face to face with roberto carlos then without getting a chance to think i flicked the ball over his head!(down then up quickly on the right analogue stick)then volleyed it with a chip!!(L1+square)over the keepers head from 25 yards!!

    truly amazing.



    how oh how are they gonna improve on this masterpiece next year?

  • Errol #80 8 years ago

    How did you master the special moves so quickly ?

  • crizza_uk #81 8 years ago

    i have'nt yet,that goal was a bit of a fluke.

  • Ivefoundgod #82 8 years ago

    Fair play to ya. I can't master that flick yet. I did score a beauty doing the 360 turn with the Duffer round Rio Ferdinand and used the square+R1 chip to finish. I was very proud.

  • millerlfc #83 8 years ago

    Utterly, UTTERLY awesome game but why do the goal celebrations always seem to involve the players becoming involved in a bit of brown loving?

    Plus its gonna take me an age to update all the player names and club lineups.

  • Ivefoundgod #84 8 years ago

    Get an xport miller, that's what I'm doin.

  • Hive #85 8 years ago

    I dont like the fact that unless the game's tricks are known its SO hard to score a goal. Ive fancied myself a master of all the ISS games, yet on 3 stars in ISS3 im struggling to score with just teamwork alone.

    With good teamwork, im able to keep a clean sheet, but it doesnt seem to be enough to get many goals. Many of my games are ending 0-0 or 1-0.

    PS - Is there a webby with a breakdown of all the special moves?

    PPS - Has anyone noticed the massive difference between 2 star & 3 star difficulty? The AI in 2 star is retarded but in 3 stars they the AI presses for the ball x10 more :)

  • Ivefoundgod #86 8 years ago

    www.pesfan.com has a good list of tricks etc. PES3 is quite a bit harder than PES2 but after a few games I was back up from 4 stars to 5. I haven't used 2 or 3 stars yet but I'll give it a go later. Has anyone else noticed that if you save your game before the international final with the intention of loading and winning again in order to get the 2000 pes it doesn't work?Or is it just me?

  • striker #87 8 years ago

    What's soccer?

  • striker #88 8 years ago

    What's DICK?

  • RichGL #89 8 years ago

    Mikey - L2 + R2 cancels and over-enthusiastic player.

    As for the tackles producing fouls. Learn to tackle properly, at least learn that defending in PES3 is an art, rather than simply pressing the tackle button like mad.

    I hardly pick up a card myself (maybe 1 or 2 in 3 games), and this is with sliding tackles etc (usually forced :) ). Practice makes perfect!

  • adembroski #90 8 years ago

    Nice review... we're not getting it across the pond until feb 19, but it's nice to get some advance info.

    I wish Konami would put some real substance into ML, though... I like it, but honestly, EAs got the lock down on franchise modes... not in Fifa, but the management modes in NHL and Madden are very nice... I realize European sports have a different structure, but I don't see why the whole attendance & viewership = $ concept wouldn't work in an association football game as well as it does in an American football game.

    The American football game is Madden, which includes Owner Mode, in which your primary goal is profit rather than winning. The more you win, the higher your attendance, the better your local broadcasting contract; you spend on advertising, promotions, purchase new, up to date stadiums... if support wanes in San Francisco, you can always pack it up and move to L.A.... but not before getting the L.A. government to foot the bill on a brand new, state of the art, 70k seat retractable roof stadium (faithfully rendered based on your design in game, btw).

    You set prices on merchendice, consessions, parking, and tickets. You use the income to pay your players, coaching staff, training staff, and facility upgrades (some, like HD Jumbotrons help attendance, while others, such as heated fields and improved training facilities, help avoid injuries and have other positive effects on your players, and yet others, like the sound system and laser light show intros hype your crowd up [because American football depends greatly on communication, a loud home crowd is a HUGE advantage]).

    Anyways, just throwing it out there as an idea maybe people can spit to Konami... I'd love to see it, and it's not like they're going to give a damn what the American fans want... I doubt we make up an entire 1% of their sales. (so I suppose I should just be thankful they're releasing it here at all:p)

  • #91 8 years ago

    poor passes up front is what footy is all about .. :) /me watches norwegian league foots and sighs .. poor passes all around..

  • ReviewingMad #92 6 years ago

    Sandwhich.