Pro Evolution Soccer 4 Review

By Tom Bramwell Published 16 November, 2004

Football's coming home. But what's changed?

Version tested: PC

Order yours now from Simply Games.

Given that it's taken an extra month to make it to market, you could be forgiven for thinking that the PC version of this year's Pro Evolution Soccer 4 is, if not substantially, at least discernibly different to its PlayStation 2 counterpart, which deservedly rose to the top of the UK Charts on its release in the middle of last month. So, er, we'll have to forgive you, because apart from a few small points this is an almost pixel-for-pixel conversion of the console version. Newcomers? Read our PS2 review then return, and we'll get down to the issues that apply to PC gamers.

Line dancing

'Pro Evolution Soccer 4' Screenshot 1

One of those 'issues', as anybody who's been following the build-up is doubtless aware, is the addition of an online multiplayer mode. In fact, it's our main reason for being here. Pro Evolution Soccer has long since been our preferred football game - thanks to a mixture of splendid ball physics, observantly replicated player behaviour and lifelike scenarios and balance - but being able to tackle our mates from the comfort of our respective lounges is a thrill it's never offered us before, even though the rival FIFA series has done it on the PC for literally years.

Sadly, Konami's implementation on the PC leaves a little to be desired. Having seen the game's TCP/IP play lauded alongside the Xbox version's Xbox Live support recently, discovering that PES4 PC seems to be emulating null modem Doom functionality is a bit of a dampener. There's no matchmaking system or anything useful like that; one player acts as host, and the other player types in his IP address and connects. How you find your opponents, and questions about connecting to other PCs directly in these days of NAT routers, software firewalls and invasive Service Packs are not covered.

At least performance is perfectly adequate, and it's obviously ideally suited for people who want to play on an internal network, but it's still hard to recommend that over sitting next to your mate on the couch and watching his pained, disbelieving expression as you flukily knock six past him and then refuse to play again until the following evening.

X marks the carriage return

'Pro Evolution Soccer 4' Screenshot 2

Setting that disappointment aside though, the PC version of Pro Evolution Soccer 4 is a fairly competent package. Presentation is slightly lazy - the game still acts as though it's running on a PS2, asking you to "press X to confirm" and the like - but at least everything's intact, and although your mileage is destined to vary based on the power of your PC, we managed to run the game at high enough resolution that it looked very sharp and still avoid the slowdown that plagued the PlayStation 2 version during goal-mouth scrambles and other frenzied events.

Indeed on that basis it's a real boon. Having configured our PS2 Dual Shock pad through a trusty converter (we had some trouble calibrating the analogue sticks, but that seems to have been a Windows problem; playing the game with the D-pad worked fine), it was like playing PES4 with the milk bottle goggles ripped from our eyes. Players don't appear to be that obviously more detailed, but more pixels gives them more life, and gives the game a degree of fluency that even last month's PS2 version can't lay claim to. In terms of player movement and general behaviour, nothing comes closer to real football. FIFA may be an enjoyable experience these days, but this reviewer just feels more in control in PES. It's more like football.

Part of that is certainly down to the vast array of things you can do with the ball at your feet compared to EA's title, so it's important to note that this year's Training section is more involved than ever, striking at three potential groups of PES fan and nurturing them - us - through disciplines that go far beyond "wiggle the right analogue stick to play one-touch football". You can practice set-pieces, one-twos, dribbling through cones, through balls, rounding the keeper, defending crosses, etc. etc. Virtually everything you might need to put into play on the pitch is something you can specifically target in Training. With a few hours on your hands, there's no excuse for not trying to get to grips with PES4's finer points.

A long ball upfield

'Pro Evolution Soccer 4' Screenshot 3

And you'll be grateful when you do get the hang of them, because it continues to play magnificently. Players move the ball around crisply and aren't afraid of hooking at it when it's not rolling directly to their feet. They overlap and play wall passes to split defences. Whichever foot they favour makes a difference to the outcome of any move. Strikers can unleash a wide variety of different shots, but they don't travel along the sort of predetermined vectors that become so transparent after a while in other titles. Even the offside trap works.

There are flaws of course. The referee sometimes sticks his nose in where it's not wanted, interpreting the advantage rule badly and calling fouls for tackles that look distinctly safe, while on the pitch the ball can sometimes react a bit too realistically and cannon around out of control, and even now players are still capable of not reacting quickly enough and letting loose balls drift into opposition hands when they should be diving in furiously trying to secure it for you. And the commentary's still total arse.

But on the whole it's hard to criticise. Your frustrations will be largely sport-related, and not directed at Konami. It's not there yet, but Pro Evolution Soccer 4 is closer to real football than any game has been before - the passing, the tackling, the movement, the look, the feel, etc. It manages to emulate the sport so well that you can describe the game in much the same way. PES4 is fun whether you just like hammering the ball back and forward against a wall or booting it between the DIY goalposts in your garden, whether you're in a Sunday league team and "one had try-outs", or whether, on the evidence of a Konami party a few weeks ago, you're John bleedin' Terry.

Second

'Pro Evolution Soccer 4' Screenshot 4

However we can't recommend PES4 PC to everyone for one key reason: barring a catastrophe, the Xbox version - review code for which we're expecting right around now - ought to be that little bit superior. Graphically the PC will always have slightly more pixels to play with, but the team's half-hearted attempt to include online multiplayer options is destined to be relegated somewhat when we connect to Xbox Live. On Xbox there's talk of mini-leagues and tournaments as well as proper matchmaking - and Friends list support will take a lot of the pain out of the process. On the PC we've regressed to calling up our mates, trying to figure out IP addresses and arguing over who makes the better host...

If you don't have an Xbox though, assuming you can plug a game pad of some description into your beige box then this is the choice for you. It eliminates the PS2 version's slowdown problems and it plays as well as ever. And the only other issues to decide for and against are inherent to both releases - of which the player data issue is probably the most significant. Not including up to date line-ups for the current season in a game due out in late November is poor by anyone's standards, particularly given that EA launched its FIFA series with wholly accurate data a week before Konami even managed to have the PS2 version on store shelves. We're sure Konami has its reasons, but in the eyes of the consumer it's a very straightforward issue and potential deal-breaker.

Nevertheless, PES4 with a slight limp is still the best football game on the PC, and if you love the beautiful game as much as we do then we'd seriously suggest you pick it up. It remains our most played game series of all time, and on this evidence will do for some years to come.

Order yours now from Simply Games.

9 / 10

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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 (28) Latest comment 7 years ago

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

  • petebritish #1 7 years ago

    So when is this game out ? 19th or 26th.
    Anyone know

  • krudster #2 7 years ago

    19th

  • にににに #3 7 years ago

    well, I hope the date holds out for the 19th as I only just got rid of my preowned PS2 copy.

  • bionutz #4 7 years ago

    What? There is a converter for Dual Shock for use on the PC? Could I have the link please?

  • lost_soul #5 7 years ago

    Are you sure it's out on the 19th? Simply has the PC and Xbox versions down for the 26th.

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #6 7 years ago

    Konami announced the 19th as the date for both PC and Xbox just last week, but nobody seems to believe them.

  • Blerk #7 7 years ago

    What? There is a converter for Dual Shock for use on the PC? Could I have the link please?

    Here's one. Can't comment on how good they are, I don't have one myself.
    Edited by 1 at 16/11/04 @ 09:21

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #8 7 years ago

    Bionutz: This is the thing I use, IIRC.

  • Eighthours #9 7 years ago

    The "your players don't make an effort to go for the ball" thing is easily negated by using the Super-cancel feature and controlling the man yourself. Slightly fiddly when you start doing it, but it does work. Still kinda annoying that Konami haven't quite sorted out the AI after 4 games, mind.

    And since when did anyone play the 8-directional movement PES with analogue sticks?? Right analogue for manual passing, sure, but don't use the left one, for God's sake!!

  • Gruff #10 7 years ago

    I was under the "hopefully misguided" impression that the xbox multiplayer was only one on one matches, like the PC.

    Leagues ? please tell its so........ errrrrr Joe

  • jrolla #11 7 years ago

    they announced the 19th, then the 26th and now people think its the 19th again. bloody annoying

  • Gruff #12 7 years ago

    Yeah how do we know which day to go sick :-P

  • Dougs #13 7 years ago

    According to the PESinsight forums, they have distribution problems in the UK, hence the reason its slipped a week to 26th (and the press release went out with the 19th on it, but should have been 26th). Rest of Europe seemed to be unaffected.....

    Not sure I believe anyone at all though. I'll just wait for my package from Simply to drop through the door.....

  • markh #14 7 years ago

    most places are saying the 26th now. although i got an e-mail form the place i ordered it from saying it would be dispatched on the 22nd. Figure that out..

  • praetorian #15 7 years ago

    Do the goalies still fail to dive for the ball half the time when it's obvious the ball is a) reachable if they dive, and b) goalbound, as in the PS2 version? That was the biggest factor that spoiled my enjoyment of PES4.

  • trump #16 7 years ago

    the crappy goalkeeping will be present i'm sure
    seems like konami haven't really improved the most annoying parts of pes3 (and there were a lot)
    and on top of that they tack on some crap online mode?
    ffs, weak

  • Eighthours #17 7 years ago

    Konami's PR say that it's out (Xbox) on the 26th now, and that the date was confirmed mere minutes after they sent out their "it's out on the 19th" press release.

    Whoops!! :)

  • skybluesam86 #18 7 years ago

    bionutz, I have the same converter that Blerk recommended, and it works brilliantly.

  • Kavvy #19 7 years ago

    press X to continue? Pathetic.

    Its about time they did a proper PC version. At least we can rely on The Wolf for some proper kits / adverts / stadiums / all the other stuff the Konami *should* be doing but can't be arsed because they *know* fans will do it for them.

    Here's an idea, hows about they release the code, and then we can code a proper PC version for them without the PS2 contraints ;-)


  • jmctavish #20 7 years ago

    I'm giving some serious thought to cancelling my preopreder of this and getting the xbox version and live instead. For all the money Konami have made from this series would it really have hurt them to make a proper PC version? I'm well pissed off about this news.

  • matrim83 #21 7 years ago

    Dumb question but here it goes:
    Is it still only available on DVD?

  • KiLlerKnight #22 7 years ago

    This is an English site honey.
    And nobody is selling an original PES4 to you for 12 euros, we are not the salvation army LOL.

    And now the translation in Dutch LOL:

    Dit is een Engelse site schatje. En niemand gaat je een originele PES4 voor 12 euro verkopen. We zijn niet het leger des heils.
    Edited by 1 at 17/11/04 @ 10:20

  • System_Shock #23 7 years ago

    Zoran,

    I will explain the problem if you like, maybe you can then apologise to the reviewer for what most of us will have found to be a very useful bit of info (certainly makes me want the xbox version).

    Whatsmyip.com will tell you the public ip of the external section of your ISP's network. Unfortunately as the review states these are days of NAT (network address translation) ip addresses, therefore my machine can send out a packet through the isp and when the relevant reply packet comes back the router will redirect.

    The problem becomes that when my mate behind a NAT router wants to connect to me behind a NAT router from within PES4 he has to hit me on an external IP. Assume for simplicity that everyone on my street is on my isp and we all go through the same NAT router, when my mate types the ip from 'whatsmyip.com' he will hit my streets router, then where does it go? The answer is nowhere, there is no response as the port is not forwarded to my machine, so he can't connect.

    My ISP provides 20 hours per month of public IP, which isn't really a lot considering Rome: Total War has the same implementation of Multiplayer.

    So bascially although PES4 offers the online mode, it is essentially too big a pain in the bottom.

  • KiLlerKnight #24 7 years ago

    IMO these sort of games play better on a big telly, certainly if playing with friends. Sitting around a monitor is really not comfy.

  • SingerenBsAs #25 7 years ago

    I cant wait to try it out with my friends... we all have cable modem 1024 KBPS now... Then Ill tell u how it works. ;-)

  • KiLlerKnight #26 7 years ago

    Sorry I have better things to do.

  • Aka #27 7 years ago

    I ditched my PC pads for a PS2 dual shock along time ago and so should everyone! There's something funny about playing N64 roms on a PC with a PS2 pad. I was gutted when I couldn't get Fifa 04 (?) to work with my PS2 pad but Pro Evo 4 looks tobe so much better anyway. :)

  • kdjac #28 7 years ago

    Umm in the host setup screen your IP appears on the bottom much like this screen
    http://membe rs.boards.ie/kdjac/pes44.JPG except not blurred out :)

    Alt Tabbing works very well so you can set up , ALt tab out tell your mate your IP in IRC MSn etc: then play.
    If you are client prepare to hate this game , its soooo laaaaaaggggyyyy its painful to play , 6 games vs mate he hosted 3 i hosted 3 , 4-1 1-0 6-0 when he hosted, 7-1 5-2 8-0 when i hosted.
    Client presses pass 11 minutes later the player passes, slide tackles are hilarious tho , press to slide in 1st half and some time in 2nd player slides .

    Seriously needs a patch m anyone on 56k forget about me and my ate have 1mb lines.

    kdjac