Pro Evolution Soccer 4 Review

By Tom Bramwell Published 26 November, 2004

PES on Xbox Live. It'd take a lot of effort to screw that up.

Version tested: Xbox

Order yours now from Simply Games.

We like driving. Given the choice between walking to Somerfield and driving to Sainsbury's, we hop in the car. When our folks ask for PC tech support, we race 40 minutes up the motorway to hit Ctrl-Alt-Del. But driving has its drawbacks, and if you took away luxuries like adjustable seats and made us stop at every zebra crossing, roundabout and set of traffic lights between us and our destination, we'd be far less inclined to pull on our cap and gloves and take you for a spin. Particularly if we kept being cut up by some boy racer to whom none of the above seemed to apply.

You can probably see where we're going with this. We're trying to sum up the experience of playing Pro Evolution Soccer 4 on Xbox Live. Which somehow manages to underwhelm. See, we like playing Pro Evolution Soccer 4 with other people. Given the choice between sliding neat through balls between AI defenders and scything down our friends as they gallop towards goal, we plug in the second pad. And the third and fourth. Yet, as hard as it is to imagine, Konami has made a number of crucial mistakes in the composition of the series' first online console game, which make a mockery of its World Rankings system and leave you cursing at least a handful of times during virtually every game you play. And you know what's most frustrating? It's still far too good for us to give it anything less than a nine.

Agreeing terms

'Pro Evolution Soccer 4' Screenshot 1

Before we get into all that, let's cover the good news: PES4 Xbox gets the basics right. In gameplay terms it's the equal of its magnificent PS2 counterpart, so we'll save us and you the bother of recounting what made that so magic. Just read that review first if you need a grounding; the only real differences offline are technical. The more powerful Xbox version runs flawlessly from every angle and elevation, eliminating slowdown issues, and obviously it looks better in general. It still can't compete with the sharpness of the PC version, which runs at much higher resolutions, but the players have more definition and the colours are somehow richer. Elsewhere, another benefit of the transition to Xbox is the opportunity to save a huge number of goal replays without having to consider the limited storage capacity of a memory card; each replay takes just two blocks, and the save and load times in general have been sped up thanks to the game's reliance on the hard disk.

Other than that, the only critical difference is the slab of plastic in your hand. Controlling PES4 on the Xbox "S" pad is more or less the same as doing so on the PlayStation 2 Dual Shock, except, for obvious reasons, the L2 and R2 functions (Strategy and Special Commands respectively) have been remapped to the White and Black buttons. This caused a problem for us veterans of the PS2 series because the "Special Commands" function is something we use very often to affect a good first touch, to shimmy away or pull a step-over, and it feels a little awkward reaching down with our right thumb to do so. Being able to use our index finger on the shoulder button while keeping our thumbs poised for passing and movement was one of the things we most appreciated about playing PES on a Dual Shock pad.

Still, it shouldn't be too hard to adjust to the change in layout over time, and failing that there's always the option of a joypad converter - of which there are several available from importers like Lik Sang. Meanwhile, for anybody approaching PES for the first time the issue won't be quite so frustrating. After all, if you're not pre-programmed to reach for a shoulder button when you want to control the ball away from your marker, you're not going to have too much trouble learning that it corresponds to a little black nub under your thumb instead. Furthermore, anybody approaching PES for the first time will be well catered for by an extensive training mode (expanded for the fourth game in the series) and a vast manual that runs to some 70 pages of English, explaining everything from the rules of the sport to virtually every advanced button combination in the game.

Make friends and then run away when they win

'Pro Evolution Soccer 4' Screenshot 2

We can say it's good, then. In fact, we can do better than that: we can say it's our favourite football game on the Xbox. If you want to argue the toss between FIFA and PES then be our guest, but we'd imagine that anybody who truly believes FIFA 2005 to be superior is already busy playing this year's version of that online - perhaps even competing in the officially sanctioned World Cup tournament that EA's running at the moment. FIFA's online implementation was largely faultless this time around (unlike last year on the PS2); there's a ranking system that sensibly penalises you by recording a 3-0 defeat if you quit out of games before they're finished, it can send out email updates, and it supports all the other things that make Xbox Live feel so polished and intuitive. So we can't imagine there are too many FIFA fans hanging around here out of anything besides a desire to flame or simple curiosity.

Whatever, anybody who does feel that way isn't likely to be driven to jealousy by Konami's efforts. On the surface, PES4 Xbox Live looks fine; you can choose a quick match or optimatch, create your own game for somebody else to join, and check out your position in the World Rankings. Konami's also sensibly ruled that you can only pause the game three times, and that you'll only have 60 seconds on the pre-match and half-time screen to tinker with Formation Settings. However, after a few games, that initial sense of "Finally!" dissipates completely. To be replaced by the punching of armrests, various accusatory gestures thrown at the screen, and a constant, high-pitched wailing. In our case anyway. The reasons for this are threefold:

Firstly, there is no obvious facility for starting up leagues and tournaments with your friends. The World Rankings system will allow you to compare your progress to players on your Friends list, which is helpful, but that appears to be the extent of it. If you want to have them compete against you in some sort of persistent league structure, it's going to require coordination of your own devising. Secondly, the World Rankings system itself is hamstrung by the absence of one of FIFA's key features: the penalisation of quitters. Of the 30 or so games we've played on Xbox Live so far, only a quarter of them have actually reached conclusion, meaning that our collated statistics make for mid-table mediocrity. However, we've been in a winning position in more or less all the others only to have them cut short - presumably because the other player decided that resetting the Xbox with half a minute remaining was better than banking a defeat and having it besmirch an "unbeaten run". Wenger would love PES4 Xbox.

Score draw

'Pro Evolution Soccer 4' Screenshot 3

Nevertheless, these are problems that can be overcome. Gather a decent group of online buddies and there's plenty of potential for leagues, cups, and never-ending friendlies, which nearly make up for the absence of critically important features like those mentioned above. What really grates after a while though is our third big issue: the inability to skip animations or replays. In other words, every time you're caught offside, you have to sit and watch the replay. Every time you commit a particularly handsome foul, you have to watch the referee running up to your man and ticking him off, followed by a replay of the incident, maybe followed by the sight of a player being stretchered off. When the game reaches half-time, you have to watch all the players leave the field as the camera flicks between their faces. When you score, you have to watch the homoerotic celebration sequences. None of this can be skipped.

Presumably Konami did this in order to maintain synchronicity between the two players' machines, but whatever the reason the result is a lot of sitting around hammering buttons wishing that the bloody thing would get a move on. And we don't quite buy the synchronicity argument anyway, since you could skip things in FIFA without much effort, and it's still possible to cut short replays of goals even in PES4. In fact, that in itself can be a pain, because the scorer has power over whether his opponent has to sit and watch the shot again and again or not. Many of our random opponents delighted in making us sit through goals several times, cackling harshly in our ear, and then quit anyway five minutes later when we levelled the scores...

Fortunately you can say that the experience of playing the game online isn't vastly removed from doing so against somebody sat next to you on the couch. We encountered a fair amount of lag during our experimentation, but we also enjoyed some extremely smooth contests, and frankly getting to play PES4 online against our friends is worth the odd stutter - even if once in a blue moon the ball seems to misbehave, or the goalkeeper teleports half a yard away from the ball, leaving Deco to square it for Saviola to stroke into an empty net. [Let it go. It happened once. -Ed]

Not quite a team

'Pro Evolution Soccer 4' Screenshot 4

It's a shame more changes weren't made in the extra time the Xbox port had in development. It's particularly disappointing to see that widescreen and progressive scan are still off the menu, despite the addition of 5.1 surround sound, which surely can't make that much difference to the experience. It's also frustrating that the player data is still from August. Not even late August. Rooney is still at Everton, Luis Garcia's at Barcelona, etc. etc., and there's seemingly little chance of Konami releasing updated info as downloadable content - assuming that greyed out "Content DL" box on the back of the packaging actually means something. For a game released on November 26th - well over a month after its EA-made rival debuted with up-to-the-minute stats - it's hard not to be frustrated by that.

Still, while there are evidently drawbacks to playing Pro Evolution Soccer 4 on Xbox - whether offline or via Live - on the whole Xbox owners will be able to get past them. The initial learning curve remains a touch steep, but the pay-off is one of the most well-rounded football simulations ever cut to the back of a DVD. Passing's swift and fluid, big name players are endowed with the mercurial skills they've become known for, identifiable by their movement and playing style as much as their countenance, and the ball reacts and behaves in playful style, rather than acting like it's drawn to people's feet. PES4 is arguably guilty of nudging the success rate of through passes a bit too high, and someone really needs to demonstrate the advantage rule to these referees, but otherwise it's probably the only football game where you can talk about the offside trap and wingers overlapping without actually lying.

Looking at it from the Xbox owner's perspective, it's a flawed introduction. In fact, if we reach back right to the beginning of our PS2 PES4 review, let's revive "The Boy Rooney(TM)" as an example: he comes on and debuts mid-week in Europe and scores a hat-trick, only to fall completely flat at the weekend. PES4 arrives on Xbox with a fearsome reputation, clearly deserved, and it's capable of the sort of magic that will have you scrambling for an Xbox pad the second you get home most evenings. But taken online - where its impact was most needed - its form is patchy and you get the feeling it's not giving its all. It wanted to play in Europe on Xbox, hence the high profile transfer, but if it's going to win our long-term affection on Xbox it's going to have to put more effort into the details. It's a fantastic, must-buy game for virtually every football-loving Xbox owner, but it could have been much better, too.

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 (42) Latest comment 7 years ago

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

  • Dizzy #1 7 years ago

    A lazy port of a great game then? Hmmm... should I or shouldn't I buy?

  • krudster #2 7 years ago

    Only if you want to play your friends online. Cheating scumbag idiots that want to preserve their world ranking should be punished - I just can't fathom why Konami didn't think that this would happen.

  • rocketdog #3 7 years ago

    So let me understand this, its as good as the PS2 version plus it has online play and yet you still seem to try and pick the game apart in your review? Is this just beacuse it's on the Xbox?

  • mcmonkeyplc #4 7 years ago

    Hmmmmm I think your being a bit harsh with the old replay stuff on live. I just had my first game online and it didn't seem like I was waiting around for ever...in fact it was like footy on tv. The only problem i have is the odd lag, its not quite lag but it is 0_o. As for the controls no problems even with my fat controller.

    In essence I agree with your review...but your probably being a bit too harsh, after all it is pro evo on xbox live even though its to the same standard as pgr 2 and halo 2 on live.

    Edit: Cant Konami release an update to fix the cheating morons? I seem to remember a post in the forum mentioning they had announced an auto update on their german site.
    Edited by 1 at 26/11/04 @ 12:25

  • Hurleybird #5 7 years ago

    Damn! Could'a been a contender. Still as it's going to be my first Xbox Live experience, maybe I won't feel the pain of better Live experiences.

    WHY NOT ONLINE LEAGUES!!?

    The worst bit is you know that Konami won't fix this anytime soon, just like the old bugs that are only know being fixed.

  • #6 7 years ago

    Dizzy Wrote:
    26-Nov-04 12:14:47
    "A lazy port of a great game then? Hmmm... should I or shouldn't I buy?"

    No, they didn't say anything about it being a lazy port of the playstation 2 version. In fact they made of a point of saying "The more powerful Xbox version runs flawlessly from every angle and elevation, eliminating slowdown issues, and obviously it looks better in general." So no, it isn't a lazy port, it's actually technically better...

    I'm quite annoyed about the Xbox Live implementation, it could have been better. But then they always leave some stuff out for the next installment. I will buy PES 4 [and wait for the better PES 5] ;)

  • pjmaybe #7 7 years ago

    /clicks "add to basket"

    Awww c'mon, it must be great if a non-footie fan like me can like it.

    Peej

  • #8 7 years ago

    rocketdog wrote:
    26-Nov-04 12:22:39 "So let me understand this, its as good as the PS2 version plus it has online play and yet you still seem to try and pick the game apart in your review? Is this just beacuse it's on the Xbox?"

    They actually seem to think the Xbox version is technically better, so no they aren't having a go at the Xbox version. You should perhaps read the review again, they mainly seem to pick the online aspect of the game apart. They in fact link to the playstation 2 review and say read that, it's almost the same "offline", though perhaps technically better [no slowdown]. If anything I think they made the Xbox version sound like the version to buy. They do have a go at the poor online implementation, righty so, but the playstation 2 version doesn't even have online play. We should also remember that only about 10% of Xbox owners will play online, most will be happy playing "the technically better" offline single player modes and multiplayer modes.

  • Domstercool #9 7 years ago

    Just had 2 matches online. Wasn't any lag. I can see myself getting addictive to this. >.

  • coderkind #10 7 years ago

    I'll still be getting this today, but am annoyed that quitters aren't punished.

    That "feature" alone stopped me playing Capcom Vs. SNK by itself. Nothing is more annoying than your opponent quitting after you've almost beaten him.

    :(

  • #11 7 years ago

    old skool
    26-Nov-04 12:32:14 "a 9 seems a bit much for a game with so many flaws..."

    FFS, did you read the review?

    It is certainly no less than a 9/10. Most of the criticism is aimed at the online [Xbox Live] mode. Now the Playstation 2 version got a score of 9 out of 10 [OK] and it doesn't even have a online mode. They say the game [on Xbox] is technically better than the Playstation 2 also. So can you please explain why it shouldn't get a 9/10. It is actually possible if the online implementation had been much better that this may have gotta a 10/10...
    Edited by 1 at 26/11/04 @ 12:50

  • Dougs #12 7 years ago

    The online flaws don't bother me too much - although I hadn't realised quitters wouldn't be punished. Its not something I do anyway, who cares about your "stats". My major gripe is the hassle in setting up a game, which FIFA made very painless. As MCM mentions, when it goes tits up, its not really lag......more a case of the ball floating around and reappearing where it shouldn't really be. Only experienced this a couple of times though.

    It kicks FIFAs arse, and I can live without the polish and up to date stats (quite why Trabelsi is in the gooners team I have no idea. Perhaps Konami know he's coming in Jan!). For any of you doubting after this review (still a 9 for gods sake!), don't. If you liked FIFA online, you'll love this, and then some.

  • #13 7 years ago

    Overall this is better than FIFA!

  • Dougs #14 7 years ago

    Errrm, isn't that what I said?!

  • ZeTimbo #15 7 years ago

    Errr...

    So...

    If I have a PS2 and an XBox, have enjoyed Pro Evo from it's first outing and I have XBox Live but not PSOnline, which version should I go for?

  • #16 7 years ago

    The Sims Grand Maste Wrote:
    26-Nov-04 13:08:27 "The only thing against it, is the crowd animations. They are like 3 pixels each and it kind of ruins the atmosphere when you see 3 blobs jumping up and down in replays."

    Hopefully the Playstation 3 and Xbox 2 should allow developers to use better graphics and animations in lesser important areas, such as the crowd...

  • Dougs #17 7 years ago

    THATinkjar:

    Why don't you hire it and make up your own mind? Sure, its not perfect (haven't played the PS2 version), but to me it plays like PES and this alone makes it worthwhile buying, and there probably are going to be people that don't get on with it. As far as I'm concerned this is still the best online football game there is, warts and all.

  • mcmonkeyplc #18 7 years ago

    4 online games now and im starting to get addicted!

    First game was a bit shit..0-0 against an italian, then had a 3-2 winning thriller aganist a dutch guy, then played a gut from nothern Ireland lost 0-1 in the last minute! Asked for a rematch (done in post game options) got the rematch and scored the winner in the 85th minute after 15 shots!

    I love it!

  • JaysonG #19 7 years ago

    If theres no 480p I don't think I can get this, I think my VGA adapter "doesn't do" 480i.

    Bollocks...

  • Whizzo #20 7 years ago

    Someone really needs to make an S-controller with the white and black buttons as "shoulder" buttons above the triggers and it would make them much more useful. They're a pain where they are now just as they were on the original controller being just out of easy reach.

  • ERG1008 #21 7 years ago

    Are the controls more responsive than the PS2 version? (I'm not talikng about super-cancel)
    And I take it the kit editor is the same? (Appalling)
    I've recently really started to despise the PS2 version on 1 player as it has the same flaws as the hugely over-rated PES3.
    Don't get me wrong, it's still the best console football game but it could have been oh so much better.

  • gizmo #22 7 years ago

    ^ in response to Whizzo.

    Wow, now theres a gap in the market if ever there was one. Good idea.

    edit: not clear what i was on about. Again.
    Edited by 1 at 26/11/04 @ 14:29

  • Bumbuliuz #23 7 years ago

    The only thing that bugs me is the tranfer thing. With Xbox-Live it isint hard to fix that. Then this game would be a 10/10

  • Syrette #24 7 years ago

    anyone else notice the specific lack of any mention of online play on the back cover (minus the checklist)?

    i guess that tells it own story, though i personally enjoy all aspects of PES4 including the underwhelming online side of it.

  • fergal_oc #25 7 years ago

    Had a choice today - PES4 or Half Life 2 - did I chose incorrectly by going for PES4?

  • jrolla #26 7 years ago

    "leaving Deco to square it for Saviola to stroke into an empty net.

    Nitpicky, i know... but they are not on the same team anymore.... "
    nitpicky, i know but they are in PES4.
    anyhow, the games amazing and a nice review. you seem to have missed a few more gripes about Live though being:
    no manual player change - semi auto only sucks, no master league team usage, headsets not working properly, gamertag really gets in the way sometimes & no option to turn it off.
    hopefully theyll sort all this out in some sort of H2esque update but there doesnt seem to be a konami run website anywhere with forums etc on for feedback. great game but disappointing Live features

  • fergal_oc #27 7 years ago

    Had a choice today - PES4 or Half Life 2 - did I chose incorrectly by going for PES4?

    yes.

    please no - that can't be right - please tell me I did the right thing. Did a trade-in too so paid £5 on top for PES4 whereas I could've walked out the store with HL2 and not part with a penny :(

  • Geordiescott #28 7 years ago

    As a former PS2 owner and huge fan of the previous PES titles I was overjoyed to finally get hold my Xbox copy of PES4 last night. Upon playing my first game I was utterly disapointed to find that the pitch looked as blurry as if I had forgotten to put my contact lenses in. The game plays brilliantly and i just hope and pray that my brain can adjust to the awful pitch graphics. Can anyone please give me a slither of hope and tell me that you do get used to this.

  • Dougs #29 7 years ago

    Fergal - do not fear, PES will bring you many rewards!


    Geordie - barely noticed to be honest, to me its much more about gameplay than looks! And that's what I tell the missus too - arf!

  • jrolla #30 7 years ago

    err mr hopkins how have standards risen? online gaming has been around for donkeys years, netcode is hardly a new concept. if konami had bothered to test the game properly or even release a limited beta demo (afaik they didnt?) then they woulda realised some of these glaring faults with the game. youre saying its too much to expect a stable ping, the ability to skip replays and other such basic options?

  • Geordiescott #31 7 years ago

    Well considering I have been filling the football gap with Euro 2004 I'm sure I can forgive Konami and get used to it. I hope!!!

  • Eighthours #32 7 years ago

    Well it's typical Konami, isn't it?

    FIFA launches with all the bells and whistles, with a surprisingly good online performance. PES launches with a myriad of silly little problems that should have been sorted out before release, but after a couple of days we'll be ignoring them and slagging FIFA off again!

    Like online, like offline. Don't know why anyone thought it would be any different!


    Edited by 1 at 26/11/04 @ 16:01

  • krudster #33 7 years ago

    The fact that we couldn't source a copy in time meant Tom had to review it. I was already commited to several other games.

  • sir_tripod #34 7 years ago

    I played it last night. It's great. d:-D

    The only real downside is the control method. Granted you can get used to it but the PS2 pad runs rings around the Controller S.

  • sir_tripod #35 7 years ago

    Oh, and it's as smooth as you like on XBL! d:-)

  • m1ketucker #36 7 years ago

    there mat be bugs in ps2 and xbox versions but which one will get them fixed via the online patch system ... hmmmm .......

  • Sunrise #37 7 years ago

    I have it for a week. Building up a nice friends list and/through organising Dutch online competitions, so I won't be bothered by the disconnectors much anymore.

    The lag is a bit bad, but it will be fixed and I've joined plenty of matches that run fine. And I don't care about the replays ---> it gives my heart some time to slow down.

    Overall it's a great game, even though the online bit could have been a lot better. It's only their first try. Konami tends to listen well to their audience, so PES5 might be more like the perfect experience.

  • #38 7 years ago

    Well, I've played three matches on Xbox Live and overall it's a decent experience, apart from the following:

    Possibly the worst thing about the online mode is the fact that if your opponent is losing he can quit on the 90th minute and it doesn't count. So basically now there are hundreds [if not thousands] of people so scared of getting poor stats that instead of gracefully accepting a defeat [Like I did on my last game] they choose to quit like a right tard!

  • Hurleybird #39 7 years ago

    jrolla is soooo right.

    I think the most annoying thing for me is the lack of available feedback through official channels. There is no central channel for PES (until a week or so ago, there wasn't even an official website).

    Konami really have to get their act together. I don't know if they just don't have a big budget (I can't really believe that) for putting these things right. But seriously, WHY exactly can't they get a FIFAPro license?

    I think that people's hopes of online updates (a la HL2 and other PC-centric games) to fix bugs (even read someone thinking that they'd improve the LIVE experience in the year) are too optimistic.

    ...would LOVE to be proved wrong though - I really would!

    edit: In fact! Just went to the official Konami website (which is useless), found <a href=http://uk.gs.konami-europe.com/down loads/downloadList.do?idDownloadCategory=3> this </a> under Downloads > Patches!

    Edited by 1 at 26/11/04 @ 21:39

  • Geordiescott #40 7 years ago

    DNKW - I found the same thing with the blurry pitch. The only way I can stand to play is if the season is set to winter. Very annoying!! Still plays brilliantly though. Why oh why cruel god can't we combine Fifa's look and licence with PES4's gameplay???

  • Geordiescott #41 7 years ago

    Paul_Cruz - On one of the screens before you start the game you can select the team you want otherwise it automatically selects the first team in the international list which is Austria.

  • barchetta #42 7 years ago

    Damn right about the pitch graphics - far too much sake sloshing around the Konami Art Dept.....

    Anyone reckon OXM will carry an updated (accurate) option file anytime soon? As someone without XBL I hope I don't have to resort to manually updating all team names.

  • p3rks #43 7 years ago

    So does this let you play 2 people online on one console. ie are 2 on 2 matches possible?

    I skipped FIFA becasue it didn't, hoping that this would...

  • freedumb #44 7 years ago

    it doesn't.

  • p3rks #45 7 years ago

    well that sucks.

    thanks.

  • trump #46 7 years ago

    i've played the pc demo and well its disappointing
    the ball has better physics, but its as biased towards the cpu players as it ever was
    every random bounce goes straight to their players, their players are immensely quicker and stronger than mine and mine seem to have difficulty not running uncontrollably away from the ball when someone challenges them for it

    shooting seems to be a bitch as well
    hope the retail version is better

  • trump #47 7 years ago

    ok, played the pc version online
    the first version is laggy as fuck, the patch improved things a bit
    strangely id have the same complaints about another person as i do the AI, so it must be a perception thing
    i beat a guy 4-0 so i enjoyed it :)

    WHY OH WHY is there no league mode online, goddamn that would be so much cooler

  • Sid-Nice #48 7 years ago

    Hi Bill, what brings you here? :)