Pro Evolution Soccer

Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 looks sharp and plays well; if you've never played any games in Konami's soccer series before, you'll be surprised at how this game captures the reality of a professional match. The game manages to do this without compromising playability. Using a combination of easy controls, brilliant animation and smart artificial intelligence, the game is highly playable in single player mode.

The biggest upgrade in Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 is its Teamvision artificial intelligence system. Using this system, game characters adjust to your personal playing style; computer opponents intelligently adjust to how you are playing the game. The AI makes playing against the computer like playing a real opponent.

This year's version feels fluid and smooth when compared to last year's release; these improvements feel like a return to the early days of the series. The soccer ball feels properly weighted, and players move and act like real people; players tussle, pull out shirts and push each other trying to get to the ball. These little tweaks give the game a natural and genuine feeling.

In this year's release, players are able to take a dive. Used in the right spots, dives can influence the outcome of a game. Much like real life, the move only works occasionally, but the move can be strategically used to change the outcome of a close game.

Players get to choose from Tournament, Match and Cup modes; a maximum of four people can play on one machine. The game also has a Master League where single players can play through a season; the league offers management functions where players can make trades and train their teams. The game also offers players the chance to play online; when they login to the game's servers, they can square up against ranked or unranked opponents.