Still playing through my Xbox 360 collection and I landed on "Pro Evolution Soccer 2009". This was right around the time that Fifa started to get the gameplay to match is presentation, which was ultimately the beginning of the end for Pro Evo as it was.
With exclusive rights to the Champions League competition, Pro Evo 2009 allows players to compete for that trophy. The popular master league format has returned, combining playing with a degree of club management. There is also "Become a Legend" the equivalent of the Fifa "Be A Pro" mode, where the player controls a single created player and tries to effectively play that position.
Playing this game again, 12 or so years later, the presentation is certainly not as flashy as with Fifa. There's a solitary menu from which to begin your game. The music is unlicensed, and I didn't think was particularly catchy. The commentary from Jon Champion and Mark Lawrenson was well recorded, but often didn't seem to tie in with what was happening in my actual match.
It was the gameplay that I didn't particularly enjoy. Maybe it's just years of Fifa, but it felt sluggish and lacking in pace. It definitely felt like it wasn't "helping" me as much, with passes going astray, particularly if I tried to life them off the ground. Shooting was the worst aspect though, with shots wildly off target from all angles and positions, regardless of whether finesse was added or not.
That said, it did make the game feel a bit more realistic. The bounce of the ball is less predictable and created for an interesting game. In real football, most shots don't go in and passes often do go wrong.
At this stage, Pro Evo was clearly the better simulation of the beautiful game, but Fifa was the more fun to play. As with so many of these games, it wasn't terrible, but I can't see myself return to it any time soon.
