> Pro Evolution Soccer 2012
From: Konami
For: Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, PC, Wii, DS
Football is a game of ebb and flow, and that perfectly sums up the past decade for the Pro Evolution franchise.
It was once the choice of all discerning football gamers, who much preferred Pro Evo's steadier, more realistic gameplay to Fifa's all-style-no-substance grab bag of tricks.
But about four years ago, the rivals started heading in different directions. Pro Evo stood pat, hoping its loyal fans would be satisfied with annual roster updates and a couple of minor tweaks.
Fifa developer EA Sports, on the other hand, got heartily sick of being mocked - though not of selling millions and millions of games - and decided to start over. Fifa 07 through Fifa 10 were the first steps in the revolution, as the series started searching for new depths of realism.
Then, yowzers, Fifa 11 was a mind-blowing sports game, so good it hardly seems possible for Fifa 12 to be better (more on that later).
So the situation has been reversed; Fifa is now Manchester United to Pro Evo's Leeds United.
This view of Pro Evo as a sort of poor cousin does not immediately get reversed when one kicks Pro Evo 2012 into action. It has exactly the same menu layout, the same cheesy music, a useful but rather uninspired series of tutorials, and the "Gamer Points" system used to unlock, er, new hairstyles and other important things.
As with all recent Pro Evo titles, just a few of the major English teams are officially licensed. So you have Merseyside Red, instead of Liverpool, and West Midlands Village, instead of Aston Villa. To most, that's only a minor issue, as it is again very simple to edit the names.
Happily, Pro Evo does have licences for the top players, and there has been a major improvement in how the most famous of them have been captured. My beloved Liverpool, for example, includes a spookily realistic Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt, Lucas and others.
The game gets one up on Fifa with its inclusion of the Uefa Champions League, along with its theme song, while the Copa Libertadores (South American club competition) is also included. And, for the first time, the Spanish premier division is available.
"Football Life" includes the familiar Master League and Be A Legend modes, the former still a worthy rival to Fifa's Career mode.
There is also an intriguing Be The Boss experience.
On the field, I was immediately struck by how much slicker Pro Evo 12 plays than previous iterations.
The range of smooth passes, intuitive defending, smart AI and variety of attacking possibilities make for a heady mix. And new off-the-ball controls, while a little intimidating at first, create entertaining possibilities.
It's still somewhat slower than Fifa, but that's been the hallmark of the series. It encourages good, patient football.
Graphically, you would not argue Pro Evo is exceptional. Player movement, in particular, is occasionally quite clunky.
But what a comeback. Fifa was leading by a goal at halftime but it's now all square. The penalty shootout awaits.
