Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007

After spending the holidays punishing my younger brothers in FIFA '07, I figured I would be on virtual futbol overload. That was until I got my hands on Konami's Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 for the Xbox 360.

This game has the finest graphics of any soccer game I have ever played. Granted, it's a little unfair to compare any older console game with one from Microsoft's current powerhouse, but I don't care. This game looks awesome.

Traditionally, soccer titles have struggled with the providing detailed graphics while encompassing the enormous field space necessary for realistic play on the pitch. However, the creators at Konami have solved this issue and the players, pitch, ball, fans and the passion are all present with a level of realism that has never been seen before. But the game isn't just all looks and no substance; the Winning Eleven series (Pro Evolution series for you Euros) has been known for having the most realistic, responsive and intuitive controls of any soccer title, and Konami has continued the tradition with even more improvements.

The Step-Over

Winning Eleven takes a couple of games to adjust to the timing needed to make precision passes or a successful juke, but time spent practicing pays noticeable dividends. Initially, the controls will seem sluggish, but once you adjust to the limitations of the sprint button and familiarize yourself with the spacing needed to pull off special moves, the game opens up into a fast and powerful replica of the world's most popular sport. Plus, a new style of shooting has been wisely added, giving you the choice of unleashing a rocket into the upper V, placing an accurate shot into the side netting, or chipping the keeper, making him look like the fool he would be in real life.

Penalty Kick

The two negatives that keep Winning Eleven from being a truly perfect game are classic issues. First is the awful sound track that seems to be an industry standard in soccer titles. I still don't know which is worse, the bad Euro trance music that haunts Winning Eleven or the terrible pop music EA uses for the FIFA titles. Luckily the crappy rave music is limited to the menu screens while the in-game sounds of natural game play and cheering crowds are excellent. Secondly, Winning Eleven doesn't use the names of your favorite professional soccer stars. The club names and leagues are there, but player licensing problems must limit the team from Konami from using the names of the players that we all have grown to love or hate.

Gooooooaaaaaaaal!!!!

Winning Eleven's superior graphics and the best control of any soccer game to date easily overshadows its minor problems. The tournament and player creation/develop modes add to the playability of the title and cement it as the supreme soccer title.

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