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Konami has today released new information regarding PES 2009, the latest instalment in the multi-million selling football video game series.
This year’s edition is said to have been reworked from the ground up and will feature new player models which together with AI elements and physics promise to create the most advanced and realistic football game ever.
At the heart of the new game will be two new game modes: Become a Legend and Legends. Become a Legend is a new solo game mode which casts the player as a midfielder or striker within a match. The player starts as a rookie pro at the start of their career, and charts the many highs and lows of becoming a professional player. The player will operate in their favoured attacking position, and work as part of the overall team as opposed to controlling every member as in a normal game.
PES 2009 also features an online version of the Become a Legend mode, entitled Legends. Players can use their saved player in online matches with friends.
The latest edition of PES is also promising an unprecedented level of control, said to redefine the intricacies of first-touch, close control and ball distribution. The game will also offer enhanced shooting and AI. The development team has introduced new control systems that will enable players to perform tricks and feints without the use of special moves, instead within the context of the player’s run and via rapid turns and movements of the d-pad or analogue stick.
Ball movement has been overhauled, with new calculations relating to the air resistance and friction of the ground to make passing and movement in PES 2009 more realistic. Differing weather conditions will now have a more pronounced effect on the weight and movement of passes, with players required to compensate for poor weather.
Famed PES producer Seabass and his team have also been working to improve the series’ Teamvision AI routines, with this year’s title said to feature team mates that adapt their tactics to current situations.
“It is an honour to know that our game is enjoyed by so many people from different backgrounds,” said Shingo ‘Seabass’ Takatsuka. “From top professional players, to football enthusiasts and kids who just want a kickabout in the streets, its appeal is widening all the time. The new Become a Legend and Legends Modes are designed to convey the pressure and pace a real pro experiences, with players working as part of a strong side and working to prove their merit as a player. I feel great and motivated when people enjoy our games, and feel the new modes will open up new ways to enjoy PES.”
Last year’s effort was a huge disappointment in the visuals department, and this is an area which is said to have been greatly improved for PES 2009. Stadiums now have more realistic environment and atmospheric elements, and the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions will feature LED hoardings. A new depth of field effect has also been added to create a more realistic sense of distance.
Each player in the game has also been totally recreated, with all new face and body detail, further facial animations and kit details creating a greater sense of realism. The always popular edit system has also been given a boost with the ability to create bespoke matches via the importing of faces, kits, and even sound files for specific music and crowd chants for any team. A new Pixel Paint system has also been integrated, allowing players to create their own club crests and badges to add to their home-grown kits.
“We have pulled out all the stops to make PES 2009 a landmark in footballing games,” commented Jon Murphy, PES Project Leader for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. “From the most basic controls, through to the wide-ranging additions to game modes such as ‘Become a Legend’, all-new visuals, sound, and the Edit mode, Seabass and his team have strived to cram as much as they can into the new game. And with more online announcements to follow, there is every reason to believe that PES 2009 is the football game everyone has been waiting for.”
PES 2009 is scheduled for release this autumn for Xbox 360, PS3, PC, PS2 and PSP. A version for Wii will follow in spring 2009.
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