On the one hand, the animation is amazing. ![]() ![]() Whether it's an opponent shoving you out of the referee's sight, your midfielder schooling the opposition with off-speed dribbles, or players simply vying for control of the ball in a heated dash, the minutia of the sport is captured with delicacy, precision, and beauty. Last year's animations have been honed to an even higher level of precision in this version, while new animations appear again and again in little amazing situations. The first time you boot up the game you'll stand back in on awe as players run through amazing animations which seamlessly blend into one another. Player speed has been once again improved, and so has versatility in player movement and athleticism. In all, the training mode is deep, well organized, and well thought out. The only minor quibbles I'll offer is that I wish there were ever more techniques offered, and the symbols used to indicate particular buttons are so small they're hard to read (and I have 20-20 vision and a large TV screen). You can learn individual dribbles, a smattering of passes, shots, defensive techniques, advancing methods, and for your goalie, infinitely useful moves while in the box. Old-time give-and-goes still function perfectly, varying pressure on the analog sticks initiates off-speed dribbles, and a full 360 spin on the right analog actuates the fancy Marseille Roulette, among other moves. Improving upon last year's well-polished title, WE8 adds in new moves, dribbling skills and techniques that, when used with proper timing and skill, will elate you and surprise your opponent. It's like every time I'm ready to evolve as a player, the game has more for me. We're not talking about rocket science here, but somehow this soccer game feels simultaneously like high-tech science and masterful art. Even though I've been playing it for years, TYO's series continues to stun me with its incredible depth and variety. This year's effort once again focuses on improving AI, adding and refining control and technique, and bettering all the little things, from free kicks and throw-ins to penalty kicks. Whether you're a Brit in Bristol watching league play or a Yank in New York viewing Major League Soccer, Konami has masterfully incorporated realism and skill into its series like none other. Core Gameplay The Winning Eleven series' consistent accomplishment over the years has been the developer's ability to pay attention to the nature of the sport and deliver the game in its purest form. This year, Winning Eleven 8 offers even deeper core gameplay, while broadening in scope, giving long-time fans the names, officially leagues, the feature sets, and moves they've been clamoring for. Alongside the top-notch gameplay highlighted in this year's superb Master League is a slew of improvements - from the acquisition of official big-league licenses to a more operational front-end, to on-screen referees to the improved Training mode. The endless layers of tactical play, smart AI and the unbeatable one-on-one matches outweighed the clunky menu systems and lack of official teams or players. Developer Konami TYO was always old-fashioned in presentation, yet the strength of its gameplay and graphics always won out. ![]() This year proves to be a different one for Konami.
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