Enhanced AI makes for a more difficult game
Now, unless the Xbox 360 we were playing on had a few issues, the actual matches that we played seem to run slower than previous games. We tested this out with Thierry Henry, knowing that in Pro Evo 5 we knew we could virtually run up the pitch dodging and weaving past the opposition with speed and purpose. However, we were right. Henry’s pace has been slowed right down to fit more with the rest of the team. This appears to be the same with many of the players who are known for their speed; it’s also worth checking out Michael Owen to see the change. This slow down in gameplay can be seen across the board, and although the speedier players are still faster than their slower team-mates, they are all noticeably slower than in Pro Evolution Soccer 5. While we aren’t particularly ‘over the moon’ with this change, there are plenty of other modifications to the gameplay that improve the experience and when we asked some of the other gamers playing Pro Evo 6 about the change in pace, most seemed happy enough and thought it actually made for a more realistic experience.
Click for larger imageTackling has been noticeably enhanced and if you make a well-time challenge you’ll leave your opponent on the floor, steal the ball from the tips of his toes and now be able to walk away with the ball under your control. The action appears to be much tighter and keeping possession of the ball needs more concentration than before due to the tweaks with the AI players. They now close you down more effectively and appear to be more intelligent at spotting any runs into space. While this does mean that the game is more realistic, it also ensures that you won’t sending balls over the top of the defence to a player running towards the 25 yard line with such ease as before, Pro Evo 6 will be a more difficult game to master and fans will need to spend a decent amount of time adjusting to the changes. We’re not bad Pro Evo players, but the first few matches we played resulted in 0-0 draws as we battled to become accustomed to the AI improvements.
Click for larger imageThe enhancement to the defensive play of the AI also translates over to the attacking play. Players make superb runs for through-balls and will try and get ahead of the play when you have possession as they constantly search for more space in order to receive a pass. Reactions from players in the box who are jostling for space are also more realistic, and after the initial bore draws that we played, we scored three times in as many games from headers (something that we rarely did in Pro Evo 5).