World Soccer Winning Eleven 9 International
When it comes to soccer games (well, football technically) it doesn't get a whole lot better than Konami's Winning Eleven series. The franchise has been going strong for the better part of a decade now and things don't seem to slowing down. Releasing a new installment every year is a difficult thing to do, but it's certainly not unheard of in the sports world. This series could easily be considered the Madden of soccer because it sets the standard and raises the bar for its competitors.
Other franchises like EA's FIFA don't really hold a candle to Konami's baby, though to be fair that gap is shrinking. When a company with as much power in the sports field is your only major competitor you have to stay on top of your game. This is especially true in this day and age when all of the professional brands are being gobbled up for exclusive rights.
One thing that gets difficult as you build a fan base and become number one is that you are often a victim of your own success. You are held to the same standards that you helped create and are constantly looked at to further the genre and series. That's probably where the ninth installation of Winning Eleven falters slightly. It's not that the game is scoring a red card by any means but the fact that it feels so similar to Winning Eleven 8 may have some fans pulling out the yellow. What it lacks in creativity though, it makes up for with refinement and the welcome addition of online play.
Gameplay:
If you are returning to the Winning Eleven series one of the first things that you will notice is that the game plays virtually identical to number eight. The controls feel a little tighter and you can tell almost immediately that the AI has been improved a bit. You'll see that your opponents tend to stick by your side a little stronger while you have the ball and there is more defensive pressure. That's not to say that the game is outright difficult mind you; it's just that things will keep you on your feet a little more.
This slight adjustment to the gameplay adds the need to think as you run. This gives greater emphasis to the passing game and it can really become tricky to catch your man down the field. The nice twist here is that your teammates dole out the same kind of pressure so in many ways the game seems more realistic. Of course the flow of the game hasn't changed a whole lot by this tweaking but it does give the series the sense of a small update.
All of the modes that you've come to know and love are here, though to be honest they are the standard of just about every sports game on the market. You can go and train a bit with a practice mode to hone your skills and get the basics of the franchise. If this is your first time with Winning Eleven the Train Mode should be your first stop before you do anything else. It teaches you the ins and outs of everything from passing to defense, scoring and other subtleties.
After you're done with your training you have a wealth of options available to you to tinker with. You can jump right into things with Match Mode and cut to the chase or you can work your way through some League play. If you're looking for a long-lasting career mode you'll want to check out the Master League since you get to play through seasons and watch your club develop. This is really where the meat of the solo campaign lies with any sports game and the same holds true for Winning Eleven 9.
Other modes that are available include the ability to edit players and teams with the Edit Mode, and also to pursue the cup with the Cup Mode. Returning hooligans with a taste for online gaming will want to dive into the online play once they get their feet wet. The competition is fierce and being able to take your Master League team with you adds a nice element. Going online is an ability that this franchise needed and having that for the first time here in the States is a godsend to fans.
While going online is great and all, it's also a little disappointing. The key points of a sports game involve teamwork and coming together with others to get that goal or win. In that regard Winning Eleven 9 falters slightly. Yes, you can go online, but it's only for a one on one match. If you have a multitap and a group of friends though, you'll be styling since you can network with up to eight players. Hopefully next year's installment will feature the ability to pull a team together online and go posse against posse.
At the end of the day the Winning Eleven still remains the best soccer series to date. The inclusion of online play and the slight improvements in gameplay make the ninth installation better than the last, though not by much. It's still enough of an improvement to warrant picking it up if you played last year's installment, but the gap between this series and FIFA is starting to close. Konami would do well to hit the drawing board to fine tune things even more for the next annual release, but as it stands this is the best soccer on the market.
Graphics:
Yet again when you line Winning Eleven 9 up next to 8 it's very difficult to see the improvements this time around. The animations are a little sharper and more realistic plus the game has a little more polish, but overall things look relatively familiar. Of course that is to say that the game looks very good. The franchise not only plays like the best soccer game on the market, but it looks the part as well.
Character designs are very realistic, though the faces need some work done on them. It's not that they are ugly by any means it's just that they don't convey the sense of realism that their animations do. The same could be said for the crowd but to be fair they look better in replays than they do during the action.
Audio:
As far as the audio is concerned it's another area that hasn't gotten a lot of improvement from the last Winning Eleven game. The commentators do a decent job though they don't really convey the emotion that you'd come to expect from a sports game that's all about passion. The sound effects for the crowd are great though and really draw you in to the flow of the game. Unfortunately you can't say the same for the music because it's pretty hit or miss in terms of quality. There's a lot of techno and Euro-beats that just aren't my personal favorite but they may appeal to some of you out there.
Conclusion:
On the surface Winning Eleven 9 plays great, looks wonderful, and sounds pretty good. The major point reductions come from the fact that so little has been changed since the eighth installment. Sure there have been a few additions and a couple of tweaks, but ultimately this one doesn't feel as fresh. The series hasn't gone completely stagnant yet by any means; it's just when you consider the fact that EA's FIFA franchise is closing the gap between the two, Konami needs to kick it up a notch. For your soccer dollar this is still the best series on the market and is strongly recommended.