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No official licensed teams or players and no online. Hmm, sounds like a gutter ball from the start, but alas, when it comes to fun factor and just the joy of a quality video game, I couldn't put it down. Up front and to the point, I'm not a soccer fan and probably never will be, but I'm amazed how a video soccer game sucked me in like a tractor beam. As most fans know, Konami gave up on basketball and it seems they put all their time and energy into their only sports title for 2005, Soccer. Yeah, the name "Winning Eleven" is a stupid name for any game, but don't let the dullness of the name steer you away. The game plays brillianty, I don't know the rules or even the strategy for playing soccer, but I had a blast playing it. The graphics are stunning and this uses some of the XBOX muscle! My buddies came downstairs one night at my home and poked their head around the corner and asked why I was watching Soccer on TV, it really looks that good. The replays look like they were drained from sport center on ESPN, I've never seen so many seamless motion captured moves by the players in my life, players getting tripped up, gettin laid out, incredible kicks, dives, jumps, head butts, all amazing and stunningly realistic from start to finish. The staidums look amazing too, although the crowds still look like cardboard cutouts from the old Playstation days. If there was a bit of a downer, the game does not support widescreen TV's to the fullest, I want my 720dpi mode, but doesn't offer it. Darn. But on regular and HD TV's, most will be 100% satisfied with the offerings. As a single player game, you'll rejoice with the tons of mode offerings, but if you want to get the most out of it, find a friend and get hooked on one of the best multiplayer games ever. My friends were hooked from start to finish and will definitely be back for more.
The game does not have acutal licensed teams, uniforms or players, which means no famous names. But does anyone in this world really know the full roster for Brazil or Kenya? But don't think the game is unrealstic, every statistic and rating for the actual boys are all in tact here, just rub off the names and their actual uniforms. I think there is a customizable uniform option, so be sure to get some red while and blue for the good guys.
Flaws in the game? No online is a bummer, not sure why Konami would not offer that, but oh well, multiplayer still rocks and it's the best 2-player game I've seen come along in a long time now. The sound is just ok, the commentary is a bit repetitive and the music is atrocious, but the grunts and sfx on the field are great and the crowd roars like there is no tomorrow. Everything else is spot on, and this game puts E.A.s' FIFA series to the test. Thanks Konami.
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I have played all of the North American W.E. games since WE 6 and I have to say that I am impressed with the consistent improvements that Konami has done with this series. Below is my review based off the PS2 version:The Winning Eleven games have all had one thing in common: tremendous and realistic gameplay. Not only does WE 8 continue this tradition, but the game also adds on welcomed new features that compensate for the lack of online play and club licenses that is synonymous with the FIFA series:
On the pitch referee
When fouls are committed, you'll witness a referee run up to the play to either warn the player or toss out a yellow card. What makes this neat is that you have the option to select which referee will be the decision maker for your game. One ref that is not made available is Pierluigi Collina, who is heralded as being the best ref in the sport. That's a bit of a bummer but doesn't really do much to affect the game
Free kicks now involve two kickers
Yep, that's right. By using the select button (on the PS2), you have the option of using two kickers from the spot. This now only adds to realism, but strategy as well since you have more than one person at getting around the wall during free kicks.
Advanced moves
In previous versions of W.E. you had to be real adept in using the buttons to get around your opponent. Although you still need to be pretty skillful in maneuvering your man, you can use the R2 button to perform stutter steps and more fakes to get around the defender. Playing against the computer on the highest difficulty will show you how hard covering the AI has really gotten.
Improved AI
As great as WE 6 was, the AI wasn't overly difficult. WE7 was better at working on this but now, WE 8 has really added to this department. You'll find that if you play the same two teams 3 times, you'd be pressed to win all 3 games in a row. The defense of the AI has hard to get around unless you really are adept in passing well. As I said earlier, offensive AI is hard in its own right in that the addition of trick moves makes it hard to cover your opponents one on one, especially if the opposing player is a star such as Ronaldo, Zidane, Henry, etc. You'll also never score the same goal twice (unless it's a penalty kick). The AI is just too good in this game.
Improved graphics
This is easily the best looking WE game in the series. Although FIFA has been renowned for their graphics, I really think WE is not that far behind anymore. You can easily make out players such as Beckham, Schevchenko, Figo, etc. Heck, you can even witness Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United along with his huge earrings. Animations are numerous in this game as well. Players complaining, goal keepers trying to motivate teammates, players pushing each other after a hard foul was committed all add to the fun factor in this game. You'll even see dirt stains on players' jerseys after a few minutes have passed in the game.
Deeper Master's League
Although I have yet to try this part of the game, I have been told that this is the bread and butter of the game. Basically this is the part of the game where you take a team over the course of several seasons and try to build a dynastry (similar to franchise mode on other games like Madden). You can keep track of your players during the course of a season with player ratings fluctuating. Old players will retire at season's end and young players, with added playing time, will improve right before your very eyes. Previous W.E. Master League's have kept me busy so I'm expecting this year's iteration to do the same to me once I get to it.
Here are the few cons I found (PS2)
Commentary/Sound
Not horrible, but not great. However, once youre knee deep in games (which will happen once you play the hardest level), you won't be concentraing on the sound as much.
A bit of slowdown
If you have several players in the box, there's occasional slowdown but not bad enough to take away from the gameplay.
No online play. Probably the most "glaring" deficit of this game according to some. True, online play adds fun to games, but I always felt that playing a sports game with more than one person is best when you play your friends directly instead of over a broadband connection.
Overall, this is probably one of the best sports games I have ever played (Madden 2003, NBA 2K series, and SSX I think are on this level). Even if you're not a soccer fan you'll enjoy how much of a challenge this game will provide for you. If you are a soccer fan like myself, you'll be blown away by the realism this game serves up. And if you're a Winning Eleven fan, you'll be flat out impressed with the new features this game adds over previous editions.
Best Deals for World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 - Xbox
As an avid football fan I was always disappointed with the repetitive garbage that I was forced to swallow from EASports and their Fifa franchise. Then...winning eleven 8 came out for xbox. I promptly discarded my previous fifa titles into the nearest trash receptacle and do not regret it (although I had a moment of weakness and bought fifa06 last week...that was a mistake). Anyway, on to the review.Strengths:
-This is about as good a gameplay sim as you can expect to get out of any sports franchise. The controls are extremely responsive, and the depth of the tactical control and the myriad of types of goals that can be scored leave WE8 head and shoulders above EA.
-You have the ability to alter a player's exact position on the field (no locked in positions like fifa), their defensive or offensive mentality, the direction they will attack or make runs to, who they will man-mark, or rather what zone they are responsible for defending all down the very last inch of the pitch. The great variety and permutations this allows you to experience adds a great amount of depth and staying power.
-Couple the great tactical control with great gameplay and the formula is simple for a great game. Add to that increased gameplay depth with the various ways you can score goals (I consistently score with shots from outside the box, cross to header, cross to volley or side kick, breakaway slotted, breakaway hard shot, breakaway keeper lob and corner kicks...all on the highest difficulty level) Also, unlike fifa, you can beat players one v. one and your A.I teammates actually possess a brain.
Weakness:
The only weakness this game has is really in its presentation. WE8 only has licenses for the Spanish, Italian, and Dutch leagues...So I have to play with Liverpool FC (that's 5, get it right, 5 European cups) in all tomato red plain shirts which kind of makes the experience feel a bit hollow. Also, since they don't have licenses, you have to rename all the stadiums and all the teams in the game as well as some of the players for 'other' teams, such as Boca Juniors (It may seem a painful task, but you can get lists on the internet that help). Lastly, the menus, music and other GUI elements are quite poor (the pokemon music drives me crazy).
Don't put too much weight into my tirade at the end there about the GUI as it only slightly distracts you from the overall beautiful experience of the beautiful game that can only be brought to you by Konami and their Winning Eleven Masterpiece.
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