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World Soccer Winning Eleven 7 International Review for PlayStation 2 (PS2)
Posted on Monday, March 15, 2004 @ 02:00:26 am E.S.TAh, it’s that time of year again. The snow melts away, the flowers spring up, and the soccer players come out from their proverbial hobbit holes to kick the two-tone ball of international fame. Alongside the start of a new spring and all of the soccer games that will take place in small parks across the world, a new batch of soccer video games are released as well. For the past 7 years, there has only been one series for digital soccer purists -- the Winning Eleven series.
Although EA’s FIFA series is the one that gets all of the attention, Konami’s work of art has always been the series to go to for the soccer fans who want a realistic fix. But as Konami attempts to launch the Winning Eleven series into the mainstream with this year’s overly-long titled World Soccer Winning Eleven 7 International, one question remains: will the series take a decline in realism, the factor that made it the choice for soccer purists, in exchange for mass popularity? Thankfully for both long-time fans and newcomers to the series, Konami has managed to balance a slightly new system with the same old formula to create a footy game for the ages.
Heads up!
However, don’t think that this is just the same title Konami has put out for years, just with the yearly roster upgrades. There have been some modifications to the game that have greatly benefited all who come to play it. These modifications have been made in particular to the series's gameplay. Everything from AI to control of the ball, even down to pros and cons of playing with each individual team in the game can all be found in this year’s edition, making WE7 all the more compelling and captivating. The graphics have been greatly updated, with player models looking better than ever in any soccer game, period.
Even the presentation has been revamped, to make it more appealing to the user (more on this later). One must ask, however -- what about all of the negativity that’s gone around about this series? The players that seemingly “skate” across the grass instead of actually picking up their feet and hustling? The menus that are seemingly out to kill the user, rather than help them launch a simple pick-up round? The steep learning curve for new players, which makes it nearly impossible to play without severe practice? Although not all of these minor flaws have been improved completely, this year’s edition of Winning Eleven should change the mind of some “faithful” EA players and have them convert to the side of simulation.
Right off of the bat, one of the biggest complaints about this series since its inception has been the presentation, specifically the clunky menus. While there have been some changes to the layout to make it more user friendly, the menus are still a little hard to navigate through. You’ll find yourself in a little bit of confusion trying to find some of the added features that have been mentioned on the box (specifically the new “Shop” feature), but all in all, menu navigation isn’t as horrendous as it has been in the past.
As mentioned before, the gameplay has undergone some slight changes, all of them to make the game more gamer-friendly. However, as it’s been said, small changes in small areas could equal one big overall change, and that’s surely what Konami’s mindset must have been going into this title.
A new graphical engine (which, unlike previous installments, no longer runs on RenderWare) has provided a plethora of new animations, which in turn provides some new gameplay aspects never seen before in a Winning Eleven game. For example, players can make better cuts with more sharpness and precision than in previous installments. A counter can now be more explosive than ever. That is, of course, if you play your cards right, otherwise the defense will just as easily turn your moves right back around on you.
In the Game Modes category, you have your basic categories: Match mode, League mode, Cup mode, Master League mode, Training mode and Edit mode. Match mode is very simplistic, as it allows you to partake in basic exhibition match-ups, along with the option to play a penalty shootout. League mode is a 16-team round robin tournament against the computer AI, with no penalty kicks or extra time in case of ties after regulation. Cup mode, however, is by far the most expansive of the basic modes, allowing players to set up endlessly customizable leagues and cup tournaments. Everything from match time to difficulty, even down to the name of your cup and the teams permitted to play for it, are all able to be chosen and edited at will. If you have enough friends, you can even feel free to plug in 2 Multi-taps for an 8 player Cup tournament. The customization in this mode is endless.
The Master League mode is the same as it always has been in this series. But for those not in the know, here’s the scoop: you take control of a less-than-average team of faux players. You must then take that team to the top of the league. After winning matches, you’re given the task of luring in big name players to play for your team. This year, however, there are more customizable options within the leagues, which allow you to specify how the transfer market runs, how fatigued your players will be without rest, and even how well other teams will pursue the hottest names in the league.
The Edit mode, however, may become the soccer purist’s best friend. Seeing as how many of the club licenses couldn’t be obtained for the game, many of the clubs within the game are faux, with made-up names. However, with the easy to use editor, the option to change names of clubs and players, uniform colors, and configurations within the layout of the uniform can all be done within the snap of a finger. This useful addition, especially considering the fact that without the Edit mode, you’d never see “Manchester United” listed on the front of a jersey in this game.
Among the new features this year is the “Shop” feature, which has seemingly been lifted directly from EA’s FIFA series. Players can gather up points to be spent in the shop by doing things from competing in exhibition games, to training mode, to mini-games and such. After accumulating a certain amount of points, unlockable teams, players, and even crowd effects can be purchased. Needless to say, this is a nice addition to the series that does provide more depth for the player.
"Uh, do we have to stand right here?"
In the graphical department, as previously mentioned, a new engine has been implemented into this year’s Winning Eleven. The new engine, replacing the RenderWare software which was originally used to make the yearly updates easier without having to rewrite entire code, provides the player with a graphical euphoria that’s never been seen before in any soccer title. Instead of seeing your strikers slide down the field like a hyped-up air hockey puck, you’ll actually see each foot on every step make contact with the ground. Any negativity from the past about less-than-stellar animations or imperfect player models has definitely dissipated in this year’s edition.
As far as the sound in the game goes, it’s just as any other typical sports game – no in-game music, just the sounds of the crowd and the commentary blaring out of your speakers. While the crowd does seem to have different reactions for different plays (you’ll hear roars and chanting of your club’s name when you come nearer to a goal), it’s not extremely noticeable when in the middle of a heated game. And with the commentary, although you’ll rarely hear a repeated line, does tend to prove a little annoying with the bad British accents that the analysts have. Also, the lack of Spanish commentary does prove a little frustrating for the Spanish-fluent gamers that were previously mentioned.
Needless to say, Winning Eleven 7 has done what it set out to do in this year’s edition. Konami has successfully kept the simulation gamplay that’s sold the game to millions of soccer purists around the world while still adding and modifying some aspects of the gameplay and other modes of the game to introduce the series to new players. Whether you’ve played this game a million times in previous years, or are still trying to figure out what that long title means, this is definitely a title you’ll want to pick up. And hey, at least since these are grown men, you don’t have to deal with those annoying soccer moms and their minivans. Review By: Matt Hack - 15997 Reads
World Soccer Winning Eleven 7 International Review Scores for PS2 :
| Gameplay |
| 9 |
| Graphics |
| 7.5 |
| Sound |
| 7 |
| Replay |
| 9.5 |
| Overall |
| 9 |
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