Full Review

13 May 2008 - The Pro Evolution Soccer games are like an annual event so it's now the turn of the PSP to get some of the action following last year’s PC outing, but is this the best way to enjoy the beautiful game on the move? We get our boots on and find out.

Football fans get a number of options in the game to get into the action. Quick Match, Master League, World Tour, League, Cup, and Training as well as a multiplayer Wi-Fi option are the areas that will allow you to lose an hour (or 2) on the bus before you know it.

Having chosen your difficulty level (there are five in total) you get to choose the usual array of options such as who you are playing from Europe, Africa, Americas and the Rest of the World, plus who you are playing against and then match options like length of the game and so on.

Get past the set-up and you are quickly kicking a ball about. The difficult level set, will determine whether you're actually going to get near goal without a fight. For newcomers the easy level will be very much welcomed and will help bring in footie fans keen to play but recently frustrated by the fact that they never get to score. While the hardest level is as unforgiving as a partner who's birthday you've forgotten.

So what's new? Not much. To the chagrin of fans there is still only one stadium to play in compared to the multitude of arenas in FIFA. Likewise the bugs of the action slowing down when there is a lot of action on-screen doesn't appear to have be fixed either and those looking for the dulcet tones (we say this jokingly) of John Motson or Jonathan Pearce will be disappointed as you rarely get any comment at all.

VERDICT
While there aren't many new additions to the game from the previous version and some will complain about the lack of commentating and stadiums to play in, what PES 2008 does offer is a great football experience with plenty of depth for the footie fan on the move.