Going Back To WE8:LE + WE9 Review

I'm going back to Winning Eleven 8: Liveware Evolution I am afraid.

Note: This review is based on my play as an analog user, the main issue I talk abot does not effect players who use the d-pad.

After 3 matches, I have seen about forty to fifty sidesteps by my team which I never intended to do, most of them on first touches which distrupted my play. Everyone is moaning at filthydani, yes he is going about it in the wrong way and spamming, but I am afraid what he is saying has a lot of truth in it. The fact is I can not be bothered to learn how to use the d-pad to control my players, and I was actually still enjoying Winning Eleven 8: Liveware Evolution where I had the choice if I wanted to do fancy moves and sidesteps, I do NOT like it being forced upon me.

So this is a direct warning to people thinking of purchasing the game, be prepared for a dramatic increase in the number of sidesteps.

Personally I think it's a real shame, so much of the game I liked. The menu system and presentation really has improved ten fold, the kit customisation is very handy and the edit mode looks superb. There are so many great new animations but these are overshadowed by the number of uncessary sidesteps. Often I would be passing out of defence, my defender would control it, sidestep, get tackled, and consequently surrender possession, that really did enfuriate me. The shooting system is also brilliant, I hit some cracking efforts and although the R2 shot isn't the "curling shot" people had hoped for it certainly is different to the normal shot.

Another aspect I didn't find endearing was the heading. The animations were definately improved, it was the results of the heading I found poor. A lot of times headers looked false and too fast, my first ever goal in WE9 came from a Joe Cole, yes, I did say Joe Cole, bullet header into the top corner, this was not something I was expecting.

The other thing that struck me as odd was the gameplay, reading the general opinions I couldn't figure out what to expect, some people were saying it was slower, others saying it was faster. What I found was the general game player was slower, but the actual passing and dribbling was faster. Perhaps it takes some getting used to, but this came across as rather unrealistic, it was almost like the animations were too quick for the gameplay?

The responsiveness of players is exceptional, you can really think before the ball gets to the players and play a quick first time pass, increasing the flexibility in attack build-ups, you can really play quick-fire passing triangles to split open your opposition. I did not notice any great changes in the off-the-ball AI, the runs were still slightly limited but the aerial through-balls and through-balls are now much more effective so you can make better use of the few runs your team do offer you

One thing which I didn't like was the fact that when the ball is on the far side of the field (away from the camera) the camera does not zoom in like it does in previous versions. This makes it feel too far away when you are playing on the far flank and this led to countless mistakes, dribbling off the field etc.

There are so many small inclusions which leave a smile on your face, as small as a player running into the net and putting their hands out to stop themselves tearing a hole in it. At the end of the day though, a sour taste is left in my mouth and this is what is making me head for the confines of Winning Eleven 8: Liveware Evolution.

A real, real shame - I can only hope other people who use the analog stick can find a way to reduce this problem.

Famitsu Style Rating: 31/40

 

I don't use the d-pad at all, I use the analog stick.

Thank you, I will ammend the review to mention this.

 

Yea, the more I play it the more I love it, I think people just need to give it time, I mean for me it feels totally different and will surely take a few weeks before I am ready to score.....or hit the target.

 

I get the feeling people didn't even read my review. Please don't bother to comment unless you've read it. Trebuta, I have no idea what you are talking about. Kevano mate, if that's how you view the sidestep then you are lucky..I just think it looks unrealistic and ruins the gameplay. Let me ask you this, when do you see that move in real life? I'll give you a clue, it starts with n and ends with r.

 

I have read a post which said you have to tap quickly twice UP or Down to go 90° without doing side-steps...Is it true? even if you play with analog?

 

Thanks Ike, I have played about 20 matches now, in single player vs. AI and against human opponent. I've noticed the issue is much less prominent in human matches, I think because the AI tends to use it so often it amplifies the unrealism factor. I really appreciate many aspects of the game, it's just whether I can get used to all this sidestepping business. After re-thinking my initial decision I would probably continue playing WE9 against human opponents, but I will continue my master league game on WE8:LE where it's not a sidestep-fest.

I wasn't even going to dignify this comment with a reply, but I'll ask YOU this: show me ONE SINGLE video of a player doing the "sidestep move" in real life, if you do I'll retract everything I've said and send you 20 euros on paypal.

 

More or less, I think it's worse for analog users though.

A lot of people used to dribble using sidesteps anyway so it's no different for them, but the people who don't dribble with skills and sidesteps but just cutting in and out it totally effects the gameplay for them, I think thats what people aren't understanding here.

 

I am actually thinking to do the same...
That's why i am really pissed from the game...

As i told you guys, I won't be the only one who will be moaning about this, (sorry for the word moaning Perky, what you are saying is all true)

I have been playing this game since winning eleven 3, never had any major problems with the gameplay when they release new updated version every year, there might be some little stuff that annoyed me like lots of fouls in (we6) and hand balls in (we7), but those stuff didn't effect the game play too much, so I could deal with em with no problems…

What happened in winning eleven 9, is something i never expected to happen at all. i don't mind changing the dribbling system, but changing it to the worse is something unacceptable, didn’t expect konami would do such big mistakes…

I hope they re-release winning eleven 9 again with the old dribbling system....
unless i am not going to bother with this game anymore...

 

No one dribbles with the side steps, I rarely had to use it when playing pes4 online,
I actually use it only when I want to show off or something, it was completely useless and stupid…

 

Would you say that before playing we9? No.
would you say this if they actually havent changed it in this version?

You just say this becouse you think whatever konmai dose is right...

Get a grip

 

True Zygalski, but then you wouldn't do that kind of computerised dragging of the ball to the side and then continuing forward. The only person I see do that is Joe Cole who does it as a special dribbling trick. I've never seen it to the extent it is present in WE9. In real life players either knock it sideways and then knock it forwards, the technique of the player depends how quickly and precisely they can do this.

 

Got my copy earlier and to be honest WE8LWE is a pile of crap compared to WE9. Playing WE9 or watching real football its not any different. And all this autho-dribling and auto stepovers..I for some reason don`t get them at all..maybe because I like to pass the ball around and stuff... whoever thinks WE8LWE is better then WE9 is obviously blind.