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.The Wargamer

It seems so easy for them. Once again, Konami has one-upped all contenders with the release of Winning Eleven 8, and with this one fell swoop they have thoroughly eliminated all other soccer competition. But there's always been a problem with this series. It has never been able to enjoy the spending power of its main rival, EA's own FIFA series; and as such, it's disappointing not being able to play with your favorite club out-of-the-box. This year's release marks the first time club teams have made it into the game, and while there are not a lot of them, they are certainly a welcome addition.

Let me be frank: This series is fantastic. I have often likened the gameplay to that of a fighting game wherein players must have a seasoned blend of skill, technique, and know-how in order to succeed. Winning Eleven borrows many of the same technical variations, allowing players to control the players in a very unique, very fluid manner. When the game is played correctly, onscreen characters play the game convincingly well with a grace that is uncannily similar to that of their real life counterparts. When games carry an endorsement like that, finding room to improve can be difficult.

However, one area where the series has always lacked in is a sufficient training mode. While previous incarnations have rapidly developed and improved, they are yet to offer the comprehensive experiences that their rivals do. This year, Konami has improved the existing scarce mode into something of real substance. For beginners there is the aptly named "Beginner Mode" that walks players through the basics of the game that seems to baffle most dwellers on this side of the pond. Past that, the game offers a free training mode that pits you against a single goalkeeper, and a very rewarding challenge mode, where a set of increasingly difficult tests confront you. However these tests are well worth any player's time and effort. Once beaten, the challenges reveal a more difficult version of

themselves as well as reward the player with "WEN points" - a new Winning Eleven concept. Players can spend their points to unlock content like classic teams and players, stadiums, and the much-coveted player edit options. WEN points can also be earned from matches, but the pay off is a fraction of that given from the challenges.

The meat of Winning Eleven is in its Master League mode wherein the game gives you the reins to a professional team filled with a bunch of no-names and leaves it to you to sort out what's what and make a team - or so it would seem. Veterans of the series will notice the option that allows players to take charge of a team using its pre-existing roster! Finally.

The Master League mode has been honed to a fine edge. Players now possess the ability to "level up" giving them increased skill in the over 30 abilities the series tracks. As players continue to play, they continue to improve over time. Once players reach their peak and start aging, their points can quickly come crashing down - even over the course of a single season. Master League offers players an incredible amount of depth including roster customization, a very fast rate of transfers, gameplay strategy, and front office finagling. For the micro-manager, there is a little bit of sim here to dabble in, but for the fan that just wants to play, the game is more than happy to comply.

One of reasons why writing reviews on this title is so difficult is because conveying how well the gameplay operates with mere words is close to impossible. Every button press is registered, no matter how slight, as a distinct action. Winning Eleven gives players three different passes and a shot button on the face of the controller, and sets sprint and its button modifiers (more about that in a second) to the shoulder buttons. With a quick press of the L1 button, a pass becomes a different variation of that pass. For instance, by pressing triangle, the onscreen player normally performs a through pass; but by holding down L1 and hitting triangle, the player begins the steps for a 1-2 pass. With these variations, not to mention the special moves players can perform, the game presents the player with endless move combination possibilities that always seem to offer something new whenever I was ready to step up my game.

Difficulty levels mean something in this series. Expect the high level AI to set stunning defensive traps and execute brilliant attack strategies. While the lower level AI still presents a challenge, they are less likely to work as a team and keep speed. The graphics have been ever so improved, adding animations here and crowd representations there to add to an already convincing package.

Overall: 9.5/10
That the Winning Eleven series continues to improve is amazing; that it continues to improve, surprise, and innovate makes for a wonderful sports game that anybody even remotely interested in soccer would enjoy. It's a near perfect mix of gameplay, presentation, immersion, and simulation that other games fail to achieve. EA's FIFA series is no slouch, but when compared to this, the granddaddy of soccer sims, it is rather drab. Its only fault is its own stateside obscurity, leaving it with less money, and, in turn, less licenses than its rival. But licenses or not, make no mistake about it: Winning Eleven 8 not only an excellent soccer game, it's also an excellent video game.

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