FIFA 09: The Death of PES

It has been a long time coming for me, but I think it is finally here. A FIFA game that outplays PES in every aspect.
For me I have always sat on the proverbial halfway line on which football game was better, even back in my SNES days playing FIFA International Soccer and International Superstar Soccer, as they were then known. I would love the ‘realism’ of my little sprites running around in FIFA, but at the same time I would love the fluidity and different looking players of ISS (PES).
And so the years have passed and each year brought a new spin on each game, but it still came down to whether you wanted the simulation style of FIFA with all the real competions and player licences, or the arcade style of PES which focused more on gameplay than licence rights.
PES always seemed to have the slight edge over FIFA with hardcore gamers, because it was the more challenging game, and learning a handful of the Ronaldo type tricks in PES was as rewarding as winning the league in FIFA.

But, something has changed.

In the last couple of versions of the games EA Sports have overhauled the gameplay, and made it feel like you were really in control of the players, but FIFA 09 has blown me away with its game play.
Previous versions of FIFA I have been known to simulate whole seasons in order to obtain achievment points, but this has been changed with pretty much all points being won on the field for the actions you take. Not just for building an unbeatable team and winning everything. Players now have weight behind them, and that strength attribute comes in handy when jostling with defenders, you also really feel like you earn every single goal, as running straight down the middle never works now unless you are very lucky… or Fernando Torres!
FIFA used to do me just fine until PES came out a few weeks later, but not this year. PES looks awful now. It’s menu system and presentation has never been on FIFA’s level, but now the whole game looks like it belongs on the previous generation’s consoles, not on a 360 or PS3.

All I know is that I will be playing FIFA long into the new year, and I shall not be buying PES. There is so much to FIFA that I have not spoke about, but that is because I haven’t got round to playing it online, Be A Pro, Create A Tournament, I’m still trying to win the league with Liverpool… I should do it this year, I have Torres, Messi and Aguero up front!