Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10435 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Konami
• Released on: 2004-10-15
• Platform: PlayStation2

Amazon.co.uk Review
The finest football simulation series receives further refinements in Pro Evolution Soccer 4. The presence of an on-screen referee is perhaps the game's most obvious new feature. What's more, this twenty-third being on the pitch is more intelligent than his invisible predecessors: advantages are played more frequently and the fairness of decisions is improved. Another welcome new feature is that of player-specific special moves, whereby only certain gifted footballers will have outlandish tricks in their repertoire--very much in keeping with real life.

Although there was little room for improvement over Pro Evolution Soccer 3's supreme gameplay, Konami has seemingly found it. Dribbling has been given especial attention; the result is tighter control. Crosses, too, are now easier to perform exactly as desired. Also, penalty kicks and free kicks offer increased accuracy with their adoption of a new control system.

Some 136 club sides, including all 56 teams of the Spanish, Italian and Dutch leagues (these are officially licensed) are on offer in Pro Evolution Soccer 4, as well as 50-odd national teams. Typically, this new version of Pro Evolution is the most comprehensive to date--the new season in videogame football kicks off in spectacular fashion. --Jonti Davies

Customer Reviews

PRO EVO 4 - THE REAL THING
Here Are some of the features for Pro Evo 4 :-

- More master league teams; 138 teams
- A total of more than 200 club and national teams
- Fully licensed leagues from Holland, Spain and Italy
- More elements added to the development/retirement of master league players
- Free Kicks can be changed quickly after player presses shoot button. EG Player shoots but before he reaches the ball, the dummy taker kicks the ball to someone else.
- New modes for through pass and centering allowing more control to the player
- New feint turn and ball control techniques
- New soccer rules and game control help screens
- User-friendly pause menu with quick control view
- Referees will be seen on pitch during the game
- According to the pitch conditions, wear and tear/dirt will be see on the player's uniforms
- Editable trophy and league names
- JFA licenced Japan A team and Japan under 23 team
- Game will be on DVD-Rom
- Almost all club team players will have their real names
- Zico will be the leading PR figure
- New stadiums will be added
- Adidas Roteiro ball will feature in the game
- No online play
- High through-pass ( + ) now has a power bar
- Post-tackle brawl animation in which the referee gets involved
- Linesman animation seen after a player is given offside
- 5 new abilities: Keep Dribble, Line Positioning, Side Player, Centre Player, Sliding
- New passing system. You can now choose the distance of the pass and more accuratley select the player you want to pass too
- More dribbling movements
- New types of Penalty and Free Kicks
- Increase in the AI of the CPU
- The referee will not issue a yellow card for the first 'average' tackle, but if a player continues to commit 'average' fouls, a card will be given
- Winning a game in Master League will raise the abilities of your players
- Indicator displaying the amount of Injury Time
- Default Master League players (Huygens, Valery etc.) can be turned off
- Ball physics are now affected by the stadium in which the game is being played. In stadium "A" the ball may only have a small amount of bounce, but in stadium "B" a ball may be seen to bounce more freely.
- 6 star difficulty can be unlocked in WEN-Shop
- MVP award for best player of the year in ML, with that award you can update your player.
- 3 types of ML; Default ML Team, Real Team Members and Original Team (Default ML Team + the abilty to swap three default players for three real life players)
- Feints are completely enhanced - There will be a slow feint and
and a faster feint of (Pushing L1 contiously) Feint, and will be more
effective to fake the opponent.
- New fakes will be used - Beside those there will be a left-right
fake, player is going to fake as he is going right, and then he will rapidly
drag the the ball to the left.
- Special actions for MANY specific players:
- New Ball Control : in other WE series, player first holds and touches the ball and then turn. Only by pressing L1+R1 freely you can do some tricks. But in WE8, player with a high technique will controll a pass with a minimum touch on the ball, and turn his body to the direction that you want him to go.
- Pace and Accelaration Difference will be clearly seen. It
says, even a player has a slow pace and accelaration, it was easy to go from
wing and make a cross was easy. Especially computer used players with slow
paces, can make great distances with ball wihout losing. In we8, differences
between attributes (especially pace and accelaration) will be seen very
clear.
- AI is improved alot, Sidebacks will be more
affective thoroughout the game, and player logic and decission making
is completely enhanced. Especially shooting decisions are tuned a lot. It
says
- 5 star leveled match will be a real challenging and realistic match
with WE8'
- 5 new Stadiums:
*Stade Velodrome (Marseille)
*Parc Des Princes (PSG)
*Råsundastadion. (AIK)
*Westfalenstadion (Dortmund)
*St. James Park (Newcastle)
- Direct pass using chest (like Jan Koller does)
- Knee-height volley shoot while turning round
- Many outside kick motions - This means lower weak foot frequency players almost always use his main foot.
- Improved turn motions in dribbling
- 20% More Soccer Actions
- First-person perspective added.
- Flexible Dribble; you can control to which direction the ball heads while bypassing the others with it. Do a reverse pass and trick your opponents!
- Players do not just stop dead after reaching full speed and stopping. It takes a while for them to stop
- New effects (fire works,smoke)
- New animations of supporters.
- New banners/flags in stadiums.
- Many star players will have their own body/-shape/-movement.
- By pressing the dashbutton (sprint) more times, the player will go faster than by pressing and holding the dashbutton, but the handling of the ball will be worse then.
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It's getting better all the time!
It seems that a review for either pro evolution or Fifa wouldn't be complete if the other game wasn't mentioned in comparison. I however haven't played the latest Fifa game which allows me to concentrate purely on the matter in hand and that is How good is pro evolution?
Simple answer is it is great. At last this is a football game that feels more real.
Gone are the games where the ball sticks to your feet and the players move more like an ice hockey player than a footballer. The game itself is also more intelligent than it's former incarnations. The defence try the offside trap - the referee plays advantages a lot more realistically and the fouls are no longer a case of a leg breaking sliding tackle. I have been on a 50-yard run and a big centre half has just blatantly turned his back to me and stood in my path, and shoulder barges are used more often too.

The shooting system feels more accurate too. You can round the goalie (leaving him lying on the floor helpless as you tap the ball in from 1 whole yard!) Also you can stretch your leg and poke the ball past the on rushing keeper and centre half too.

And finally - something I find myself always being critical towards and that is Goalkeepers themselves. I either find that they pull of near impossible saves or let a snail paced rolling ball pass them from 60 yards - not any more - they rush out full stretched to block a one on one - they come for crosses and on occasions spill the ball (not quite to David James' level) the one handed saves are special.

The license still isn't quite right but it is getting there. Quite a few club teams now have sponsors on their kits and real names too.
And one feature that I found annoying on PES3 was swapping players between clubs. Now it is a simple click of a button.

All in all this is a quality game of football. Pro evolution regulars will be happy with the new more realistic engine and first time players will have a treat.

Depends what you want?
Currently there are 2 main football games in the market. Fifa and Pro Evo. Both have 'die hard' followings, who both feel their chosen game is superior. So who's right?
Well in my opinion it depends what 'you' want from 'your' football game.

Fifa gives you the opportunity to start a career with a lower divison club and work your way up through the divisions, building your reputation, hoping a big club will snap you up as their Manager. Very similar to earlier managemnt sims, such as the classic Premier Manager for the PC. Signing players depends on your ability to win, accumulating transfer points and selling your own players to raise funds. Pro Evo on the other hand lets you chose the club you want to manage. Transfers are easier and gaining your desired team can be done quickly with little fuss. Fifa's career mode is over after 15 years! Pro Evo is unlimited.

So, upto now which sounds more your thing?
Graphically, to be honest there isn't much difference. Fifa fans will claim that the cut scenes are superior and that the players look like their real life counter parts. Truth is...they don't. Beckham, Ronaldinho and a couple of others are recognisable. But if Posh caught Beckham looking like he does on Fifa, while shopping in Madrid, he'd get his ass kicked! Pro Evo is no better. During gameplay, both are similar. Cut scenes Fifa is better, but who really cares, does anybody actually watch them? There's nothing more annoying than your mate 'Kev' watching every single replay, twice! So not much to choose between the 2 regarding graphics.

The players themselves and the attributes they carry should have a massive impact on theirs, and ultimately therefore your ability throughout a match. Pro Evo's players attributes are superbly done. Not only do you get a list of all the required attributes, colour coordinated for convenience, but you get a great 'shape-thing' that allows you to view the overall ability of your player at a glance. This allows you to do an inter player comparison incredibly easily. Team selection is therefore simple, quick and you know your best players are playing! Fifa on the other hand is slow and cumbersome. You have to click on an individual and then scroll this way and move up,down etc... in other words a pain in the you know what. Team selection is also deeply flawed, You get a set number of tactics and formations and if you can't find one to suit you....tough. Pro Evo allows you to choose a formation, sculpt it yourself by moving players and altering their runs. In this department Fifa is no match.

Gameplay, the all important factor. If it's no fun to play...why pay? Thankfully both manufacturers have spent their money wisely in this area. Fifa allows unique features, such as the sublime first touch control, off the ball controls and detailed free kick taking. Pro Evo goes for the more subtle but uniquely free flowing feel. With Fifa you can control another players run while you wait to cross and add all kinds of spin to your set plays. While the first touch provides a superb use for the right analog and can allow you to humiliate your oponents! Pro Evo provides exactly what you would expect. As all the other reviews for Pro Evo 4 will tell you, gone are the infuriating handballs, gone are the days were long balls always go in touch when you play the ball down the line. In its place is a genius of football never seen before by any footballing game. When played as a single player it provides entertainment. When played with your mates it provides a battle arena. Best played as a multi-player with 4 or more it is unrivalled. The radar is sublime, the through balls spot on. Crossing is improved, passing is perfect and the pace is spot on. You will not put this game down, you will find yourself playing unto the early hours trying to beat your mates. You can play superb football and still lose by the 1 goal to nil. Not because it is rigged, but because it is real! Your striker might have an off game, your mates goalie a stormer! Fifa does not match this realism. Although Fifa's gameplay is good, it feels slow compared to Pro Evo and off the ball controls are deeply flawed.
Deep down I am a Pro Evo fan. But the purchase of my X Box at christmas and the fact that guys in the offic play Fifa, meant I gave it a shot. X Box Live is phenominal, and in my opinion Fifa's saving grace. When you can't be bothered leaving your room, you can still beat your mates from the comfort of your own surroundings. But there's nothing quite like getting a last minute winner over the guy sat next to you. You just turn round and say 'unlucky son'. That's what you miss!

Fifa is great fun and the communicator headset allows you to still rub it in when you win, or be ridiculed when you don't. Pro Evo on the Playstation 2 though, well what can I say, it is genius. Everything about it feels like footballing heaven. It's like cadburys, whereas Fifa is Galaxy! Galaxy is nice every now and again, but Cadburys is real chocolate! It's the McCoys of the crisp world. The Mitsubishi Evo of the car world.

Fifa is many things and a great purchase for around its current £25 price tag. But if you've got enough mates to play a multiplayer game, there's only one of these title's worth buying. Even Fifa's X Box Live feature has a down side...mostly when you are about to beat someone and earn ranknings points, and then the little get disconnects! I urge any Fifa fan to buy Pro Evo 4 and give it a go. You may still say you hate it to your mates, but deep down you will know the truth. Fifa is great, but Pro Evo is different class.