Soccer, or Football as it’s known outside North America, has always been a popular sport. In the past video games were designed to try to capture the realistic feeling of soccer. Last year they seemed to have finally found the right approach. There has been a debate which series is better, EA’s FIFA or Konami’s Winning Eleven. Both have their fans and features and both showed off plenty last year.

Since this is a review and not a debate, let’s just say that Konami has raised the bar with their latest installment in the popular series. Not only does it look fantastic, it offers a deep career mode along with some great ball handling features and an online mode that really helps players feel like they are really playing the game and not just controlling the action. While it’s early in the year, this is the best soccer game out there! Read the full review of World Soccer Winning Eleven 9 to find out why.

Gameplay

Winning Eleven 9 opens with a slick presentation and great visuals that help gamers get into the game right from the start. For long time fans of the series, the menus and game modes are the same for players in North America . The new online mode is something fans have waited for and will certainly make any fan happy (more on that later in the Xbox Live section of the review). Most gamers will want to try the exhibition game mode first to get used to the new controls and try the other new options. Once you learn the controls and the rules of the game, jumping into the massive Master league or the career mode will be the next place most players will want to try. Those used to The FIFA Series will soon find that this mode is a little different. You still have to keep winning, recruit new talent and keep players happy with their salaries. While on the field, you need to find the right line up and defensive plays to avoid losing your ranking. You have the option of choosing from real players or a made up team here. There are pro’s and cons. On the pro side you won’t need to worry about salaries the con side is that their skill level and stats are lower.

Most will choose a real team and enter the master league and take on the worlds best players. You need to remember that each league has certain rules. A red card is given for a foul that puts a player in jeopardy of being injured. In most of the leagues this will mean that the player who earned the red card will sit out at least one game. The A.I referees are tough and for the most part pretty accurate in their calling of penalties. While playing the game, I tried to see just exactly what the refs would call and I was pretty amazed at what I found out. At first a ref may stop the game, call you over, and just tell you to calm down. If the foul is right in front of the ref and is not needed like a take out slide, he will hand you a yellow card.

Just like in the real sport and for the rest of the game, the screen will show how many players have a yellow card and how many. If you get more than one yellow card, it’s an automatic red card and that player will leave the game and sit out the next one. The A.I. penalty system is great and the same goes for the A.I. players and that makes the competition tough. Thankfully, you now have more ways to avoid them by dribbling the ball and fancy footwork. Of course, since there are several advance controls and moves, you will need to practice. Overall, the gameplay has the right mix of real on the field action and management decisions. You can also Sim a game and still pick the formations and substitutions. You will learn when it’s safe to Sim a game based on the ratings and after a few hours of playing.

If you get tired of the career mode, you can invite a friend over to play a little one on one. Each mode keeps the same great looks and controls which only helps make it a very impressive game. For those who like to create players, there is a custom league where you can create up to 32 players and compete while trying to build their stats up. You may create the next Superstar? There are certain rules that apply but the create feature is easy to use and pretty slick overall. Certainly something that will appeal to many fans that want a change of pace and tougher competition.

Overall, Wining Eleven 9’s gameplay is great and provides fans with more options then ever before. The career mode seems more realistic and, in case you’re wondering, yes, as a coach you can be fired for a terrible season or poor recruiting. Although it is a little less focused on the non-essential aspects, I found this to be the main reason the series impressed me. To touch on every aspect of the game would take pages to write. Let me just say the gameplay will not disappoint fans of the game and is simply well done. They even managed to make the injuries happen in a realistic way and can be avoided usually by taking out a player who is fatigued.

Control / Playability

You will want to read the game booklet for all the controls and the new advanced ones added. There are so many controls it would not be possible to write them all out. The learning curve to get the basics and most of the advance ones down will take about 30-45 minutes. Although some of the more advanced moves will take longer to learn and perfect. If you have played any of the recent soccer titles released, the control scheme is pretty much the same. Well laid out and responds well aiming a kick is easier and more precise.

Most of the advanced controls require the use of the black button and then one or two other buttons. This is why reading the book is very important. The rest of the controls are again standard Right trigger is the dash button and the left trigger changes the player you’re controlling. They also added an easier way to take control of the goalie in a quick manner for those times when the offense gets away and sneaks off a quick play. While a bit more complicated to learn, the controls are great and won’t take that long to learn.

Xbox Live

Here is what fans of the series wanted and now it’s here. The online mode features some neat options. You can play a Co-Op match with a guest as long as the other player accepts the rules of the game. The lobby options are pretty simple. You can pick a quick match or an opti-match and find someone to play right away. You can also create a match and set the rules and all the options and wait for someone to accept. The gameplay is smooth and lag free. I would like to see an option to make a room rather than a match but it is easy to use. You can look at your stats and the person who is accepting to play you. Before starting the game and at the end of each period, you can adjust your line up, the captain, and defensive settings before launching the game.

I experienced no issues with not hearing the other player or delay in the controls and the action online. Even the announcers seem in perfect sync with the online games although at times they seem to repeat certain phrases. Of course all sports games suffer from this at one point or the other, but overall the online mode is as good as the offline modes. If the game is tied, you will go into over time for up to two periods. If the game is still a draw, it boils down to the best penalty kickers and who is more skilled with their goalie. It adds more drama and that sense of realism that sports fans love. Overall, a great online mode a few changes in next years version would be great including private rooms and a bit fancier online interface.

Graphics / Presentation

One of my biggest complaints in any soccer game has been the on field view. In the past it just was preset at an angle that made the game seem distant from the real action and took away part of the realistic aspects of the game. What impressed me right away on this game was the camera’s view on each player. It’s closer and makes it seem like you’re in the game and not controlling it.

I also have to say at times the graphics look outstanding. Each player has their own look and the stadiums all look great. The outdoor venues offer playing in the elements like rain or fog which enhance the graphics. Winning Eleven 9 has some of the best replays I have seen on the Xbox to date. When a shot is fired at a face pace at the goal, the camera automatically adjusts and tracks it perfectly. They definitely did a great job in this area.

Audio

The commentary team does a good job and at times is even funny, which is something that was needed badly for soccer games in the past. They are accurate in the play calling and even have the stats of the flag count and the action. While they can repeat thing just like the online mode, the amount of dialogue is impressive and adds yet another reason for fans to want to play more. On the field the sound effects are good and are realistic enough although they may want to add a little more real sounds like players yelling for the pass and the other comments that go on during the game. The Audio is well done and presented in a way that helps the gamer get into the game.

Replay Value

With almost 200 official and nationally ranked clubs the roster and team selection is very deep. Throw in the advance ball controls including tricks and easier passing, it’s easy to see that Konami once again improved on an already great franchise. The Online mode will be a welcomed addition for fans and the overall tight gameplay is hard to beat. It is one that will beg to be played again and try and beat or recruit better players to your team. Even those new to Soccer will find this one loaded with plenty of options and modes and can be customizes to fit any skill level.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 9.2/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

As I started off in the intro, World Soccer Winning Eleven 9 is the best game to hit the Xbox this year. It has that feeling of being more realistic and a wider range of controls. Even though other soccer games are on the way, it raised the bar and now gamers will expect more after playing this one. The online mode plays well and the Co-Op mode is a neat feature. Overall, it plays great offline and online!

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