This year's update is, as usual more of a tweak than an overhaul. The game to be known as Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 in Europe will feature all of the newest signings and transfers, and will now include the official UEFA Champion's league tournaments and events. While not a radical change, this does chip away at FIFA's dominance whose main appeal lies in its licensed players, teams, kits and tournaments. The game itself is similar to last year's version although the pitch and stadium graphics have been ramped up considerably. Players move more naturally than ever and it captures the playing style of all the main high profile stars perfectly. More subtle changes include a 'charge bar' for heading as well as shooting and an general improvement in the pacing of the game. Middle of the field movements, turns and passing have been slowed so initially the game feels much heavier, but after a few minutes it's easy to realize that Konami have done this to highlight the occasions when the pace picks up, when you get hit on the counter attack. Whilst only a slight change in writing, the effect on the flow of the game is fairly substantial, and provides a more realistic experience than ever. Early problems I noticed were slow loading times, although that can be forgiven as the game is not yet released and that there are (currently) only 3 camera views, just one of which is any good. Finally, one goal I scored didn't rest in the net as it should have and appeared very glitchy, but again I'm sure these niggling problems will be ironed out by release date.

After beating a Japanese journalist comfortably on the PS3 version of the game, I took my hand to the online mode on Xbox 360. It was me and three others connected via Xbox Live against the computer. It was similar to FIFA's 'be a pro' mode, where we each controlled only one player on the pitch each. The camera track your controlled player, rather than the ball. We easily won, but I was messing around most of the time. As with the 2008 edition, there are 4 context-sensitive taunts/celebrations to express during replays and goals, and now also in normal gameplay. Even in Konami's booth there was a little lag a couple of times and the series has a lot of work to do if it is to improve its shoddy online reputation. There was also some sort of scoring system in place, where combos could be built up and points were rewarded for passing, dribbling and of course - scoring. I thought there would be some kind of Four Swords-style co-op competitiveness but we all ended up with the same score at the end. Perhaps this was because it is not the final version. Perhaps it is because I didn't understand the Japanese, or perhaps it was a coincidence. Either way, the system didn't make a whole load of sense other than you are rewarded for playing well in ways other than winning the match. Annoyingly, there is also no feature to skip the replays, which really began to irritate me after the first 5 minutes. Overall, the online mode was smooth and pretty but nothing special. Those looking to add another Winning Eleven to their library will be pleased with the improvements, but others who have only a passing interest in soccer or are unsure whether the upgrade will be worth it should think about spending that money elsewhere. Who knows, the final version may differ anyway.