2D screenshots of 3D-capable game: Due to technical limitations, the screenshot shown in this review is a 2D image of a game that can display its graphics in 3D. The game is fully playable in either form, but only the 2D method can be shown here.
This review of Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D comes from the perspective of someone who has only the most passing interest in soccer/European football. I know the basics and think the sport is fine, but do not really pursue it as a hobby. Given its emphasis on patient soccer play and strict enforcement of the sport’s rules, PES 2011 3D avoids ’arcade style’ game mechanics and instead is more like a simulation. The action on the field has some real depth to it, and you have to understand good passing and pacing if you expect to get anywhere near the other team’s goal. When combined with convincing 3D effects and every player having individual statistics, this game seems to have a lot going for it.
Aside from needing a few minutes to read the manual and learn the controls, PES 2011 is the sort of game that you can just pick up and play. It’s easy to set up an exhibition match against any two teams you like, at which point you’re treated to a TV broadcast-style presentation of the players taking to the field. Fully voiced commentary and great 3D effects are joined by good controls; the triggers handle sprinting and various special skills, the d-pad or circle pad handle movement, the touch screen chooses general strategies for your team, and the face buttons handle a mix of long and short passing, slide-kick attempts, and taking shots at the goal. There is a little clumsiness inherent to how your players move if you ask them to maneuver in extreme ways, but this is almost certainly intentional; most people in the real world can’t do a full sprint and then immediately move the opposite direction, so it stands to reason that some prediction is necessary here as well.
There seems to be some emphasis on realism and accurate rules, forcing you to be careful and thoughtful about your actions. Slamming into an unaware player, making an off-sides infraction, or attempting a slide-kick that has no chance of hitting the ball and instead hurts an opposing player all draw penalties, and can sometimes be accompanied by penalty cards. You will have to play patiently rather than violently or aggressively, as making long-range passes tends to just cause the opposing team to intercept the ball and attempt their own run on your goal. It took a little while for me to come to terms with all of this, but I appreciated the apparent realism once I understood it and actual soccer fans should have no trouble understanding this game’s flow.
Beyond soccer matches, there are a few other things for players to do. The most noteworthy of these is league play with pre-made teams, as well as another league where you can hire new players as the season goes on. You’re also allowed to modify your team’s formations, though these elements seem to be as deep as the league modes go; they are otherwise quite typical. This could cause players to lose interest, though wi-fi multiplayer might prevent that. Sadly, I have to speak in hypotheticals since there weren’t enough copies of the game around the office to get multiplayer sessions going though accounts from other players suggest it works fairly well.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D is a competent game of its kind. I had a reasonably good time with it and am about as far removed from its target audience as you can get, so I can only imagine that fans of the sport will appreciate it even more. While its excellent on-field play and 3D visuals are hindered by a relative lack of content, that still makes it a decent game. It has very little in common with wild and arcade-style soccer games such as "Nintendo World Cup" from 1990, but if you’re interested in a more relevant soccer sim then this may be worth a try. Just know that the single-player content may wear thin sooner rather than later, so it may be worth seeing if anyone is willing to play PES 2011 3D with you regularly to extend the game’s life.
