Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007

Get your pint glasses and team scarf together for this soccer game on the PS2.

Tags: Categories: PS2 Reviews, Reviews

Posted by Mike "Two Tone" McConnell on Feb 27th, 2007

Title Players
Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 (title page) 1 - 2
Developer Publisher Genre Online
Sports No


It is prime season to be a Soccer fan. The Premier League’s FA Cup and European Champion’s League are both in full swing. Well unless you’re in the USA and then it involves a long night between highlights and web casts to catch all the stray action that you can. Konami is here to save the day, with their new Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 (the title has been reworked merging the Japanese and the Western franchises). This has to be one of the best Soccer games out there as it has a team whether you are interested in World Cup, Italian, or English teams.


One of the best things that Konami has done here is to make this a sliding scale of involvement. From a simple easy game akin to the 8-bit and 16-bit era of sports games to the full-on complex strategy of modern sports games. It does spare itself much of the fanfare associated with the EA style of sports game, but it is no less intense. The only part of the fanfare that seems lacking is that fans are such a huge part of what makes Soccer an interesting game. Like all sports games this mimics the look of watching Soccer on television. The quiet Englishmen doing color commentary are right out of Premier League coverage.

The controls are very intuitive, after a short tutorial you can move the ball across the pitch with ease. Learning to master passing is essential to getting past the AI on anything but beginner. Defensive controls are easy as well. Over all the PS2 controller is well utilized to play this game without the manual splayed out in front of you.



Winning Eleven looks good as well, and pushed the PS2 to it’s limit of rendering. The players look human, and move well. There is a good eye for detail in the graphics, and the crowds are very well done. The crowds are dynamic, changing from stadium to stadium. Even the crowd chants volume is a factor. Their chants even compete for space with the commentary. It’s not as unnerving as being the midfielder attacking on the right side, but it add a considerable amount of immersion.


This is a great game but the AI isn’t flawless. The biggest problem is not the opponent AI, but your teammates. As the ball moves down the pitch the player selection is nearly automatic, and this can be frustrating when you are closing in to steal. Once you’ve switched the player you were just wanders off. It is more an annoyance than a deal breaker, but it can get frustrating. Once or twice players on both sides of the ball scored goals against their own team. Playing more than a single match can be a tad much for people not intimately integrated into the goings-on of soccer management. The menus are confusing, and there isn’t a lot of explanation.


Winning Eleven is a solid sports title, and is the first I’ve enjoyed in many years. This game brings enough to the table to engage serious fans, yet is easy enough for casual players to pick up. I have a pile of yellow cards however, but was red carded for head-butting my roommate. In my defense he called me the French term for couch potato.

What Works Score
+ Looks great
+ Solid learning curve 		8.5
What Doesn't
- Buggy AI
- Seasons too complex for the uninitiated
Under the Shrink-wrap
Overall a solid sports title that surpasses EA's FIFA franchise. I seriously reccomend this to fans of soccer. As for me I'm off to get a four pack of Guiness and watch the Champion's League.
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