Soccer Dream: Club Evolution

If you're a newcomer to the series, you'll be impressed at how well Soccer Dream: Club Evolution plays.

It captures the realism of the sport almost perfectly but, most importantly, it also remains eminently playable.

Thanks to a combination of exquisite control, superb animation, and worthy artificial intelligence,

it's highly replayable in single-player, but it really comes into its own in multiplayer.

The biggest upgrade to the game is supposedly the new teamvision artificial intelligence system,

although its claims to revolutionise the playing experience prove to be overstated.

Computer-controlled opponents are slightly more intelligent when it comes to changing playing styles,

although defenders still feel a little bit superhuman in their ability to resist attack.

Overall, the game feels more fluid than last year, but rather than feeling revolutionary,

the improvement just feels like a return to the earlier glory of the series.

In fact, the immediate changes feel so minor that even hardcore fans of the series will have trouble picking them out.

The ball feels slightly weightier and players move with more physicality.

They also tussle with each other more, pulling shirts and out-muscling each other over the ball.

It adds up to a more natural-feeling game this year where you can still play an accomplished game of football.

Anyone who hasn't played pro soccer will find that this is still a solidly playable game,

but long-term fans may wonder what done this year to deserve the £50 upgrade fee.

Many of the new gameplay tweaks are actually more annoying than they are welcome.

Goalkeepers now fumble the ball with infuriating regularity,

and the fast pace now makes pro evo feel more like an arcade game rather than a simulation.

Another new feature that betrays the game's simulation roots is the ability to make your players take a dive.

It's something that undoubtedly happens in the real world, but its inclusion in a serious video game could be seen to tarnish an otherwise respectful representation of the sport.

Used in the penalty area, the dive can win penalties, and while it's only successful in the minority of cases,

it could be used to tip the balance of the game. We expect that discerning gamers will shun the new skill out of sportsmanship,

but it'll be a real shame if faceless online players manage to win games by effectively employing the tactic.