by
Ted Kritsonis
Faze Video Game Editor

EA’s FIFA franchise has always been the most popular and critically acclaimed in the video game world of soccer in North America, but that popularity doesn’t always translate into the best product. Konami’s Winning Eleven is a franchise that falls in the opposite category. Its superior in many facets, and has an incredible following outside of this continent, though it never seems to be as well received by the gaming masses as FIFA has been.

Part of the reason for this may be because EA has snagged plenty of exclusive licensing for teams, players, uniforms and even stadiums. That alone stacks the deck against WE 8, but there are still so many positives worth noting here. Winning Eleven 8 boasts 57 national teams and 80 European Club teams. While only the Italian, Dutch and Spanish leagues are offered here, the national stage is actually bigger in this game than it is in FIFA.

The Dutch team, for instance, which is not in FIFA, is one of many teams that FIFA neglected to add. Decent teams, particularly from Asia and Africa, are in this game. You’ve got South Korea, Senegal, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Japan and a slew of others that were left out of FIFA this year. Some may not care about these teams but when you’re playing the World Cup tournament (known as the “International Cup” in WE 8), they make for a more balanced and interesting set of circumstances.

All that aside, WE 8’s best qualities are firmly in the gameplay. Right off the bat, you will notice that player’s faces are very detailed and their AI is some of the best you will ever find in a sports video game. That kind of detail is so consistent here, that you would think the players on the pitch were really the individuals they represent. The visuals are a stunning complement to the gameplay, whether it be the grass, player models or even the stadiums. These images are by far the best of any soccer game out there for the consoles. Though I’m not sure how it looks on the PS2, the Xbox version of WE 8 is crisp and fluid, leading to a nice pace in gameplay without some of the slowdowns you’d experience in other soccer titles.

You have plenty of options in setting up your squad for each match, and if you feel you can build a winner, the Master League mode isn’t a bad place to start. While not as deep as what you’d find in FIFA 2005, the relative simplicity in WE 8’s Master League mode makes it more attractive for gamers that don’t want to play team executive more than what actually happens on the pitch.

The downside, and it’s a big one, is that there’s no online play via Xbox Live. Sure, there’s some replay value with the tournaments and leagues available to you, but when a game is this much of a pleasure to play, it’s a shame that it can’t be done against gamers all over the world online.

Needless to say, if Konami had the kind of licensing arrangement EA has, than EA’s FIFA would’ve been blown out of the water long ago by the Winning Eleven franchise. Instead, the current scenario sees a better overall game in WE 8, but with a noticeable lack of teams and players, as well as the obvious absence of online play. Winning Eleven 8 is a definite must for any soccer fan — even for FIFA diehards — because it honestly is the best soccer game ever released.

Publisher:
Konami
Developer:
Konami

Platform:
Xbox

Rating: 10/10