Pro Evolution Soccer 5: Return of the beautiful game

If football is the beautiful game, then Konami is Leonardo Da Vinci and Pro Evolution Soccer is the Mona Lisa. Despite playing PES4 every single lunchtime for the past 12 months, we never tire of its thrills -- it's as if Konami captured the very essence of football and managed to transform it perfectly into computer code. We have to tiptoe around the word 'perfect' though, because just as with any other love affair, there's always a younger, more attractive model waiting to grab your attention. And as much as we love PES4, it's time to move on and adapt to the novel charms of Pro Evolution Soccer 5.

Appropriately, given its title, each new version of Pro Evo is more about evolving the existing template rather than rewriting the rules completely. Goalies are now more dependable when handling crosses, plus they'll throw the ball out to your defender with pinpoint accuracy. On the downside, the referees now reach for the cards as often as Thierry Henry scores goals, and if you're playing someone who plays dirty, it can completely destroy the pace of the game.

First touches are also far more delicate -- if you happen to be holding the run button when you receive a pass, your player will fling it about 5m in front of him. The result? If you're coming to the series afresh, it'll take about five games before you even score a goal, let alone truly get your eye in. And regular players will find themselves cursing at the new additions, the tactics they've used previously no longer gelling with the new pace of the game.

In terms of licensing, Pro Evo claws some points back from FIFA -- both Chelsea and Arsenal feature the full kit liveries, and it's easier than ever to recognise Beckham's curling kicks or Rooney's burly gait simply from the animation. That god-awful commentary is still there though, with Trevor Brooking and some other immediately forgettable bloke providing as much insight into the game as an episode of Footballers' Wives. To be honest, we'd rather turn them off and listen to the excitable Japanese guys reel off gobbledygook interspersed with mispronounced English player names like 'David-a-Beckham-a'.

With the amount of dedication shown online to Pro Evolution Soccer, we're surprised it's taken this long for guide maestros Piggyback to release a weighty accompaniment to the game. As beautifully presented as the company's previous Gran Turismo 4 accompaniment, the book goes into more depth on teams, tactics and tricks than your brain could ever handle. It contains insights from the developers themselves, in addition to input from some of the UK's most dedicated players. And when you're talking about a game that has seen Internet updates for full team rosters and kits (right down to the correct boots for the players), you know that there are some truly die-hard Pro Evo fans out there.

Each of the national teams receives a two-page rundown with key players and formations -- we doubt that real-life football managers have access to this level of statistical info on their squad. Then there's a full run-down of PES5's life-stealing Master League mode, with tips on how to spend the stars earned during the competition, plus some cheeky bargain transfers that you can take advantage of.

Despite having an Americanised title, the Japanese-developed PES has been ahead of the Canadian-based FIFA, although the gap looks set to be closing between the two. While it might be a close call between them next Christmas, Pro Evolution Soccer 5 is the best thing any football fan can get for Christmas, after a season ticket for their favourite club. The game is available now on PS2, Xbox and PC, and on PSP on 25 November. -GC