When Winning Eleven Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 was released, i read a couple of reviews at IGN and EGM that were decidedly mediocre. As mediocre as an 8 out of 10 can be ... the complaints were that the series hadn't evolved (despite its name) from its recent offerings, and if anything it had gone backward. While acknowledging that in terms of gameplay WE still kicked FIFA's ass up and down the block, the reviewers were united in the opinion that the graphics were still lackluster, and the omission of the popular edit mode was puzzling. Despite these warnings, my jonesing for a new soccer game won out and i picked it up in Marin last weekend with a collection of Best Buy gift certificates.

With my first match, i was dumbstruck. I was expecting the same textures, the same muddy tones as in my last game of Winning Eleven 9 the day before. Not as far as i could tell ... the latest installment looked vibrant, with revamped textures and greatly improved animations. The feel seems improved as well, with the ball moving with more weight and exhibiting a nice thump when a player slides a through pass. I played through my first match as Chelsea against once and future rival Middlesbrough, remaining scoreless until three minutes before time when Didier Drogba controlled a crossing pass in the box, turned and sidefooted a shot past Mark Schwartzer into the corner of the net. A nice footballing move, made even more memorable by the silky smooth animation of Drogba wrongfooting his defender and sliding the ball home. A step backwards? Not by my count. I subsequently started a league campaign and won my first three matches on the strength of eight combined goals from Drogba and Andriy Shevchenko. It's as addictive as ever.

The missing edit mode is odd ... it means i have to live with Chelsea being labeled as "London FC", seeing as they withheld the license that they granted the year before. Arsenal and Manchester United represent the two accurate English teams. For someone who spent countless hours correcting Konami's errors, this absence is both a blessing and a curse. A curse as i have to live with *gasp* erroneous team and player names, but a blessing as i am now temporarily liberated from my OCD. The character models this year seem a bit wonky, with Drogba's head looking apelike and Frank Lampard appearing as a 15 year old version of himself. But the aforementioned animations are definite step up, and the gameplay is its old seductive self. The AI has gotten adept at scoring on corners and crosses, and i've found it hard to keep attackers from stepping in front of my defenders and nodding home goals. However, within only five matches i've already had a handful of "wow, that was sick!" moments. Winning Eleven's death has been greatly exaggerated.