Become a Legend was the mode I played the most on PES 09, and without much news released in the build up I wanted to find out how it had changed.
Starting off, it’s the same process as the last game. Pick a name, appearance etc and then play the trial game with other youngsters. After a bit of experimentation, it doesn’t seem like your performance affects your starting stats in anyway. In one trial I scored twice and finished with an 8.0 rating and the stats were only marginally different to a trial where I got a 6.0 rating.
I chose to sign for Le Mans from the teams available, but regretted that almost instantly after checking their formation. 4-5-1. I was a striker. Going through the menus and everything looked pretty much the same, but with a new lick of paint to match the rest of the game.
To get into the first team, you follow the same process of a series of inter-squad matches where good performances see you move to the team with bibs, and then onto the bench. What strikes you the first time you play a match is the improved graphics. I know everyone’s banged on about them for the last few months, but even on my old tv it’s pretty impressive. The training stadium has changed this year. There’s only one stand and the pitch resembles the local park more than Anfield which adds to the realism.
Starting off, it’s the same process as the last game. Pick a name, appearance etc and then play the trial game with other youngsters. After a bit of experimentation, it doesn’t seem like your performance affects your starting stats in anyway. In one trial I scored twice and finished with an 8.0 rating and the stats were only marginally different to a trial where I got a 6.0 rating.
I chose to sign for Le Mans from the teams available, but regretted that almost instantly after checking their formation. 4-5-1. I was a striker. Going through the menus and everything looked pretty much the same, but with a new lick of paint to match the rest of the game.
To get into the first team, you follow the same process of a series of inter-squad matches where good performances see you move to the team with bibs, and then onto the bench. What strikes you the first time you play a match is the improved graphics. I know everyone’s banged on about them for the last few months, but even on my old tv it’s pretty impressive. The training stadium has changed this year. There’s only one stand and the pitch resembles the local park more than Anfield which adds to the realism.
A number of average games followed as I struggled to make any sort of telling contribution to the games but the bar was still filling up, albeit slower than I anticipated. Week 6 finally got me into the better side for the inter-squad match, and after a decent 6.5 game I made the bench for the match against Bordeaux.
Brought on just past the hour mark, I was the lone striker with the score 0-0. Almost as soon as I was introduced, the ball broke from a Bordeaux corner and I found myself running at the lone defender inside their half. I fluffed the chance though as I overran the ball! A few minutes later, I picked the ball up outside the box, beat a defender and whipped a low cross across the goal where one of the midfielders popped up to score the only goal of the game and give Le Mans the unlikely victory.
That cameo earned me a 7.5 rating and the progress bar shot up again to the 60% mark. I made the starting XI after a couple more substitute appearances and I’ve managed to stay there ever since despite only scoring the one goal in ten starts. If you have a bad game, the bar will drop slightly and you may find yourself out of the team.
One new thing you’ll notice when playing BaL is the camera distance at set pieces. As an attacker, I was usually camped on the halfway line at opposition corners and the camera zoomed out to almost bird’s eye view to fit everything onto the screen. Unfortunately the camera isn’t as good when your team has a corner and you’re standing at the near post. You’ll find yourself off screen when the corner is taken and those easy near post headers you scored in the last game will be that little bit harder to pull off.
The main problem I encountered with BaL on PES09 was the poor AI from your teammates, so I pleasantly surprised in the opening games when I saw my own team craft some silky passing moves together in the final third to create openings. They still tend to prefer attacking down the flanks and hitting crosses more in hope than expectation, but they are capable of attacking through the middle as well. Defensively, there are still keystone cop moments, but as a whole they are more organised and your keeper performs a bit better between the sticks. I do have a slight issue with the lack of closing down from the centre halves when an attacker is running at them, but that works for both teams so anybody creating a Gerrard type player might have fun blasting in shots from distance.
Both the Champions League and Europa Leagues are fully integrated like in Master League, but real currency isn’t used as your played is paid in points. Match ratings are still a bit iffy and leave you scratching your head at times. I've haven't had chance to try out the online Legends yet as online isn't available yet. One new feature is the ability to export your player into the other game modes. This is done through the menus in Become a Legend and your exported player uses a slot in the 'Created Players' section.
Overall, Become a Legend is near identical to the previous game but with tweaks here and there. The AI is slightly sharper, you get more feedback from the manager and you can export your player into other modes. It’s not as ground breaking as the Master League overhaul but still good fun when you get into it.
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