Excellent stuff Mafia! Really well presented too.
I have never played PES2008 on PC and i know it got slated but i love the PS2 version. Watching your videos it looks like the gameplay is the same as the PS2 but with much better graphics.
I wonder many didn't like the PC version. I get more satisfaction watching your videos than the PES2020 ones. It looks like it has the same randomness as PS2 and some of the varieties of shots is excellent. So far i have only watched the first 8 mins but that Frei goal in the first match was excellent technique.
My aim was to get people to view PES 2008 in hindsight. It gets a lot of exaggerated criticism. It's not the best in the series but people often retort that it's unplayable shite which is untrue at least on PC anyway. It was just overshadowed by the more impressive FIFA which turned the discussion to "FIFA 08 had evolved, Why can't PES 2008?" PES 2008 is a decent PES game with the classic formula in it's own right but at the time the next gen transition hurt the franchises reputation, As well as there being on pitch niggles that weren't present during the beloved PS2 games, Including lag on the PS3 version & the earliest symptoms of erratic positioning and defending which flared up every few years on PES.
But yes, The game still does what it does best, and that's recreate football magic... The randomness, The incredible goal keepers, Those chances and lottery tickets you buy from range, Incredible interplays and that perfect through pass that feels rewarding.
Even on a so called "shit game", That feeling is ever present and invaluable.
On Twitter I noticed you are playing the fancy modern stuff right now (2011).

Looking forward to 2032 when youāll be posting 2020 videos in the retro thread!

I like to watch those videos of yours (with the commentary) from time to time. Not that I like to see the old titles (with these animations) like crazy, but I like the whole package you deliver.
Thankyou, That means a lot. I try to make it as nice and as presentable as i can. Well, PES 2011 is eight years old now, Considered ancient by todays entitled standards but still plays and amazing game of football in it's own right. Every year people complain that their let down by the newest editions of PES & FIFA and dramatically, That they have nothing to play for another year until they fix things and release a good football game... Well, There's 20 years worth of FUN football game s to play, What's your excuse?
I can play ISS, PES 3, PES 2008, FIFA WC 2010, Football Kingdom you name it - Doesn't matter how old they are. Once you play the 1st half of an "old" football game, You've adjusted and you forget you're playing an old game... All you doing is playing football.
That PC PES 2008 video looked much better than I remembered it being... Could be the broadcast style camera making it look better?
I don't want to be negative in a thread full of positivity, but I struggle to watch or even think about that game without being angry at the horrible transition PES had to 360/PS3. By the time it recovered to a decent level (2011, 2013), FIFA had become such a cultural phenomenon that there was/is pretty much no way back for PES in terms of popularity.
A few better years from 08-12 and who knows where PES could have been now?
Well it's probably due to the higher resolution (I'm playing in 4K downsampled to 1080p) The framerate (60fps) and of course the camera. I'm always a firm believer that a realistic broadcast camera drastically alters the immersive experience and again, All it takes is an adjustment. Some people prefer wide full pitch cams for a functional purpose, Which is fine for those players. But for me i like that intimate, zoomed in isometric broadcast feel. It forces you to consider dribbling and build up play a bit more, to pay attention to the players bodies contextually and above all else, Develops an appreciation for the brilliant animations little intricacies that are often overlooked in football games. The little stumbles or slight of footing that gets you to that goal you scored - Not just that final pass or strike.
I will never forget booting up my PS3 for the first time, pissing my pants with excitement, only to be met by that dross. Would be eager to play it again though. Perhaps my take on the game was impaired by the sheer despair at the time.
That's how i felt when i booted up PES 6 & FIFA 07 on my 360 on launch day. I spent £100 on both (Trivially, They both released on the exact same day which is kind of historic) foolish 16 year old me brought into the hype. Less social media and pre release footage to influence me on boycotting the games. I should've stuck with PES 6 on the PS2 for another year.