So far the 360 has seen a plethora of sports games, most of which has been the usual constant stream of American games from EA that swamp every console. Not that I have any objections to these games - they are generally pretty good if you're a fan of the sport and occasionally one or two even transcend the genre to be of virtually universal appeal - but I always eagerly await the release of a decent football game, and the latest PES release is usually the most anticipated of all. Released in direct competition, both FIFA 07 and Pro Evolution Soccer 6 are under the same level of pressure as Sven Goran-Eriksson in the last World Cup with regards to performance; each tries its own way of trying to get us to part with a sizable amount of hard earned cash (or not so hard earned, I don't know what you do for a living!) It boils down to a simple choice - realism and style or flashy graphics and arcade style playability.

Given the proximity of the releases, it's impossible to review either title without comparing them, so here goes. PES has always focused on the gameplay; players move in a more lifelike manner, they show more realistic ball skills and the difference between teams is more true to life (although the teams are not, as you'll soon see). Of course this makes the game quite difficult to play - while the control system is fairly intuitive and indeed the basic controls are similar for most football games of recent years, there is an additional element of skill needed for all actions in PES, which will take you some time to master if you are not used to the series. This makes the game a real challenge, even against the computer competition, but this does result in realistic scores and it gives you a better sense of achievement when you win. The game lends itself to tactics that fit with real football; you can pass the ball around, make runs up the wings and cross to get on the end of a fantastic header. The ball does what you expect it to, with realistic physics leading to realistic looking goals and little deflections of defenders that can make all the difference - something that FIFA has yet to fully achieve.

However, this substance is now under threat from a competing game that improves each year. While FIFA 07 has a more arcade feel and is more of a arcade style game than a simulation, great steps have been taken to make the game ever more lifelike. Then you hit the points where PES falls down, namely the presentation - while Pro Evo's gameplay is as great as it ever was (with the changes and tweaks to the gameplay between this and PES 5 being fairly minor and hard to spot), it has to be said that PES 6 doesn't look like a next-gen console game. The characters move in a lifelike manner (as they have done in the previous generation) but they don't look at all like their real-life counterparts, or indeed any real-life people. The pitches look bland and the crowds are just appalling, formed from pixelated block characters that would look more at home on an old Amiga game. Then there's the sound - the effects for kicking the ball are fine, but the crowd noise is nothing special, while the commentary is a letdown; the audio overall is indistinct and bland.

PES 6 contains a series of cup competitions (with little to distinguish between them, given the limited number of stadiums) covering most major international and a number of national competitions. You can also play through a full season for your chosen club side, which includes making transfers, dealing with injuries and many of the basic functions of football management, giving the experience more depth and letting you get attached to the team. In all cases against the AI, the game lacks the real satisfaction of playing one-on-one against a human opponent. As I will cover later, the online play could have been better, but regardless of this, the frantic pace and tension of these games is amazing. I have found myself constantly battling for the ball, games never get too one sided (although until I get my shooting sorted out I will never win a game except by penalties!) and they're full of excitement. This is what you are truly buying the game for - the single player game will lose its appeal after a relatively short time, unless you are desperate for some very easy achievement points, but online you will play this time and again until the next PES is released - or until EA finally produce something better.

Realism when it comes to clubs and players has always been a problem with PES; the club teams have odd names such as Yorkshire, West London and other vague equivalents that do not even approach covering up the fact that the rights for the clubs real names were clearly too expensive for Konami to buy. The strips as well are nothing like the ones they represent, again I assume for similar reasons. If you support Arsenal or Manchester United then you're fine, as they paid for these teams - just be aware that you will be playing against fictitious opposition! The players' names and those of international sides are correct, but then again countries' names aren't copyrighted.

One big stumbling block for PES 6 is the fact that the PS2 version allows up to eight people to play online, while the 360 version only has one-on-one, with a mere 8 stadiums to choose between compared to the PS2 version's 32 stadiums. This really grates - I did not fork out money for a new console to get less in my games! It also has a detrimental effect on the lifespan of the game - you need variety of modes and good online play, but neither is fully provided here.

Pro Evolution Soccer 6 is a big letdown in many ways - it simply should have been so much better. It isn't unfair to say that PES 6 is more a 360 version of PES 5, just the same game with slightly better graphics - not a big new release and not a next-gen title. Yet despite the bland sound and some of the most last-gen visuals yet to appear in a next-gen game, it's still probably the closest you can get to real football on a console. Of course you could just buy a football - it would be cheaper and the realism is second to none! For me, PES 6 is still well worth purchasing, but I advise you to check out the competition this time around - you might just be pleasantly surprised with what FIFA 07 has to offer.

Reviewed by Gavin Udall for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).