A more fluid gameplay experience and a vastly improved editing mode make this new installment worthwhile.
The gameplay is now much more fluid than previous installments (and, in fact, more fluid than this installment's PS2 counterpart), with players moving and reaction to situations with realistic, smooth motions. The ball feels like an individual entinty, moving with very convincing physics, and the players interact with it in the most lifelike fashion seen to date.
Graphically, the improvements are marginal, and only a few more licenses have been added, but any fan of the series will know by now that these things are not what make the PES seres good games.
Whilst more things have improved rather than worsened in comparison with PES 6, it's not all good.
The commentary is seriously below par. The commentator will scream with passion "And a shot on goal!!!", which is fair enough, but not when the strike is a blind punt from the half way line. Incorrect cues, such as calling a "bad foul that deserves a booking" talking about a player who has just dived, and anticipating a "climactic end to the game" towards the end of the first half put a very minor dampener on the whole experience. It is also worth noting that referees can often be a tad on the strict side, being a bit too trigger happy with the bookings.
As I have said though, the good outweighs the bad. An addition of the ability to dive is, in part, a welcome one, since the feature has been sorely missed from football games for a while now. It's unfortunate that the function was perhaps not fully taken advantage of by the staff at Konami, however just its presence, and the fact that it works sufficiently well will be enough to satisfy those who have been looking for the feature football games since it disappeared around FIFA 98 time.
All in all, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 is a competent, entertaining and as-good-as ever footballing experience. The positive improvements outweigh the small negatives to make this year's installment essential to all Pro Ev fans; however, perhaps it would not be entirely inappropriate to hope for more innovation in the coming sequels.