A fun game overall, but it's what PES2008 should have been.
Firstly, the visuals boast a slight improvement, however, they do seem somewhat outdated on the next-generation consoles. The popular players are looking more and more like their real-life counterparts, but there is still room for improvement, however the stadia are very well created (especially the new Wembley Stadium). The menu system is a bit eccentric in its retro design, but it's easy enough to navigate.
The overall sound on PES2009 has not improved at all however, and it's still full of those cheesy pop and trip-hop tracks playing in the background. The commentary sounds as if it has been lifted directly from PES2008 with 1 or 2 new lines (seriously 1 or 2), and the accuracy of the commentary itself is abysmal. Jon Champion always seems excited at the wrong moments and Mark Lawrenson sounds as if he's reading directly from a script. It won't be long before you turn it off completely and just listen to the crowd and the thud of the ball being struck. The crowd does sound slightly better than in previous installments, and with the added option of including your own MP3 chant to play in the background can give a genuine feel of playing in your team's home ground. There is a little niggle with this option though, the MP3 is played in a cyclic fashion and can become repetitive and annoying at times.
Speaking of editing… The Edit Mode in 2009 is an improvement also, with much greater freedom to customise kits and players, but again a lot of people will feel; if Konami managed to get the FIFA license, then this wouldn't be needed. However, I believe spending a couple of hours or so editing teams has become part of the PES experience!
Aside from superficial aspects of the game, the physics engine is the game's saving grace once again. The game plays really well, with the pace being slightly reduced from 2008. The ball feels heavier, making quick intricate passing much more fluid and easier to perform. The shooting feels as good as ever, and there's little in the game more gratifying than smashing a 25-yard bullet with Steven Gerrard. There is little or no slow down in this version, but there is the odd little AI screw up. For example, in one instance in a game my defender and keeper couldn't decide who should clear the ball and they both swung for it, missing it completely and knocking into each other, allowing the advancing forward to slot the ball into an empty net! These little blips can get annoying, but I guess they do happen in the real game too!
The Become a Legend Mode strikes me as a little sneaky bit of implementing an element of FIFA into PES, but it's a half-baked effort. I believe it was thrown in there, just so Konami could boast a 'new' mode. It doesn't reward you for fulfilling your particular role on the field, but merely when you team wins games. Also, I find it extremely boring to play. You spend the vast majority of the match running around and expected to make magic happen when you get your 4-5 touches per game. It might appeal to some, but definitely not to me, I'm steering well clear of it in the future.
One last thing; the Online Mode. It is still in need of improvement in both set-up and performance. However, it is a marked improvement on last year, which was completely unplayable. There are still some lag issues, but for the most part, it's bearable.
Overall, PES2009 is a fun game to play and in my opinion, much more fun than FIFA09. However, FIFA09 looks better and is closer to 'real' football. But this is a game we're talking about here, and PES2009 is exactly that, a fun game to play! There is however, a lingering feeling that this game is simply what PES2008 should have been, and PES2009 should be better than it is. Anyway, the long and short of it is: fun = PES2009, realistic = FIFA09.