The irony may have been lost on many, but rewind two years and the Pro Evo poster-boy, the figurehead tasked with hoofing the fans’ favourite football sim onto PS3 was Cristiano Ronaldo. And the game, like him, was good-looking, much-lauded, but many times failed to deliver and was found, on its knees, trying to win an advantage for the side by relying on theatricals above skill.

And that wasn’t how it was supposed to be. The PES series has been a steady grower, bedazzling fans with its grass roots fluidity rather than its corporate punch in the licensing department. The last two games have been found lacking in the very essence that made PES great, and the goodwill ends here, people.

What we know about PES 2010 is that it talks a good game. We’re promised a visual revamp – an integration of more skill animations that enhance the flow rather than detract from it. Plus a more subtle colour palette has been implemented to allow for a grittier, more authentic look.

By far the most intriguing new aspect though is the individual play characteristics. What this means is that if a particular player is on the ball, his team-mates will react accordingly to his stats and position. If he is a good crosser on the wing them more team-mates will bust a lung to get into the box for a telling cross. If he’s an accomplished threader of through-balls then they’ll exploit the space looking for a tasty morsel to run onto. There’s also more overlap between defenders and midfielders to plug the gaps around the pitch, which means that faster thinking is required to exploit space and carve out a scoring opportunity.

Other features include a new penalty-taking system that offers up greater control and accuracy, an improved Master League mode that enables managers to create a longer-lasting legacy, more matchday atmosphere from the crowds and exclusive rights to the UEFA Europa League and the Champions League.