About

Before the game was released it was revealed that creator Shingo Takatsuka had given the game a complete overhaul following the serious criticism of the previous title.

One of the first screenshots of PES 2009 displaying the improved graphics

The game supports network play with a reduction in lag compared to PES 2008 although there are still many criticisms as it is far from lag-free. Lionel Messi is featured as the cover although Andres Guardado features on some versions. A new game mode called Become A Legend has been brought in which involves creating a player and taking him through a career. The Master League mode now has two-tier negotiations which involve negotiating with the club first and then the player separately. Also the edit mode was notably improved with badges and kits now being as intuitive as they were on PS2 versions.

Although the game is generally viewed as an improvement, the Online Mode and the omission of players such as Danny Alves, Tomas Zapotocny and Walter Lopez drew plenty of criticism.

The game will be followed by PES 2010.