With a series as critically acclaimed as Winning Eleven, there is always the danger that Konami will have a bad game and face the possibility of losing its place at the top. This day may indeed come, but thankfully it hasn't arrived yet. Winning Eleven 7 International further builds on the game's previous incarnations, and whilst it's not perfect, with a little tweaking here and there it wouldn't be far off.

It has been well documented that Konami ditched Criterion's Renderware graphics engine in favor of its own for this latest installment, and for anybody worried about such a move, you needn't be. The game runs very smoothly, and the increase in player animations is immediately noticeable. Stand far enough away from the TV, squint a bit, and by quickly glancing at the screen and you could be tempted to believe it's the real thing. And perhaps the most noticeable improvement is the complete lack of stuttering, even when the ball is hoofed up the pitch. Having struggled with this in the past, and more recently with FIFA 2004, this is a very welcome enhancement.

Seeing as the FIFA genie is now out of the bottle, let me just say that whilst graphically Winning Eleven has improved, it does not match FIFA's graphical prowess. Don't get me wrong, the graphics are pleasing to the eye, but they aren't going to have you sitting stunned and slack jawed in front of your TV.

The same goes for the menus and music. Don't expect the razzamatazz you get with FIFA, or a slew of top tunes to pass the time between games. The menus are practical and get the job done. That's it. And the music is mere background noise. Unmemorable pap would be a good description.

But personally speaking I don't buy sports games for music and snazzy menus (and to a certain degree stunning graphics). What I'm looking for is playability, and thankfully Winning Eleven 7 International has this by the bucket load. The amount of moves your players are capable of is remarkable. Combine this with a strong and intelligent computer AI, and you've got a game that represents a real challenge. You cannot expect to pick the game up and start knocking in goals left right and center. It takes practice, patience, and persistence. But when you manage to put it all together and score a goal, not only does it feel good, it feels right. To create such a feeling with a game is not easy (as countless other sports sims have proved), and Konami once again deserves credit for producing the goods.

With the game's added improvements also comes an extended and more engrossing Mater League. The transfer system especially has seen a few changes. Now it's possible to search for a new player by name, nationality, position, or club, making it more manageable and user friendly. Combine this with the various cups and the sheer versatility when it comes to your team's formation, playing style, and tactics, and you've got a potential relationship destroyer on your hands. The Master League demands huge chunks of your time, and believe me, it's difficult to say no.

So does Winning Eleven 7 International possess all the goods? Is it the finished article? Well, not quite. Perhaps the weakest area of the game, and one that could see more than a little improvement, is the sound. As far as commentary goes, I've long come to expect repetition, but with Winning Eleven there's a little too much for my liking. Add to this the usual mistakes and late calls, and the two pundits quickly become tiresome. Quite often irritating.

The crowd noise is a little weak too. There are some nice touches, such as the almost deathly silence when you score a goal away from home, but with generic chanting and very little variety, it's an area of the game that has sadly been neglected. A pity, as it could have brought a little more atmosphere to the already excellent game play.

One more thing is the lack of licensing. I know it always gets brought up in a Winning Eleven review, but regardless of the reasons, it still grates a bit. How nice it would be to have all the right teams and players, without having to spend a great deal of laborious time editing everything.

Yet despite these niggling complaints, Winning Eleven 7 International is the real deal. Too many sports sims don't live up to their billing. Thankfully the Winning Eleven series always has, and this latest installment raises the bar even further. For anybody who is a soccer fan and is prepared to put in the time it takes to master, I can't recommend this game highly enough. Buy it. Play it. And most of all, enjoy it!