PES is the acronym for Pro Evolution Soccer, a series of console and computer football games that have enraptured footy fans around the globe for the past one and a half decades. With PES 2013 released in September, it seems that this popularity shows no sign of waning.
What is it about Pro Evo that has maintained this popularity with the fans despite several different incarnations across the consoles and with FIFA in constant competition?
Even though FIFA has outstripped PES in the rankings over the last 4-5 years, the Konami favourite refuses to be beaten and instead of being the market leader, is now playing catch-up to FIFA. What makes the fans come back for more every year and part with the best part of 40 pounds every September/October?
Playability - the big trump card PES has always maintained over FIFA. Konami have varied the learning curves over the past few years, sometimes you could pick up and play PES immediately, other times you might find yourself drawing the first 5 or 6 games and not even scoring until you learned the new nuances.
PES can be frustrating at times, but the gameplay is never intentionally designed to make it easy for you. You have to work for your goals and victories and at first this can seem annoying, as what worked in the previous version is completely worthless in the new version, but it's this mentality that keeps the whole series fresh.
What we love about the PES games is the clever way Konami teaches you how to play each new iteration. You instinctively start doing things that you didn't in the previous game and you learn the new ways of the new version, almost like your fingers jump onto autopilot, but this doesn't seem to kick in until you've played for a while first.
Realism - from player likenesses to ball movement, PES has always held sway over the FIFA monstrosities. I don't mind FIFA nowadays, but I like my ball to move, not float and Pro Evo certainly comes out on top for ball mechanics.
Real life football is recreated more accurately in Pro Evo and the players move as though they have an actual body weight, which when coupled with accurate football flight, makes the game look like a real game of football. Even the goalkeepers are fallible and make mistakes that give away goals.
Player likenesses always feature much better in the PES games. You'd think that after all these years, both games would be able to get it right. But before launch date, video game magazines often run comparison charts between the two games, with identical players from both sides pitted against each other. There have been some ugly Rooney mugs in the FIFA series.
Speed - this is a setting that gets changed almost every year, as Konami look for an ideal speed in which to create their new AI gameplay. In the past PES has been labelled too fast and therefore arcade like, but the latest version PES 2013 promises to be one of the slowest versions for years, which should enable better player movement and touch.
In the past PES has sometimes blurred the realism line with players flying down the pitch like their shorts are on fire. If you still wish to recreate these days, the development boys have included a handy speed setting which lets you choose your own.
Licenses - PES has never been able to compete with FIFA when it comes to the realism of player names, team names and football strips or stadia, because FIFA has always owned the rights.
With the FIFA domination of the licenses, PES fans have had to work for themselves and using in-game editors, plus computer editing software, every year they come up with option files which take PES from fake names to real. So the millions spent on these licenses seem somewhat pointless.
Having not played FIFA for years I can't comment on their editing system - if they have one, but the latest PES edit functions are now so savvy you can accurately recreate any team, player or stadium you wish, with photo realistic faces and advertising board accurate football stadia.
Innovation - both PES and FIFA introduce new buzz words every year, which describe the new features they're putting in their games. PES usually updates the artificial intelligence and for PES 2013 is bringing in Player ID and Full Control which are supposed to work together to allow players to mimic the real mannerisms of actual players. So you should see Ronaldo and Messi run, dribble, pass and shoot like they do in real games.
Two Player - there's only so long you can play against a machine before you yearn to destroy another human being with your footy skills, bring on the two player and let the insults begin.
It's the not knowing that worries people, like the not knowing if your mate is holding triangle to bring his goalie out when you've just slipped a sumptuous through-ball to your striker. I never get tired of my own triangle press lifting the ball gracefully over his goalie and into an empty net.
Two player against your mates and online is what gives the PES games their longevity and the franchise in general.
What is it about Pro Evo that has maintained this popularity with the fans despite several different incarnations across the consoles and with FIFA in constant competition?
Even though FIFA has outstripped PES in the rankings over the last 4-5 years, the Konami favourite refuses to be beaten and instead of being the market leader, is now playing catch-up to FIFA. What makes the fans come back for more every year and part with the best part of 40 pounds every September/October?
Playability - the big trump card PES has always maintained over FIFA. Konami have varied the learning curves over the past few years, sometimes you could pick up and play PES immediately, other times you might find yourself drawing the first 5 or 6 games and not even scoring until you learned the new nuances.
PES can be frustrating at times, but the gameplay is never intentionally designed to make it easy for you. You have to work for your goals and victories and at first this can seem annoying, as what worked in the previous version is completely worthless in the new version, but it's this mentality that keeps the whole series fresh.
What we love about the PES games is the clever way Konami teaches you how to play each new iteration. You instinctively start doing things that you didn't in the previous game and you learn the new ways of the new version, almost like your fingers jump onto autopilot, but this doesn't seem to kick in until you've played for a while first.
Realism - from player likenesses to ball movement, PES has always held sway over the FIFA monstrosities. I don't mind FIFA nowadays, but I like my ball to move, not float and Pro Evo certainly comes out on top for ball mechanics.
Real life football is recreated more accurately in Pro Evo and the players move as though they have an actual body weight, which when coupled with accurate football flight, makes the game look like a real game of football. Even the goalkeepers are fallible and make mistakes that give away goals.
Player likenesses always feature much better in the PES games. You'd think that after all these years, both games would be able to get it right. But before launch date, video game magazines often run comparison charts between the two games, with identical players from both sides pitted against each other. There have been some ugly Rooney mugs in the FIFA series.
Speed - this is a setting that gets changed almost every year, as Konami look for an ideal speed in which to create their new AI gameplay. In the past PES has been labelled too fast and therefore arcade like, but the latest version PES 2013 promises to be one of the slowest versions for years, which should enable better player movement and touch.
In the past PES has sometimes blurred the realism line with players flying down the pitch like their shorts are on fire. If you still wish to recreate these days, the development boys have included a handy speed setting which lets you choose your own.
Licenses - PES has never been able to compete with FIFA when it comes to the realism of player names, team names and football strips or stadia, because FIFA has always owned the rights.
With the FIFA domination of the licenses, PES fans have had to work for themselves and using in-game editors, plus computer editing software, every year they come up with option files which take PES from fake names to real. So the millions spent on these licenses seem somewhat pointless.
Having not played FIFA for years I can't comment on their editing system - if they have one, but the latest PES edit functions are now so savvy you can accurately recreate any team, player or stadium you wish, with photo realistic faces and advertising board accurate football stadia.
Innovation - both PES and FIFA introduce new buzz words every year, which describe the new features they're putting in their games. PES usually updates the artificial intelligence and for PES 2013 is bringing in Player ID and Full Control which are supposed to work together to allow players to mimic the real mannerisms of actual players. So you should see Ronaldo and Messi run, dribble, pass and shoot like they do in real games.
Two Player - there's only so long you can play against a machine before you yearn to destroy another human being with your footy skills, bring on the two player and let the insults begin.
It's the not knowing that worries people, like the not knowing if your mate is holding triangle to bring his goalie out when you've just slipped a sumptuous through-ball to your striker. I never get tired of my own triangle press lifting the ball gracefully over his goalie and into an empty net.
Two player against your mates and online is what gives the PES games their longevity and the franchise in general.
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