PES 2016

Coke vs Pepsi, Star Wars vs Star Trek, Alien vs Predator, FIFA vs PES. The world is divided and, with the release of Pro Evolution Soccer 2016, FIFA and PES fans can once again quarrel about which soccer gain is superior. To many, it has been a matter of loyalty; for others, a matter of realism and physics or mere hatred against EA. Nevertheless, Konami’s soccer sim – I think it’s fair to call it that now- has an actual opportunity to fight for the throne of the genre.

The first thing players will notice is the improved physics system.  The well-crafted “collision system” is a feature long awaited by the fans of any soccer game. Thank to this seemingly irrelevant modification, encounters among players are not mere animations over who gets the ball, but a real tug of war between attacker and defender which enhances the experience and provides a whole new level of strategy.

And speaking of strategy, PES 16 players will soon find out the faster pace of the game allows them to make fast movements with the ball and tackle quicker. PES 16 leans towards your ability to think on your feet during high-speed matches. A faster game means less time to think about what to do next and a heavy reliance on instinctive play, just like in a real-life soccer match. Alongside the fast paced game, the strongest theme of PES 16 is its realism. It’s practically the best soccer simulation I’ve played in ages. The opposition AI is exceedingly realistic in adapting to player strategies. When they have the ball on their side, they use speed, and counter attack, finding your defensive weakness. I started with a 3-2-3-2 formation, and no matter which team I’ve played against, they have always broken through my defense from the wing area with long or overhead passes. I changed my team’s formation to 4-4-2 and the AI’s strategy changed from long balls to short passes penetrating my defense from the middle with through passes. AI opposition will always keep you guessing on how they are going to build the play. Sadly, however, this same can’t be said about the player’s teammates. At times you’ll have to wait to make a through pass because your number 9 hasn’t made the run yet, or probably did a lot earlier standing in an offside position.

Probably, two of the biggest flaws are the AI and the graphics. As it was mentioned earlier the AI will react towards your formation, but that doesn’t mean it will not rather erratic at times. AI is improved but does not possess consistency, which translates into weird outcomes. Five Star teams being annihilated with little effort, or matches with zero goals against weaker opponents. This is, for one part, a mere reflection of how unpredictable actual soccer can be, but, to be fair, ends up being frustrating in a videogame which relies heavily on statistics and math.

Regarding the graphics, it’s not the designers’ fault that some animations and cutscenes seem sloppy. But, in the end, the amazing attention given to details on the way each individual player behaves, based on their real-life counterparts seems overshadowed by animations that don’t hold up to the game’s new standard. In spite of this, the game is an actually improvement in graphic terms over its predecessor, which is something to be thankful for. But features such at the grass, crowed, or the player’s skin don’t look realistic; they feel rather too glossy even during a dull weather; as if the players have been polished with something that shines. However, commentators in PES16 should get a mention. Two of my most favorites, Peter Drury and Jim Beglin, make matches more eventful. Their remarks and analysis doesn’t feel made-up and actually fit the match. When there’s a start player in a match Jim Beglin explains why he should be the major highlights, adding a more realistic feel to the game.

The elements that make this game into an actual sim, MyClub, Become a Legend and Master League, are a welcome refreshment on the seemingly monotone gameplay of any sports game. Become a Legend allows you to live the rise and fall of a single soccer player, from his humble origins all the way to fame, success and inevitable young retirement; an actual RPG experience within a sports game. BAL in PES16 has improved. While it’s easier to score with a newly built player, at the same time movement on the pitch in Player Cam mode feels more realistic than the earlier games. When taking a shot on goal, or making distance lofted pass, you can actually feel the strength spent kicking the ball. What doesn’t feel real is that a new comer is featured from the very first game and makes it to the match squad every single time. Not sure if it’s happening with other players who didn’t play the first game as good as I did scoring a second half double when came on the pitch in my debut match.

MyClub, PES’s take on Ultimate Team does not rely as much on microtransactions and feels like an actual organic and fluid game mode. Just like always MyClub is still the most realistic feature any soccer simulation can get, being exceedingly frustrating at the same time. It hurts badly when 10,000 extremely hard earned points are spent to buy an average player, because luck wasn’t in your favor.  Purchasing players though the lottery system is extremely annoying, especially when your luck keeps on disfavoring you. For those who are new to this game, this lottery system works when a number of balls rolls in a circle while each representing a hidden player. When you press the action button; the rolling stops and the ball in the highly opens up the player. There are different types of balls such as Black, Silver, Copper and White. Black balls are usually superstars and white ones are armatures. However, there are rewards that can make player to MyClub and they are worth it. Online competition, several Vs.Com competitions, Special Agent features etc make the overall experience pleasant. PES16 has introduced a new Training feature inside MyClub which seems handy to improve the player’s capabilities. And unlike the previous game, at the end of each match players earn precious point to level up. This new RPG like feature actually lets you develop your younger players into great ones. And finally, Master League is a very decent career mode definitively worth checking out if you’re up for the glory, and a truly fun one-player experience on a game apparently designed to be nothing but a multiplayer.

There’s hard to suggest Konami what to do next with this series, as they seem to be in a mission to build the ultimate football simulation. Every year more and more features are being improved and the series seems to be heading towards the right direction. While the gameplay engine is a big surprise this year, so is the individual characteristic of the players. Controlling Wayne Rooney won’t give the same feel when controlling Lionel Messi, or Mario Götze. Just like real life, each individual has their very own style of movement and differences in tackling an opponent or kicking the ball. Celebrations after scoring also have some added features letting players choose whether to full do a celebration or not. It’s not worth mentioning the lack of official licenses for the teams and players, for it has been PES’s greatest disadvantage against FIFA because, well, it’s called FIFA and it has the full Federation’s support. Nevertheless, mods are always a reliable option for anyone who wants to the specific name of a person on screen. Despite that, PES 16 may not be the greatest soccer game of all time, but it’s definitively worth your time and money. It’s a game that delivers a very satisfactory sports experience both to fans and newcomers.

Sarwar Ron, NoobFeed
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