PES 2011: A Konami Game

Jameseire85 on Tue Oct 19, 2010 12:15 pm

Pro Ev or Fifa, Pro Ev or Fifa; It’s the age old question that is posed to gamers around this time every year. There will never be a unanimous answer, with gamers more likely to agree on which came first, the chicken or the egg. The battle of the football simulations shows no sign of slowing down, neither Pro Ev nor Fifa willing to concede defeat in this battle. It’s certainly true to say that for the past number of years Fifa has been basking in the media acclaim that was once reserved for Pro Ev, who in its heyday was regarded as the ultimate football game this side of the Atlantic. This review will examine whether Pro Ev has made a triumphant return to the top and can claim the title of ultimate football simulation.

As a true fan of the Pro Ev series, no I’m not afraid to admit it, I can safely say that this is by far the best version of the game to appear on the 360 since PES6. The game is highly immersive and is one of the most authentic Pro Evolution games in the series to date. Missed tackles, questionable offsides, delightful through balls, great saves and unbelievable goals are part and parcel of the game and will leave you anticipating your next match as if it were a top of the table clash or relegation 6 pointer!

The gameplay has received a complete and much needed overhaul. If you have played previous versions of the PES series you will immediately feel that the game has been rebuilt from the ground up. No longer does the game have a totally arcade feeling and you are no longer able to rely on your star player to waltz through defences making the opposition look like a Sunday league team. In a nutshell, this version is the most realistic version of the game to date.

As mentioned the game has undergone massive changes. Most noticeable in the myriad of these changes is the new total control passing system. Passing feels crisp, responsive and intuitive. This system is completely unassisted, leaving the direction and pace of a pass completely in the player’s hands. This system will have fans and there will be those who oppose it. In truth it takes a little while to get used to, misplaced passes will be commonplace when playing this game at first. Once mastered though it is a joy, spraying passes around the pitch has never felt so rewarding and satisfying. Unlocking defences with a sublime pass of your own making is as rewarding as scoring a winning goal in extra time!

Build - up play is now crucial. This game and a player’s successes or failures are largely dependent on how they use the ball. Smart passing, precise through balls, and neat one two’s are the order of the day. Defensive AI has been stepped up a notch and once in possession it is not uncommon for a player to be faced with the prospect of the entire opposition team switching to defensive mode. It is impossible to dribble through an entire team from medium difficulty onwards. Instead, patience and clever passing is relied upon.

Passing, shooting, dribbling and tackling, and almost every other important player attribute has changed too and is now more realistic. For example, no longer will you be able to play the final killer through ball with the left back. PES 11 has implemented a system whereby a player’s position will have a significant impact upon their abilities on the pitch. This is certainly more noticeable in this game than previous offerings. To play the killer ball, make the effective run or make a chance denying tackle you will need to use the right player. This really makes you think about every facet of your team pre match and during the game.

Tricks and feints play a slightly more prominent role this time around. You are now able to create and customise your own link feints and map them to the right stick. There are a wide range of tricks to choose from to make your opposition look silly. When it works it looks great and it is very tempting to go for a trick when keeping it simple may be more effective.

AI players are more alive to the situation, and more likely to read your intentions and run towards misplaced passes or try and break into space. Opposition defences now prove quite a challenge to break down, and once past a tough defence you have to beat the goalkeeper. In the past keeper’s have been atrocious, this time around they are much more alert and responsive to danger. They will usually make the right decision, a far cry from last year. Team mates are also better than they previously were, they will now try to create space and be more alert to where to position themselves.

The changes have not stopped at the gameplay, Pro Evolution finally has graphics to boast about! Player likenesses, jerseys, crowd animations and lighting effects have all been rendered lovingly by Konami and PES 11 is a very good looking game indeed. Player likeness is uncanny and you will easily be able to recognise the vast majority of the star names in the game through appearance. The whole feel of the game is enhanced greatly by the visual enhancements that the game enjoys. Scoring a screamer, picking out a 50 yard pass or making a chance denying tackle has never looked so good.

Tactically, PES 11 is a dream. The employment of a new, user friendly, drag and drop system is a budding manager’s dream. You can now literally click on a player and place him in the position that you want. It is now quite simplistic to create the best possible formation to get the most out of your team, whether it be Real Madrid or Blackpool.

Once again the game is full with game modes. Master League and Become a Legend modes are as fun as ever, Champions League mode benefits from additional licenced teams and the Copa Libertadores makes its series debut. The master league is a joy to play as you build up your team in a natural and realistic manner.

Now, here are the things that grind my gears!! Firstly, what will obviously annoy people the most is the continuing lack of official licences, only Manchester United and Tottenham are registered in the English League and there are quite a few teams in the Spanish League unregistered. Fifa certainly has the upper hand in this area. One area of gameplay that I am very critical of is the inability to use speed as an attacking force. It is incredibly difficult to run past a player relying purely on speed to do so. It is almost unrealistically difficult. This in turn means that matches are more likely to end in stalemates rather than being thrilling multiple goal encounters. In the past this has been the essence of PES. Refereeing is inconsistent - you will appear to win the ball in a lot of tackles only for the ref to pipe up and give a foul the other way. Odd quirks do their best to damage gameplay, and sometimes AI just does not respond to a command, annoying but not game breaking.

The achievements in this game are pretty much identical to the achievements found in the last couple of iterations of the game. This can highlight one of two possibilities in my opinion 1. Konami are lazy and are happy to release the game year after year with the same achievements or 2. Konami was too busy re – building the game to worry about the achievement list. I don’t know which option is the truest but having played PES for the last number of years, it is quite annoying to see no change in this area. Annoying achievements such as 10 years of master league service and scoring from 35m or more are as frustrating now as they have ever been.

Summary
PES is a series with a checkered past, going from glory to bust in a number of years. This version highlights that Konami realized that they had a broken game. The re – build has proved largely successful, and Konami seem to have nailed a lot of the basics. There is still plenty of work to be done though. I certainly feel that the game is an improvement but I believe there will be people who believe that the essence of PES has been negated for a different and more realistic style of gameplay. If you have stuck with the series over the past 3 years you need to play this game.

The PES revolution is beginning anew.

GSA Rating: 8/10

Asurans Progeny on Tue Oct 19, 2010 12:17 pm

Nice one mate, not a football fan so I'm not interested in the games.

Rep given for the review though. Nicely laid out to read. Smile

Jameseire85 on Tue Oct 19, 2010 12:33 pm

Cheers mate!!

Everton on Tue Oct 19, 2010 12:34 pm

mini reviews are good, but its the proper stuff like this that really gives a great insight

As always mate you have delivered the goods and kudos and rep to your fine self

thommo12 on Tue Oct 19, 2010 1:26 pm

Nice review dude, you're right this is easily the best one since PES 6. Pro Evo is back, finally!! Very Happy

stubbymite on Tue Oct 19, 2010 6:30 pm

nice review m8 i like it. i am more of a fifa man but in the past few years i have bought the other pes games when they have been going cheap.

This years is a lot better though and i liked the demo. But fifa still wins for me just has that edge this time. saying this i will probs still buy this game when it goes sub 20 quid bounce