Pro Evo, Pro Evolution Soccer, PES - call it what you will, footy fans all know the only true football simulation game worth playing is the popular franchise from Konami. It's history stretches all the way back to 1996, when it was released for the first time.
But what makes the PES franchise so popular, especially in light of another great footy video game which goes head to head with PES every year - FIFA?
FIFA took over the domination of the footy console wars in the late 2005 era and since then it's been Pro Evo and Konami who've had to go back to the drawing board and figure out a way of getting back on top. What makes the fans of Pro Evo stick with the second place franchise?
Playability - this has always been the strength of PES over FIFA, even when Konami have made big changes to the gameplay. They're retained a feel for what football computer games should play like and have often shaken up the AI, so that one year you can slip straight into the new version and the next year it takes you several games to get used to it.
PES has never pandered to your whims like FIFA, it has never made it easy to score or create chances. The ethos behind the PES games is to make you work hard, learn and practice each new version, so that you can truly appreciate the beauty of the game. None more so than when you win a game on the hardest difficulty for the first time with an injury time rocket into the top corner.
It's a pick up and play method that favours learning and can at times be frustrating if you've not played for a week or so and find you're struggling on the 3 star difficulty setting. But like riding a bike, you remember, your fingers remember and you get back in the saddle.
Realism - PES generally comes out on top when it comes to the visage of players faces and movements of the football. FIFA constructs can't be called pretty and the ball seems to have been filled with helium in some versions. The football in PES moves and floats like a real ball and the players look like their real life counterparts.
The whole style of gameplay has always mimicked real life football better than FIFA and that's not to say PES haven't messed up in the past, but players move like real people, they like the ball, have a real weight to them and even the goalies make mistakes like their real life counterparts!
Player likenesses is where PES usually comes up trumps again, thanks in part to detailed facial juxtapositions that are accurate to real life players. We've seen some monstrous visages over the years between these two games and Rooney gets compared to Shrek in real life, so won't appreciate FIFA making it worse.
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 latest game Konami have included a speed setting which allows you to control the game speed. You have five settings to choose from, so if you still fancy bombing down the wings like PES games of yesteryear you can.
Licenses - or lack of has always been lamented and stated as a reason why FIFA has overhauled PES in the gaming charts. But for me this has enhanced the allure of Pro Evo.
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 - every year Konami tweak the computer AI and things will be no different in PES 2013. They've promised us ultra-realistic top player movements using Player ID and Full Control, so Messi and Ronaldo will move, pass and shoot like they do in real life situations. Whether this will extend to lesser known players remains to be seen.
Two Player - always the most interesting focal point for me personally is the two player battles. Playing against the AI can be good for training, but most people who play PES play against other friends or strangers online.
Everybody who has ever played against a mate will know the joy of a strike into his top corner and the despair of him chipping the ball over your onrushing goalkeeper and into your empty goal. Friendships have been put on hold for the duration of these games before.
Two player against your mates and online is what gives the PES games their longevity and the franchise in general.
But what makes the PES franchise so popular, especially in light of another great footy video game which goes head to head with PES every year - FIFA?
FIFA took over the domination of the footy console wars in the late 2005 era and since then it's been Pro Evo and Konami who've had to go back to the drawing board and figure out a way of getting back on top. What makes the fans of Pro Evo stick with the second place franchise?
Playability - this has always been the strength of PES over FIFA, even when Konami have made big changes to the gameplay. They're retained a feel for what football computer games should play like and have often shaken up the AI, so that one year you can slip straight into the new version and the next year it takes you several games to get used to it.
PES has never pandered to your whims like FIFA, it has never made it easy to score or create chances. The ethos behind the PES games is to make you work hard, learn and practice each new version, so that you can truly appreciate the beauty of the game. None more so than when you win a game on the hardest difficulty for the first time with an injury time rocket into the top corner.
It's a pick up and play method that favours learning and can at times be frustrating if you've not played for a week or so and find you're struggling on the 3 star difficulty setting. But like riding a bike, you remember, your fingers remember and you get back in the saddle.
Realism - PES generally comes out on top when it comes to the visage of players faces and movements of the football. FIFA constructs can't be called pretty and the ball seems to have been filled with helium in some versions. The football in PES moves and floats like a real ball and the players look like their real life counterparts.
The whole style of gameplay has always mimicked real life football better than FIFA and that's not to say PES haven't messed up in the past, but players move like real people, they like the ball, have a real weight to them and even the goalies make mistakes like their real life counterparts!
Player likenesses is where PES usually comes up trumps again, thanks in part to detailed facial juxtapositions that are accurate to real life players. We've seen some monstrous visages over the years between these two games and Rooney gets compared to Shrek in real life, so won't appreciate FIFA making it worse.
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 latest game Konami have included a speed setting which allows you to control the game speed. You have five settings to choose from, so if you still fancy bombing down the wings like PES games of yesteryear you can.
Licenses - or lack of has always been lamented and stated as a reason why FIFA has overhauled PES in the gaming charts. But for me this has enhanced the allure of Pro Evo.
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 - every year Konami tweak the computer AI and things will be no different in PES 2013. They've promised us ultra-realistic top player movements using Player ID and Full Control, so Messi and Ronaldo will move, pass and shoot like they do in real life situations. Whether this will extend to lesser known players remains to be seen.
Two Player - always the most interesting focal point for me personally is the two player battles. Playing against the AI can be good for training, but most people who play PES play against other friends or strangers online.
Everybody who has ever played against a mate will know the joy of a strike into his top corner and the despair of him chipping the ball over your onrushing goalkeeper and into your empty goal. Friendships have been put on hold for the duration of these games before.
Two player against your mates and online is what gives the PES games their longevity and the franchise in general.
About the Author:
Steve Hinds founded www.pes2013.org.uk with the goal of showcasing the history and strengths of Pro Evo. Take a look at the latest Pro Evo videos.. Also published at PES 2013 V FIFA 13 - Catching Or Caught Up?.
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