PES 2012 - hectic, flawed, but fun. Photo credit: Dewuka http://flic.kr/p/9NrK9g
Pro Evolution Soccer (PES 2012) has returned with it’s “2012” instalment. The Konami football simulation game is the biggest direct competitor to the much acclaimed FIFA 12, and its attributes are generally considered in direct relation to the FIFA equivalents. In the war for virtual football supremacy, most feel that FIFA has taken the lead in the past few years. Does PES 2012 mark the ultimate rise of the “Pro Evo” series, or is the series wallowing in the shadow of the shiny FIFA 12?
Can’t be ignored. “A relegation candidate PES 2012 certainly is not”, wrote Liam Martin for Digital Spy. This iteration brings “improvements to almost every area of the game”, and Martin enjoyed the new “off-the-ball control” feature, which gives gamers control of teammates movement as they run with the ball, although found it “difficult to master.” Greg Howson of the Guardian agreed that, despite some “rough edges”, PES 2012 cannot be ignored.
Rough edges. The most common complaints about PES 2012 are long-standing issues with the series. Its lack of official licences means that the game is without authentic leagues and clubs, so fans of lower league teams will be left wanting. The Artificial Intelligence of the game is generally improved, reviewers claim, but the goalkeepers are appalingly unreliable, while the consistently inconsistent refereeing shocked Martin. Tom Hoggins at the Telegraph labelled the dribbling awkward, animation sub-par, music “dreadful” and menu presentation “tatty”.
Sprightly. CVG found the game a visual treat, relishing the “awe-inspiring” stadiums and uncanny player likenesses. Visual advances such as these make PES 2012 “a proper alternative to FIFA”, despite the “dire commentary and mono-cheer crowd.”
Unrealistic. This version of the game is a “step away from the hardcore simulation that was attempted last year and more towards the PS2 era of flairsome fun.” Howson declared the order of the day to be “speedy wing-play, whipped-in crosses and mazy dribbles.” The game abandons excessive realism in favour of more rapid, hectic gameplay. This may be no bad thing, as Jimmy Nsubuga noted for the Metro, as “some fans will appreciate the purposeful lack of realism.” The “off-the-field” extras, however, will not impress fans, and Konami’s offerings are “thinner than Wayne Rooney’s bangs before he had his hair transplant”, quipped Martin.
Charming. Every reviewer found fault with the game, but there was a prevailing sense of fondness for PES 2012. FIFA 12 was unfailingly identified as the superior game, but “hectic doses” of PES 2012 still provide a “fun, frantic game of football”, said Hoggins, who guiltily admitted that although FIFA is “prettier, more sophisticated and wears all the right clothes, but it’s the little quirks that PES has that keep a guy interested for a cheeky fling.”
Take a look at what’s in store:
