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POSTED 2/10/13


PES 2014 - PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER

Konami
PS3 (also on Xbox 360, PC, 3DS)

If you’re not that into it, you could be forgiven for thinking that there’s a soccer born every minute...

Yes, as a matter of fact, we do recommend the veal!

But seriously folks, it’s an annual ritual tackling (carefully, so as to avoid red cards if you like, ooh, touch another player) a new PES game and a new (shhh!) FIFA one. Anybody else even attempting to enter the fray has quite clearly headed too many balls, as it’s essentially a monopoly now. Except there are two. Umm, so that’d be a duopoly then.

With Konami’s incredible coin-op history, PES originated as quite an arcade-biased experience. Over the years, however, it’s adopted more of a ‘this is serious mum’ approach to compete with that which must not be named. Except that we did in the last paragraph. Oops.

Annual improvements are, naturally, incremental, although there’s a biggie here with a shiny new engine (borrowed from Snake’s forthcoming new outing). It does sputter worryingly occasionally, but generally delivers improvement in gameplay flowiness thanks to being more down with physics. We suppose, we’re not Isaac bloody Newton. We do know that it’s more engrossing to play though.

Those who need every player from every league will be miffed, as it’s more of a random greatest hits. Those pros present possess passable portrayals, and if you’re desperate to play your fave you can always go Doc Frankenstein with the cavernous character creator.

Most tweaks are good, but there are niggles. Menus can confuddle – or at least frustrate - commentary often grates and the soundtrack couldn’t be more random if you chucked a record shop at a wall then grabbed the first discs you tripped over.

Still, firing up to big bad Luciano is cool – and apt, as when it comes to rabid PES fans, nessun dorma now this is out...

take me back to the start...

 



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ALL WRITTEN CONTENT COPYRIGHT © AMY FLOWER 2008-2018. GAME IMAGES COURTESY OF RESPECTIVE GAMES COMPANIES.