PES 2014

It must be tough being Gareth Bale. Not the money or the winning of awards or the courtship he’s currently enjoying with Real Madrid. But imagine the pressure of being one of the brightest stars in the Premier League, a player who arguably kept Spurs in the running for a Champions League place, only to be pipped on the last day of the season. That’s what I call pressure. In Pro Evolution Soccer 2014, the pressures of playing at the top of the game can have an impact on performance, both as individuals and as a team. As the season progresses you’ll witness teams riding a high after a big win against a bitter rivals, or after knocking in a hat-trick against a team sitting higher than them in the league. But your fortunes could change in a split second with the highs quickly turning to lows when morale drops after a crushing defeat. It’s the kind of thing that happens week in, week out in football leagues across the world, and it’s one way PES 2014 is attempting to be more realistic than before. Naturally, some teams and indeed individual players are better equipped to cope with the emotional strain of playing at the highest level, but when the cracks start appearing the differences are noticeable. A clumsy shot here, mistiming a challenge there… Subtle details that together make it tougher to play exactly the way you want to, and you’ll have to weather the storm if you want to top the table season after season. There’s also an additional layer of strategy compared to last year’s game, with players given greater control over how their entire team works together rather than as individuals. You’re now able to implement both and attacking and defensive strategy plans that can dramatically change the outcome on the pitch. For example, if the team you’re playing against has a star player you can tell up to three players to close them down when they get the ball; alternatively, get two players to pressure the ball while the third blocks off any potential passes. The options are near limitless, you just need to spend time playing around with the tactics systems to figure out what works best for you. Konami has been vocal about how PES 2014 is now running on a variation of the FOX Engine and the differences are noticeable from the moment you start playing. Players are more detailed and their facial expressions reflect their mood on the pitch more accurately, so if the ref gives away a contentious decision they’ll scream so vocally you can see the anger in their face. Animation is more fluid too, and the prescribed way players interacted with the ball is thing of the past, and is far more flowing this year. Other improvements to the gameplay include greater control of the ball at close quarters and using the right stick you’re able to shift your player’s weight to quickly change direction of your run, or flick the ball in a different direction to feint past a defender. They’re little touches but they change the way the game plays, and PES 2014 is a much more confident step in the right direction after last year’s effort. Matches flow more freely and there’s greater control over what you’re able to do, both on and off the ball, but it still retains the attacking focus that Pro Evo players have always loved about the game. One thing’s for sure, Konami is making sure it doesn’t make the same mistake twice and is focusing on getting the current-gen version of the game right before it even begins talking about next-gen. It will come, but only when the time is right. Similarly, there’s no word on online multiplayer, but the developers are all too aware of the shortcoming of previous iterations and promise PES 2014 will offer “many improvements” in the multiplayer arena when it’s released. For now, rest assured that PES 2014 is getting ready to challenge once again. Sure, the competition is tough, but this time it feels like it’s ready to fight.