Pro Evolution Soccer 2011
- Thread starter Lee
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You hate PES for that yet its EA who force them to do that. They have no choice.
i'd recommend changing the game speed.
hey IGN just released both game reviews( FIFA vs PES)
guess what...PES 11 WIN
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/112/1124752p1.html
guess what...PES 11 WIN
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/112/1124752p1.html
Gooner_Jay_96
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where did you get that from, he said in realism, fifa, in pick up and play, pro.
two different styles of gaming and it just suited him.. FIFA for me |)
Based on one review, Fifa 11 has a average rating of 88 - 89 on Metacritic while so far PES 2011 has an average of 81 - 82.
MisterStubbs
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After playing the demo, the realism of this game is epic. have never been a big PES fan (mainly due to being a perfectionist) but after seeing a video to confirm you can get the real badges and kits for Premier League clubs. Create a stadium feature looks cool as well, am going to buy this and give it a shot i think.
MisterStubbs
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is there a video/website that explains how to do this?
---------- Post added at 04:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:44 PM ----------
http://www.pes-patch.com/
these are HUNDREDS off downloads for PES on this site including real kits, badges, boots etc etc
PESgaming.com final code review.
Introduction – Pro Evolution Soccer 2011
After many months of hype, the launch of Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 is finally upon us. Ignoring the press releases, online betas, preview codes and the free demo would have been hard enough, but having experienced the completed game first hand, I am personally very pleased with the end result. Having penned a couple of reviews for PES now, each year I seem to praise the game as the best offering Konami have mustered so far, and the 2011 is no exception. The difference being that this time, issues from previous instalments have been rectified, whilst there have been no new features taken away (a first for a PES series). For the first time, PES now feels like a genuine next generation title, and uses a revamped passing system coupled with a multitude of new animations instantly noticeable from your first minute of playing. With all the above taken into account, the game still feels and ultimately plays like a Konami game, something which offers the reassuring familiarity of a realistic football gaming experience. There are issues, of course, and I will address these throughout the interview, however from my first hours with PES 2011, I am excited for the PESGaming.com community to share the product. As with anything I write on PESGaming.com or Soccer Gaming, these views are my own, and I am as honest and frank as I possibly can be. I don’t get paid to write these reviews, I have no personal stake in Konami, and sheerly write from my own experiences. Whilst I fully expect many of you to disagree with the comments I write here, I hope you take the time to respect the review and give feedback where you feel appropriate.
Presentation & Features
From the first moment you turn PES 2011 on, the all round product feels more polished than its predecessor. The majority of menu’s in the game are now image orientated, and scroll horizontally along the bottom third of the screen. Whilst last years circle theme’s were a nice idea, they didn’t really lend themselves to practical navigation, something which Konami have clearly focussed on this time. Overall, everything is presented with ease of use in mind, and text and graphics are easy to read and quite clear to follow. Edit mode is one area which has had very little change from a presentation point of view, and whilst a number of new features are included in the mode, expect the same vertical lists and similar inputs when creating anything within PES.
A major change within the presentation set up is the new look formation screens. For those who have played the demo, these screens will have become second nature, but for PES veterans, the drag and drop player selection feels more like a management sim than PES. Fortunately, it works very well, and now asking your winger to push further forward or have one CB sweep can be manipulated with real ease. This is complemented with a new look ‘management settings’ option, which dictates the way your team plays and sets up depending upon the time and score line within any given match. This is exceptionally helpful when playing against AI, but also for your own team, as you can justify why a certain player is holding a certain position, or making a run during any given period. Having come from a background of text based formation screens, the new look PES 2011 screen is highly welcomed and perhaps more importantly, very effective.
Elsewhere, all game modes from Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 return, including UEFA Champions League mode and the well thought out community mode. Become A Legend has been given a revamp, and you are now given more tactical and technical information before games as to find out what is expected during your performance. Master League also returns, as does the usual custom leagues and cups that are regularly on offer.
The game’s new features include the Copa Santander Libertadores, which is the smart way of saying the South American Champions League. A welcome addition to the series, the mode allows you to play as the finest teams from South America either in friendly matches or in the licensed representation of the tournament itself. The down side to this mode, however, is that teams are restricted to only being used in this mode, meaning you can not play a South American team from the Copa Libertadores against an English Premier League team. Whilst the addition of 40 new teams is a huge boost, the fact they are restricted definitely dampens the mode. Elsewhere, the Master League Online is a great new feature. I fully intend to write a full review of how the mode works in a separate article, but it acts as a great equaliser for gamers playing PES online, without the constant Barcelona vs. Real Madrid matches of yesteryear.
Another inclusion is the Extra Content section. Whilst this is basically a new name for the PES shop, it adds purpose to playing the multitude of friendly games PES gamers participate in, and offers content such as enhancement for game modes, new editing tools and classic teams and players. Whilst some of the unlockable content has been rightly criticised for being inappropriate, there is no denying that other features, including new stadium parts and ‘mode expansion kits’ are welcome additions.
Finally on the features front, PES 2011 offers an expanded Edit mode which now allows gamers to create custom leagues, competitions and stadiums. The former of the three includes logo design and even entrance music for the competition, whilst the stadium editor allows gamers to put together their own stadiums with a combination of preset stadiums parts and their own images from the hard drive. Whilst this mode feels very new and almost raw, the potential is there to make some pretty tasty grounds, including a fair few accurate representations of Premier League stadia. Whilst I’d have personally loved to see more parts available for the mode, there is enough there to keep me going for PES 2011, and offers Konami a solid stepping stone for the future.
Konami have done themselves a huge service by not removing any features from PES 2010 when creating PES 2011, something which had become a major criticism, especially since the latter years of the PS2 generation. There is still no Random Selection Mode, No ability to mix and match sorts and socks and the ability to swap teams mid competition (something which I know many of you like) is missing, however the modes added do play some part to easing the pain! I am pretty confident in saying this is the most licensed, and most feature filled Pro Evolution Soccer ever created.
Graphics
Graphically, PES 2011 looks very similar to its predecessor. Player models remain similar for the most part, and whilst the lighting effects and shading have slightly been altered, the sprites and stadia look very similar from the outset. The same could be said for player’s attire, which still has the impression of skin as opposed to clothing. Player’s physical appearances are of the usual PES standard. The majority of big name players are instantly recognisable, whilst lower rated Premier League teams featured a mixed of accurate and slightly random images. Andy Carroll, Newcastle’s iconic number 9, still has the short hair that he had the last time he graced the Premier League, whilst both Adebayor and Malouda feature very dated haircuts. All three players can be edited in minutes, but it is a shape Konami failed to address this from the off.
When it comes to the instant replays however, the graphical clarity is sublime. One main difference of the PS3 version is the maximum 720p setting on offer, however zooming in on details such as boots and balls, the images are exceptionally crisp. The replays which follow every foul might get annoying after a certain period of time, however they always look excellent and you can usually see the point of contact which justifies the decision. This has come along way from just a couple of years ago, when fouls were seen as a bit more of a lottery.
Animations are hugely improved, and this is something that will not only please many PES fans, but also improves the Gameplay. Players can not strike the ball at a variety of heights and angles, thanks to reworked graphical animations, and this is taken further by new animations for collisions, headers and shots. Goalkeepers have also been given some new animations, which seem to suit the collision detection between the keeper and ball. Now if a keeper spills a ball, it will be because it’***** his elbow or shin, and not because he is clumsy. The new passing and dribbling animations fit in perfectly, and for the first time in several attempts, the whole game feels new, something which is as much down to the new animations as anything else.
The ‘new’ camera angles also add a different dimension to the game. At first, the angle may seem awkward, but after a quick pan and tilt, you will realise it is the most beneficial way to play PES 2011. You are close enough to the action to see what’s going on, but far enough away to see the whole picture. Unlike previous PES, there is no HUD at the bottom of the screen by default, with all information (power gauge, stamina and player name) displayed above the players head. In spite of early reservations, this works very well indeed, and actually looks a lot more realistic than I first thought. I do tend to experiment with the other camera angles and display settings on PES, however with the current batch; I haven’t felt the need to. All the information can be changed and edited as soon as PES loads up for the first time or alternatively in the options menu later on.
In other graphical points of note, the boots look fantastic, with a wide range of styles available straight out the box. For the first time on a PES game, you also have the choice of base layers for players in the winter months. When editing a player, you can choose if they wear long sleeves, or a thermal shirt underneath their replica top, something which I know will please many gamers! There are still the occasional collision issues, something which I feel still plague every video game on the market, however as a whole this version of PES looks exceptionally sharp, and only by playing it does this come across fully.
Gameplay & Controls
PES has always been favoured by fans for its Gameplay, and for the first time since its arrival on the current generation of games, there has been a notable revamp to how the game feels when being played. This starts with the way players move when then have the ball at their feet, with dribbling feel both more accurate and more responsive to the touch. A player like Ozil still feels more deliberate in their actions than a Nesta or Vidic, yet all players seem to have a more noticeable control over the ball. This is taken further by a player’s first touch. Top players will trap the ball almost instantly, whereas weaker players will need two or three touches to get the ball under control.
The new passing system is a definite success, and once you get used to physically weighting and angling your passes, there is simply no looking back. Long balls can now be hit into space or up to feet, and the feel of a homing missile like switch pass is now vanished, if you manage to ping a ball from left to right it will occur simply down to your control and skill. A lot is to be said for getting the ball under control when playing a pass too, as first time passes, especially at awkward angles, are a lot trickier to pull off. Again, top players will hit that defence splitting pass with more ease, but there is a solid learning curve for the passing. After several games, the system feels natural and allows you to play some great football, should your style dictate that way of playing.
Shooting has been revamped to, and will immediately split fans of the series. Gone are the times when shots feel like arrows directly at goal, and running at full speed will usually end with an erratic shot unless you manage to slow down first. However, the reward for perseverance does pay dividends, and taking that extra touch to create and angle or changing speed will result in a better attempt on goal. Defending has also become more of a skill, with jockeying good players a much more sensible option than always diving in for the ball. On more than one occasion, I have left myself open in defence simply because I went for a ball that wasn’t there to be won, or even worse committed myself in an unnecessary area. Playing against the AI gives you some feel for the new depth of defending, but when you play against a decent human opponent, you will really get a feel for how to defend.
Passing, shooting and defending would all be slightly redundant if the AI for PES 2011 hadn’t been updated and improved from previous versions. Fortunately, Konami have worked hard on making the AI both more realistic and challenging for all ability players straight from the off. When attacking, the AI will tend to show you into areas of the pitch where you are slightly lower on numbers, or force a cross into an unpopulated penalty box. On more than one occasion, computer controlled defenders have intentionally brought down one of my players to slow down an attack, something which adds another level of realism to the game. When playing against the AI whilst defending, there is a definite mixture of styles and tactics you will come up against. Gone are the days of meaningless passing along the back, especially when the AI controlled side is losing. Instead, the teams will mix it up, hit long balls and try speculative shots, some of which will completely catch your defence off guard. I recently lost a game 2-1 to Wigan (I was Spurs) for the simple fact I tried to second guess what the AI was going to do. I tried to cut out a pass before the AI had even played it, something that on PES 2010 was all too predictable, and was punished by a tidy dribble and low driven cross. Upon taking the lead, the AI became exceptionally resilient, and I had no genuine answer to the defensive line.
With all this said, the AI in PES 2011 is still not perfect. At the time of writing this piece, the dreaded jog bug is still present. Basically, you can jog up and down the touch line without any real pressure and no challenge being made. If you a team like Arsenal or Barcelona, this may seem like a solid tactic from the AI, as crossing isn’t usually their strongest aspect, however when sides like Bolton and Newcastle are allowed to feed their notorious aerial strike force, problems start to arise. Konami have mentioned about sorting this out, yet at the moment it is still far too easy to go from half way line to by-line unchallenged, especially when the AI is desperate for possession of the ball. There are also occasions whereby the AI will have the opportunity to put in a big tackle of a specific player, only to let him drift past unchallenged. I am not looking for a Lee Cattermole-esque cruncher, but sometimes you do just wish for your player to get ‘hit’.
Keeper AI is improved, and whilst still not perfect the stoppers do seem to make less unforced errors, parrying more shots over and wide as opposed to straight into the path of a striker. Defenders are also more adept at clearing their lines, something which was a personal peeve in previous versions of the game. Finally, the new trick system takes a little getting used to (after all, it is the only new button combination on the game). The right stick now acts as a direct map to your player’s foot movements, and step overs, drag backs and flicks are all produced using this with a combination of a shoulder button. The feint linking system is a way of ‘cheating’ at these tricks, and is still very much in the birth stage, but following a little more playing, I will be happy to comment on it further. Initial impressions are promising, and the sheer number of tricks on PES 2011 is much greater than any of the franchises predecessors.
Sound
Fans of PES will be pleased to know that for the most part, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 features the same customisable audio as last years option, with a few added tweaks. You can still import your own play lists for background music, and upload your favourite chants into your team’s library for the real game atmosphere. The new additions come in the form of being able to add team names in sound form, so the commentators will now say ‘Arsenal’ or ‘Everton’ when that particular team is in possession of the ball. The same is to be said for the customisable stadiums and leagues, which also have a space for you to import their name in audio form. League competitions also allow for official theme music to be played before each game, something which feels quite a progression within the series, especially for fans of custom competitions amongst mates.
Of course, these modes are still a little redundant, as it would sound horrible with Jon Champion’s commentary being cut into by a random voice saying ‘Newcastle’ or ‘Blackpool’. The hoping is someone (either Champion himself or an impressionist) will create a sound pack that allows gamers to import those clips directly into the game. In a game still vastly devoid of licenses, the fact that another hurdle (the audio) is slowly being crossed makes a fully edited PES a very attractive title indeed.
Elsewhere, Jim Beglin joins the commentary team, and for the most part, takes a very similar role to that filled my Mark Lawrenson. The script is far from inspired, and once again the commentators seem to mumble irrelevant and at times pointless phrases upon predetermined stages within the game. Beglin does add some quite interesting points, but the fear that these will once again get old quickly has started to set in, and whilst new aspects are welcomely added to the script, on several occasions per match you will find yourself hearing the same comments from PES 2010! The bonus of comments made about teams and stadiums is again a plus for the commentary, but it still falls far short of the other gaming aspects, and really lets the side down in terms of a PS3 or 360 game!
Online
I am always exceptionally reluctant to review the online aspect of PES prior to the games release. My experiences so far have been promising, but due to a smaller number of gamers playing online, the servers are not really being tested to the full extent. Last year, my comments were initially positive, only to end up disappointing me again and it is for this reason I fully intend to offer a practical, honest and proper review of the fully working online mode a fortnight after the games release. If you are a fan who is waiting to see what online is like prior to purchasing, I recommend you wait a couple of days and then check out the experiences of others, but I refuse to give out false information, especially when my positive comments from last year proved to be premature.
The new offering of the Master League Online mode is a huge boost however, and providing online works to a playable standard, we can expect this to be the place gamers will spend most of the time. Just like Master League, you start with a squad of fictional players, and have to build a squad up by winning games, competitions and selling your existing stars. Player value fluctuates depending upon players demand, and therefore the famous stock saying of buy low and sell high is the order of the day here. Buying a team featuring Messi and Ronaldo will take skill, time and ability, and even then won’t guarantee you victory against a well structured and able opponent. The mode is a big plus, and is playable from day one, providing the actual Gameplay aspect works as it should.
The demand for DLC will be extremely high from the get goes, and whilst the selection of boots and balls will keep most happy, the current status of squads is embarrassing. Transfers are once again embarrassingly out of date, with any transfer happening after the World Cup seemingly ignored by Konami. This means fans either have to wade through and do the dealings themselves, or wait and suffer the indignity of playing a statistically out of date game! Hopefully, Konami will rectify this soon, but at the time of writing there has been no data update made available.
Conclusion
Personally, I think PES 2011 is an excellent game. Having played with a variety of teams and on the different difficulty settings, I find myself eager to go back and play another game, which ultimately leads to one more! The new game modes couples with improved AI, animations and passing system makes PES 2011 feel like a much more advanced game than any of its predecessors, and for the first time in a while, offers something distinctively new to old school PES fans. The game is not perfect, and there are some little niggles which may prove to expand if not fixed swiftly (jog bug), and superficial gamers may be put off by the lack of licenses and official kits, but a combination of updates from both Konami and online communities will no doubt sort that out in the short term. Online will be a huge deal again, and whilst previous years have ultimately been a let down, there is enough going from Konami’s team to suggest that like the AI, Animations and passing, the feedback may just have stretched to a solid online experience. For me, I am still very much in the honeymoon period with PES 2011, and like PES of old, find myself thoroughly enjoying my football gaming again, with Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 being the catalyst.
Introduction – Pro Evolution Soccer 2011
After many months of hype, the launch of Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 is finally upon us. Ignoring the press releases, online betas, preview codes and the free demo would have been hard enough, but having experienced the completed game first hand, I am personally very pleased with the end result. Having penned a couple of reviews for PES now, each year I seem to praise the game as the best offering Konami have mustered so far, and the 2011 is no exception. The difference being that this time, issues from previous instalments have been rectified, whilst there have been no new features taken away (a first for a PES series). For the first time, PES now feels like a genuine next generation title, and uses a revamped passing system coupled with a multitude of new animations instantly noticeable from your first minute of playing. With all the above taken into account, the game still feels and ultimately plays like a Konami game, something which offers the reassuring familiarity of a realistic football gaming experience. There are issues, of course, and I will address these throughout the interview, however from my first hours with PES 2011, I am excited for the PESGaming.com community to share the product. As with anything I write on PESGaming.com or Soccer Gaming, these views are my own, and I am as honest and frank as I possibly can be. I don’t get paid to write these reviews, I have no personal stake in Konami, and sheerly write from my own experiences. Whilst I fully expect many of you to disagree with the comments I write here, I hope you take the time to respect the review and give feedback where you feel appropriate.
Presentation & Features
From the first moment you turn PES 2011 on, the all round product feels more polished than its predecessor. The majority of menu’s in the game are now image orientated, and scroll horizontally along the bottom third of the screen. Whilst last years circle theme’s were a nice idea, they didn’t really lend themselves to practical navigation, something which Konami have clearly focussed on this time. Overall, everything is presented with ease of use in mind, and text and graphics are easy to read and quite clear to follow. Edit mode is one area which has had very little change from a presentation point of view, and whilst a number of new features are included in the mode, expect the same vertical lists and similar inputs when creating anything within PES.
A major change within the presentation set up is the new look formation screens. For those who have played the demo, these screens will have become second nature, but for PES veterans, the drag and drop player selection feels more like a management sim than PES. Fortunately, it works very well, and now asking your winger to push further forward or have one CB sweep can be manipulated with real ease. This is complemented with a new look ‘management settings’ option, which dictates the way your team plays and sets up depending upon the time and score line within any given match. This is exceptionally helpful when playing against AI, but also for your own team, as you can justify why a certain player is holding a certain position, or making a run during any given period. Having come from a background of text based formation screens, the new look PES 2011 screen is highly welcomed and perhaps more importantly, very effective.
Elsewhere, all game modes from Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 return, including UEFA Champions League mode and the well thought out community mode. Become A Legend has been given a revamp, and you are now given more tactical and technical information before games as to find out what is expected during your performance. Master League also returns, as does the usual custom leagues and cups that are regularly on offer.
The game’s new features include the Copa Santander Libertadores, which is the smart way of saying the South American Champions League. A welcome addition to the series, the mode allows you to play as the finest teams from South America either in friendly matches or in the licensed representation of the tournament itself. The down side to this mode, however, is that teams are restricted to only being used in this mode, meaning you can not play a South American team from the Copa Libertadores against an English Premier League team. Whilst the addition of 40 new teams is a huge boost, the fact they are restricted definitely dampens the mode. Elsewhere, the Master League Online is a great new feature. I fully intend to write a full review of how the mode works in a separate article, but it acts as a great equaliser for gamers playing PES online, without the constant Barcelona vs. Real Madrid matches of yesteryear.
Another inclusion is the Extra Content section. Whilst this is basically a new name for the PES shop, it adds purpose to playing the multitude of friendly games PES gamers participate in, and offers content such as enhancement for game modes, new editing tools and classic teams and players. Whilst some of the unlockable content has been rightly criticised for being inappropriate, there is no denying that other features, including new stadium parts and ‘mode expansion kits’ are welcome additions.
Finally on the features front, PES 2011 offers an expanded Edit mode which now allows gamers to create custom leagues, competitions and stadiums. The former of the three includes logo design and even entrance music for the competition, whilst the stadium editor allows gamers to put together their own stadiums with a combination of preset stadiums parts and their own images from the hard drive. Whilst this mode feels very new and almost raw, the potential is there to make some pretty tasty grounds, including a fair few accurate representations of Premier League stadia. Whilst I’d have personally loved to see more parts available for the mode, there is enough there to keep me going for PES 2011, and offers Konami a solid stepping stone for the future.
Konami have done themselves a huge service by not removing any features from PES 2010 when creating PES 2011, something which had become a major criticism, especially since the latter years of the PS2 generation. There is still no Random Selection Mode, No ability to mix and match sorts and socks and the ability to swap teams mid competition (something which I know many of you like) is missing, however the modes added do play some part to easing the pain! I am pretty confident in saying this is the most licensed, and most feature filled Pro Evolution Soccer ever created.
Graphics
Graphically, PES 2011 looks very similar to its predecessor. Player models remain similar for the most part, and whilst the lighting effects and shading have slightly been altered, the sprites and stadia look very similar from the outset. The same could be said for player’s attire, which still has the impression of skin as opposed to clothing. Player’s physical appearances are of the usual PES standard. The majority of big name players are instantly recognisable, whilst lower rated Premier League teams featured a mixed of accurate and slightly random images. Andy Carroll, Newcastle’s iconic number 9, still has the short hair that he had the last time he graced the Premier League, whilst both Adebayor and Malouda feature very dated haircuts. All three players can be edited in minutes, but it is a shape Konami failed to address this from the off.
When it comes to the instant replays however, the graphical clarity is sublime. One main difference of the PS3 version is the maximum 720p setting on offer, however zooming in on details such as boots and balls, the images are exceptionally crisp. The replays which follow every foul might get annoying after a certain period of time, however they always look excellent and you can usually see the point of contact which justifies the decision. This has come along way from just a couple of years ago, when fouls were seen as a bit more of a lottery.
Animations are hugely improved, and this is something that will not only please many PES fans, but also improves the Gameplay. Players can not strike the ball at a variety of heights and angles, thanks to reworked graphical animations, and this is taken further by new animations for collisions, headers and shots. Goalkeepers have also been given some new animations, which seem to suit the collision detection between the keeper and ball. Now if a keeper spills a ball, it will be because it’***** his elbow or shin, and not because he is clumsy. The new passing and dribbling animations fit in perfectly, and for the first time in several attempts, the whole game feels new, something which is as much down to the new animations as anything else.
The ‘new’ camera angles also add a different dimension to the game. At first, the angle may seem awkward, but after a quick pan and tilt, you will realise it is the most beneficial way to play PES 2011. You are close enough to the action to see what’s going on, but far enough away to see the whole picture. Unlike previous PES, there is no HUD at the bottom of the screen by default, with all information (power gauge, stamina and player name) displayed above the players head. In spite of early reservations, this works very well indeed, and actually looks a lot more realistic than I first thought. I do tend to experiment with the other camera angles and display settings on PES, however with the current batch; I haven’t felt the need to. All the information can be changed and edited as soon as PES loads up for the first time or alternatively in the options menu later on.
In other graphical points of note, the boots look fantastic, with a wide range of styles available straight out the box. For the first time on a PES game, you also have the choice of base layers for players in the winter months. When editing a player, you can choose if they wear long sleeves, or a thermal shirt underneath their replica top, something which I know will please many gamers! There are still the occasional collision issues, something which I feel still plague every video game on the market, however as a whole this version of PES looks exceptionally sharp, and only by playing it does this come across fully.
Gameplay & Controls
PES has always been favoured by fans for its Gameplay, and for the first time since its arrival on the current generation of games, there has been a notable revamp to how the game feels when being played. This starts with the way players move when then have the ball at their feet, with dribbling feel both more accurate and more responsive to the touch. A player like Ozil still feels more deliberate in their actions than a Nesta or Vidic, yet all players seem to have a more noticeable control over the ball. This is taken further by a player’s first touch. Top players will trap the ball almost instantly, whereas weaker players will need two or three touches to get the ball under control.
The new passing system is a definite success, and once you get used to physically weighting and angling your passes, there is simply no looking back. Long balls can now be hit into space or up to feet, and the feel of a homing missile like switch pass is now vanished, if you manage to ping a ball from left to right it will occur simply down to your control and skill. A lot is to be said for getting the ball under control when playing a pass too, as first time passes, especially at awkward angles, are a lot trickier to pull off. Again, top players will hit that defence splitting pass with more ease, but there is a solid learning curve for the passing. After several games, the system feels natural and allows you to play some great football, should your style dictate that way of playing.
Shooting has been revamped to, and will immediately split fans of the series. Gone are the times when shots feel like arrows directly at goal, and running at full speed will usually end with an erratic shot unless you manage to slow down first. However, the reward for perseverance does pay dividends, and taking that extra touch to create and angle or changing speed will result in a better attempt on goal. Defending has also become more of a skill, with jockeying good players a much more sensible option than always diving in for the ball. On more than one occasion, I have left myself open in defence simply because I went for a ball that wasn’t there to be won, or even worse committed myself in an unnecessary area. Playing against the AI gives you some feel for the new depth of defending, but when you play against a decent human opponent, you will really get a feel for how to defend.
Passing, shooting and defending would all be slightly redundant if the AI for PES 2011 hadn’t been updated and improved from previous versions. Fortunately, Konami have worked hard on making the AI both more realistic and challenging for all ability players straight from the off. When attacking, the AI will tend to show you into areas of the pitch where you are slightly lower on numbers, or force a cross into an unpopulated penalty box. On more than one occasion, computer controlled defenders have intentionally brought down one of my players to slow down an attack, something which adds another level of realism to the game. When playing against the AI whilst defending, there is a definite mixture of styles and tactics you will come up against. Gone are the days of meaningless passing along the back, especially when the AI controlled side is losing. Instead, the teams will mix it up, hit long balls and try speculative shots, some of which will completely catch your defence off guard. I recently lost a game 2-1 to Wigan (I was Spurs) for the simple fact I tried to second guess what the AI was going to do. I tried to cut out a pass before the AI had even played it, something that on PES 2010 was all too predictable, and was punished by a tidy dribble and low driven cross. Upon taking the lead, the AI became exceptionally resilient, and I had no genuine answer to the defensive line.
With all this said, the AI in PES 2011 is still not perfect. At the time of writing this piece, the dreaded jog bug is still present. Basically, you can jog up and down the touch line without any real pressure and no challenge being made. If you a team like Arsenal or Barcelona, this may seem like a solid tactic from the AI, as crossing isn’t usually their strongest aspect, however when sides like Bolton and Newcastle are allowed to feed their notorious aerial strike force, problems start to arise. Konami have mentioned about sorting this out, yet at the moment it is still far too easy to go from half way line to by-line unchallenged, especially when the AI is desperate for possession of the ball. There are also occasions whereby the AI will have the opportunity to put in a big tackle of a specific player, only to let him drift past unchallenged. I am not looking for a Lee Cattermole-esque cruncher, but sometimes you do just wish for your player to get ‘hit’.
Keeper AI is improved, and whilst still not perfect the stoppers do seem to make less unforced errors, parrying more shots over and wide as opposed to straight into the path of a striker. Defenders are also more adept at clearing their lines, something which was a personal peeve in previous versions of the game. Finally, the new trick system takes a little getting used to (after all, it is the only new button combination on the game). The right stick now acts as a direct map to your player’s foot movements, and step overs, drag backs and flicks are all produced using this with a combination of a shoulder button. The feint linking system is a way of ‘cheating’ at these tricks, and is still very much in the birth stage, but following a little more playing, I will be happy to comment on it further. Initial impressions are promising, and the sheer number of tricks on PES 2011 is much greater than any of the franchises predecessors.
Sound
Fans of PES will be pleased to know that for the most part, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 features the same customisable audio as last years option, with a few added tweaks. You can still import your own play lists for background music, and upload your favourite chants into your team’s library for the real game atmosphere. The new additions come in the form of being able to add team names in sound form, so the commentators will now say ‘Arsenal’ or ‘Everton’ when that particular team is in possession of the ball. The same is to be said for the customisable stadiums and leagues, which also have a space for you to import their name in audio form. League competitions also allow for official theme music to be played before each game, something which feels quite a progression within the series, especially for fans of custom competitions amongst mates.
Of course, these modes are still a little redundant, as it would sound horrible with Jon Champion’s commentary being cut into by a random voice saying ‘Newcastle’ or ‘Blackpool’. The hoping is someone (either Champion himself or an impressionist) will create a sound pack that allows gamers to import those clips directly into the game. In a game still vastly devoid of licenses, the fact that another hurdle (the audio) is slowly being crossed makes a fully edited PES a very attractive title indeed.
Elsewhere, Jim Beglin joins the commentary team, and for the most part, takes a very similar role to that filled my Mark Lawrenson. The script is far from inspired, and once again the commentators seem to mumble irrelevant and at times pointless phrases upon predetermined stages within the game. Beglin does add some quite interesting points, but the fear that these will once again get old quickly has started to set in, and whilst new aspects are welcomely added to the script, on several occasions per match you will find yourself hearing the same comments from PES 2010! The bonus of comments made about teams and stadiums is again a plus for the commentary, but it still falls far short of the other gaming aspects, and really lets the side down in terms of a PS3 or 360 game!
Online
I am always exceptionally reluctant to review the online aspect of PES prior to the games release. My experiences so far have been promising, but due to a smaller number of gamers playing online, the servers are not really being tested to the full extent. Last year, my comments were initially positive, only to end up disappointing me again and it is for this reason I fully intend to offer a practical, honest and proper review of the fully working online mode a fortnight after the games release. If you are a fan who is waiting to see what online is like prior to purchasing, I recommend you wait a couple of days and then check out the experiences of others, but I refuse to give out false information, especially when my positive comments from last year proved to be premature.
The new offering of the Master League Online mode is a huge boost however, and providing online works to a playable standard, we can expect this to be the place gamers will spend most of the time. Just like Master League, you start with a squad of fictional players, and have to build a squad up by winning games, competitions and selling your existing stars. Player value fluctuates depending upon players demand, and therefore the famous stock saying of buy low and sell high is the order of the day here. Buying a team featuring Messi and Ronaldo will take skill, time and ability, and even then won’t guarantee you victory against a well structured and able opponent. The mode is a big plus, and is playable from day one, providing the actual Gameplay aspect works as it should.
The demand for DLC will be extremely high from the get goes, and whilst the selection of boots and balls will keep most happy, the current status of squads is embarrassing. Transfers are once again embarrassingly out of date, with any transfer happening after the World Cup seemingly ignored by Konami. This means fans either have to wade through and do the dealings themselves, or wait and suffer the indignity of playing a statistically out of date game! Hopefully, Konami will rectify this soon, but at the time of writing there has been no data update made available.
Conclusion
Personally, I think PES 2011 is an excellent game. Having played with a variety of teams and on the different difficulty settings, I find myself eager to go back and play another game, which ultimately leads to one more! The new game modes couples with improved AI, animations and passing system makes PES 2011 feel like a much more advanced game than any of its predecessors, and for the first time in a while, offers something distinctively new to old school PES fans. The game is not perfect, and there are some little niggles which may prove to expand if not fixed swiftly (jog bug), and superficial gamers may be put off by the lack of licenses and official kits, but a combination of updates from both Konami and online communities will no doubt sort that out in the short term. Online will be a huge deal again, and whilst previous years have ultimately been a let down, there is enough going from Konami’s team to suggest that like the AI, Animations and passing, the feedback may just have stretched to a solid online experience. For me, I am still very much in the honeymoon period with PES 2011, and like PES of old, find myself thoroughly enjoying my football gaming again, with Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 being the catalyst.