Here goes...Another Fifa rant.
With Fifa being my game of choice for the last 17 years I couldn't imagine buying a Pro Evo game, to me they are an abomination, I need the licensing, the atmosphere, the immersion, there's an intensity with every game that feels real, and even the imperfections of the game add to the realism for me, Yeah the passing isn't perfect, But it isn't perfect in real life so I'm okay with that. I know it sounds silly but PES has always felt too perfect, the passing was perfect and the touches were deft, but it didn't 'feel' like an immersive football game. It has always felt like a simulation and left me very apathetic. I found it boring and uninspiring, it didn't excite me the way fifa could.
Fifa 16 though is wearing my patience like no other, Each year I find myself struggling to get to grips with the new way it plays and I'll complain to my friends for the first few weeks that it's the worst game I've ever played until I get the hang of it. However since the biggest complaint of last year was that the game heavily favoured players with pace, EA's attempt to cut that advantage seems to have been to slow the game down to a crawl, I've found the ball moving at such a slow speed that the computer is able to read and intercept a huge percentage of my passes, And if my passes do somehow make it to my intended target they take a very slow first touch which allows the defender to close them down with ease.
I always start my seasons with Real Madrid ( Until Rangers are back in the SPL ) and I've played several balls behind the defence for Ronaldo and Bale only to have the defenders make up at least 5-10 yards on them and barge them off the ball. Now I don't mind giving the defenders a chance but Ronaldo and Bale are two of the fastest players in the world and I can't get anywhere near to the box without a defender glued to them, this is just not realistic and incredibly frustrating. It also brings me to my next point which is that the defenders can get back so quickly it means they can regain their shape and guard the box while I try to play short and sharp passing to find a gap to get a shot away, only there is no short and sharp passing because as I've mentioned, the passes are so slow that every attempt I make the computer has had enough time to come out and intercept and suddenly I'm being countered.
Fifa have been on top for too long and they have gotten lazy, each year it's been becoming more and more clear to players that less significant changes were being made, Team updates felt like the biggest change some years, But at least those baby steps were moving forward. This is the first year I've found the game taking steps backward overall and the cracks in the game are showing now more than ever. I've always had a long list of complaints about Fifa each year but the overall gameplay was always satisfying, this year the core of the game is it's worst attribute and it's unforgivable. The Women's football seems to actually play a lot faster and more open but there are very limited teams and game modes for you to play with unfortunately.
Suddenly my love of the imperfection in the game has turned to hatred and I'm finding the game near unplayable, the intensity is replaced with frustration, and instead of being immersed by realistic imperfection I'm seeing straight through a poorly made Football simulator. And with the immersion being the main draw of the game, to lose that makes me feel now like I may as well be playing PES where my passes will actually go to the player I'm looking for, and I'll have enough time to look around and make another pass before losing the ball. Licensing in Pro Evo isn't great but it's come a long way since the days of "Man Red" and "London Blue". Perhaps this is the year where I switch to Pro Evo and wait for Fifa to catch up and make some decent improvements.
I'm sure there are many people who Agree and Disagree with me here as It's such a dividing topic but let me know what you think in the comments, and the same goes to any Pro Evo players that want to give me that final push over to the dark side. Thanks for letting me vent.
RIDE 6 is a major step up from the previous franchise games. The game appeals to the broadest audience possible without sacrificing realism.
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After spending several hours with Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, I've got pretty high hopes for release day.
Really enjoying the PES 2016 demo so far. Would be a day one purchase if I hadn't already spent my gaming budget for the next 3-4 months on the Rock Band 4 band bundle. Will definitely be picking this up during the holiday season.
With that said, as far as the gameplay goes, I really loved the overall feel of PES this year. I had to be mindful of my offense and defense, but it never became frustrating or boring. Reminds me of PES back in the PS2 days (in terms of how solid the game felt and how fun it was to play).
PES has been evolving into the game that it is today for the last 3 years. It was a slooooow process. But, I feel like this year they nailed it. It's hard to pin down what "it" is, but I guess it would be the feel of the game. Teams play to their strengths. Barca and Bayern are methodical and pick you apart through the middle. Chelsea plays a strong flanking and midfield game. Take a stronger team vs. a weaker team and you will often see the weaker team put numbers behind the ball and try to counter and long ball their way to victory. Even individual players are hugely representative of themselves. Robben and Ribery are beasts on the flanks. Messi terrorizes with well timed runs and ball control in tight spaces. Neymar will shoot from just about anywhere within the box. Plus, there's generally a more aggressive nature to the game. Tackles and shouldering are made better by Konami giving some more love to the physics engine. The ball is truly it's own entity. It's not tethered to the feet and spurts out on bad traps, bad touches, or just ricochets off of players. Some of the most exciting plays come from those unscripted moments (which PES is full of). FIFA, imo, always felt like there was a place or a way to score and most goals came from there. (they kind of even looked the same)
All in all, PES is still a sim at heart. But, they have just worked to make it less rigid and more free flowing. Pacing is good. Shots feel really good. Animations are excellent. As for the licensing, if you are on PS4 or PS3, you have the ability to download and install option files with the real kits for any team that you want. I was able to get the BPL with 2-3 kits + goalie + manager pics installed in roughly an hour. (Part of that was my unfamiliarity with some of the smaller team's kits and which one was 2nd or 3rd.)
I have always liked both games. Often which one I liked better was year to year. However, the last two years has been PES. I say that to say that you can't lose if you don't get one or the other. Each one is unique. But, this year's PES really does remind me of the older PES games. It just feels right.