The Fox engine brings a new level of fluid play and graphic spice to Pro Evolution Soccer 2014. The difference is noticeable from the first tutorial kickabouts and utterly transforms the game in play.
Add to that a new league — the Asian Champions League — which will give you the chance to play Al Ain FC, Dubai’s Al Nasr FC, Abu Dhabi’s Al Jazira FC and Saudi Arabia’s Al Shabab FC, among a host of other Asian clubs.
PES has always enjoyed a reputation as the football technician’s game of choice. It may lack the glamour of FIFA’s big-name rights but it’s the football game for people who love football.
The 2014 edition takes that reputation, crosses it to the far post and heads it into the back of the net. Controls are delicate and it does take a while to master them and to learn when not to use them.
PES 2014 rewards practise and patience. This is not a game for button mashers or for people who anticipate prematurely, as I found to my cost leaping into a game without spending the time to practise new controls — not only from the new engine, in my case, but a switch from years of PS PES to the Xbox version.
After ignominious defeat, a couple of hours in the training ground soon had Yorkshire Orange’s players in competitive shape but it took a couple more matches before I learnt to stop chasing the ball or hammering the defence buttons in desperate attempts to regain possession.
PES is a technical game in more ways than one: move too far out of position and you’ll leave a nasty hole in your line, which your opponents can — and will — exploit. PES’s AI is no pushover.
And last year’s technique of tick-tock passing isn’t going to work too well in the 2014 edition. The AI’s defenders are watching out for that, ready to swoop in and take possession.
Anticipate moves too early and your player will execute too early, leaving a wasted opportunity at best or getting a red card at worse. Button mashing is just as bad as the game queues up several commands — by the time the last one begins, play’s moved on. More than once a series of desperate tackles turned into lousy passes after I won possession, leading to hairy moments as opponents took advantage of the break.
A gentle touch, well-timed, works wonders. Teammates are quite capable of doing their jobs and the game will move control to players when needed — just be careful how you receive a pass; it matters.
In defence, a new system Konami’s calling MASS (motion animation stability system) means you can jostle opponents, forcing them into errors when you put pressure on them. It also cures the old problem of running through opponents instead of into them.
But it’s when you open up the bonnet and start grubbing about inside that PES 2014 reveals hidden delights. There are so many customisation options it’s difficult to know where to start. You can dictate how your team plays overall and how its defenders, midfielders and forwards operate.
You can build individual players’ skills.
Advanced controls add even more options, with precision passing and shooting but they’re certainly not for the faint-hearted — with great power comes great responsibility.
The football management functions have new twists as well. You can still develop a player’s career but when developing a manager you now have the option to switch teams and go for glory and silverware, rather than building up a one-club legacy. Do well enough and you may be offered a chance to manage a national team (pick your manager’s nationality with care as you stand a greater chance of being offered a shot at managing your own national team).
PES 2014 has depth, fluid play and an AI that’s worth playing against.
Konami are rightly proud of this version. What’s not to love?
Will it knock FIFA of the top spot? Maybe not. But it is going to win a special place in the hearts of gamers who love sports games.
PES 2014 is Konami’s Jose Mourinho: it’s the special one.
Box: PES 2014
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Genre: Sports play, sports management (football)
Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Version tested: Xbox 360
Star Rating: 4.5/5
