The more I play the game the more exposed I am to its problems. Catch up AI is back, scripted goals are back, bad goalkeepers are back, out of date rosters are back, a further lack of licensed teams are back, and the ability to use Copa Libertadores teams against European teams is totally absent.
I will never play FIFA, I can't stand it. FIFA has completely assimilated all of the best PES has come to offer over the last 12 years without any shame, but the fact of the matter is I am sick and tired of continually giving my money to Konami only to see a complete lack of effort in their finished product. As big a fan I am of Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo, even I was disparaged to see them included on the Corinthians roster almost a year after their departure. This is simply unacceptable.
There used to be a time when statistics mattered in PES. Now statistics are completely meaningless. Why include explosive power and speed stats when slow players can catch the fast ones all the same? Why change the shooting mechanics? I cannot tell you guys how many times I've had clear shots on net with Kaka or Neymar only to see the ball balloon harmlessly land into the keepers arms. And what is with the defensive AI? I play the game on either Professional or World Class settings and every team parks the bus.... Every team! On counter attacks the defensive AI regroups at almost light speed. Breaking down the defense at the top of the box is near impossible because they always have 10 men behind the ball.
The ball physics are also a joke. Whenever the AI takes the ball to the lines and I win the ball back on a challenge it always goes out, and they regain possession on a throw in. Whenever I line dribble for some reason the defensive AI always wins the ball back clean and I scrambling to prevent a massive counter attack. I can't tell you how many times the ball will pinball off my players and land in a cushioned fashion on an attacking player already in forward motion.
This game is simply broken. It is frustrating, and it is more importantly not fun. PES 2009 may have had limited animations, but at least you can counter the AI with one-two passes, long shots, and defensive organization. That game rewarded possession. In 2011 and 2012 possession means nothing. I was using Santos and was winning 1-0 against Jaguares. They had zero attempts on net. All of a sudden at around minute 50 the scripting kicks in and I get destroyed. None of my passes work, all of my shots on net are either straight at the keeper or harmless, and every time I lose the ball I am being counter attacked into oblivion.
For those that truly believe that they fixed the keepers with the last update, I call bullshit. All of a sudden all my shots became directed at the keepers. It isn't that they improved the keeper AI as much as they destroyed the shooting. Back to Winning Eleven 6 for me.
