7 essential tips to win in PES 2018
With so many game modes, tournaments, and players, it’s hard to know where to start so we're here to help you kick off in what might be the best PES yet.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 kicks off another season of footie sim battles on September 12, and in a bid to keep even with EA Sports' almighty FIFA, Konami have once again upped their game. The new game features more licensed players and teams than ever before, new modes and entirely new control schemes for set pieces, which you can read all about in our preview.
How to get on top of them all? Football games require dedication. If you pick them up and expect to be brilliant right away, you’re going to come away sore after a 6–0 thrashing (if you're lucky) and potentially put off playing again.
Regardless of which mode you're playing, this year’s PES is no different in that respect, though our handy cheat sheet of Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 tips will help. If you're new to the series, just wondering what may have changed or looking to work your way up the ladder online, we've got you covered.
Use Random Selection Mode to get used to changing tactics
Because of how throwaway each Random Selection Mode match is, it's a great way to get used to trying out lots of different formations and changing tactics. The likelihood is that the first few times you try this mode, you’ll be intentionally using it to get experience with the very best players in all positions, all thrown together in a team with your favourite kit.
But let's say you go behind in a match. Why not go into your game plan and substitute more attacking players on, and move them all up front? This forces your opponent to react, either matching you or going ultra defensive. Either way, this is going to change the ebb and flow of the game.
One tactic that always forces your opponent to panic is removing your defensive midfield players and pushing all bar the absolute bare minimum defenders up the pitch تیرآهن 16 . You overload the opposition box and thus open the playing field up hugely. One way or another, they will have to react, or you will score a goal. Rather than playing a pre-set formation now, you look like you've gone crazy, leaving huge gaps everywhere by up front and at the back, but it works, and it's easy to try this in Random Selection Mode when you've got the best players.
Pro PES players do this late in the game, and we’ve seen with our own eyes a player put six players up front in a desperate attempt to get a winning goal. Don't be afraid to experiment and get used to changing tactics based on your opponent or how the match is going.
Learn tricks, but don't overuse them
Due to the contextual actions in PES 2018, some 'tricks' will happen naturally. For example, you might be sprinting down the wing and hit a pass, and your player does a rabona. It might seem daft, but it's quite cool in practice.
However, tricks are valuable if used correctly. If you’re using every last ounce of stamina to run a quick player ahead of the full backs, only to do a trick that ends up allowing the other team to get back and defend, that's pointless. Cut inside, by all means, but don’t suddenly stop your run and turn back the other way because you’ve done a silly trick that you didn’t need to. Learn the tricks, use them to beat a player, but remember showboating will end up potentially costing you the match. Time and place, people.
Don't just play as the best teams
It’s tempting to play as Real Madrid, Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain every time you hit the online multiplayer up, but you aren't going to learn anything by playing as the best players in the best teams all the time. Challenging matches offer the opportunity to overcome difficulties and succeed, and we think that playing as a lower level team from time to time will make you a better player overall.
While better players can play higher quality passes, having to play a tighter game because you need to do so will make you better in the long term. If you’re winning 10–0 every game offline, change the difficulty. Don't be afraid to lose now and then, because you can learn from defeat.
Get used to the free kick and corner systems quickly
This year's PES has seen Konami change the dead ball system in a positive way. Even penalties are better now, but the free kicks are the star of the show. Allowing for more creative freedom than before, you can even pull the camera out for a second view at your set piece. We probably don’t need to tell you this, but play the game lots, get lots of free kicks, practice them and get good. People will have been hammering the demo and the online beta, and will already be proficient at breaking the net with the likes of Messi. You need to get on that, fast.
One of the best things about PES 2018's new system is that it's easy to get results pretty quickly. Given that you can now change the view and zoom out to get a better view, you just need to move the camera around to the position you want to hit the ball, then as your player runs up, you can affect curl on the ball by holding left or right. Doing this means you can very quickly swing the ball from a position that looks like it's going wide, to one that is going top bins, and that's one of the best feelings in the game تیرآهن 18 . Make sure you try all the different positions on the power bar, too, to find a sweet spot for every position on the pitch, but also note that not every player is as proficient with a dead ball situation as the very best in the game.
Keep an eye on the little upside down triangle
As with every sports game, there's an upside down triangular cursor above the head of the player you're controlling. But PES 2018 has something else rather useful. If you look around the pitch, you’ll notice that while your currently controlled player triangle is filled with colour, there are others that are empty. That's because the empty cursor is the player you'll take control of next, if you hit the switch player button. This is a defensive thing, but it's incredibly helpful to know precisely which player you'll be switching to, rather than assuming it’s the closest one. On top of that, you can use the right stick to manually choose based on which way you flick the stick. It's the little things that count, isn't it?
If you're playing locally, hide your controller
Tying nicely into the set pieces tip above, we heartily recommend hiding your controller from your pals if you're playing on the same sofa. Maybe not so much with free kicks and corners, but penalties definitely require this tried and tested method. This is even more important now thanks to Random Selection Mode, where you can steal each other's players based on which button combination you press. Don't give your opponent the chance to win, hide which way you're hitting a penalty or which buttons you're pressing to steal their players.
Understand the terminology, and experiment
If you're coming over from FIFA, you might not understand how an 'SS' player compares to a 'CF'. A lot of players can play in multiple positions, but which one you select will affect their overall rating. For example, switching a player from 'Second Striker' to 'Centre Forward' might change their rating from 89 to 91. A lot of these stats are based on real life, so a good example in past games is how Wayne Rooney would be a better 'SS' than 'CF' because in real life he likes to drop deeper and collect the ball.
Play around with the menus, learn the terminology and what works for each player. PES has never been overly friendly about teaching this kind of stuff, but it really can be tremendously important. Is your player an 'AMF' (Attacking Midfielder) or an 'SS'? Can they play 'RWF'? Remember you can manually move any player in any formation by holding the Cross button (PS4) or change their role by hitting the Square button. Have fun, and take your time to learn all of the nuances of the game.
With so many game modes, tournaments, and players, it’s hard to know where to start so we're here to help you kick off in what might be the best PES yet.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 kicks off another season of footie sim battles on September 12, and in a bid to keep even with EA Sports' almighty FIFA, Konami have once again upped their game. The new game features more licensed players and teams than ever before, new modes and entirely new control schemes for set pieces, which you can read all about in our preview.
How to get on top of them all? Football games require dedication. If you pick them up and expect to be brilliant right away, you’re going to come away sore after a 6–0 thrashing (if you're lucky) and potentially put off playing again.
Regardless of which mode you're playing, this year’s PES is no different in that respect, though our handy cheat sheet of Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 tips will help. If you're new to the series, just wondering what may have changed or looking to work your way up the ladder online, we've got you covered.
Use Random Selection Mode to get used to changing tactics
Because of how throwaway each Random Selection Mode match is, it's a great way to get used to trying out lots of different formations and changing tactics. The likelihood is that the first few times you try this mode, you’ll be intentionally using it to get experience with the very best players in all positions, all thrown together in a team with your favourite kit.
But let's say you go behind in a match. Why not go into your game plan and substitute more attacking players on, and move them all up front? This forces your opponent to react, either matching you or going ultra defensive. Either way, this is going to change the ebb and flow of the game.
One tactic that always forces your opponent to panic is removing your defensive midfield players and pushing all bar the absolute bare minimum defenders up the pitch تیرآهن 16 . You overload the opposition box and thus open the playing field up hugely. One way or another, they will have to react, or you will score a goal. Rather than playing a pre-set formation now, you look like you've gone crazy, leaving huge gaps everywhere by up front and at the back, but it works, and it's easy to try this in Random Selection Mode when you've got the best players.
Pro PES players do this late in the game, and we’ve seen with our own eyes a player put six players up front in a desperate attempt to get a winning goal. Don't be afraid to experiment and get used to changing tactics based on your opponent or how the match is going.
Learn tricks, but don't overuse them
Due to the contextual actions in PES 2018, some 'tricks' will happen naturally. For example, you might be sprinting down the wing and hit a pass, and your player does a rabona. It might seem daft, but it's quite cool in practice.
However, tricks are valuable if used correctly. If you’re using every last ounce of stamina to run a quick player ahead of the full backs, only to do a trick that ends up allowing the other team to get back and defend, that's pointless. Cut inside, by all means, but don’t suddenly stop your run and turn back the other way because you’ve done a silly trick that you didn’t need to. Learn the tricks, use them to beat a player, but remember showboating will end up potentially costing you the match. Time and place, people.
Don't just play as the best teams
It’s tempting to play as Real Madrid, Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain every time you hit the online multiplayer up, but you aren't going to learn anything by playing as the best players in the best teams all the time. Challenging matches offer the opportunity to overcome difficulties and succeed, and we think that playing as a lower level team from time to time will make you a better player overall.
While better players can play higher quality passes, having to play a tighter game because you need to do so will make you better in the long term. If you’re winning 10–0 every game offline, change the difficulty. Don't be afraid to lose now and then, because you can learn from defeat.
Get used to the free kick and corner systems quickly
This year's PES has seen Konami change the dead ball system in a positive way. Even penalties are better now, but the free kicks are the star of the show. Allowing for more creative freedom than before, you can even pull the camera out for a second view at your set piece. We probably don’t need to tell you this, but play the game lots, get lots of free kicks, practice them and get good. People will have been hammering the demo and the online beta, and will already be proficient at breaking the net with the likes of Messi. You need to get on that, fast.
One of the best things about PES 2018's new system is that it's easy to get results pretty quickly. Given that you can now change the view and zoom out to get a better view, you just need to move the camera around to the position you want to hit the ball, then as your player runs up, you can affect curl on the ball by holding left or right. Doing this means you can very quickly swing the ball from a position that looks like it's going wide, to one that is going top bins, and that's one of the best feelings in the game تیرآهن 18 . Make sure you try all the different positions on the power bar, too, to find a sweet spot for every position on the pitch, but also note that not every player is as proficient with a dead ball situation as the very best in the game.
Keep an eye on the little upside down triangle
As with every sports game, there's an upside down triangular cursor above the head of the player you're controlling. But PES 2018 has something else rather useful. If you look around the pitch, you’ll notice that while your currently controlled player triangle is filled with colour, there are others that are empty. That's because the empty cursor is the player you'll take control of next, if you hit the switch player button. This is a defensive thing, but it's incredibly helpful to know precisely which player you'll be switching to, rather than assuming it’s the closest one. On top of that, you can use the right stick to manually choose based on which way you flick the stick. It's the little things that count, isn't it?
If you're playing locally, hide your controller
Tying nicely into the set pieces tip above, we heartily recommend hiding your controller from your pals if you're playing on the same sofa. Maybe not so much with free kicks and corners, but penalties definitely require this tried and tested method. This is even more important now thanks to Random Selection Mode, where you can steal each other's players based on which button combination you press. Don't give your opponent the chance to win, hide which way you're hitting a penalty or which buttons you're pressing to steal their players.
Understand the terminology, and experiment
If you're coming over from FIFA, you might not understand how an 'SS' player compares to a 'CF'. A lot of players can play in multiple positions, but which one you select will affect their overall rating. For example, switching a player from 'Second Striker' to 'Centre Forward' might change their rating from 89 to 91. A lot of these stats are based on real life, so a good example in past games is how Wayne Rooney would be a better 'SS' than 'CF' because in real life he likes to drop deeper and collect the ball.
Play around with the menus, learn the terminology and what works for each player. PES has never been overly friendly about teaching this kind of stuff, but it really can be tremendously important. Is your player an 'AMF' (Attacking Midfielder) or an 'SS'? Can they play 'RWF'? Remember you can manually move any player in any formation by holding the Cross button (PS4) or change their role by hitting the Square button. Have fun, and take your time to learn all of the nuances of the game.