Okay, so I've been smashing this game for two/three days non stop, full retail (US Version). It's as full as I can make it so if you can't read long write ups this isn't for you! 
Here's my verdict -
My God this game is SO close to perfection, that the glaring errors with it make me want to cry. I started with a lot of exhibition games to get the flow of it, it is ever so slightly different to the demos in that things are generally a touch smoother.
I then jumped into Master League, with Liverpool, Top Player, Semi Assisted, default passing assistance. I play on -1 speed, 15 min games, pitchside camera. I have played about half a season as Liverpool using the default players and I am 17th!
Half of me thinks this game is simply the best football game I've ever played. Here's why -
Every game I am learning something new. I have played well over two hundred games with the demo, and have played lots now with the full retail. I love the passing, I love the ways the players find space and I love that you have to look deeply at your tactics. I think the player individuality is absolutely brilliant. Get Gerrard on the ball and he's strong, marauding and is your archetypal English powerhouse in midfield. Then there's someone like Adam, what a left peg he has! I have scored some truly stunning efforts with him so far. Then you have Downing or couldn't hit a fly off the ball, but is decent when in one on one situations and who has a terrific cross. Carroll, good in the air and can hold play up. Individuality is all over the pitch. You can feel it.
My second point - and to people who say every game pans out the same - are you insane?!? I have had every match you can think of. I have had slow European ties that have petered out into draws and rip roaring end to end screamers. We all know about the AI etc, but I want to go into more detail about the way the game pans out AND I THINK THIS IS THE INCREDIBLE PART.
From my experience this is why I love the game so much (when it clicks). I played Wolves with a 4-4-1-1 formation and was winning 2-0. I then made a change a brought Carroll off, left Suarez on his own up top and shored up the midfield a bit bringing on Lucas to to a holding role, 4-1-4-1 now. I then lost the ball rashly in midfield and Wolves simply pounced on it to make it two-one. Looking back I made the sub too early as the last twenty minutes was ALL Wolves. They got back to 2-2 and the momentum was all with them. In the end I was lucky to escape with a draw, this was all after coasting at 2-0 with them not threatening my goal for 70 minutes.
I played Man Utd, went one-nil up, and then for the last twenty minutes I could feel the pressure. Suddenly they were closing down quicker, pressing higher, taking more risks. If you look throughout the game the CPU makes lots of changes to their formations that you have to keep up with. They inevitably scored on 85 to make it 1-1.
My point is with these two examples is that the CPU changes lots during a game. If they score then you can expect them to adopt a more conservative approach with a deep line. Some games I seem to have all the time in the world to pass, look up and pass again. Other times they close down the midfield area with some great individual pressure.
You'd think I'd be really pissed off with the game that I'm seventeenth? I used to win Master League all the time on the old PES, but there has definitely got that one more game feel. I could have cried when Wolves equalised yesterday. I had come off two bad defeats where Wigan and especially Rodellega caused havoc with me beating me 4-1. And then I was beaten by Arsenal. So to go two-nil up and have them come back to 2-2 was a dagger through the heart.
I love the way you can use momentum in this game, I can glide past players provided I see the CPU angle of closing down and get my body position right, it's this type of subtlety that FIFA will never match. The amount of intricate things that I find on a daily basis blows my mind.
A word of advice - this is NOT a game where you can play with screaming kids and your missus keeping on at you. It requires full concentration, and total focus. To shut out Chelsea or Man City on Top Player, well you deserve a fucking gaming Oscar. It was no coincidence that when I moved the PS3 upstairs out of the way I started playing better.
The range of goals is awesome. And when you implement something 'out of the box' like a little chipped ball for Carroll to flick on then Suarez volleys, it looks simply amazing. The more I play it, the more I love it when I have possession. So, so far so good then aye?!?
Which brings me onto why the other half of me thinks the game is either partially broken, or that the CPU has some of the biggest nastiest scripts ever!
For every game that I think KONAMI have cracked it, and for every game where I think that was awesome win, lose or draw, there's that niggling game round the corner that drives me insane.
I came off the Wolves game and although I drew, it was a blast. I knew where I went wrong, I made a defensive formation switch too early, gave away a sloppy goal and was ultimately punished for it. I then played QPR and it was a dull 0-0 stalemate. They parked the bus and I couldn't break them down. Again, I was just lacking that bit of creativity but had no complaints.
THEN, Chelsea. And before this it happened with a couple of other teams too. THEY WERE SIMPLY UNSTOPPABLE. Any CPU team that plays an attacking formation, like Chelsea's 4-3-3 you know you're in for a hiding. You can play whatever formation, with whatever sliders, it really doesn't matter. You can have all your defenders on red, with two holding DMF's and a defensive midfield line, THEY WILL STILL RIP YOU UP.
Some of the goals they scored were truly ping pong astounding, but in a really bad way.
Which brings me on to the defending this year.
The defenders this year are clearly way underpowered. Carragher v Torres v example is like watching Usain Bolt v my 6 year old daughter.
DEFENDERS NEED A MAJOR BOOST OR ATTACKERS NEED A MAJOR DECREASE IN ABILITY.
It simply isn't fair. To all the defender kings - I try everything, cutting down passing lanes, following runners, RT+x, RT+O. You can try press you can try secondary press, the simple result is that the CPU will play some magic football that only Barce are truly capable of. You can try man marking people or not, you can try what you like, if the CPU decides it is going to maul you it will. You can use contain and get everyone behind the ball, this only works for so long. Once they get a free kick in or around the eighteen yard box it's a goal. Someone said they score 11 times out of 10, I think it's more 37 times out of 10! Van der Vaart scored three consecutive free kicks from the same distance (around 25 yards) two days ago, I has laughing to myself.
Chelsea were four nil up inside twenty minutes.
The game is just way too lopsided. A patch needs to be brought out ASAP to balance the game.
For all the fun I have, there's always this type of game that ruins the whole experience. The game seemed to go from -1 speed, to +34 speed too. Everyone of Chelsea was playing like they were on speed, my defenders suddenly became mongs, I watched the replays and I had left backs wandering, central defenders trying to play offfside on their 18 yard box to let Torres saunter through.
I tried to have a look at the tactics boars for all the teams and try and make two teams Man Utd and Stoke play like they do IRL. Klash over at evo-web is trying to experiment also. To watch a cpu v cpu game is a hideous affair. I put Man Utd on possession football changed their tactics, and put things like player support to 0, to MAKE them pass them ball. They couldn't. Stoke, who I set to Long Ball played more football. Which brings me onto my next point. I don't think it's a problem with tactics, sliders, they may be next to useless. What makes the players super human and not pass the ball is their cards and stats. Regardless if you set a team up to PLAY A CERTAIN WAY, they simply won't if their individual stats determine that they have all the turning cards, trickster shit, direct play etc etc. No wonder Nani never passes the ball, he is literally pre-programmed to run at every opportunity. He's got like a million TAKE THE FUCKING DEFENDER ON CARDS.
Which makes it even more difficult than first thought to make the game enjoyable as editing team styles has little effect on how the team plays.
I also feel scripting is prevalent in the game. For example I was one nil up yesterday when the CPU decided to start raping me with through balls down the wing by passing my right back. Fine I thought, my defensive line is a little high and he is positioned on the tactics screen high too. Let's drop defensive line to 3 and pull him back a bit. But it made no difference whatsoever. The through ball was getting by my full back every time. It was like the CPU decided that they were going to cross the ball in regardless.
Man, this has got to be the single most frustrating game ever.
If KONAMI just shored up the defensive side and made the defenders stronger in a challenge or at least tone down the directness of the CPU then this game would be the BEST FOOTBALL GAME EVER.
However, as it is not balanced my score goes from a 9, 9.5/10, to around an 8. It is so frustrating, but if Konami don't do anything about it I'm, going to have to spend about two weeks doing things myself.
Hand in hand with all the problems I've mentioned are the GK's. Okay fine they've been patched, but they are still shit especially if you play a certain way of trying to restrict the CPU to shots outside the box. I have literally no confidence in Reina at all. Every shot from the CPU I have my heart in my mouth. I don't think its the hard shots that are pissing people off. It's that slow rolling one. Someone like Berbatov for example has outside curve to his game, and he can literally pass the ball 5mph into the net without the keeper getting near. Also why do keepers still come out at a dreadful angle when I call them out with triangle at an angle. They never go for the ball, that is obviously broken. And why can't I have total control of the keeper once he has possession of it, it makes quick counters impossible. THE KEEPERS NEED MUCH MORE ATTENTION.
So these are my findings, agree or disagree, give me some feedback guys!
Here's my verdict -
My God this game is SO close to perfection, that the glaring errors with it make me want to cry. I started with a lot of exhibition games to get the flow of it, it is ever so slightly different to the demos in that things are generally a touch smoother.
I then jumped into Master League, with Liverpool, Top Player, Semi Assisted, default passing assistance. I play on -1 speed, 15 min games, pitchside camera. I have played about half a season as Liverpool using the default players and I am 17th!
Half of me thinks this game is simply the best football game I've ever played. Here's why -
Every game I am learning something new. I have played well over two hundred games with the demo, and have played lots now with the full retail. I love the passing, I love the ways the players find space and I love that you have to look deeply at your tactics. I think the player individuality is absolutely brilliant. Get Gerrard on the ball and he's strong, marauding and is your archetypal English powerhouse in midfield. Then there's someone like Adam, what a left peg he has! I have scored some truly stunning efforts with him so far. Then you have Downing or couldn't hit a fly off the ball, but is decent when in one on one situations and who has a terrific cross. Carroll, good in the air and can hold play up. Individuality is all over the pitch. You can feel it.
My second point - and to people who say every game pans out the same - are you insane?!? I have had every match you can think of. I have had slow European ties that have petered out into draws and rip roaring end to end screamers. We all know about the AI etc, but I want to go into more detail about the way the game pans out AND I THINK THIS IS THE INCREDIBLE PART.
From my experience this is why I love the game so much (when it clicks). I played Wolves with a 4-4-1-1 formation and was winning 2-0. I then made a change a brought Carroll off, left Suarez on his own up top and shored up the midfield a bit bringing on Lucas to to a holding role, 4-1-4-1 now. I then lost the ball rashly in midfield and Wolves simply pounced on it to make it two-one. Looking back I made the sub too early as the last twenty minutes was ALL Wolves. They got back to 2-2 and the momentum was all with them. In the end I was lucky to escape with a draw, this was all after coasting at 2-0 with them not threatening my goal for 70 minutes.
I played Man Utd, went one-nil up, and then for the last twenty minutes I could feel the pressure. Suddenly they were closing down quicker, pressing higher, taking more risks. If you look throughout the game the CPU makes lots of changes to their formations that you have to keep up with. They inevitably scored on 85 to make it 1-1.
My point is with these two examples is that the CPU changes lots during a game. If they score then you can expect them to adopt a more conservative approach with a deep line. Some games I seem to have all the time in the world to pass, look up and pass again. Other times they close down the midfield area with some great individual pressure.
You'd think I'd be really pissed off with the game that I'm seventeenth? I used to win Master League all the time on the old PES, but there has definitely got that one more game feel. I could have cried when Wolves equalised yesterday. I had come off two bad defeats where Wigan and especially Rodellega caused havoc with me beating me 4-1. And then I was beaten by Arsenal. So to go two-nil up and have them come back to 2-2 was a dagger through the heart.
I love the way you can use momentum in this game, I can glide past players provided I see the CPU angle of closing down and get my body position right, it's this type of subtlety that FIFA will never match. The amount of intricate things that I find on a daily basis blows my mind.
A word of advice - this is NOT a game where you can play with screaming kids and your missus keeping on at you. It requires full concentration, and total focus. To shut out Chelsea or Man City on Top Player, well you deserve a fucking gaming Oscar. It was no coincidence that when I moved the PS3 upstairs out of the way I started playing better.
The range of goals is awesome. And when you implement something 'out of the box' like a little chipped ball for Carroll to flick on then Suarez volleys, it looks simply amazing. The more I play it, the more I love it when I have possession. So, so far so good then aye?!?
Which brings me onto why the other half of me thinks the game is either partially broken, or that the CPU has some of the biggest nastiest scripts ever!
For every game that I think KONAMI have cracked it, and for every game where I think that was awesome win, lose or draw, there's that niggling game round the corner that drives me insane.
I came off the Wolves game and although I drew, it was a blast. I knew where I went wrong, I made a defensive formation switch too early, gave away a sloppy goal and was ultimately punished for it. I then played QPR and it was a dull 0-0 stalemate. They parked the bus and I couldn't break them down. Again, I was just lacking that bit of creativity but had no complaints.
THEN, Chelsea. And before this it happened with a couple of other teams too. THEY WERE SIMPLY UNSTOPPABLE. Any CPU team that plays an attacking formation, like Chelsea's 4-3-3 you know you're in for a hiding. You can play whatever formation, with whatever sliders, it really doesn't matter. You can have all your defenders on red, with two holding DMF's and a defensive midfield line, THEY WILL STILL RIP YOU UP.
Some of the goals they scored were truly ping pong astounding, but in a really bad way.
Which brings me on to the defending this year.
The defenders this year are clearly way underpowered. Carragher v Torres v example is like watching Usain Bolt v my 6 year old daughter.
DEFENDERS NEED A MAJOR BOOST OR ATTACKERS NEED A MAJOR DECREASE IN ABILITY.
It simply isn't fair. To all the defender kings - I try everything, cutting down passing lanes, following runners, RT+x, RT+O. You can try press you can try secondary press, the simple result is that the CPU will play some magic football that only Barce are truly capable of. You can try man marking people or not, you can try what you like, if the CPU decides it is going to maul you it will. You can use contain and get everyone behind the ball, this only works for so long. Once they get a free kick in or around the eighteen yard box it's a goal. Someone said they score 11 times out of 10, I think it's more 37 times out of 10! Van der Vaart scored three consecutive free kicks from the same distance (around 25 yards) two days ago, I has laughing to myself.
Chelsea were four nil up inside twenty minutes.
The game is just way too lopsided. A patch needs to be brought out ASAP to balance the game.
For all the fun I have, there's always this type of game that ruins the whole experience. The game seemed to go from -1 speed, to +34 speed too. Everyone of Chelsea was playing like they were on speed, my defenders suddenly became mongs, I watched the replays and I had left backs wandering, central defenders trying to play offfside on their 18 yard box to let Torres saunter through.
I tried to have a look at the tactics boars for all the teams and try and make two teams Man Utd and Stoke play like they do IRL. Klash over at evo-web is trying to experiment also. To watch a cpu v cpu game is a hideous affair. I put Man Utd on possession football changed their tactics, and put things like player support to 0, to MAKE them pass them ball. They couldn't. Stoke, who I set to Long Ball played more football. Which brings me onto my next point. I don't think it's a problem with tactics, sliders, they may be next to useless. What makes the players super human and not pass the ball is their cards and stats. Regardless if you set a team up to PLAY A CERTAIN WAY, they simply won't if their individual stats determine that they have all the turning cards, trickster shit, direct play etc etc. No wonder Nani never passes the ball, he is literally pre-programmed to run at every opportunity. He's got like a million TAKE THE FUCKING DEFENDER ON CARDS.
Which makes it even more difficult than first thought to make the game enjoyable as editing team styles has little effect on how the team plays.
I also feel scripting is prevalent in the game. For example I was one nil up yesterday when the CPU decided to start raping me with through balls down the wing by passing my right back. Fine I thought, my defensive line is a little high and he is positioned on the tactics screen high too. Let's drop defensive line to 3 and pull him back a bit. But it made no difference whatsoever. The through ball was getting by my full back every time. It was like the CPU decided that they were going to cross the ball in regardless.
Man, this has got to be the single most frustrating game ever.
If KONAMI just shored up the defensive side and made the defenders stronger in a challenge or at least tone down the directness of the CPU then this game would be the BEST FOOTBALL GAME EVER.
However, as it is not balanced my score goes from a 9, 9.5/10, to around an 8. It is so frustrating, but if Konami don't do anything about it I'm, going to have to spend about two weeks doing things myself.
Hand in hand with all the problems I've mentioned are the GK's. Okay fine they've been patched, but they are still shit especially if you play a certain way of trying to restrict the CPU to shots outside the box. I have literally no confidence in Reina at all. Every shot from the CPU I have my heart in my mouth. I don't think its the hard shots that are pissing people off. It's that slow rolling one. Someone like Berbatov for example has outside curve to his game, and he can literally pass the ball 5mph into the net without the keeper getting near. Also why do keepers still come out at a dreadful angle when I call them out with triangle at an angle. They never go for the ball, that is obviously broken. And why can't I have total control of the keeper once he has possession of it, it makes quick counters impossible. THE KEEPERS NEED MUCH MORE ATTENTION.
So these are my findings, agree or disagree, give me some feedback guys!
