I believe it's the ign review that sums it up very good. They say that FIFA has become the more simulation'ish game (in my oppinion with settings set to semi/manual - they are right) - but PES IS the more FUN to play. I agree. The WE demo was way more fun to play than the FIFA ditto.
And Shaun: I see what you're getting at, when you try to stress that animation and graphics are not the same. Well they are. All other games are judged by both animations and their looks ("graphics") when they get scored a graphics score. Sometimes games just get rewarded and extra mention because of superior animations - but all in all it's still under the catagory "Graphics".
It's just, now we have two games that are very similar about the same genre/sport. And between those two there is a clear difference in how good they look moving, static and in general. FIFA is far superior when in motion. It's more fluid in every way, and controlling a player seems seamless because of the fluidty. It even has incoorporated some very nice clash-animations, so when two opposing players run next to eachother for the ball, they start pushing and pulling at eachother to get the advantage. Something that works very well, something essential you see everyday in a real live footballgame and something that sorely missing in PES.
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PES - on the other hand - has the player likeliness. That's in statute, build and facial likeliness. Because of that, you wouldn't hardly need a HUD since you are able to see which player has the ball, because the player on screen (even from "wide camera") looks (and to some degree - feels) like his real life counterpart.
What PES also has, is the X-factor that make every game seem different! This is FIFA's biggest hurdle! I think it comes down to, that every team and individual player in FIFA feels too much alike...? So you end up playing the same type of football be you Barcelona or OB (Odense Boldklub - danish league...) - which couldn't be far more from the real life!
I read somewhere, that FIFA has used the engine from their NHL franchise - and that really shines through - IMO. Make quick short passes and the occasional through-pass in FIFA, and you are surely successfull 99% of the time. Decreese those % by scwitching passing to manual, 'cause then you'll have a harder time making precise passes - but then you'll loose whatever small player differences there is i FIFA.
In most of the other reviews I've read today (german and spanish) they also give PES a lower score because of the missing german and spanish licenses... Big deal huh? - NOT! ;o)
But given the choice of either better facial graphics over better animations - I would choose animations any day!
But giving the choice to play the most fun and varying game over the more simulation'ish and reapeating - I would choose the first!
See the comflict there? Both games has one very important thing over the other. And because of that, I just might end up not buying any of the two games this year - because none of them really - really stand out.
And that's eventhough this years PES might be the best PES overall!!
But to sum it all up - IMO the ign reviews sums it up pretty good... (if I remember correctly!) ;o)