Agree 100% Shaun.
Listen nobody is saying that PES has got it spot on, in fact this year PES has been analysed and scrutinised from top to bottom by every man and his dog, it's been unprecedented the amount of depth people have gone into finder its good points and bad.
BUT...
Fifa is like the game that is always better when you're not playing it. You play PES for around a while and things may stagnate a bit, in the back of your mind your thinking about FIFA with all it's presentation, the physics, the smoothness etc etc. You begin to ask yourself why aren't you playing FIFA, so you take the PES disc out and shove in the old enemy.
Hmm, brilliant you think, why aren't I playing this more, you think. Everything seems solid, no funny things happening, FIFA is the best game out there you conclude once again....
UNTIL YOU'VE HAD 30 MINUTES WITH IT AGAIN...
Then you see for all the smoothness, all the presentation, all the silkiness there are GLARING problems which gets you even angrier than PES rage -
1) Rubbish AI. Not necessarily the stagnant nature of your players, but the way the CPU constantly manufacturers itself into 'glitch' positions to score the goals that Shaun was talking about.
2) Balls bouncing to the CPU in higher level modes.
3) The same repetitive goals for the CPU, and the finesse sweet spots for the human
4) The way defences open up on 45 mins (for you and the CPU) and 90
5) Everything is too precise, why bother with tactics or players at all, everyone has Messi touch and control.
It's around this point that I conclude that once again FIFA has had me fooled, and that it plays a much, much better game in my head, when I'm not playing it. It's also around this point that I put PES back in the drive and see the following
AND PEOPLE SAY FIFA IS SIM, this is what PES has to make it SIM
1) Players booked, yellow and red cards
2) Actual fouls - you know those things you see up and down the country on Saturday on the playing fields
3) Variety of goals
4) The ball is alive and bouncing everywhere
5) Player individuality
6) A need to change tactics and change players around
7) Variety of CPU goals
8) Wonderful AI, for you and the CPU, from what I can see there are very few glitch areas in PES for either you or the CPU, the cross from the byline is WAY, WAY too overpowered for my liking, but in the higher levels the CPU stops you mainly from easily getting to the byline, so it balances out a little
For anyone not enjoying the game, on the PS3 by all accounts, you need to try Chimps and Goalgerd's latest effort, the gameplay is stunning and fair. For my money it's a little too easy because they have changed the game dynamics and somehow managed to almost take out the silly CPU scripted cheat goals. But for 95% of people using the OF, they have had to DROP DOWN A LEVEL because they find it tough.
FIFA is just one big pretty illusion, designed to fool the weak minded. I can see the cheap programming a mile off I'm afraid, say what you like about PES outdated menus, silly music, and a host of other things, I don't buy a football game to have shiny presentation, I buy the game for gameplay value, and for me PES is in front.