Gents, we've somewhat strayed from the subject matter and into a straight FIFA v PES debate. The OP makes a good point about PES capturing realism of Football, for me and my 10 pence worth I think that's part of the problem, its too quick and too competitive. It's just not as fun.
Discuss
It depends what you're looking for out of the game though Smink.
For me the chase has always been to replicate what I see on the tv, I derive 'fun' out of the fact that my inputs in position x would mirror the inputs of someone IRL doing it. For example, there's a clip tonight (which I have should anyone require 'evidence') where Chelsea are passing the ball round the back, they are doing that because they are trying to make space. The CB finally gets an opportunity to play it forward because obviously one of the Chelsea midfield is dropping deeper making himself available but has the Leverkusen MF right up his arse. The result is a pressured ball back to the CB.
Now all this may seem simple and trivial, after all, all that's happened is that the ball was passed amongst the defence, then a defender passes the ball to a midfielder who was pressured heavily, and the ball was one-touched back to the CB; but it's not trivial or silly, because that's what happens in every football match up and down the world.
So when I'm playing PES, and I play that half risky ball into the centre of the park with one of my CBs, I want the oppo MF to be pressurising my receiver and giving him nudges and fouls etc.
For me the realism IS where the game is.
EVIDENCE OF WHAT I MEAN IS HERE -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp1OBjtJ4XM
from 2.35 - 2.42, where a ball is played to Suarez and he is pressured and nudged.
This is why I talk endlessly about defensive lines, defensive units, pressuring/not pressuring, attacking AI/defensive AI, because ALL THESE ELEMENTS MAKE THE FOOTBALL GAME WHAT IT IS, A LIVING BREATHING THING. Manipulating the game and manipulating space and creating chances in PES because of your knowledge of watching attacking and defensive patterns through 1000's of hours watching football on the tele is just a brilliant feeling.
Things like the passing, the shooting, animations etc etc, these are all secondary to the way footballers react to that ball. You can have the best passing physics, best shooting physics, the best animations, but if the CPU isn't mirroring what goes on IRL on the tv and if my players aren't acting like human beings, some dropping back, some going sideways, some going forward, some keeping still, then you've lost my interest straight away.
PES isn't a hard game, honestly. It's not unfair in terms of blatantly cheating you out of games like previous PES' have; what it is ferocious at is exploiting any human defensive deficiencies. But to balance this fact up, KONAMI have introduced an extraordinary defensive game, which really is phenomenal. You defend properly against the best players (eg your Walcott's, Nani etc etc) and you'll do alright. If you respect the CPU attackers, and use contain jockey so that the defensive AI system can do its thing you'll feel such an overwhelming sense of satisfaction that nothing will match it. Just by player positioning alone you can stall the CPU and make them pass sideways and back, IF YOU USE REAL WORLD LOGIC OF SPACE AND WHO TO MARK AND WHEN.
On a last note guys, and this is no bullshit, but during half time of the Chelsea game I had a sneaky game of FIFA, I changed some sliders and stuff and it played a little better, but guess what, I scored again in the 45th minute AGAIN. This alone is a gamebreaker in my opinion, and immediately disqualifies FIFA to be called a sim (eg constant time scripting).
SMINK - love ya to bits, I will stop with the FIFA jibing now, I'm going to play some PES!!
