Okay guys, I have had time to digest the game and play it in all its form. I have played the PS3 version to death, and played the PC version. I have played it out of the box, with the patches, and with mods. Whilst it does indeed play a smooth game, there's just been something niggling away at me. You see, this game should have been the one I was after, a kind of cross between the PES values combined with FIFA fluidity in movement. However, I have concluded that for me, PES 2012 is too arcade, and I re-bought PES 2011 and have been glued to it all afternoon.
Now before anyone goes on about the novelty value of a new game, I played 2011 to death. It was the game that brought out the raw emotion in me, and was the game that almost triggered off me throwing my controller through my brand new plasma tele. When I started playing 2012 I remember thinking it would be the end of those 'through ball' issues, and the cheat scripts of PES 2011. It was meant to be the perfect game for me.
I have played it and played it, and I must admit to having liked it on PS3 initially (although now I hate on PS3) and think a modded PC version is very good. But the games are all starting to blend into one now.
The golden chalice for me with 2012 is to try and get the f'kin CPU to hold onto possession and work me around the pitch. This I believe has become a fruitless and pointless task. I firmly believe now that 2011 was THE simulation version, and oh how I missed it. In comparison, 2012 is best played at 100mph, three bar assist and attack after counter attack after counter attack. If this was KONAMI's wish then they succeeded in making a very fun game which is meant to be played at speed.
But there has been something missing for me. The fact that all players can turn on a dime I started to hate. The fact that player individuality seemed lost and that everyone played more or less the same and had the same sort of feedback off the controller was wrong. The only difference I can really ascertain is shot power and speed. All players go from 0-100 in the blink of an eye and there seems to be no acceleration or deceleration process taking place. Moreover, players don't feel like they should. Gerrard should feel well built, but not the quickest. Carragher should feel complete but slow and slightly sluggish. And player posture and direction should count for everything when passing the ball.
All this seems lost in 2012. I went back to 2011 today and I'm having a blast. Straight on top player, starting where I left off in April with a Master League Liverpool team. I had Forlan up front. The difference in gameplay was striking and shocking! Forlan felt agile, quick, always alert etc, Carragher and my defence felt like defenders, slightly a little ponderous, but strong. Each and every player had a personality trait that I could work with. At first I thought Jesus, as the controls were being grappled with, and as I was trying to fire off quick long passes but without the required body shape etc, the old adage of play the way you are facing was never truer!
But rather surprisingly there were other things which absolutely brought joy to my face. The keepers...I thought they were just adequate in 2011, but oh no, they were absolutely brilliant. There's a sweet spot in PES now like the old FIFA approach the goal from the corner finesse shot, which always goes in now for me, but I couldn't do that on 2011. The CPU were playing possession football, there was a period against Arsenal were they pinned me back and passed it for around twenty to thirty seconds of game time, this was totally foreign.
Arsenal played possession and a high line, so did Chelsea. Then I played Man Utd who were dangerous on the break, and lost to Everton on penalties in an FA Cup Semi-Final game, on penalties (forget how to take them lol).
The CPU was playing the ball back and forth, and changing the pace up with sprints and long balls.
But the shocking thing was that I remember always complaining about cheating and through balls and bad defenders....I have yet to encounter any such thing, which begs the question was I defending correctly in the first place? I really do believe that playing PES 2012 has added to my game defensively, and each and every game played out wonderfully with no cheating going on. It begs the question whether me defensive technique first time round on 2011 was THAT GOOD or was I not that great?
Shots have venom again and the ball physics and passing controls are fantastic. I am having a ball again.
So what do you think peeps, for me anyway, I strongly believe that PES 2011, on reflection and having played it again for the first time in over 7 months, is probably THE SIMULATION of PES! I know that is a bold statement, but in comparison, 2012 looks like an end to end arcade game in both response and the feel of the game. I know that 2011 had a lot of hate, but I have fallen in love with this game all over again. The moves I am creating and some of the football I am playing is superb.
It's strange really, because I remember vividly having some anger management issues with 2011, the game meant that much to me when I was fully immersed. I have never had that feeling with either PES 2012 or FIFA 2012 this year, it's just been meh. Suddenly though I can feel the heart beat going again - PES 2011, sorry I sold you, all is forgiven!
Now before anyone goes on about the novelty value of a new game, I played 2011 to death. It was the game that brought out the raw emotion in me, and was the game that almost triggered off me throwing my controller through my brand new plasma tele. When I started playing 2012 I remember thinking it would be the end of those 'through ball' issues, and the cheat scripts of PES 2011. It was meant to be the perfect game for me.
I have played it and played it, and I must admit to having liked it on PS3 initially (although now I hate on PS3) and think a modded PC version is very good. But the games are all starting to blend into one now.
The golden chalice for me with 2012 is to try and get the f'kin CPU to hold onto possession and work me around the pitch. This I believe has become a fruitless and pointless task. I firmly believe now that 2011 was THE simulation version, and oh how I missed it. In comparison, 2012 is best played at 100mph, three bar assist and attack after counter attack after counter attack. If this was KONAMI's wish then they succeeded in making a very fun game which is meant to be played at speed.
But there has been something missing for me. The fact that all players can turn on a dime I started to hate. The fact that player individuality seemed lost and that everyone played more or less the same and had the same sort of feedback off the controller was wrong. The only difference I can really ascertain is shot power and speed. All players go from 0-100 in the blink of an eye and there seems to be no acceleration or deceleration process taking place. Moreover, players don't feel like they should. Gerrard should feel well built, but not the quickest. Carragher should feel complete but slow and slightly sluggish. And player posture and direction should count for everything when passing the ball.
All this seems lost in 2012. I went back to 2011 today and I'm having a blast. Straight on top player, starting where I left off in April with a Master League Liverpool team. I had Forlan up front. The difference in gameplay was striking and shocking! Forlan felt agile, quick, always alert etc, Carragher and my defence felt like defenders, slightly a little ponderous, but strong. Each and every player had a personality trait that I could work with. At first I thought Jesus, as the controls were being grappled with, and as I was trying to fire off quick long passes but without the required body shape etc, the old adage of play the way you are facing was never truer!
But rather surprisingly there were other things which absolutely brought joy to my face. The keepers...I thought they were just adequate in 2011, but oh no, they were absolutely brilliant. There's a sweet spot in PES now like the old FIFA approach the goal from the corner finesse shot, which always goes in now for me, but I couldn't do that on 2011. The CPU were playing possession football, there was a period against Arsenal were they pinned me back and passed it for around twenty to thirty seconds of game time, this was totally foreign.
Arsenal played possession and a high line, so did Chelsea. Then I played Man Utd who were dangerous on the break, and lost to Everton on penalties in an FA Cup Semi-Final game, on penalties (forget how to take them lol).
The CPU was playing the ball back and forth, and changing the pace up with sprints and long balls.
But the shocking thing was that I remember always complaining about cheating and through balls and bad defenders....I have yet to encounter any such thing, which begs the question was I defending correctly in the first place? I really do believe that playing PES 2012 has added to my game defensively, and each and every game played out wonderfully with no cheating going on. It begs the question whether me defensive technique first time round on 2011 was THAT GOOD or was I not that great?
Shots have venom again and the ball physics and passing controls are fantastic. I am having a ball again.
So what do you think peeps, for me anyway, I strongly believe that PES 2011, on reflection and having played it again for the first time in over 7 months, is probably THE SIMULATION of PES! I know that is a bold statement, but in comparison, 2012 looks like an end to end arcade game in both response and the feel of the game. I know that 2011 had a lot of hate, but I have fallen in love with this game all over again. The moves I am creating and some of the football I am playing is superb.
It's strange really, because I remember vividly having some anger management issues with 2011, the game meant that much to me when I was fully immersed. I have never had that feeling with either PES 2012 or FIFA 2012 this year, it's just been meh. Suddenly though I can feel the heart beat going again - PES 2011, sorry I sold you, all is forgiven!