So I Traded FIFA 11 in for PES 2011

[Winger]

I never saw it coming, either. But as good as FIFA 11 is (and it really is fantastic), and as good as a player as I had became (I won the Premier League with Aston Villa in Career Mode), there were problems that did not fade over time as I assumed they would in tandem with my improvement at the game.

I should make it clear that I was solely an offline player. I have no interest in online play. And my mates and I rarely find the time these days to get together for a good ol' session of winner stays on. So for me it was purely Career Mode contests against the AI. I played on Legendary with a semi-assisted control scheme.

Technically FIFA 11 is an astounding game. It looks fantastic. It is blessed with fabulous animations. It has all the necessary bells and ribbons in all the right places. The groundwork of the game is superb; the passing, the crossing, the defending, etc.

But the "contests" with the AI were all too dull, too drab and lacking in variety. The majority of games play out really similarly. Too similar. There was also a real lack of diversity in goal scoring, too. Headers take priority. And then it's the same one on one slot past the keeper. It (the game) lacks energy and any individual unique contest gets lost beneath the ridig conservative approach of the AI. As a multiplayer game it is a different story due to the diversity of human vs human match-ups. But as a single-player experience it is awful. Career mode lacks soul; poor player development, slow menus, unrealistic and overly frequent transfers, no scouting, no player form, etc.

So here I am, back with Konami and their latest offering of Pro Evolution Soccer. It is the first I have bought since PES 2009 (PS3). I reverted backed to PES 2008 for the PS2 rather than the PS3 release which was dreadful. And I am hoping that PES 2011 is a hell of a lot better and at the very least a real contrast to what was offered two and three years ago. Ultimately I'm after variety from each match. Diversity in approach from each opposition side. And a stronger feel of player individuality. FIFA 11 did have it, regardless of what some may say, but it was never as strong as the player individuality found in the glory days of PES. I think I could accept more assisted passing and somewhat lackluster animations, hell, even badly masked scripting, if it was counter-balanced with that diversity, that variety, that individual player feel, and that soul that has only ever been captured by Konami with their unrivalled Master League.

It is taking me a while to reacquaint myself with the PES control scheme, mainly R1 for sprint and no player run prompt on L1! I have jumped straight in with Top Player, and a game speed of -1. I'm looking for a good option file (UK) as well. For now I am playing a Premier League and throughly enjoying it (but with limitied success it must be said), especially the player form forcing the use of a squad and not just a starting eleven. Hopefully by the time I've came across a solid option file and went through the slog of copying all the necessary files over, I will have acclimatised to the gameplay so I can delve straight into the Master League.

I took FIFA 11 all the way and rarely had a real moment of enjoyment or excitement. It was a lot of safe keep-ball, repetitive forward play, and easy to read tactics based on the time remaining (every team effectively parks the bus until the final quater of the match) regardless of scoreline. Now it's the turn of PES 2011 to see what it can offer as as alternative. If it's great it could sway me away from FIFA 12 (which really only needs a more attacking and diverse AI to take a real leap forward).

Anyone still playing and enjoying PES 2011 in Master League?

Can PES 2011 be described as a "grower" in that if you put in the time it will bring forth reward? I remember every PES on the PS2 being as such for me. And it was a real disappointment with FIFA 11 not being the case. You get better but the game never changes.

 

[iamcanadianeh]

Anyone still playing and enjoying PES 2011 in Master League?

Can PES 2011 be described as a "grower" in that if you put in the time it will bring forth reward? I remember every PES on the PS2 being as such for me. And it was a real disappointment with FIFA 11 not being the case. You get better but the game never changes.

I can't say I agree with all of your opinions on Fifa, but I'm a PES fan who has stuck with the series every year since 98, so that's to be expected I guess. Personally I can't stand Fifa's animations and the standard EA "bells and whistles" are too cookie cutter for my taste...

Anyway, that being said, it's got it's points so I'm not saying it's a terrible game. Clearly either game can be enjoyed and you have to look at the experience positively if you expect to get anything out of it. I believe firmly in that. But, as you say, there is also an element of these games in which one expects that after a long spell the game will slowly start to deliver; as you invest more and more, the game should continue to grow on you. I agree with that as well, especially since the PES of hold certainly delivered in that respect.

As for PES 2011, I'm going to be a little harsh. I thoroughly enjoyed PES 2010, but found it to be ultimately a little too easy on top player in ML with a half-decent squad (no superstars). PES 2011, unfortunately, I find it even easier in some ways (on top player with a decent squad)... That being said, there is variety there in PES 2011, be it in the types of goals you can and will score, the way the games play out, and of course to a large degree in the player individuality department.

Some people may laugh at me for saying this, but I feel like there is a noticeable difference between a player who has 75 dribble speed and a player who has 77, a player who has 80 shot acc, and a player who has 83 -- I mean that even single digits in stats seem to have a real affect on the players and how they perform on the pitch. Maybe I'm imagining things, but the point is that compared to Fifa, where I can barely tell the difference between Bendtner and Van Persie, there is alot of real individuality in PES, although I think it does take some time to truly be able to see it accurately.

Personally, I think the best gameplay experience to be had this year though, in terms of the kinds of things you are describing you want (variety, challenge) is Master League Online. I mean, there's a mode where no two games are the same, unless of course you are consistently playing Alexei Sanchez, Arshavin, Messi, or Ronaldo Spammers day in day out. I suggest you keep MLO in mind as something to try though. There are bad games due to people who play the game with a cheap and anti-football spirit, but the good matches are worth it, and it's definitely a mode where the more you put into it the more you get out, because eventually your team gets good enough that you can teach those spammers a lesson, and your own skills do develop over time with regards to tactics, formations, defense, playmaking, finishing, etc.

 

[89cruefan]

Pes grows on you. It took me roughly 50-100 games to revert back from Fifa and i love it.

Near the end of my 6th season on MasterLeague and it is still as exciting as the first season as well as unpredictable which is brilliant.

However i have to have a break.... ... My disc broke and has a crack in it... obviously i think i must have put it back in the case a bit too hard. Heartbroken. lol.

 

[muscularmatt]

Couldn't be fucked to read all that, but congratulations to the OP. He made the right choice.

 

[JNyce1985]

I have played PES since 03 and I fell in love with how the game play was, I liked the idea I got to control everything from skills to shooting from 50 yards and actually scoring at times...I tried that in FIFA and it either went straight to the keeper or went over completely. That being said...This year I got PES and I got tired of just trying to make jerseys for all the teams that almost made me take it back just to get FIFA just because I wanted realism in jerseys. However I stuck with PES created all my jerseys using my camera and I am having fun...I have yet to start ML mode because I am trying to unlock all the classic players so when I do decide to do ML mode I can buy Neymar.

If you can get past the idea PES wont have all the teams licensed or stadiums or all the real players but have done well in graphics, gameplay, ML mode, Champions league etc FIFA does not compare...FIFA is like all the other EA Sports games they just change one or 2 things here and there and expect you to buy it because theres no gamer companies competing. If you play basketball for example there is a reason why everyone plays NBA 2K not LIVE same for baseball. Konami has done well from the fake grass and wheat field soccer stadiums it used to offer to real life pitches. I love PES especially as a real life soccer coach it gives me a lot of options to work with even in real life....To me if a game does not capture reality in movement its not worth playing. Does Konami have issues? YES but they are minor compared to only scoring just maybe 3 ways on FIFA...

In PES teams will play u differently from the first time you play them that is something I have noticed in this years PES.. I am doing practice games using NAPOLI againts INTER, CHELSEA and I used the 3-4-3 system and I can beat them bad in one game and the next they tear me apart to where I am defending most of the game and I actually loose and I am playing on Professional...so Yes the outcomes are great and make you feel that the AI is out to beat u not just for u to beat it, and if you want to win you'll have to make adjustments from substituting to change your formation and attack and defense...AFTER ALL isnt that what teams do in real life?

By the way PES in ML mode will show you what formation the opponent is running and why they are running it for example they dont want to get beat too bad so they are going defensive, or they know ur best players are out so they want to attack..these are great features I find helpful that has made me successful in PES.

 

[S-D-P]

I have always been obessed with pes, PES 2011 is the first next gen PES game that is on the same level as PES 5 despite the latter suffereing from less flaws than 11, have also played a bit of fifa for the past few years and find the laziness with the offline CM pathetic, fifa 11's gameplay is also very thin compared to pes. I am also an offline ML gamer, online just does not interest me and ML is better than ever.

I enjoy PES 2011 more than I did 2 months ago, the gameplay is very deep and there is so much to discover, the game can be off putting at first due to fact it takes momentum, inertia into considertaion, every player moves differently in PES and the player individuality is on another level to fifa. In fifa every player can skate round the pitch like gravity and momentum are non existent.

This game has many flaws(If you dont snap a pad in half big respect to you) but I always see pes 2011 as the game for people who truly understand and appreciate football and the intricacies of shooting, passing and first touch. PES has so many fundamentals that fifa couldn't even dream off with regards to gameplay, also ML is on another level to the shitfest that is CM.

Some tips to ease you back in to the game.

- The amount of power on a shot depends on many factors, you judge the power depending on the situation and other factors ie momentum,angle of approach, relation of player to ball. The shooting in this game makes you judge a shot like you would in real life(from my own experience anyway.

- Close control(RT) is vital for holding off defenders, use this with subtle movements of the analog and defenders will be left on their arse if you master it.

- Manual pass can be performed by pressing LT with normal pass, you can place the ball wherever you want and its better than fifa's manual pass, I have played fifa full manual for two years I think manual play is better in pes.

- To control the ball, be light on the analog, very sensitive in this regard

- Give the game time, it can be mind numbingly frustrating but its still the greatest football game ever made, maybe PES 5 is more fun but not as realistic, oh yeh use semi assisted cursor switch as well, the cursor switch is a bit fucked in this game and this is the best option.

 

[muscularmatt]

Right on, brother. Nice to see someone with a bit of patience, and not just expecting everything to be awesome straight away.

I will reiterate and second your last point, PES 2011 is the best football game ever made.