PES 2016 Review

Konami looks to take another crack at proving they have the best football video game in Pro Evolution 2016! While many improvements and adjustments have been made, is this the year that the franchise becomes number 1?

When it comes to football titles it can become pretty difficult to make actual comparisons between its current and former releases. Sure there are tweaks added here and there, but nothing that really makes it stand out from last year. I used to actually play the football titles quite a lot, favouring the PES series more since its really what introduced me to the genre, however with FIFA and most likely a lot of cash, licenses and such were swept up leaving PES far behind... well not this time.

This year Konami brought their "A" game with PES making it truly feel like what a next gen football title should play like. Thanks in part to the FOX Engine, the game adds a sense of uniqueness that has kept me drawn in while playing matches.

The FOX Engine gives the game a nice visual boost.

Team play seems absolutely seamless as you see your team mates getting into space, calling for the ball and just being in the right place at the right time. If I have a player running down the wing that I can't catch up to, you can bet that there will be one or two more players following to provide me with back up just in case things go wrong. In addition to this the Game Plan is a crucial aspect, especially in a very close game as substitutions or formation changes can make all the difference.

Physicality has really been taken up a notch and this is evident when you see player's jostling for possession. At some points I did feel that some players were a little over powered, but for the most part it seemed that skill was more valued than the stats of the player, which is key to holding on to the ball.

Tackling is something that I found to be a lot simpler to do this time around, not in the sense of performing them, but rather that the referee is not blowing the whistle for everyone that's made. You can go right into a slide tackle and flip the player inside out, but as long as you made contact with the ball first, its business as usual; besides when you do actually get in a clean attack, its quite the sight to behold.

PES 2016 poster boy, Neymar.

If there is one thing that has irked me a little, it has to be the commentary. While there is a lot of energy and enthusiasm going into it, and I expected to hear lines multiple times; there is no real change on its tone or delivery, so after a while it can become pretty stale.

This year PES is a more fluid, responsive and faster game that feels great to play. It really captures the feel of the sport in so many ways. Indeed a great way to celebrate its 20th anniversary and a good foot to launch the franchise in to what looks like a bright future.

What did you think of PES 2016? Let us know in the comments or hit me up on twitter -
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