PES 2014 Demo Available Now For 360, PS3 - Post Your Impressions

[KG]

Quote: Originally Posted by NightmareBooster

I only got to play 2 games yesterday but at first glance I really liked what I saw. I had quite a bit of difficulty as I'm use to FIFA's controls so very often I couldn't respond to the AI appropriately but that's a minor issue. My favorite thing about the demo has to be player weight and interaction. Although FIFA 14's players now have weight I feel like it's done better in the PES demo. I also like the way players jostle when trying to take or maintain possession. Making contact with a defender doesn't mean I lose possession immediately if I shield the ball and move correctly. Hopefully I'll get to play more today.

First thing I do is change the control schemata to FIFA's.

[NightmareBooster]

Quote: Originally Posted by KG

First thing I do is change the control schemata to FIFA's.

I CAN DO THAT?!?!

I didn't even bother because the one or two times I played PES 13 I found that I wasn't able to make it match FIFA's. I'll have to try it when I get home today.

[DBMcGee3]

Played several games last night and here are things that stood out to me:

1) The game seems faster than last year. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it really took some adjusting on my end to get used to the pace. Still not FIFA fast, fortunately. I also felt more of a difference in speed between players. In played several through balls where my player was able to squirt around a slower defender to get to the ball, which was a welcomed sight.

2) I was a little disappointed in the physics of the players. While there were some really cool moments of jostling and tripping(especially on the replays), there were also some instances where the players awkwardly bumped into one another and it tended to break up the flow of the game in my opinion. Not a deal breaker or catastrophe, but slightly annoying, and something I didn't expect to see. I need more time with the game perhaps to fully appreciate what's been added.

3) The graphics look fantastic compared to last year's game. The initial pre-game scene in the tunnel always looks a little fuzzy to me, but the gameplay looks awesome in my opinion and the replays are greater than ever. I have always hated the large capital letters for the player names, but soon enough there will be option files with the tidy lower-cased lettering I love.

4) I had a couple of instances of flat out terrible AI from the keepers. Once my keeper literally dove out of the way of an incoming shot, and another instance the CPU striker recovered a rebound really close to the goal line and my keeper took far too long to figure it out, just standing there and watching them put it back in the net.

5) I think the biggest gripe I had was the lack of a full tutorial to explain all the new moves, etc. I kept trying to do feints from last years game and apparently the controls are entirely different. Not a bad thing, it's just hard to fully judge the game without seeing some of the advanced dribble tactics in action. I kept finding space on the wings and then getting the ball swiped when I failed to juke my man in any way.

6) The stadium and crowd were amazing. They just look and sound more lifelike; the chants are louder and more varied, and the reaction to goals was more energetic as well.

7) The game still feels like PES, and that is a beautiful thing. The deft touch, the passing, the player movement, the shooting, the defense........it all just feels natural and glorious, and the goals each have their own uniqueness as always. Rarely did I see a cheap or generic looking goal.

Although I was more impressed with the FIFA demo than I expected to be, PES still wins out again this year for me. At the end of the day, it's just a more authentic simulation of the beautiful game. Better build ups, better defense, better goals, period.

[DBMcGee3]

Quote: Originally Posted by NightmareBooster

I CAN DO THAT?!?! I didn't even bother because the one or two times I played PES 13 I found that I wasn't able to make it match FIFA's. I'll have to try it when I get home today.

You just have to do it in the pause menu during the game, but it takes 10 seconds. I do that every year.

[Beetlebum]

Quote: Originally Posted by KG

Just a few random thoughts... The possession stats can be misleading IMO. I tend to dominate possession because I'm a cautious player who tried to build attacks from the back. What results is a lot of passing in my own area as that's where the space generally is and the CPU will allow me to have time on the ball. Once I crossed midfield vs Germany they picked up their pressure accordingly.

Finally someone who said it.
Guys, don't focus on the possession stat when judging the demo. Games are only 3 minutes long, so those stats can vary considerably (I've had possession as high as 62% and as low as 44% in all the games that i've played).

In real soccer in a 3-minute span teams can keep possession of the ball for the whole time, so I'd rather focus on gameplay and on how the AI plays on the pitch.

[lnin0]

I switch up to the old FIFA controls as well since I have just grown so accustom to them. Like someone said though, 'dash' is not for abusers. Dashing puts the ball out there and if you don't have space it will quickly turn over.

Another wonderful change I made was to the camera based on a video. Try Custom 3/4/0 for your camera settings. It is a night and day improvement over the 'wide' camera which seems too far zoomed out this year. The custom camera really highlights the up close jostling.

http://youtu.be/UAPuVqd_CiE

While the new camera helped the appearance of the game on the pitch I still feel it is a bit washed out or has less lighting passes with the new engine. I also do not like the crowds from the distance shot. The engine seems to struggle to maintain a decent framerate when displaying them even though they have almost no texture.

I have to agree that the AI is always my favorite part of PES although the keepers seem to be getting worse. I have seen some cool player interactions and animations but also some overused ones as well as ones that did not blend at all.

I think I am going to sideline PES and stick with 2013 until the next gen and hope the added power lets this engine shine. I just hope they have some licenses left by next gen.

[spartansocc12]

Quote: Originally Posted by Beetlebum

Finally someone who said it. Guys, don't focus on the possession stat when judging the demo. Games are only 3 minutes long, so those stats can vary considerably (I've had possession as high as 62% and as low as 44% in all the games that i've played). In real soccer in a 3-minute span teams can keep possession of the ball for the whole time, so I'd rather focus on gameplay and on how the AI plays on the pitch.

If one plays enough games, it should nearly capture how one long game should feel at times. On the hardest difficulty, from what I've seen there are games and halves where the CPU will aggressively press my defenders and try to win possession in my own half. With the physics engine, it isn't always easy to escape. This is fantastic because unlike last year, the risks are much higher now if you are player who likes to hold possession in your own half. There were times where I actually had to play it back to the keeper where it was best for me to subsequently punt the ball down field out of fear of losing possession in a risky spot. This culminates with the CPU winning more of the possession. Because the long balls are improved, the trade off between playing a possession style vs direct style is minimized.

Then there are times where the CPU attacking players won't press at all and I'll enjoy easy possession in my own end. The trade off being the CPU become very difficult to break down.

A very welcome addition to the sliders this year is the offensive press option. This could change the flow of the game all by itself.

[ezio]

Quote: Originally Posted by spartansocc12

A very welcome addition to the sliders this year is the offensive press option. This could change the flow of the game all by itself.

What offensive press option?