It is now clear FIFA e PES discipline they play two completely different leagues. Despite this though Konami he does not want to give up and, although the loss of the Champions League rights, is ready to return to the field for this new season. There are still many unknowns, but the thing that continues to convince within the Japanese title is a very deep gameplay and a tactical component that its rival, at least for now, is missing. Like every year the release of a new one PES discipline brings with it numerous criticisms, such as the post-release transfer patch and much more. This year, however, the development house has aimed to do something different, proposing a "classic" football simulator, but going to deepen the game system making it more faithful to reality, without But give up on the show.
Playing in the strait
The core of the experience of PES 2019 it is definitely the gameplay, the real strength on which the entire production revolves. Konami has worked hard to make everything more fluid and real, thus going to file or even erase the historical problems that the series continued to drag. The team that worked on the title therefore, based on what they did the previous year, managed to further improve ball control, perfecting those situations of the game called "dirty". The real matches, in fact, they are characterized by a certain amount of unpredictability because, despite the fact that a match can be prepared in the best possible way, when you take the field everything can happen in a simple instant. Decisive deviations, involuntary touches, wrong controls and badly calibrated launches, in PES 2019 these elements are also inserted thus making the game much more simulation even in physical contrasts.
As in perfect style PES discipline, the ball round will be the real weapon to open the opponent's defenses: wait for the right pocket, be able to go in numerical superiority, recover the ball in a favorable area of the field. Users will not be able to rely solely on their skills, in fact the tactics will be as fundamental as the deployment of the starting 11. Everything is pleasant and beautiful to look at, but often if you are not well aligned with the player and slightly unbalanced, the outcome of your action could have little aesthetic implications. The strength of the game is precisely this, however, when you manage to develop a game situation in the best way, you will really feel like you are participating in a real game. Obviously in this context, dribbling is also highlighted more since, in addition to being clearer, they are also decisive. A change of speed at the right time can break your opponent's defenses in two, allowing you to try to take advantage of a dangerous scoring ball.
Changes in the market phase
As historical fans will know, in the past few episodes the referee of PES discipline he had a match management that we could define "very English", but some of them could easily lead to a boxing match. This year, however, Konami seems to have straightened the shot, proposing a more precise referee both in fouls and in choosing the right card. Unfortunately, however, consistency is not really his strong point, therefore, on some rare occasions, you may see a foul sanctioned shortly before you, repeated in reverse parts without any kind of signaling. The goalkeepers have also been significantly improved, now in fact they are safer between the posts even if, unfortunately, they still lack the exits, a problem that is often found also in reality. Even in one-on-one they now position themselves correctly, thus proving ready to save their team.
Artificial intelligence in general has been improved: the developers have in fact given to players not controlled by the user the ability to read situations also based on the tactics set initially. I must say, however, that if you play against the computer you will immediately notice how the latter is more focused on looking for the one-two, thus offering few opportunities from outside and tending too much to look for the partner in the center of the penalty area.
Out of the field
Obviously PES 2019 it is not just a single game, but it is composed of different modes useful to enrich the general experience. The Master League, the historic workhorse of the series, hasn't changed that much, except for the fact that now players will be able to choose the level of difficulty to face the seasons. Despite the farewell of the Champions League, the title embraces the rights of the International Champions Cup, a summer competition that we have seen in all its glory in recent years. Despite the heavy absence of licenses and, above all, of the Bundesliga, Konami has decided to bring many minor leagues into his game, collecting everything that FIFA did not take. Obviously for what is missing there is the possibility of importing options files, an operation so easy that now anyone can overcome the problem of licenses. The Become a Myth mode has few new features, instead myClub promises to be a thorn in the side for EA, but we will talk about it in an in-depth article that we will publish in the coming days.
The graphics are the classic flagship of PES discipline, who even puts on her best dress in this episode. The most famous players are practically identical, but even for the less known the similarity is disarming. The sound, on the other hand, will teleport you to a real stadium, with some of the most famous choirs faithfully reproduced. Unfortunately, the commentary leaves much to be desired, with phrases already heard and repeated several times during the same game.
In conclusion we can say that PES 2019 is a good football simulation game, but it is still light years away from the package offered by EA. It is not just the issue related to licenses, but we are talking about a lack of content level. The changes made to myClub are a step forward, but it is certainly still too little if we evaluate the work as a whole. The matches are enjoyable, beautiful to look at and to play, but it all comes down to that. It would take a sudden change of course to be able to compete again with FIFA; betting everything on the gameplay is not enough if you know perfectly well that compared to the product of your direct competitor the difference is not that great. PES 2019 makes it, but it will surely remain a great game solely for its closest fans.
