The worries about the threadbare foundations upon which PES 2019 has been built suddenly melt away.Ĭrunching tackles fly in, shots pleasingly smack off the woodwork, and a quick shimmy leaves a defender for dead. Everything you’d expect a football game to include is here, from the sublime, slaloming runs right down the warts and all stodginess of a game where your passing isn’t quite clicking and the opposition are proving tough to break down. When the game hits its stride, as it so often does, PES 2019 is unmatched in the genre. Still, for the majority of people, the main course – the actual moment-to-moment football – is going to keep them coming back again and again, despite the game’s wider flaws. A shiny gold coin to whichever sports game manages to nail the commentary next year. Commentary, as can be expected, ranges from banal, to irritating, and even plain wrong. The AI, too, heavily favours a low cross from the byline, which hopefully will be patched out sooner rather than later, such is its frequency and overpowered, often game-changing outcome. Goalkeepers blow hot and cold yet again, with surreal goal-length catches and messy Karius-esque spills both able to be pulled off by the same ‘keeper in the same game. Other than that, there are minor niggles that can occasionally put a few wrinkles in the gentle throbbing hum of each game. It still feels like a sterile, shoehorned-in feature that just makes you pine for the far superior, far more addictive Ultimate Team. Featured Players – essentially in-form players picked by Konami – and Legends (we can bend it like Beckham for the first time in ages) are in, but there’s very little else to shout about on that front. M圜lub has received the biggest overhaul but even that’s lagging behind FIFA. It just fails to really grab your attention. That’s not to say there’s been no movement elsewhere. The seven new licensed leagues (Turkey, Scotland and even an exclusive Russian League all make their bow) also can’t be sniffed at, but the fact remains that if you didn’t like Master League in years previous then you’re not going to find much for you here, as it’s been practically untouched. It’s a welcome arrival, and adds some much-needed pressure to proceedings. A challenge difficulty has been introduced to Master League, which brings the game more in line with FIFA’s Career Mode and real-life goings-on in terms of realistic transfers and the ever-looming spectre of the sack hanging over you. Master League is, inevitably, back – yet you’re going to have to go through the iconic mode with a fine-toothed comb to notice any real changes, despite it the rags-to-riches path being as compelling as ever. What good is it having a fantastic football game when there’s very little to get excited about in the way of modes and other features? That’s where PES 2019 stumbles somewhat. Even then, it is a trade-off you’ll be willing to take once you’re a half-a-dozen or so games in. It’s no exaggeration to say that PES 2019 will make you gain a greater understanding of the beautiful game in ways FIFA never could, even if matches tend to be a little slower. Gone are the pinball-esque passathons of the past and, in its place, you find yourself pressing smarter and controlling the space more intelligently than ever before. It takes a while to get used to the heavier first-touch system, but the upside is it allows for the game’s flow to change in a heartbeat. The fundamentals of actually playing football have been tweaked this year, too. Quick subs have finally been introduced, and are an improvement on FIFA’s as they allow a rapid-fire changeover of any position at any time in the game, not just when certain players are low on stamina. Small changes elsewhere are guaranteed to please fans. Visually, this is the closest a football game has ever come to replicating its real-life counterpart, and certain top (and licensed teams) had me doing double-takes on more than one occasion. Shadows drape over the pitch depending on the time of day the brisk autumn air carries with it a bitter, frosty chill even the manner in which light reacts to players’ movement is unparalleled now. In fact, new ‘Global Illumination’ lighting technology has been brought aboard to ensure everything looks and feels just right.
It’s clear that the money presumably saved on the UEFA license isn’t merely burning a hole in Konami’s bank account. For the first time in years, you’re immediately taken aback by just how pretty it all looks.