If you like football (soccer to our North American friends), then you are in the right place this September, because two football games launch this month. There is, of course, FIFA, which comes later- but the opening volleys were by PES.

PES 2018 is now out- and it continues the tradition of having slick, refined gameplay that the series has come to be known for in recent years. If you are picking it up this week, then know that we are here to help- in fact, in this guide, we walk you through some of the best tips and tricks to master PES 2018. We also talk about a process for restoring the actual players and teams to the game, as well as the best players.

TIPS AND TRICKS

• Learn the Free Kick and Corner systems. Konami have changed the Free Kick and Corner systems in PES 2018, and while the jury is out on whether or not they constitute an improvement this time around, if you want to do well at the game, you might as well come to grips with the new system- they help you leverage whatever advantage you can get
• Keep a track of the empty triangles over your players. The colored triangle is, as fans of sports games should know, the player you are currently controlling- but the empty triangle that shows up over another player denotes the player you will control next upon making a pass or a lob. Keep track of this! It can be useful
• Try out different formations until you find something that suits you. As fans of football know, formations on the field can make or break your chances of victory- so try and experiment. Find something that works for you by experimenting
• Play as different teams. If you play as just Barcelona or Manchester United, then sure, you have far better chances of winning, but because you are basically playing the game on Easy Mode, you are less likely to learn its intricacies- rather, play with less capable teams, so you are forced to learn the game’s mechanics to be able to hold your own.

Master League Tips

The Master League is the manager mode in PES 2018– addictive, and the centerpiece of the game for its millions of players worldwide. It’s actually been overhauled a bit this year- so even if you are a veteran, you’ll probably find that you can use some help. That’s where we come in!

• Keep track of your finances! Don’t go on a spending spree, signing on as many players as you can- because when the time comes to pay salaries, you will find yourself in a pinch. Use the finances screen to budget yourself and pace your spending better
• Train your squad. The players you get in PES‘s Master League mode will often be raw and pretty mediocre- especially at first. It’s your job to hone their skills. Train your players not just in general football skills, but also to perform a role on your team, with the Training Screen.
• Keep your owner happy! This goes without saying, or you will lose your job…
• Keep your players happy! This also goes without saying, especially since if your players are unhappy, their performance will drop, and they may not feel compelled to renew their contracts with you.
• Don’t just stick to the big names! Try some of the lower rated players, or even the made up ones- they’re cheaper, and you can train them to be unstoppable anyway, to achieve the same effect.

RESTORING REAL PLAYERS AND TEAMS TO THE GAME

Owing to licensing deficiencies, PES games have long been known for lacking the authenticity that the FIFA games have, and instead resorting to transparent fake names, logos, and kits for their teams. Obviously, this can be jarring and it can take you out of the game.

Thankfully, workarounds do exist to restore actual team names and players back to the game- but only for the PS4 and PC versions.

PS4:

1. You will need a USB drive for this. Format it to FAT32.
2. Create a new folder on your drive titled WEPES
3. Go to either PESUniverse or PES World- they are among the best known sites who distribute user made PES content
4. Follow the instructions on the sites to download an options file
5. Unzip the files into the WEPES folder created in step 2
6. With the USB drive in your PS4’s USB port, boot up PES 2018. Go to Data Management (from Edit), and then Import/Export
7. Select ‘Import Team’. Make sure all the boxes are selected.
8. On the next page, the Detailed Setting page, make sure both boxes are unselected.
9. Wait for the process to be completed- this may take up to 10 minutes
10. If you also downloaded logos, return to the Import/Export screen, and select Import Images.
11. Find the Competition Emblems option, and select all of the logos you want to import. And that’s it, you’re good to go.

PC:

•  Find a PC-specific PES 2018 patch- because the PS4 version is more popular, PC specific ones may take a while to begin cropping up on the internet.
• Download and install the file- save the files to /Steam/SteamApps/Common/Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 folder.

And that’s it!

BEST PLAYERS

Midfielders

1. Modric (MD White): 89
2. Kroos (MD White): 88
3. Pogba (Man Red): 88
4. Vidal (Free Agent): 88
5. Ozil (Arsenal): 88

Defenders

1. Ramos (MD White): 88
2. Bonucci (AC Milan): 88
3. Marcelo (MD White): 88
4. Silva (PSG): 88
5. Boateng (Free Agent): 88

Goalkeepers

1. Neuer (Free Agent): 91
2. Buffon (PM Black White): 89
3. Courtois (London FC): 88
4. De Gea (Man Red): 88
5. Oblak (Altetico De Madrid): 87

Forwards

1. Messi (Barcelona C.F.): 94
2. Ronaldo (MD White): 94
3. Suarez (Barcelona C.F.): 92
4. Neymar (PSG): 91
5. Lewandowski (Free Agent): 90

ACHIEVEMENTS/TROPHIES

Comeback King 
Won after coming back from 3 goals down

Possessive Streak 
Had the ball 65% or more of the time and won the match

Super-Sub 
A substitute scored

World Class 
Scored in open play from 35m or more (excluding set pieces)

The Sniper 
Scored a free kick from 30m or more

Phantom Striker 
A defender scored a goal

Impregnable Fort 
Faced 20 or more shots on target and kept a clean sheet

Final Twist 
Pulled off a win by scoring in stoppage time

Played Exhibition Match! 
Played Full Exhibition Match

VERSUS (COM) 
Got match data against COM in VERSUS Mode

VERSUS (2 Players) 
Got match data in VERSUS Mode

Random Selection Match Kickoff! 
Played a Random Selection Match to the final whistle

Won in UEFA Champions League
Awarded for defeating COM in an [UEFA Champions League]

Won in UEFA Europa League 
Awarded for defeating COM in the [UEFA Europa League]

Won in AFC Champions League 
Awarded for defeating COM in the [AFC Champions League]

Pro Debut 
Awarded for making an appearance in [Become a Legend]

Championship Winner 
Awarded for winning the League Title in [Become a Legend]

League’s Best Eleven 
Awarded for being picked for the Team of the Season in [Become a Legend]

Best European Soccer Player
Awarded for winning the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award in [Become a Legend]

Best S. American Soccer Player 
Awarded for being named South American Player of the Year in [Become a Legend]

Best Asian Soccer Player 
Awarded for being named Player of the Year in Asia in [Become a Legend]

World Player of the Year 
Awarded for being named World Player of the Year in [Become a Legend]

Won in Master League 
Awarded for earning a win in [Master League]

To Pastures Anew 
Awarded for moving teams in [Master League]

My Favorite Players 
Registered a player to My Favorite Players in Master League

A True Star 
Team Roles in Master League: Obtained a Legend or Bandiera

Owner’s Trust 
Fulfilled your owner’s demand in Master League and raised your Owner’s Trust

League Champions 
Awarded for winning the League Title in any of the Top Leagues featured in [Master League]

European Treble Winners 
Awarded for winning the League, UEFA Champions League, and League Cup in a [Master League] season

Latin American Treble Winners 
Awarded for winning the League, LATAM Champion, and League Cup in a [Master League] season

Asian Treble Winners 
Awarded for winning the League, AFC Champions League, and League Cup in a [Master League] season

Leading the Nation 
Awarded for becoming a national team manager in [Master League]

World Champions 
Awarded for becoming an International Cup Winner in [Master League]

Silver Collector: Basic 
Awarded for obtaining Silver in all [Basic] level Skills Training

Silver Collector: Intermediate 
Awarded for obtaining Silver in all [Intermediate] level Skills Training

Silver Collector: Advanced 
Awarded for obtaining Silver in all [Advanced] level Skills Training

Silver Collector: Expert 
Awarded for obtaining Silver in all [Expert] level Skills Training

Give Online a Try 
Kicked off against another user in Quick Match

Lobby Host
Kicked off as the host in a Player Match Lobby

First Online Divisions win 
Awarded for winning your first [Online Divisions] match

Promoted in Online Divisions 
Awarded for being promoted to a higher division in [Online Divisions]

First Glory: Competition 
Awarded for your first win in an [Online Competition]

Team Play 
Kicked off while taking part in a Team Play Lobby

Win a Casual Match 
Won a Casual Match in Online CO-OP

Win a Clan Match 
Won a Clan Match in Online CO-OP

myClub: 1st Divisions win 
Awarded for winning your first [Divisions] match in myClub

myClub: Promoted in Divisions 
Awarded for being promoted in myClub [Divisions]

myClub: 1st Divisions (SIM) win 
Awarded for winning your first [Divisions (SIM)] match in myClub

myClub: Divisions Promotion(SIM) 
Awarded for winning promotion in myClub [Divisions (SIM)]

Training Match 
Kicked off while taking part in a myClub Player Match

Legendary Streak 
Awarded for winning 2 in a row in myClub VS COM with Match Level set to Legend