With FIFA 08, though, Konami’s franchise lost some of its ground, and with every following FIFA game, EA Sports started taking a more dominant hold of the market, until finally, FIFA was the force to be reckoned with, selling like peanuts and receiving legitimate praise. However, after FIFA 13, the series slowed down a bit- FIFA 14 was nowhere near as good or as refreshing as FIFA 13 was, and FIFA 15 is, barring a few tweaks that have to be lauded, more of the same.

"Using the famous Fox Engine and building on PES 2014’s stuttering yet remarkable steps forward, Pro Evo Soccer 2015 has brought the PES franchise back into the limelight with a shout"

Sensing the FIFA series’ slowing momentum, it seems that Konami has chose to strike. Using the famous Fox Engine and building on PES 2014’s stuttering yet remarkable steps forward, Pro Evo Soccer 2015 has brought the PES franchise back into the limelight with a shout, announcing to the world that the FIFA series may have won the past few battles, but that the war is still very much on. PES 2015 is excellent, thrilling, challenging, and rewarding, and for the first time in half a decade, Konami has managed to outdo EA Sports- and they have done so in a very spectacular way.

I was surprised when I realized, after having played several hours of both FIFA 15 and Pro Evo 15, that the Konami game appealed to me more than the EA game did. I have always been one of those nitpicky football fanatics that appreciates the FIFA games for being as authentic as they are- proper chants, licensed team names, licensed stadia.

Plenty of times, the fact that PES did not have those things proved to be almost a deal-breaker for me. But I realized that this year’s PES was more authentic than FIFA on a deeper level, a level that matters more than licenses and chants. When you play a number of matches in PES, you realize that it has managed to capture the intricacies and the complexities of the beautiful game almost to perfection, in a way that FIFA just hasn’t managed to do in the last two or three years.

There has been a lot of focus on tactics in football in the last few years- and with managers like Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal both in the highly publicized Premier League, tactics have become even more important to the football watching public. And PES makes the art of winning football matches while holding controllers a very, very tactical affair, and the matches are better for it. The main reason for this huge improvement in the game has to be the AI.

"The artificial intelligence- both, friendly and opponent- in PES 2015 is surprisingly good. Wingers make bursting runs, full backs overlap with them, strikers make intelligent diagonal runs, goalkeepers and defenders come out to tackle, players drop back to defend when they lose possession, and all of this is done in a very organic, realistic way."

The artificial intelligence- both, friendly and opponent- in PES 2015 is surprisingly good. Wingers make bursting runs, full backs overlap with them, strikers make intelligent diagonal runs, goalkeepers and defenders come out to tackle, players drop back to defend when they lose possession, and all of this is done in a very organic, realistic way. Not only does this make it very exciting for you to play when you’re attacking- spotting a teammate’s run and then sending him through on goal is more satisfying than it has been for a long time in any football game- but it also gives defending that much more of an edge. You always have to cope with intelligent play by your opponents.

What’s even more impressive is that your opponents adapt to your tactics and the way you play overtime. Slow and lumbering defenders might be exploited by pacey strikers, especially those that come on as substitutes, and if you try and get in on goal using the same tactic too many times, your opponents will eventually find a way to defend against you.

Whip in crosses from the same area towards the same player too often and the opposing manager might bring on a tall, muscular defender who has the ability to win headers. Try and cut defenses open with too many through balls, and you might realize that the opposition has started playing a much tighter game with very little spaces for you to exploit. Have one of your full backs receive a yellow card, and the opponent might look to take advantage of that with trickery and flair in that wing of the pitch.

It all comes together and makes for authentic and extremely enjoyable play, which makes winning matches all the more rewarding. The fact that you have to keep adapting to your opponents, just like they have to keep adapting to you, means that you probably won’t play too many matches that are similar to each other. Every match feels like a new experience, which means that there isn’t much chance of you getting bored due to repetition.

"It may not have the superficial authenticity or the stadium atmosphere that FIFA can boast of, but when it comes down to the on-pitch action, it has to be said that PES 2015 takes the cake this year."

There are a few glitches and bugs here and there, as you expect them to be- sometimes the generally realistic physics go haywire, and there are some players who look nothing like they actually do- but overall, PES 2015 is a pretty polished game. There is a sense of weight to the controls, and the game in general is much more responsive than previous instalments. The visuals, too, are generally top notch. A few old problems, like band menus and boring commentary, still persist, however this time around, it does not feel like they’re getting in the way of your enjoyment as much as they might have in previous PES games.

Off the pitch, Konami have, quite shamelessly, tried to rip off FIFA’s Ultimate Team mode with the new myClub mode. While it’s a much more simplified and basic version of FUT, and not nearly as rewarding or as addictive as the FIFA series’ extremely popular online mode is, myClub still has to be deemed a good foundation for Konami to build on in the future.

It takes a while, but once you’ve spent a considerable time playing PES- at least more than a couple of hours- you realize that this is a very authentic football simulation game. And that’s where its main strength lies. When you’re playing PES, you’re playing proper football, and it doesn’t do anything that you wouldn’t expect to see in a football game.

In fact, it simulates the nature of a football match very well. It may not have the superficial authenticity or the stadium atmosphere that FIFA can boast of, but when it comes down to the on-pitch action, it has to be said that PES 2015 takes the cake this year. We can only hope that PES Productions will go from strength to strength now, because with PES 2015, they have a damn good foundation to build- or rather rebuild- on.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 has received a hefty update with data pack two which not only improved the myClub segment of the game to add new event competitions (for a limited time) with matchmaking and rewards for those who are victorious.

There are a bunch of new teams and faces as well. The four new teams included Champions League teams like FC Basel 1893, Besiktas, FC Bate Borisov and NK Maribor, all with their respective kits and rosters. Some new accessories include two match balls and 10 boots. Of the 73 new player faces, you’ll be seeing Iker Muniain, Gerard Deulofeu, Luke Shaw, Aaron Ramsey, Karim Bellarabi, José Callejón Rúben Neves with more faces to be added later in the year.

But wait, there’s more – there are four new stadia in the form of Estádio do Morumbi, Saitama Stadium, El Monumental and Estádio Mineirão. Unfortunately, these will only be – but they’re just for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions. Let us know what you think of all these new additions in the comments.

Of all the games to debut big in Japan for the week of November 10th to 16th, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare may not be your first pick. However, due to the lack of any major 3DS games or popular franchises, the Square Enix-published title had a very strong showing on the PS3 and PS4.

The former sold more in its opening week with 79,586 units while the current gen version managed to sell a whopping 64,060 units. Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 on the PS3 narrowly missed the top spot in its opening week with 71,303 units sold. The PS4 version did much worse though with 26,684 units sold.

These top three games dominated the sales charts rather clearly – fourth place was reserved for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate on the 3DS which sold 39,502 units and notched up lifetime sales worth of 2,144,346 units. The other new releases included One Piece: Super Grand Battle! X on the 3DS (35,098 units sold); Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax on the PS3 (34,671 units); and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker on the Wii U with 28,025 units sold.

I love a good video game trailer, they are fun to analyse and talk about with friends and people online. What do I love even more? Well if you’ve read my stuff before, you’ll know that I really love a good bad trailer. Like this one for instance. I particularly like it when a trailer is supposed to say “look how cool this game is” when it’s actually saying, “check out this janky ass mess”.

Slow motion footage from pretty much start to finish doesn’t capture the speed of football, so stop that. Giving us a close up of your dodgey collision and ball connection isn’t a selling point, see 0:36 for a mysterious gliding heel.

But that script. Woof, that’s a rough one. “We are the new era, the next generation”…Well, which is it? Finally though Gotze has been looking at me and monologuing for the better part of 2 minutes, why does he have to look  up and be backlit at the end? Did something on the ground catch his eye? A rogue football perhaps? Better luck next time Konami.

With Pro Evolution Soccer 2015, PES Productions are pushing the bar even further with improved visuals and several tweaks to the gameplay mechanics. GamingBolt caught up with the game’s Senior Brand Manager, Tim Blair to know how this year’s iteration will take the series forward. Check out his response below.

Pramath Parijat: Besides the visual upgrade, what kind of advantages has the Fox Engine bought to PES 2015?

Tim Blair: The Fox Engine allows for lighting and rendering in close to real time, which has made it much easier to make adjustments along the way. However, please understand that the primary advantage is the graphic fidelity.

Pramath Parijat: On one hand we have EA Sports’ FIFA which has expanded a lot in the last few years and on the other we have PES which is fighting to make its way back to the glory days. Why should fans pick up PES 2015 over FIFA 15?

Tim Blair: While we can’t/won’t comment on other companies’ titles, for PES 2015, we feel that once people play the game they will understand how we have updated the controls, responsiveness and returned to our core values that this game has been known for.

"There have been tweaks to the patterns of dribbling, jinking runs and general ball handling. Also, players will be able to see how well they can control not only the ball, but the overall pace of the game as they please.

Pramath Parijat: Have you address the issues from PES 14 like response times of the on-field players?

Tim Blair: We recognized this as an issue from last year’s installment. A lot of time and effort was devoted to making sure that this area was cleaned up. We believe that players will instantly notice the difference as they play.

Pramath Parijat: How are you planning to make PES 15 different but at the same time allow the player to play like he will play in real life?

Tim Blair: There have been tweaks to the patterns of dribbling, jinking runs and general ball handling. Also, players will be able to see how well they can control not only the ball, but the overall pace of the game as they please.

Also, two more areas that were focused on include the one-on-one challenges and the final through-pass just before a goal. We know that these are some of the most exciting and dynamic areas of football and tried to make these as rewarding as possible. We believe players will be happy with the results.

Pramath Parijat: There is a general feeling among players that the online component is not engaging. What steps have you taken to improve this in PES 15?

Tim Blair: This year, you can play online in a few different ways. There are online divisions, where you can engage in online season of 10 games against online opponents. Players receive points as they play the games, and if they get enough points over the 10 games, they can advance to a higher division; likewise, if the player does not get enough points, the player may go down a division. There are 12 divisions in this mode.
The other online modes include team play (11 vs 11 will be available again in PES2015), online friendly matches, quick matches (these don’t count against your online record) and online competitions.

"Users also need an agent to sign players for their clubs. Even agents can be replaced with better agents, obtained by playing in matches and competitions. The quality of the agent is directly related to the chances that users will draw better players in the mode’s lottery system.

Pramath Parijat: What kind of improvements have you made to the game’s Master League?

Tim Blair: This feature has been largely revamped over the previous year’s version. For example, the training is now player specific. The player can focus on balanced, passing, shooting, physical, dribbling, defense, or speed categories.

The negotiations section has also changed. The player uses a scout and can set parameters of where to look for players, which then generates a list of possible transfers. The players on the list are more likely to sign with you. In addition, you can also search for potential targets on your own without the scout, although the scout does help sweeten the deal. Even the negotiations are more flexible, as you can find out what players are thinking about your terms, which allows you to make a better package for them before the initial offer is sent over. These negotiations can happen at any time, but you still have to wait until the next transfer window.

While not mentioned in the question about the online component above, Master League’s online mode has been replaced with “myClub” mode. Players pick a manager and which country the majority of the players will come from. The managers all have a unique set formation, so players can select one that will work well with their own individual game style. Once the manager and basic country is set, players can upgrade the players and manager through “Game Points”. These are earned as you play matches. In addition, we have also added microtransactions where users can purchase myCoins for quicker upgrades. The “Game Points” (GP) or myClub coins become more important as they are needed to manage the players’ contracts and stamina.

Users also need an agent to sign players for their clubs. Even agents can be replaced with better agents, obtained by playing in matches and competitions. The quality of the agent is directly related to the chances that users will draw better players in the mode’s lottery system.
As users upgrade/improve their manager, they will find different on-the-field strategies/tactics that will improve the overall quality of the team. If you improve the manager, you will attract better quality players.

Finally, myClub also focuses on overall team spirit, and there are added benefits when players accept and agree with the manager’s style, have played together with other players from the same league system, or have played a lot of matches together with the current roster.

"myClub also focuses on overall team spirit, and there are added benefits when players accept and agree with the manager’s style, have played together with other players from the same league system, or have played a lot of matches together with the current roster.

Pramath Parijat: What are the core differences between the current and last generation versions?

Tim Blair: The gameplay should feel the same, i.e. the responsiveness of the controls, the playing styles, etc. The primary differences are graphical. Also, some of the cutscenes have been taken out in the last generation consoles, simply because of the limitations on those consoles. However, players should not notice any significant gameplay differences.

Pramath Parijat: As a closing note, is there anything else you want to tell us about the game that we haven’t asked?

Tim Blair: This year also includes an editing function, which will allow users to edit stadiums, players, and uniforms/kits.

Finally PES 2015 debut’s an entirely new way to play with friends: Role Control. Using Role Control, up to 3 players can play on the same team and take control of the forwards (attackers), midfielders, or the back field (defense). By giving players control over a certain area of the field to give they can take better control and have more ownership over that area of the gameplan. In addition it allows users of different skill levels to play together and still have a great time.

Pro Evolution Soccer, mostly referred to as PES has been a long standing competitor trying to bar access to the title of best soccer game on the market, more than once butting heads with FIFA as they tussle over the top spot. But anyone who looks at their games objectively and fairly will be able to tell you that recent pro evo games have taken a knock in quality recently, often coming out as janky or just a poor overall experience.

But that may change thanks to some awesome exclusively licensed content that can only be found in Pro Evo 2015 including dedicated game modes that feature authentic iconography and branding for Europe’s UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League competitions, the new Copa Sudamericana tournament and Asia Champions League features which can only be found in Pro Evolution Soccer.

Also ready to go is a day one download for the game which brings 93 authentic  new kits, eight more licensed teams,, six Brazil League teams and a total of 109 new real world players.

There’s a ton of new content coming to the game, so if Soccer is your jam, get on PES 2015.

Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 introduces a ton of new features to the franchise but is now being criticized for its inclusion of micro-transactions. The game includes Game Points, which can be purchased for real money, and which are used in-game to bring in new players. Speaking to IGN, Konami studio head James Cox said that these micro-transactions were simply an alternative for those without time.

“If you don’t have a lot of time, then with microtransactions you can go buy a lot of players that you want. But you also can earn Game Points in the mode and other parts of PES as well. We’re trying to link things together so you can progress and build your team [normally]. The idea is that we’re trying to just give the players the choice of what they want to do. Some people have more time, some people have more money. Some people have a bit of each! Either way, you’ll have the choice.

Cox also revealed that players will get their money’s worth if they do splurge on Game Points. “The general principle is that you will be able to buy the players you want. The exact final mechanic is all still being tuned, but yes – if you want to buy Ronaldo, one way or another, you will be able to do that. And you will be happy with what you spend your money on.”

PES 2015 will be out in Q3/Q4 of this year and release on PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

Konami revealed the first details and screens for Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 today and the immediate first question – since it’s coming to PS4 and Xbox One – is whether it would be running at 1080p and 60 FPS. It turns out that it does – but right now, only for the PS4.

Speaking to Videogamer, European brand manager Adam Bhatti said, “We’re locked at 60 frames, 1080p already, and this is the first build,” regarding the PS4 version.

As for the Xbox One version, senior creative producer Naoya Hatsumi revealed that at this point PES Productions is “still at a stage where we can’t give a definite yes. When you consider that question comes from us having just PS4 consoles available for gameplay on the floor, it’s just purely for the development reasons.

“At the current development stage we’re in – which is just under 70 per cent complete – we still have a lot of work on game balance and some of the gameplay elements are just much more visible on what we want to deliver… We thought that would be able to be conveyed best through a PS4 at this stage, but we are definitely working on the Xbox One [and] all other platforms in parallel to the PS4 edition.”

PES 2015 will be out this September and will also be heading to PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. What are your thoughts on the game? Let us know below.

Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 appears to be releasing on September 26th this year according to GameStop Italy. The listing for the game states that it will be arriving on PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Konami hasn’t revealed its plans for the next PES title and whether it would be arriving for the PS4 and Xbox One or not. Given how the publisher has already targeted both consoles – as well as previous generation platforms – with its latest titles like Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes, it seems like it’ll happen.

Pro Evolution 2014 also had a similar release date, arriving in 2013 on September 19th in Europe and September 24th in North America. It released for Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, PC and Nintendo 3DS and utilized Konami’s next generation FOX Engine. We’d be shocked if PES 2015 didn’t use the same engine, that too for next gen consoles.

What are your thoughts on PES 2015 arriving this year in September? Let us know in the comments.

(Source)