For all the controversy it created when announced at Gamescom, Konami’s Metal Gear Survive will not be making an appearance at the Tokyo Game Show 2016. Interestingly, this will be perhaps the first time in a while that Metal Gear hasn’t had some kind of appearance at TGS. Then again, given the development cycle of Metal Gear Solid 5, it’s no wonder it kept popping up year after year.

Konami did announce which games would be present though. These include Pro Evolution Soccer 2017, Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2016, Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Heroes, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel and Monsters Saikyo Card Battle. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Heroes will be showcased on mobile devices.

Tokyo Game Show 2016 is taking place from September 15th to 18th and is expected to have quite a few interesting things, especially with Sony’s PlayStation Meeting taking place on September 7th. As for Metal Gear Survive, it’s slated to release in 2017 for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

E-Xpress Interactive, in associated with Games The Shop, recently held the national tournament finals for Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 in Mumbai. The winner of the 32 participants would go on to win a trip to Milan. In the end, it was Mumbai’s own Aniruddh Joshi who walked away with the grand prize.

Joshi stated that, “I cannot express how happy I am. I have been a PES player for 12 years and every year the game offers something new to the fans. After winning the Mumbai Qualifier, I practised every single day and it has paid off. I would like to thank Konami, e-xpress and Games The Shop for giving the Indian PES community a slot to play against the best PES players across the globe. It will be an honour to represent India in Milan and I will work harder to do well there”.

E-Xpress co-founder Anand Khemani weighed in on the win, stating that, “We would like to congratulate Aniruddh Joshi and wish him good luck for his Milan trip. His achievement will inspire budding e-sports players in the country. We would also like to thank the PES community for an overwhelming response to all the qualifiers and finals”.

Konami may be releasing a free to play version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 for PS3 and PS4 but the retail version is still receiving free content as we speak. The new Data Pack 2 is out today and the update brings a variety of new things to play around with.

These include new kits for Germany, Italy and Spain; the Maracana stadium with its own introductory scene; 51 new likenesses and IDs for famous players including Kevin de Bruyne and Fernando Torres; and finally, friendly support for myClub mode. Don’t worry about the new lobby for which friendlies are supported – it won’t use up player contracts.

Eight new boot styles, including designs from Puma and Joma, have been added along with new entrances for Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana matches. You can check out the full list of changes here for more information. What are your thoughts on the new update? Let us know in the comments.

Konami has finally confirmed a free to play version for Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 after listings for the same emerged earlier this week. The free to play version will be releasing on December 8th and will be an “entry level” version for now. It will only be available for PS3 and PS4.

Players will be able to choose from seven teams such Juventus, AS Roma, Brazil, France and Bayern Munich in Exhibition mode. MyClub and Training modes will also be available and Konami has promised that the free to play version will support any new features and updates that the retail version receives.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 released earlier this year in September and received quite the critical acclaim upon launch. The question now is how the free to play version will pan out. Will it be available for Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC eventually? Stay tuned for more information and let us know what you think of the free to play version in the comments.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2014, released in September 2013, was the year the series began its most significant shift in visuals yet. It began to use a modified version of Kojima Productions’ FOX Engine and Havok physics. Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes would debut roughly six months later and better showcase the engine’s potential on current gen platforms like the Xbox One and PS4. Sure enough, PES 2015 showcased the series’ improvement in terms of better skin shaders, more realistic emotion on display from players on the field, better animations and more believable ball and player collision physics.

We now come to Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 which is available on the PS4, Xbox One and PC along with Xbox 360 and PS3. It seems that this year’s iteration has a lot more to live up to, especially after Kojima Productions’ upped its efforts with the FOX Engine following the release of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. So what kind of visual improvements can players look forward to in PES 2016?

Head to head comparison between PS4, Xbox One and PC versions of PES 2016. Please select 1080p and 60fps for the best possible video playback quality.

First, it’s important to point out the rather strange resolutions on the Xbox One compared to PS4. While the PS4 runs at 1920×1080 resolution, the Xbox One’s resolution is rendered at 1360×1080. Why the odd choice, especially when FIFA 16 can maintain a full HD native resolution? Maybe the FOX Engine just scales better on the PS4, though even Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain’s resolution was 1600×900 on the Xbox One. Perhaps Konami is just better at optimizing the FOX Engine for PS4 in this particular instance but that’s just our guess.

Still, the decision for a sub-1080p resolution in the Xbox One version is interesting. Many other games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Call of Duty Advanced Warfare employed dynamic resolutions. The choice to stick with 1360×1080 feels somewhat better in this case, especially since the engine isn’t switching pixels depending on available GPU resources. It’s also much better than the 720p resolution we saw with PES 2015 last year or in the majority of the Xbox One’s launch titles. Microsoft has surely come a long way with its console’s SDK.

Thankfully, as Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain’s performance exemplified (and that was no small game by any means), Pro Evolution Soccer 2016’s performance across both platforms is rock solid. Performance can be considered similar to FIFA with a locked 60 frames per second and V-Sync employed. There are some frame drops during a match’s opening ceremony or when camera angles are switched but unlike the replays and celebrations in FIFA 16 which run at 30 FPS, PES 2016 runs at 60 FPS.

The PS4 version sports better texture filtering, as noticed on player socks and attire. Overall, character models are excellent and identical across both the PS4 and Xbox One. There’s plenty of depth of field especially in replays which only adds to the sense of adrenaline and certainly helps PES stand on its own. But Konami’s football title stands apart from FIFA 16 with fantastic animations and physics; to some extent, even the character models look better. While the presentation may feel a bit flat compared to FIFA 16, the action on field looks better. There are no jerky animations and player movement doesn’t seem stiff or robotic at all. Players with ball possession look and run realistically though we did note some slight delays when the ball connected with a player’s shoe. In some ways, the latter animation comes across as a more natural reaction to the first. If you’re expecting great looking crowds though, we’ve got some bad news – the crowds in PES 2016 look terrible compared to those in FIFA 16.

Head to head screenshot comparison between PS4 followed by Xbox One version of PES 16.

Head to head screenshot comparison between PS4 followed by PC version of PES 2016.

As noted with analysis on The Phantom Pain, the FOX Engine uses a custom, hardware-based anti-aliasing solution that’s closer to custom FXAA. Since PES 2016 isn’t as demanding as Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, the custom AA works so much better here. Weather effects like rain and day/night matches have been included though fans won’t find much different from last year’s iteration. The FOX Engine’s lighting tech looks stunning during night matches and is once again the star of the show.

Now think about how good PES 2016 looks on PS4 and Xbox One, and compare it to how Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain looked on consoles while translating great to PC. Surely Konami kept the same level of quality in the PC version of PES 2016?

Unfortunately, no. The graphics in PES 2016 on the PC are simply disappointing, coming across as more of an updated port from the previous generation rather than an entity separate from the PS4 and Xbox One.

Texture filtering is vastly inferior to both console versions. Shader quality on character models seems to have dropped significantly. The lighting is flat and the crowds look akin to PS2-level paintings than 3D polygons. What’s worse is that there are only three graphical presets to choose from – low, medium and high – and nothing more. Sure it’s priced the same as previous gen versions but is it really worth it in this case?

Our hardware consisted of an Intel Core i7-5960X with 16 GB of RAM and a Radeon R290 2x GPU. There weren’t any performance issues with PES 2016 per say but it’s just a huge letdown when you consider the tons of different graphical options that The Phantom Pain shipped with.

In the end, it’s easy to recommend the PS4 version of PES 2016 over Xbox One though the improvements seen in the latter just go to show you how scalable the console can be. As such, the overall quality of the Xbox One version is still miles ahead of the PC version. The biggest irony is that the PC version using the exact same engine as Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and yet these are the results. Check out the PC version only if you have no other choice.

Note: GamingBolt’s Bill Smith performed the analysis.

PES opens to a menu that isn’t glitz and glamor as has often been in many games from past years; showering on a better menu than the game often produces. No. PES’ menu is clean, simple, to the point. Right from the get-go all options are right there at the fingertips. This doesn’t mean the menu is flat. It is in fact very colorful. Players line many menu options, colorful art and team logos throughout showcase a very unique, simple menu style.

"The funny thing is that nothing really seems changed that much. Yet it’s all hidden in, perfectly mingling and intertwining; making sure the player doesn’t quite notice what changes have occurred. That is what makes a game better than great."

As the audience in the stadium roars, It’s time for the real fun to begin. PES isn’t a copy/paste game of last year’s endeavor. It shows Konami’s strengths of learning from its past and evolving from iteration to the next. Controls are not complex and understand a simple style of getting the job done. Understanding the move sets and matching those sets up with NPCs becomes a breeze and feels very efficient. From controlling the ball to a solidified fluidity of functionality of dribbles and passes and often between AI, everything is immediately understandable and feels set to play for veterans and new comers alike. Improved upon are the AI when in control of the ball. Passing and understanding the surroundings of what options are quickly approaching becomes more understandable to these players.

Now what exactly makes this game so much more impressive than last few entries? Like I said before, there are small difference. Fluidity is so much more impressive. AI trying to tackle, steal, and barge are real showcases that one truly wouldn’t notice as improved because it feels so natural one would probably forget that in past games they weren’t there or weren’t addressed correctly. Similar to a new coat of paint. Something is different. But we just can’t put our finger on it clearly enough. But we know it’s better. It’s an odd feeling to know we are finally getting a game that addresses so many smaller things that it’s hard to remember that they weren’t there in past games of its kind.

" Improved upon are the AI when in control of the ball. Passing and understanding the surroundings of what options are quickly approaching becomes more understandable to these players."

The Master League mode is in better showing this time around with additional options making it feel even more amazing than ever before. Scouts are there for guidance. They can recommend players based on how weak we essential are in certain areas. Of course there are always contract renewals and negotiations throughout the season. Team Roles allows players to level up as the game is played. This in turn also levels us up as well. These levels create bonuses for the team but add money to the team pot as well.

Upon starting PES up, it’s immediately apparent that graphics were not first on the list of making this a well received game. Stadium audience is copy/pasted with standard motions. But who looks at the audience to play soccer anyway? Player design and appeal are somewhat last gen looking. This shouldn’t hold back anyone who is interested in this sort of sports game, however. These are minor quibbles to what this entry truly offers.

What really makes this game feel fresh and actually amazing is beyond even the gameplay. PES 2016 offers a very motivational and energy fueling soundtrack. From the intro video showcasing “We Will Rock You” by Queen to many other well known artists such as Joywave, Clean Bandit, CTS and a handful more. Listening to these ‘real’ tracks while in the menus and other areas made it feel how being present at a real game would be: music blasting over loud speakers, getting the audience pumped and ready for a great game.

"Player design and appeal are somewhat last gen looking. This shouldn’t hold back anyone who is interested in this sort of sports game, however. These are minor quibbles to what this entry truly offers."

Is PES the best soccer game ever? That’s a tough question to answer. With so many minor, but needed improvements, PES has evolved into an almost realistic feeling game. Now, I know we say something like this every generation (remember how ‘realistic’ is felt destroying bricks in Super Mario Bros. in the 80s!?), but with little implementations such as players tackling in a more aggressive fashion, or nipping at the feet, trying to steal that ball, these little attributes majorly add up to something supreme. Is this the best soccer game ever? Who knows. But I know it’s one of the best and every soccer game forward should take lessons from PES 2016.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

FIFA 16, as expected, sold the most in physical retail copies for the UK according to the latest Gfk Chart-Track data. Though it’s had a strong start, the football title’s sales are actually seven percent less than FIFA 15’s first week sales. Since Chart-Track only accounts for physical sales and not digital, the overall numbers will very well be higher.

Destiny: The Taken King has moved down to second place while Forza Motorsport 6 is in third place. This was followed by another debuting title Skylanders Superchargers in fourth place. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is in fifth place while Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 debuts at sixth. Grand Theft Auto 5 continues its long stay in the charts at eight place followed by Call of Duty: Ghosts and LEGO Jurassic World.

Fantasy football title Blood Bowl 2 also debuted in the past week but at 15th place in the charts. What are your thoughts on the success of FIFA 16 so far? Let us know in the comments.

Indian software distributor E-xpress Interactive has announced pricing for Konami’s upcoming Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) 2016. The game will be priced at Rs. 2,999 on the PS4 and Xbox One while the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions can be purchased for Rs. 2,499. The PC version will retail for Rs. 999 in comparison. The current gen console versions were originally priced at Rs. 3,499 so the current pricing is good news for PS4 and Xbox One owners.

Those who pre-order PES 2016, be it online or offline through various retailers, will receive the Day One Edition which includes one player loan in the form of Neymar Jr.; one player UEFA.com Team of the Year 2014; 10,000 GP x 10 weeks; 10 recovery items; and three player contracts.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 is Konami’s flagship football franchise and runs Kojima Productions’ FOX Engine (which is also used for Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes/The Phantom Pain). This lends extensive realism to the game’s visuals. PES 2016 will be out on September 18th for Xbox One, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.