The last time I played a PES game was way back in 2008. It was around this time, when EA was starting to really edge ahead of the Konami brand. PES was losing out as the lesser known brand and in trying to be more like EA FIFA, it was losing its original charm of crisp controls, and excellent freedom.
After the first hour with PES 2015 though, one could feel that the old game was back. The controls were responsive, the AI is excellent and the gameplay…oh so sweet gameplay!!! It was like being transported back to the time when PES had the better mechanics.
(+) Artificial Football
The first thing that you notice is how intelligent the AI is. The wingers judge runs, the defenders close out spaces, and the midfielders fall back and move forward as and when its required. It just makes the game so much more fluent, and makes you feel like the player controlled by you is not the only with an astute mind.
Then there is the mechanics, the shoots have topspins, the lobs have swing, and passes have power. The ball doesn’t stick to your feet, nor does it fly away from you on a first touch. Everything on the football field feels fluid and completely natural. In fact its so good, that you don’t notice it at all, and that I think is perhaps the best compliment of all.
(-) Copy Cat
The one place where PES fails is when it tries to copy EA FIFA 15. Myclub, a feature which is similar to Ultimate team does not have enough polish in the right places, and the whole thing just seems clunky. While the Ultimate Team mode is straightforward and easy to follow, I frequently got lost on the myClub options of PES.
Another thing that did hurt the game was the lack of online players. The time that it took me to find a match online, is an indicator of how popular the game is; which by the looks of it is not so in India. While it does not reflect negatively on the PES 2015, it something that you keep noticing from time to time. Finally deciding to stick to offline play, or couch co-op.
The one place where PES 2015 would have done well to copy EA FIFA 15 was the control scheme. I can’t count the number of times, I lobbed the ball instead of shooting it inot the goal, only because these two are the other way round in FIFA.
Famous names are there of course. You have Rooney, Mario Gotez, Pirlo to cover the spread. But you may sometimes find a club or a player named differently, and just might strike you as odd. If you can look through that though PES 2015 offers the best football simulation out there.
(+) GOAL! GOAL! GOAL!
The one feature that I enjoyed the most during my time with PES 2015 was the Brazilian commentary. Initially I had made the change in commentary language just for the heck of it, but the brazilian commentators are so much more fun. You can feel the tempo rising with their commentary and their celebration on the mic, makes the celebration on the field seems pretty simple.
This is one feature of the game, that I would suggest everyone to try at least once.
Final Scores (8/10)
| (+) Excellent AI |
(-) myClub is not Ultimate Team |
| (+) Responsive Controls |
(-) Controls can be confusing to players used to FIFA |
| (+) Extremelt entertaining Brazilian Commentary |
Normally, my reviews about putting forward a point of view. But playing PES 2015 for too many hours, I am willing to put on my money where my words are and guarantee you that PES 2015 offers the best football simulation available on the market today.