28.9.2016

If anyone is currently unsure whether or not to buy PES 2017 for the PS3, then don't be, buy it now, in a flash and blink of an eye as you will love it for sure. I am fairly new to the PES series on the PS3 as I was still playing the classic PES 5 and 6 on the PS2 prior to the last six months, I played PES 10 and 11 and borrowed 13 but I really struggled with them as in my opinion they didn't have that fun factor that the older ones had such as 5 and 6 on the PS2. I fully recommend you watch the intro after you pop the disc in, this intro sets the mood and gets you pumped up to play the game, I won't give much away but it is dramatic and by watching it, you know you have a game that is great and as addictive as possible.I played a few games against the CPU and played on a low difficulty setting as I needed to get to grips with the controls etc, speaking of controls I have all mine on the basic settings so basically it plays like the old PS2 PES games so none of this off the ball stuff and advanced shooting and advanced passing going stray, have the controls on basic settings like me if you ain't a fan of advanced stuff, I just want to pass, shoot and maybe do a few skill moves and not worry about other controls which are too much to remember. Game play is great, as always it plays like a real game of football, I am enjoying it and passing is good, although I think shooting is harder than previous versions which is a good thing and it will take some time to start scoring. Collisions seem to be improved, 100% it's a more physical affair than in previous games where there wasn't much contact. I can't say much else regarding game play, it's PES so you know nothing else comes close to the real thing. The layout is a carbon copy of Fifa, menu's that is, it's probably the cleanest way and it isn't difficult to find what your looking for or looking to do. I can see Master League is still present but I ain't tried that out yet as there are a lot of teams that ain't licensed so that means Real Madrid are known as RM White, I will update team names as I can't play Master League with all fake team names as it takes away the authenticity, the only teams in La Liga that are licensed are FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid and this is the same for The Premier League, the Italian League and French league are licensed as the Dutch and Portuguese league. EA have all the licenses so Konami really can't do much unless a day comes when both EA and Konami come together and exchange licences etc, seeing a pig fly would be more likely than that ever happening. Champions League, Europa League and Super Cup are there as well as My Club, which is identical to Fifa's Ultimate Team, here you can create your own club, team name, hire a manager and basically just like Fifa's Ultimate Team, have the best team as humanly possible, you can play against the CPU or against other users around the world, make bids and scout for other players etc, you get my drift for sure, I have only played ten minutes of this but it looks like it won't be boring as there is a lot you can do, this My Club mode along with Master League and Online and other modes such as Be A Legend, will surely keep you playing till the next version is released. The game only features 14 stadiums, yes 14 only, well actually 13, as The San Siro is featured twice which is a bit silly really, I hope more stadiums become available via Downloadable Content (DLC), as playing in the same stadiums will eventually become tiresome. Other than the lack of stadiums and licenses I really can't think of any other negatives, there might be a few minor niggles as I've only played the game a few days but it really is a fun, exciting, addictive and great game. If like me, you don't own a PS4, then pick up PES 2017 as it has many game modes and game play is fantastic. I'm looking forward to working my way up from Amateur to Superstar level but realise this will take some time as I only play the game every now and then and not all day like some do. Last of all I have not encountered any lag Online but I guess it all depends on who you play and what country they are in so I only play people close to UK such as France, Spain and Portugal. Also there isn't any slow down or loading during corners or after scoring etc which has been reported. Go and buy this game now as you will hopefully love it like I do, everything you could possibly wan't in a game is in here. Fifa 17 which is released this Friday I believe, will have some new features so it might be worth a look.

26.9.2016

I have played PES for the last few years, since the PS4 versions started - I publicly acknowledge that during the 2009 to 2014 I defected to Fifa, as at that time on the 360 it was the best footie experience out there. However PES 2016 was an exceptional experience and i gave it five stars.So PES 2017, an interesting experience, my initial view, and had I published this review would have been one star.. what had Konami done to 2016... in essence, they had tightened it up, all the areas I had learnt to play around the AI had been gently nudged, tweaked and made a little more complex to overcome.I only play the Master League, so views of other areas of the game please research other reviewers.I am now actually quite happy in a way..I have had to drop down from top player to professional to get used to the game. It is tactically harder, and my first seven games as Ipswich (I'm not a fan of them), led to 7 nil nil draws. Even the commentary mentioned my ability to lock out.. and then I had a 1-1 games.. and then I managed a win, and by a massive 1-0... And trust me I earned that 1-0. In fact I had a few heart in mouth moments, but held on to get the win.. where as my 1-1 draw I had come from behind.. the other 0-0 games I was struggling to find a tactical formation that did what I needed with the players at my disposal... What it needed was subtle tweaks to get the best out of my players, and that is key to the game, you need to understand your players, how to develop them, what they are skilled at and where they will perform best to do what you want.. And even when you get that right, trust me I have very high percentage stats for posession, you still have to adapt as the AI will and counteract you during the game.Why not five stars - I still think it is missing something, I cannot put a finger on it, but there is definitely something just not quite there. Maybe it is missing a little je ne sais quoi.Update - Well ended my first season in the championship with Ipswich in mid-table, this has never happened before. I even drew 28 games, most of them were nil nil specialities. In fairness the commentary made a routine mention of my ability to lockout a game. On the positives I got a new contract, and have managed to buy decent players in close season - so new season first two games against ex-premier league teams.. oh and guess what two draws... a nil nil, and a one one.. Will see where the second seasons goes - begin to hope Skyrim hurries up, as it might be my saviour...Sorry Konami, something is amiss, when someone who played routinely on top player, has dropped down a level and is desperately struggling to find tactics, players and combination that allow me to score at least one goal per game, then something is a miss... I didn't score loads before, but enough to win leagues, and grind out results, now I grind out nil, nils like they are fashionable.. I wouldn't have bought a season ticket for Ipswich prior to playing Pro Evo 2017, if I did, I would sell it now on my performances.. I will update if I ever get out of the championship... If there is a massive positive, I am potentially one of the richest clubs in the league after one season and have a plus fifteen million saved for the day I get promoted.Final Update - I have finally update to five stars - why? I managed to get Ipswich promoted via the play offs after mucho tactical tinkering. Anyway, before I kicked off a game in the premier league, I studied a video by another player.. and I worked out I needed to better marry up my tactics to players owned... I changed to a 433, and at the mid point of season 1 in the premier league I am 2nd in the table, and while not routinely putting in wins, I am certainly winning more than I was losing, or drawing before.. Also my team have started to develop in to both my tactics, and my style - this does help, and my team now seem to understand how I play, and how I change my style of play.I would recommend this to anyone who really likes a chess type game of football that requires thought and not ABC ways to score and win. ala Fifa.

20.9.2016

Reviewing what matters here, From a gameplay and physics perspective it is fantastic, and I feel as if Konami have been working over a decade to get the product to this stage and its finally paying off. I have slowed the gameplay down to -1 for a more realistic feel as it was slightly faster by default than PES 16. I am playing Master League on Professional now in season 2 so I have played well over 30 matches. The graphic art reminds me of PES 13.Replays are slightly blurry.No Italian or Spanish Licenses, I downloaded the kits and teams on day 1 as well as Live update for the rosters. No issues there. You still cant edit player and team chants for a more authentic atmosphere, its frustrating,as we could do this in PES 13 and Fifa 08.......so we have to put up with default sounds from years ago....My main issue is the speed of the dribbling, and slow reactions at times. Which means you have to adapt with first time shots and one touch passes as you know it will be intercepted or blocked if you dally on the ball. It seems to be slower in midfield and attack. This was a slight issue a few years back in one of the previous iterations. But that was mainly in the opposition box. But this seems more general and you end up losing the ball more often than not. Obviously it helps if you have good technical players in midfield who can react quickly and win 50/50 balls.Technical players shine in this game as well as quick or strong players. The feel of Individuality of players is what has always made PES outshine its rival, combine that with the physics of the ball and its individual movement to a 1000 different situations/possibilities and you have a more natural game. As well as technical tactical situations which are clever, anyone that claims its rival is better in this department doesn't know football.I like the technical aspects of PES. I feel like if you are a good reader of the game and actually use your radar you can make great counter attacks and get around the A.I new reactive ways of pressing and winning the ball. In this game you definitely have to win the 50/50s and have great first touch or knock ons to control the game. A.I reacts to situations in game and can get more aggressive as the game goes on if you are in control. Control Reality isnt just a marketing term it is something that rings true during the match gameplay. But then again this is football and anything can happen, but you need to try and control the game from the off.I dont play online so cant comment. I'm not interested in sitting there waiting to find opponents starting the game and having people disconnect and waste time. In the time I have played 3 decent online matches, in Master League I have played 7 or 8. 'Ive never had an interest in playing online tbh.As everyone knows ML difficulty is higher than exhibition. Im playing on professional to get used to the new gameplay which is very different from previous years. So you can actually see improvements and changes unlike its rival. I have tried Top Player in ML, teams tend to be more defensive and press faster. A more dull experience. I'll probably give Superstar a go when Im used to the A.I.ML has been revamped and a few more details and historical data is now more relevant which is good. Growth is good and learning new skills now has prerequisites which makes sense. I.E you cant learn a Rooney type low lofted pass if you cant pass.....The next step would be for player historical data to be kept like in Football Manager, so we know a bit more about player history and what you're getting. Little details like this improve experience. Also big jobs shouldnt come so easy.Overall a good game but improvements can still be made. If youre a fan of football PES feels more authentic and closer to real life in its gameplay elements on the pitch where it matters

25.9.2016

Since there's no actual reviews of this game on PC platform here I figured I'd give it a proper review.So then, PES 2017, yes it's using the "PS3/360 engine" but for what that's worth the only difference I can see with that compared to the "next gen engine" is copious amounts of motion blur in the PS4 version - absolutely everything else seems to be intact including the same exact gameplay - which number 1 is the most important thing and number 2 I don't know about you but I cannot stand motion blur anyhow. I always turn it off in my PC games!The cool thing with the PC version is that you can mod the game so an extreme degree which is simply not possible on consoles.To the point where you can get the proper fonts on the BACK of the kits for what ever league team. You can re add or add what ever teams available in which ever mod you pick. And with ReShade or SweetFX not to mention anti alias injection you can easily make the game look far better than even PS4 version. That's not an opinion either, it's fact.As to the game itself, on the pitch it's amazing. Very difficult but amazing all the same. This really feels like PES 5/6 if it was made today. I mean in terms of teams defending you properly thus you having to keep possession and truly earn your goals. Other than the AI I would say the biggest improvement by far this year is the goalkeepers - they perform how you would expect them to they do make the occasional mistake (as per reality) but they'll usually palm out for a corner, they're usually quick off the line, they make instinctive saves and they get down and back up extremely quickly.Passing as ever feels immense! This is one area where I feel that Pro Evo has ALWAYS been light years ahead of FIFA in! The control and snappy response not to mention the crispness too. It's so satisfying and there's no delay at all. Replays are good this year at least they give you a good angle of your chances. And the pad rumbles this year when you take a shot or tackle etc.If there's 1 other major difference between FIFA and PES which doesn't often get mentioned it's the tactics. In Pro Evo this year you've a wealth of options and they all make a massive difference as they should. If you're the underdog playing a Juventus or Man U you may want to play a 4-5-1 and put men behind the ball and look for the long ball or soak up pressure and hit them cold up field with a quick counter attack. Or you can go like for like 4-4-2 attacking and get absolutely battered off the pitch because you underestimated the tactical aspect of the game. That's the thing, in FIFA it makes little to zero difference how you set up but in PES it makes all the difference in the world!So yeah this year's game is difficult, but it's only difficult because the defenders track your runners and close down properly! So you can imagine it's very rewarding because of that when you do carve out a chance and score a goal. Let alone a quality one!PES 2017 is a game of nuance, tactics, know how and skill. You have to earn the right to play. You have to actually get in tune to the symbiotic relationship between your players and your tactics and how you play in order to get anywhere. You have to be creative to carve out chances and if you score a goal you'll know you've earned it either through good invention or ingenuity or a wonder strike or by having your team set up tactically correctly for said opponents on the day.FIFA fans probably won't like this because it's not as immediately accessible and it doesn't have that Sky Sports experience. But what it does have is an unreal level of depth and quite a steep learning curve.I liken PES to actual football. It's dirty, it's grimy, it can be ugly at times. But there's so much depth to and skill there that it's ultimately a beautiful game.

17.9.2016

....A bit early to make the review possibly but why not? Its a continuation but big improvement on lasts year fox engine based game. The biggest issue last year was the goalkeepers and easy goals. Not uncommon to have 3 or 4 games in a row end with more than 7-8+ goals each game, even a ridiculous 10-8 etc not impossible on a 15m game. Its a case of two things really, the GK are far superior to last years and make decent saves even in the box and at point blank range, which was always mostly a goal in pes16. And even rebound efforts they can pull of dramatic saves. Also the shooting has been toned down, Ive been through on goal with Zlatan and even finessed it wide of the post or into the GK,you could say im crap but its apparent that shooting is far more variable and at times a bit random and you cant laser every shot into the corner like previous, the shooting feels very free and its easy to sky shots from distance miles over the bar or just past the post, so far it seems great in that you dont get that sweet spot on the power bar etc for easy goals at all or ive just not found it yet. Either way shooting defo a lot more loose and harder to guarantee easy finishes especially in the box, so thats great.Crossing is wicked as are corners, passing even on passing assist 1 seems a bit auto, I tried to loft a through ball out wide but the computer sent it over the top/middle, to Zlatan who was now through on goal and unleashed a wonder volley into the back of the net, cant complain but i wasnt to happy haha..The player movement is pretty quality as well and they even point to where they are making runs so you know where to slide the ball through..Good players make better runs and get in front of their markers..If you whip in a cross to Zlatan etc then he will run across and push defenders out the way to get to the ball but lesser players cant do that against top defenders, again individuality is key in pes.I felt the game plays better offline, online some games seemed half the speed and players really slow to turn though last few games been almost as smooth as offline, sure was same early days pes16, so i stuck to offline until it was fixed, hopefully be rectified soon so both offline/online identical performance. However, luckily enough the offline game is fantastic so far, playing the cpu is at times almost as good as playing your rival mate, the teams are all pretty unique and play a good fun game. Cant wait to get stuck into my ML, which brings to another problem, fake kits and team names, no problem though easily fixed with a downloadable patch from one of the many pes websites.The game is a thinking mans game, sure you can pick it up and play but if you want to break down a good player, you need strategy and tactics as well as skill. Some of the movements and passing plays ive created which lead to goals have been almost realistic and terrific to pull off. The game can go fast with lots of one touch passing and interceptions etc but if you take a bit time to slow it down you can like in real life pull of some great moments of play.I dont want to get into the fifa v pes debate as for me they are both great games and im loving the fifa 17 demo also, 2 great games, ah what to play, 1st world problems!!.....Fifa defo though not overly arcade is a bit more fast paced and dribbly based compared to pes, if you want a more thought provoking, passing based footy game then pes is the one, but both are equally as fun.I gave a similarly good review to pes16 before weeks later the apparent poor gks and easy goals spoiled the game, i cant see this happening this time round and hopefully my thoughts on this game remain same in future as now and im pretty sure it will.Good job Konami...

18.9.2016

I’ll start of by saying that I don’t normally write reviews but felt the need to do so in this case and wanted to put this in context. I’ve been playing football games since the Atari ST games to the modern day. Some of my favourites being Microprose Soccer, Kick Off 2, SWOS, Actua Soccer, ISS Deluxe, and of course the greats of the PES and FIFA series.Up to around 2008/9 I was hardcore PES no other game could touch it, however after this FIFA really came into its own. PES has shown glimpses of magic, but ultimately it couldn't match FIFA in a number of areas such as presentation and modes, and the gameplay just wasn’t good enough to make up the difference. Over the last couple of years however,you could see the gap closing. Last year FIFA was still my go to game, PES was good but still had a number of bad flaws – poor keepers, poor online, difficult to use option files etc.Now to this year, I downloaded both demos and spent a couple of evenings going back and forth. At first I was still FIFA. But the more I played the more I started to move towards PES – the shoot and long pass button being the other way around kept throwing me off (I changed them now) but I got over this. So I ordered PES, thinking I could always sell it if I wanted to get FIFA.But wow. I feel embarrassed even considering this. I have had more fun and excitement playing this for a day than I have with any football game for a number of years – probably since PES 5 or 6.I’ve has 4-4 thrillers, sneaky 1 – 0 wins and a few defeats along the way but the key is they are all enjoyable. When you concede you acknowledge that it’s your fault, when you score you feel like you have earnt it. No scripting, no silly situations where Gareth Mcauley (as great as he is!) is able to catch-up with De-Bruyne in full flow. The game just looks and feels right. It feels fluid, and introduces a real unpredictability into a game that FIFA just doesn’t have. For the first time since I can remember I am actually watching some of the highlights at the end of the game.The animation of the players is fantastic, and this coupled with the excellent ball physics sees ricochets, deflections and collisions looking super realistic. As a results for the first time since I can remember I am actually watching some of the highlights at the end of the game.This year its actually really simple to update the kits and badges using easily available option files, all you need is a USB stick and google. Last year it was a pain, I gave up and went back to FIFA as I a sucker for accurate kits and badges etc.The menus have also been given a revamp, while still not at FIFA’s level, they are much improved and a lot easier to use. The soundtrack is ok too.I know that a lot of people have had issues with PES online over the last few years. I have a couple last year but nothing too serious. This year I’ve only played a few games online but have had no issues, so again looks like they have improved this but I’ll reserve judgment until I’ve played a few more.Now just to make sure I wasn’t vastly over hyping the game for whatever reason, I went back to FIFA demo last night just to check. It really is night and day. FIFA feels robotic, and for the first time in ten years I won’t be buying it. I feel kind of sad, I won’t deny I have had some great times with FIFA, but it’s time to move on.I know its early days, but as I feel at the moment this may be one of the best football games ever released, maybe even one of the best games ever released. If you are in any doubt don’t be, get PES.I hope this review helps anyone who is on the fence, any questions just ask. I am playing on PS4.

19.9.2016

It took me quite a few exhibition matches to get used to the slower and more measured feel of the passing and the weight of the ball. I'm usually like this when it comes to things in general, but over time of being patient and playing it and learning more, I've realised increasingly that it just feels better to play than PES 2016, when I constantly kept thinking at first that PES 2016 was a lot more fun to control.That's one of the main things I really enjoyed so much about last year's instalment: The freedom of play is so natural that you feel like you can exploit the spaces you see, especially when the space is tight and the opponents surround you in numbers.If you feel you could do a mazy run in and between opponents,or perform effortless one-twos to take out a certain number of players to advance an attack, you most probably would be able to in this game and that's refreshing to see in a football game generally let alone in PES 2017.In FIFA I always get the experiences of, particularly on higher difficulties, the AI overpower you in situations where you feel you could do a lot more to overcome an opponent. Though I've liked the FIFA 17 demo the more I played it, I'd be very surprised if its core gameplay felt just as naturally satisfying to play than this year's PES. Of course, people might be so used to FIFA that FIFA 17 would be just as fun to them as any other FIFA or PES game they've ever played. But in comparison to the feel of the passing, PES 2016 already felt streets ahead of FIFA 16 then.I'll still look forward to trying out FIFA 17 when it comes out, even though I don't really feel convinced by the improvements made on career mode.I've yet to delve into master league, but what I've played from all the friendlies, it feels even more fluid.Referees punish the more obviously mistimed tackles more often, though not as much for obstruction. The goalkeepers look and are more spectacular and useful; the animations for goalkeepers and outfield players in general look very life-like at times, which is a pleasure to see every time, in particular for goalkeepers. It also feels harder to score. You'll always feel you could only blame yourself for conceding a slack goal, or feel just as guilty for creating X amount of chances and losing 1-0 in the process, and not using the game's faults as an excuse for your poor defending or shooting. The game doesn't even have that many faults, as the game just feels damn good and right to play.I'll stop typing now because I've just realised the time and that I need to go to bed, but yes I recommend this even more over PES 2016 the more I played it. I'm very hopeful for what KONAMI will or could do now for improvements on licensing and gameplay presentation for future instalments. Bring on PES 2018!

12.10.2016

Pro Evo 17 - PS3Looking over the one star reviews has me both feeling mystified and disheartened. I just cannot believe that they are writing about the same game! But I shouldn't really be surprised as PES is definitely NOT for the faint hearted lol! Actually I've just realised the negative reviews were about FIFA 17! My comments below still stand though.......The true football fans ie the ones who love a kick about in the park on a Sunday or in the local community center or cheer on a weekly basis in the lashing rain their own crap team understand where PES are coming from.This is a game of football NOT a football game. This is like being on the pitch playing real football with all its foibles,

22.9.2016

Best game ever? Not so fast.I've seen a lot of very generous reviews for PES, so I want to say what I think is stopping it being the 9/10 or 9.5/10 a lot of game reviewers have been giving it.In no particular order:The commentary is awful. They say things completely out of context and all the time and it also gets very repetitive. After a week of playing I just want to turn it off.Constant fouls. The opposition seem to foul me all the time or I foul them a lot. This wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the replays for every foul which really kill the flow of the game and get very annoying when you're losing and want to get on with the game.Strange AI - opposition defence always plays really deep.

18.9.2016

If you have played PES before, this is a definite improvement on previous year's games in terms of overall gameplay.Contrary to what some people have said previously, the AI difficulty has gone up a notch from last year's offering. On superstar level, which is where I set my benchmark on 16 is sometimes unplayable, especially when facing a good team like Barca...which I guess is realistic - so not a bad thing. I understand people who say why fix what isn't broke, but adding an extra layer of difficulty adds challenge, which in turn keeps interest going. I do find it hard to believe that anyone can walk over Barca with Stoke (as has been said, but anyway...)The lack of licenses is no great issue this year,

19.9.2016

Having lost faith in the franchise for a very long time (I abandoned it completely during PS3 and the start of PS4), I can now confidently say it’s reclaimed its rightful spot as the best football game on the market. PES 2016 was a huge step in the right direction, and PES 2017 has continued the trend by creating what could go down the best PES ever. Please, don’t think this is an exaggeration. It’s not. I’ve been a strong critic of the franchise for the best part of a decade. But right now it appears to be undergoing a phase akin to the glory days of PES 4, 5, 6 and 7 – in which some of the greatest football games were ever made.So what’s great about it? And how has it finally superseded FIFA?

16.10.2016

After seeing the hype about how great the gameplay of pro evolution soccer has been for the past few years, and seeing Fifa deviate further into the abyss of clunkiness "realism" and scriptured league 2 teams playing like Barcelona since 2013, I decided to finally get PES 17. Obviously I had to change the team names and kits etc because I couldn't really cope with having to spend minutes to find Real Madrid or Tottenham Hotspurs, so I got the option files easily installed from PESWORLD using a WEPES folder on USB.The gameplay is superb compared the clunky counterpart called FIFA 17, each player does what you want them to do on the pitch. There is a great depth involved with the gameplay,

24.9.2016

PES has really stepped up the game this year, it's still falling short on the online side of the game owing to the lack of matchmaking for lesser known teams and the connections are still suffering from a substantial lag.If you're going to buy the game, then look at what it will serve it's purpose best at which would be the offline play.Master League is there as the UEFA Champions League and Europa League which Konami has the licenses for.It's easy to find update files to give all the branding, player names etc - PES World has served me well and easy to update via USB on the PS4, an option which is lacking on the XB1 version.The game.............Plays exceptionally well!

19.12.2016

I finally got fed up of FIFA last year. Having downloaded the demo and reading up on some reviews I decided to go for it (started out on PES/ISS back in the day but converted to FIFA a few years ago).First of all I must say the data import functionality is much improved and inside an hour I had a fully "licensed" game. A real bonus.Pro's- Gameplay is just so much better than any FIFA I have played, almost back to the golden days of PES6.- I play on top player and see myself as seasoned footy gamer. The difficulty level and variability is almost perfect, you can win lose or draw any game really and your tactics and style will play a big part in the result.

16.9.2016

Best PES ever! It feels a bit better than last years, the graphics are better. The replays are fuzzy, it's a style they go for which is fine, it looks good.But after playing this for an hour, this is an incremental improvement. It's not ground breaking.The commentary is 2 years old. Konami allow you to update via USB, which you could anyhow if you knew how. Why not allow you to install updates in the web like Big Ant studios do on their rugby league and cricket games?Update, just been on pesworld, followed their instructions and in half hour updated all teams and kits for premier and championship sides. Makes the game more authentic, which is nice. Teams now look fab!

Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 (PES 2017) - Reviews

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