Presentation is still lacking, and the lack of licenses continues to grate
Expert reviews and ratings
80
There isn't any doubt that PES 2018 is a far refined version of the previous instalments and it gets most things right. Tactically, it is a superb game to play and most football fans would enjoy the tweaks that have been made by Konami. There's a reason...
While people consider PES to be an underdog, I feel this is simply because FIFA has been around for a long time and has licensed products. In reality, if you're simply looking to play with your friends locally and/or online, PES is way better than FIFA....
So you'd have to be something of a contrarian – or an extreme individualist – to favour PES 2018 over FIFA 2018. Which is a real pity since where it really matters – on the pitch – PES offers the superior experience.Perhaps it's time for a rethink...
Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 is, simply, the most realistic rendition of the beautiful game so far. While the atmosphere is lacking and game modes are in need of some improvement. Konami still desperately need to overhaul the commentary and fix the...
All in all, the line on the graph that is PES’ progression as a series has gone up with Pro Evolution Soccer 2018. A game that might have ran the risk of deterring its loyal fan-base, the improved physicality to player animations and actions only adds another layer to the series’ already layered strategy that feels genuinely entertaining to watch as it is to play, regardless of the outcome.
Right now, PES 2018 feels like a side which has achieved success in recent years, but finds itself under new management, and the incoming boss needs time to truly reshape the team in his mould. There are plenty of signs that, by the end of those three years, this will be something very special indeed - enough, perhaps, to make it truly essential. PES's crown may have slipped just a touch this year, but at its best it still plays a beautiful game of the beautiful game.
And when it clicks, and you score a thunderous strike from the edge of the area or finish off a slick passing move or even when you launch an ugly long ball forward to grab a last-gasp winner, it's the closest feeling you'll get to being out there scoring yourself.
Over the last two decades, the two biggest football sim franchises – EA Sports' FIFA, and Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer (PES)– have come ever closer to perfecting the intricacies of the game. But just like football itself, it hasn't always been a...
I absolutely enjoy playing PES 2018; its gameplay elevates an aspect that was already strong. This is remarkable in and of itself, but also highlights the work still to be done in important areas such as the Master League. The franchise contains a great foundation, and will have to continue to build on it to remain at the top of the table.
Like last year there's so much to recommend about PES 2018 but it comes with significant caveats. Anyone buying it does so in the knowledge that it won't be like playing an interactive version of Super Sunday and if you're not prepared to at least edit...
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