Gaming
Games
PES 2018 plays better than ever
We go hands-on with PES 2018 and talk to Adam Bhatti about the big changes in this year's game.
Since the introduction of PES 14's Fox Engine, Konami's football series has continued to improve every year, arguably surpassing its former glories of the PS2 era. Last year's PES 2017 was critically acclaimed, and after going hands-on with an early build of PES 2018, the new game looks set to outclass its predecessor.
PES 2018 is reworking the formula by introducing a host of gameplay additions, visual enhancements and new ways to play. It also represents an important milestone of change for the franchise. Brand manager Adam Bhatti told us how PES has raised its game.
PES' gameplay feels better than ever
PES 2018 retains a familiar, yet distinctly fresh feel. It's evidently slower, but never to its detriment – games continue to flow with the momentum of past iterations, and this is now enhanced by a variety of new gameplay features.
Arguably the most influential of these is strategic dribbling, which is somewhat of a cross between PES 2017's standard dribbling system and holding the 'close control' button at all times, albeit with greatly refined results. The system results in more on-the-ball responsiveness and fluidity, particularly in the case of ultra-skilled players.
the whole rebuilding of the dribbling system is what gives you that instant 'oh – this is a different game'.
"[In] PES 2017, [if] you hit the left stick left or right, you would automatically make four or five strides forward," explains Adam Bhatti. "For PES 2018, we actually focused on making sure that each touch of the ball was the right size, without it feeling like you're [stuck] in mud. I think the whole rebuilding of the dribbling system is what gives you that instant 'oh – this is a different game'.
Strategic dribbling works alongside excellent new weight shifting mechanics and an array of contextual touches that allow players to control the ball in even more realistic ways than last year. Importantly, these additions feel like a natural evolution of PES' gameplay, retaining an authentic, simulation feel throughout. Simply put, PES has never felt this good.
Set pieces have gone back to basics
Set-pieces have been improved in PES 2018
© Konami
Fans of last year's game will still feel at home with PES 2018, but it'll take time to master its range of upgraded mechanics. Take set pieces, for example – they now do away with guidelines and replace them with a range of new camera angles and perspectives instead. They're reminiscent of PES' original set piece designs, and ultimately feel more satisfying to pull off this time around.
It's really satisfying
"We wanted to take [set pieces] back to basics," says Bhatti. "The way that we redeveloped it was looking back at the older PS2 games where it was mainly about player individuality and learning about how to take free kicks with different players
"[It's about] giving people an experience with the set pieces that feels like it can be mastered. I think it's a lot of fun as well – it's really satisfying."
It's not just the set pieces – practically all of PES' gameplay elements have undergone subtle-to-significant enhancements. Crossing now feels less exploitable than last year due to improved defensive reactions, while passing and shooting mechanics feel even more natural in their execution.
The early build we played still wasn't without its issues, with players sometimes falling out of position and goalkeepers feeling more prone to clangers than in PES 2017, These provided the only two notable setbacks amidst otherwise much-improved gameplay.
It looks like the beautiful game
It's FIFA 17's cover star in PES 2018
© Konami
PES 2018 is a much better looking game than its predecessor. Everything from the stadiums to the pitches boast a more realistic, detailed look, while player models (particularly faces) can appear hyper-realistic in the right setting.
Konami has also reworked many of the game's base animations, enhancing PES' look and feel with more authentic player movements. It's a drastic change, but one the team felt confident in delivering effectively.
It's all about bringing in people who want a beautiful looking game
"With the animation system, it's all about bringing in people who want a beautiful looking game," Bhatti says. "We felt really confident that [the change] would be received well by the fans, because it still had that instant response time – that kind of total control, and that individual feeling of teams and players and that satisfaction of scoring goals. What [the new animation system has] allowed us to do is really build on that."
We were also shown new presentation features including celebrations, cutscenes and in-game overlays. The latter allows for relevant player stats to be displayed mid-match, although it's more of a subtle enhancement than the major addition some might expect. It's hard not to be impressed by PES' presentation improvements, especially new celebration animations such as Antoine Griezmann's 'Hotline Bling'.
There are a just a few stats to digest here
© Konami
It's a more social game this year
In terms of game modes, PES 2018's big focus this year is co-operative play. You can now play 2v2 and/or 3v3 across much of the game's feature suite, including the ever-popular PES League and myClub modes. Co-op incorporates unique team-based celebrations and detailed statistics, while a July open beta is planned to ensure that all of PES 2018's online features, including co-op, will cope effectively.
"To be honest with you, where it started off was a huge wish from our fans to bring back 2v2 online," says Bhatti. "The whole point [of adding co-op] is that sometimes, [it's about] the experience with your friends. It's great to be able to go: 'PES is a great game', and then actually say, 'let's have a game together'."
"It's actually amazing for me, because a lot of my friends really like myClub and really want to play it co-op
Team-building mode myClub is one such example, allowing players to share their custom-built teams [2v2] for the first time. "It's actually amazing for me, because a lot of my friends really like myClub and really want to play it co-op," Bhatti continues. "How that works is you can actually play on the same console, so actually in the same living room, or you can be online together."
Our experience with co-op play was restricted to local multiplayer, but functioned perfectly well. July's open beta will be more telling as to how it'll operate in an online environment, with clear commitment being shown to improve PES' ability to cope with connection issues.
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Konami has big plans for the future
PES 2018 feels like a game built with the future in mind. It's still reminiscent of last year's game in many ways, but by tinkering at its core with aspects such as basic player animations, it also acts as a new foundation for the series. As Adam Bhatti explains, it's no coincidence that this year's game marks the beginning of a new three-year cycle, and an ambitious one at that.
We have to keep innovating, we have to keep changing
"We need to keep making big changes, we need to keep doing big surprises. PES 2015, 2016 and 2017 had this [familiar] thread, whereas with PES 2018, you can see that it is completely different – we want that every year for the next three years. We have to keep innovating, we have to keep changing."
Our experience with PES 2018 thus far suggests that it's onto a winner. The odd gripe aside, Pro Evolution Soccer has never played this well or looked this good, and with two months' worth of development time still to go, all that's required is a thin layer of refinement to ensure PES 2018 is a game footie fans can't afford to miss.
