Hey there! Let's kick off this blog with a kick off from PES 16. This iconic game, which had risen in the PS2 era, only to be overtaken by FIFA in the PS3 era, is now back with ever better graphics and gameplay.
The PES series started on 1995, which makes PES 16 the 20th anniversary of the video game series. The new things are many, starting with the cover, which now features Neymar, which has been a change since last year's cover featured Mario Gotze.
Now for the game itself. The main menu hasn't changed much. In game graphics are amazing, everything on the pitch is crisp-clear HD. Everything from the referee, to the player's faces, to the ball and grass (although there's not much) is well modelled. I would like to point out that this iteration of PES has better and more well defined player faces that FIFA 16. Gameplay wise, notably the I-hate-you referee being replaced by a I-get-you/it's-okay referee. This is thanked as the referee problem in the earlier game made it unplayable. But PES isn't a perfect game. The new features are many, but the limelight is when you score. Konami has added celebrations! But there are only around 7 unique celebrations, which loses to FIFA's huge arsenal. But that doesn't matter much as the new AI is extremely intelligent, making your opponents as smart as you are, so scoring is rare, and when you do score, you'll be too busy celebrating yourself than in-game. Bugs are almost non existent, making PES a pleasant game to play.
But it isn't a perfect game. I thought that the career mode isn't encouraging enough and myClub isn't interesting enough for me to keep playing it. But nevertheless, UEFA CL has always been amazing to play. Also, in the battle against FIFA for licenses, it has lost the battle again as it is left with fake club names and logos, which seem like the game is cheap. Also, commentary is repeatative, and honestly, it seems like one of the commentators is about to explode.
To conclude, PES is a rich and diverse game lacking in few areas, which can defiantly be improved in the next game. It shows good value for money and is definitely an upgrade you should not be hesitant to do.
Score - 9.5/10
