Beautiful and polished addition to the Pro Evolution Soccer series
Pro Evolution Soccer is a football game franchise developed and published by video gaming giant Konami. With the news that Konami is ceasing the development on all triple-A games for consoles except for Pro Evolution Soccer, a lot is riding on this franchise for this developer. Pro Evolution Soccer is another entry to this sports series. Does it have what it takes to keep Konami relevant despite their change in business model?
Old and New Features
The Pro Evolution Soccer series has always offered players a more realistic simulation experience when it comes to adapting football into a video game. Unlike games like Football Manager, you actually get to control characters in the field and direct their movements such as running, passing, and more.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 takes this premise and makes it even better. While the previous Pro Evolution Soccer games have always been great in terms of graphics and controls, PES 2019 polishes these aspects by adding improved passing mechanics and a wider variety of kick and pass animations. Unlike it’s older iterations, PES 2019 gives players more freedom in terms of movement which makes it feel more realistic and lifelike.
PES 2019 also has what they call Magic Moments where player individuality has been improved thanks to the addition of 11 new skill traits including no-look pass, control loop, rising shot, and more.
Probably the most exciting addition to Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 is David Beckham’s inclusion in the PES 2019 myClub. The player can get David Beckham into their team although his involvement is limited depending on the game edition. Players can also get Philippe Coutinho, premium agents, and more in the PES 2019 myClub.
Major Connectivity Issues
The PES franchise is built on open-ended play. It’s not meant to be played like a standard RPG with a linear storyline. Instead, it offers endless gameplay thanks to multiplayer and online gaming. Unfortunately, PES 2019’s offline campaign is decidedly better than its online counterpart. The fluid movements and animation in the offline campaign are replaced with lagging and connectivity issues when trying the online game. Most players have difficulty playing the myClub mode and other online content due to being disconnected from the servers. For players who like offline campaigns, this may not be a deal-breaker. However, since its main attraction is online competitive play, being confined to offline games reduces the reasons to get PES 2019. It also won’t justify the game’s exorbitant price.
A Good Addition to Its Series
Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 has everything that could make it a decent follow-up to older PES games. It has extremely realistic graphics coupled with solid controls and fluid movement. It does have a bit of a hiccup when it comes to its online campaign, and it doesn’t have as star-studded a roster as the FIFA games. However, it’s still an amazingly polished game.
