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Ron Burgundy
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 marks something of a soft reboot for the long-running football series. With an impressive new engine in tow – Konami’s feted Fox Engine no less – and a strong localisation team now installed at Konami’s European office, it’s clear that PES 2014 is doing its best to move the series forward, to innovate and impress audiences old and new. And while it’s still unclear about how some of its more ambitious features will actually work – we’ll come to those later – it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on during the pre-season.
Let’s start off by being quite superficial. PES 2014 looks fantastic, and is a significant improvement on previous instalments. The stadium I played in were highly-detailed, atmospheric, and the crowd didn’t feel like an afterthought – they display custom banners and signs, and will slowly filter to the car park if the home team takes a beating.
But by far the most eye-catching aspect of PES 2014 is the players. The benefits of the new Fox Engine are evident and very, very impressive. Skin textures look incredible – in replays and post-goal celebrations, you can see pores, veins bulging beneath the skin, and sweat dripping from the brows of your more industrious players. And the likenesses of marquee players such as Balotelli, Ozil, and Schweinsteiger are genuinely uncanny. The preview build I spent time with was limited to Bayern Munich, Santos, and the German and Italian national teams, so I'm unsure how many players will have this level of detail.
During a game, when the camera pulls out to the default television angle, much of this detail is inevitably obscured, but during goal celebrations and action-replays you’ll marvel at its high-level realism, from the improved grass texture to the way fabric billows when players run. It’s not quite next-gen, but it’s arguably the best-looking football game the current generation of consoles has produced so far.
From this zoomed-out perspective, what’s more impressive is the way players move and interact. PES 2014 feels more physical than ever before. Players now have mass, solidity, and rather appropriately this is down to a new bit of tech called the M.A.S.S. System (Motion Animation Stability System, if you were wondering). It gives players not only self-awareness of when they’re under pressure but also the physicality to respond – they’ll stick out an arm to hold-up play or stick a foot out if they think they can intercept a wayward pass.
In PES 2014 not all players are created equally and you’ll quickly learn to play to your team’s strength. Centre-backs and holding midfielders feel exactly like they should – strong and imposing, but less technically gifted, so you’re less likely to go on mazy runs with someone like Javi Martinez. Yet when the ball goes to a winger like Franck Ribéry or a creative midfielder like Bastian Schweinsteiger, you instantly feel empowered and imaginative. They’re faster, can turn on a sixpence, and have a much greater range of passing.
Full Article @ IGN
But by far the most eye-catching aspect of PES 2014 is the players. The benefits of the new Fox Engine are evident and very, very impressive. Skin textures look incredible – in replays and post-goal celebrations, you can see pores, veins bulging beneath the skin, and sweat dripping from the brows of your more industrious players. And the likenesses of marquee players such as Balotelli, Ozil, and Schweinsteiger are genuinely uncanny. The preview build I spent time with was limited to Bayern Munich, Santos, and the German and Italian national teams, so I'm unsure how many players will have this level of detail.
During a game, when the camera pulls out to the default television angle, much of this detail is inevitably obscured, but during goal celebrations and action-replays you’ll marvel at its high-level realism, from the improved grass texture to the way fabric billows when players run. It’s not quite next-gen, but it’s arguably the best-looking football game the current generation of consoles has produced so far.
From this zoomed-out perspective, what’s more impressive is the way players move and interact. PES 2014 feels more physical than ever before. Players now have mass, solidity, and rather appropriately this is down to a new bit of tech called the M.A.S.S. System (Motion Animation Stability System, if you were wondering). It gives players not only self-awareness of when they’re under pressure but also the physicality to respond – they’ll stick out an arm to hold-up play or stick a foot out if they think they can intercept a wayward pass.
In PES 2014 not all players are created equally and you’ll quickly learn to play to your team’s strength. Centre-backs and holding midfielders feel exactly like they should – strong and imposing, but less technically gifted, so you’re less likely to go on mazy runs with someone like Javi Martinez. Yet when the ball goes to a winger like Franck Ribéry or a creative midfielder like Bastian Schweinsteiger, you instantly feel empowered and imaginative. They’re faster, can turn on a sixpence, and have a much greater range of passing.
Full Article @ IGN