By Harry Hesp
In recent years the debate on whether to play either FIFA or Pro Evolution Soccer has been so one sided that reviews like this began to get more and more pointless as PES fell further and further behind cash-rich FIFA.
This year, though, things are different and it surely can’t help but benefit both sides.
Off the field FIFA has the slick interface and all the approved licences - it brilliantly recreates all 20 Premier League stadiums and now features the great addition of 12 women’s national teams. PES, however, still makes you play with Merseyside Red (Liverpool) and West Glamorgan City (Swansea) whilst the line-up selection menu looks like something from Italia ’90.
But let’s face it, what really matters is what happens when you cross the white line and that’s what we are going to focus on in this review - if you want a run-down of what’s new away from the pitch then visit the games’ respective websites.
FIFA 16’s presentation and graphics is very similar to its predecessor’s - when loading up a game you’d be forgiven if you thought nothing had changed. But kick-off and you soon notice that the tempo of the game has slowed down remarkably.
Gone are the end-to-end goal feasts of the last 10 years or so - the game has become all about patient build-up play. It’s much more realistic - but is it fun? Well, yes but in the most frustrating way possible. ‘FIFA rage’ YouTube videos will almost certainly double. Single player is infuriating - the AI seems to have based its game on cover star Jordan Henderson’s early years at Liverpool - neat, six-yard sideways passes. Trying to get the ball back from a team like Chelsea on world-class mode is enough to make your blood boil and when you finally do it’s hard to break them down. Your passes will get intercepted and slow strikers will get crowded out by well-drilled defences.
FIFA 15 was far too easy - give the ball to your fastest player, hold down RT and blitz your way through pretty much any defence. Now, pace seems almost irrelevant and you have to use your most creative players - your Coutinho, your Hazard, your Ozil -to try and slalom past a defender using the new ‘no-touch’ dribbling system then expose the gap you’ve just created. It’s immensly satisfying when you do find a breakthrough but you have to wonder whether the changes will please everyone.
PES, meanwhile, looks better, it plays better and it feels better than it has done for 10 years. The glory days of Pro Evo 5 have returned with 10x better graphics. The new physics system is more dynamic, more responsive and more exciting - players clatter into one another and the way you barge an opponent off reaches a level of realism we haven’t seen in any football game before. Although, in FIFA 16, get clattered and your PS4 controller will rumble - a nice touch.
The thing that stands out is the first touch of players - when Messi receives the ball you can beat an opponent with one touch - whether it be a beautifully animated pivot or a conservative touch on the outside of the boot - it brings a smile to your face.
Perhaps the most important aspect of any football game is how it looks and feels when you unleash a strike at goal. PES has perfected the Thierry Henry-esque finesse shots - they look fabulous. Cutting in from the left flank and bending a shot far corner with Arjen Robben is a joy - the physics are spot on, the ball floats and curls exactly as it should and you’re left feeling satisfied whether the ball drops in the net or outside of the post.
In contrast, FIFA has nailed the physics when you want to hit through the ball with power. Playing as Chelsea, the ball rolled back to Nemanja Matic on the edge of the area and the big Serb swang his left foot and fired a ferocious dipping-swinging strike into the top corner - just as he did in ‘real life’ against Everton earlier this year. The volleys in FIFA are also superb - you can really lash the ball with more power than ever before - Germany’s Nadine Kessler scored a belter from the edge of the area, bar and in, does it get any better?
Both games could benefit from looking at one another - but it has to be said that scoring in FIFA was more satisfying purely because of the effort it took to get there and to see the net ripple - an animation that FIFA have perfected.
Passing in FIFA has been improved by the introduction of a ‘fast pass’ - an excellent addition that allows you to fire a pass along the ground with speed using R1 - beware of using it in defence though, Martin Skrtel’s touch isn’t as good as Cristiano Ronaldo’s and the ball will cannon off his foot as if it was shaped like a Toblerone
PES seems to have perfected the through ball. Playing as Man Utd, Bastian Schweinsteiger picked out Wayne Rooney with a beautifully flighted curling pass with the outside of his foot that had just enough backspin on it to sit up and allow the England striker to hit it first time. Whilst playing with Arsenal, Santi Cazorla poked a low ball through the legs of a defender to set up Theo Walcott perfectly. Goalkeepers in both games are far better, thankfully, but PES just edges it - keepers still love to parry instead of catch but this time they get up quickly and you’ll see some fabulous double saves.
PES wins also the ‘individuality’ contest. Playing with Emre Can in FIFA is the same as playing with any other mediocre-rated player in the game, playing with the strong, dynamic Can in PES is a joy and it feels as though it couldn’t be anyone else.
It’s a tough call to say which game is better overall, tougher than it has been for 10 years. The football purists will probably prefer FIFA for its all round presentation, attention to detail (including vanishing spray) and realism. For a single campaign and its hugely popular Ultimate Team mode it looks like having the longevity to keep you interested. But PES is back, at last, and if you’ve got some mates coming round for a mini tournament or you want a quick gaming fix then it will definitely provide more entertainment.
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