Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 Critic Reviews

It deserves a wider audience, with Konami clearly having a corking engine on their hands in the Fox. Still, minor issues aside, this is a great way for the series to bow out on the current hardware.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 is very much what its name implies, an evolution. Konami have taken off the gloves and issued a very strong challenge to EA; whether or not this will translate to actual sales is yet to be seen as this battle will be fought over the coming year.

The best PES in years is intricate, addictive, and brilliantly realistic.

The new Fox Engine gives birth to a deep and engrossing soccer game. This is the best PES ever, but it still suffers from the comparison to its arch-rival FIFA in terms of licensing and options.

The game isn’t perfect, but it certainly comes recommended. To borrow one of football’s many clichés, PES 2014 is a great base from which the series can kick on to bigger and better things.

Even though some long lasting problems -like the poor AI- are still here, the new edition of PES is one of the best representations of the "beautiful game".

PES 2014 really challenges the world of video game soccer games by implementing revised gaming mechanics and some impressive use of physics. It's a shame that the game does not have full licensing rights but if you're a fan of soccer, you really need to check this game out, especially for its local and online gameplay.

And while that new foundation presents some huge benefits, particularly in terms of visuals, PES 2014 gets very close but never fully capitalises on that potential.

It sacrifices little of the feel while introducing some new concepts that I hope stick around. While aspects like the bid to introduce emotion to players remains inconclusive and I'd like the developer refine its control scheme, for the first time in a while the future of the franchise is more exciting than its past.

PES 2014 may not be the game that has the biggest advertisers, or the official licensing of the sport, but there is something very special and riveting about it. When other franchises are changing things just to change them, PES is holding onto tradition and, as any “Hooligan” will tell you, tradition matters most.

Producing a game like PES for a new engine brings huge challenges, it would be impossible to have the same level of tuning of the prior version using the previous engine, but it is truly amazing what was accomplished on the first time.

The best Pro Evo has been all generation and, for players looking for a more in-depth and grounded game of football, a genuine alternative to FIFA.

When PES 14 truly shines, though, it outplays its megaton rival in several key areas. If you’re willing to scrape beneath the surface and accept its technical and licensing shortcomings, then this offers a nuanced, deeply rewarding game of football. If Konami can iron out those issues next season, PES United could yet be champions.

The reality of the situation is that if you want a fully featured and licensed affair, there will be those of you that will just go with the new FIFA offering, and that’s fine I guess. But there are those who like a purer experience, and it’s undeniable that Pro Evolution Soccer has that.

The evolution is there, but we really feel like Konami could have used a couple of months to polish the product. Still, we believe this is the way for PES to be back, and we hope next generation versions will be what we expect from such a franchise. But, please, stop changing things compulsively.

Off-field issues remain PES 2014's biggest problem, lacking that one killer game mode needed to overtake its main rival. However, the action on the pitch is the best it's ever been, rivalling and arguably surpassing that of FIFA, and setting up a tasty next-generation battle going forward.

Calling it a simulation doesn't quite feel right, but this captures the look and action of a football match better than anything else I've played.

The MASS and TrueBall elements make the on-pitch gameplay feel authentic, while Heart makes games much more tense and interesting. It’s the things off the pitch that let down the game, as the commentary needs work, and the framerate issues need to be resolved.

It's almost tragic, really. Because, awful loading times and some smaller technical quibbles aside, on the field, this PES looks and feels just plain excellent.

Kojima's Fox Engine makes PES 2014 look pretty, but won't keep FIFA from crowning itself "footie of the year". The main culprits? An unhealthy amount of framedrops and once again a sore lack of licenses.