Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 Critic Reviews

An utterly essential purchase. PES 2016 is the best there is, and the best there's been in a very long time.

The football here is unpredictable and undefinable. Matches take on their own personality, depending on who is playing, both on the pitch and behind the controller. You are given enough control and room for expression that you don’t need to conform to best practice. Instead you need to play to your and your team’s strengths, negating the opponent’s and managing the tempo of a game.

Hand on heart, I can’t remember ever being so consistently thrilled, surprised and delighted by a football game before.

PES 2016 is a stunning football simulation. With more animations, better controls and some incredible players 3D models, is a no-brainer for every football enthusiast out there.

I'm glad I had a chance to check out PES 2016 as it would have flown completely under my radar during this busy video game time of the year. I can say I will no longer be an exclusive FIFA player and already have recommended some friends to check out Pro Evolution Soccer

Thanks to the smooth, physical gameplay, the amazing animations, and the various and strategic game modes, PES 16 is easily the best title in the franchise. To go one step further – PES 16 is likely one of the best sport games out today.

A new physics system allows Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 to feel and play more like its real-life counterpart. Although this change results in a lack of foul calls, it complements a fantastic game that delivers a great-feeling version of interactive soccer and builds upon what was the best soccer title ever made.

The football is sublime in PES 2016. There are small improvements made to other areas of the game, and some are still needed, but on the pitch the series is in title-winning form once again.

With individualized players, explosive tactical potential and unparalleled realism, PES 2016 redefines what a soccer game can be.

PES 2016, while not being perfect, feels true to its title - it's an evolution.

Konami’s hard work has finally paid off. The gameplay feels more dynamic, precise and balanced than ever before. PES 2016 is a new high for the series, and is arguably the best football game of the year. Let’s hope for more of the same in the coming years.

Meanwhile, PES is the football game for people who love the elegance, grace, and flow of the sport. PES has always been good at that, and this year's edition, while only making subtle tweaks to the on-field engine, has done so so effectively that it has become the definitive take on the sport.

None of these problems keep PES 2016 from being the greatest football game of all time. The question is no longer whether PES can catch FIFA, and in truth hasn't been for a while. Instead, it's the other way around, and may well be for years.

Works as both an arcade kickabout and a tactically broad sim. PS4's best footy game yet.

So it’s official, last year’s game wasn’t a fluke. PES really is back to where it belongs: at the top of the league.

We would like some improvements to modes and presentation, but the on-pitch action is of such stellar quality that PES 2016 remains the champion.

There's little worth in assessing soccer sims by the weight of their game modes, or indeed, the breadth of their official licenses. All that truly matters is what unfolds in those virtual ninety minutes, either against a friend, an online stranger, or the computer. On that test alone, PES 2016 represents the best game in the series since the PlayStation 2 era.

The improved Master League mode is a godsend, adding substance to the package and complementing the excellent gameplay. With the advanced collision system, Konami has done in a year what EA has been trying to perfect since FIFA 12. The added physicality and increased number of animations has done wonders for the gameplay. The introduction of an excellent edit mode (see ‘edit it up’ for more details) to the PS4 version even makes the usual lack of licenses a relative non-issue.

PES 2016 is about more than just a few additions for the year. It ushers in a new era for the franchise that needs to be experienced.

Pro Evolution Soccer is finally back to its best, in what is undoubtedly one of the greatest sports games of all-time.