LOOK: An early look at Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 video game
The 2017 edition of the game is set to be released this fall
As the battle for the best soccer video game continues between Pro Evolution and FIFA, the PES team at Konami recently showed off an early look at PES 2017 during the weekend of the Champions League final in Milan, even featuring its world final match on the Champions League stage in front of the iconic Milan Duomo.
With the 2017 edition of the game set to launch in a few months, the crew at Konami is confident in improving it even more from its 2016 version, which received very positive reviews, with our partners at Gamespot.com grading it a 9 out of 10.
Here's a look at some of the new features creating the most buzz.
1. Precise Pass
With more realistic ball physics and real touch, passing is more detailed and impacted by more factors.
2. Real Touch
There are unique and different touches based on the type of player that adds to the realism of the game. You'll see guys like Olivier Giroud take slower touches while speedsters like Neymar are much quicker on the ball, playing the ball ahead in space to start the attack or evade a defender.
Adam Bhatti, global product and brand manager for PES, feels that fans will notice big differences between last year and this year's version of the game, especially with real touch.
"The real touch is all about making first touch important so you can feel the difference [between] players, it makes you think more about the pass ... Obviously if you are a very good team like Barcelona and Bayern Munich, you will find it easier to pass," he said.
3. Advanced Instructions
You can change your strategies such as tiki-taka, tight marking and more, allowing more changes on the fly.
4. Improved goalkeeping
PES' team aimed to boost goalkeepers in the upcoming version, making saves more realistic and more dramatic.
5. Corner kicks
You can now select different actions when there is a corner, like zonal or man to man marking when defender and near post runs and others when attacking.
6. Total Team Control
Just like adding strategies on corners, you can do it on the fly in the game, allowing immediate reactions on the pitch, just like a manager mid-match trying to cement a result by switching things up.
7. Adaptive AI and graphics
If you keep passing the ball to Neymar on the wing, the computer will recognize that and start sending more defenders that way to stop him, forcing you to play differently. That is the adaptive AI. The developers, aiming to improve the game by incorporating changes that fans expressed, have also boosted the visuals with the incorporation of the Fox Engine, with graphics greatly improved from the 2016 version.
Bhatti is thrilled with all the changes but he has one that just makes him giggle.
"It's so silly, but it is so fun and funny and it happens now and again. Once you score a goal and the ball rolls out, if you take the player towards the ball he will kick it back into the goal ... It's so satisfying. We also will be reworking the celebrations," Bhatti said.
What's next?
More news will come from E3 next week, and the game is scheduled to be released in the fall.
Want more PES 2017? Our friends over at GameSpot have you covered here.
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