Hands-on Impression!
Reading an article in EDGE, diagrams, screenshots and teaser trailers,
these are all great but nothing can compare to actually getting your
hands on a new PES for the first time. It’s where you form your first
opinion of the game and learn more about it, something that no
pre-release asset or article can provide. This year, with a brand new
engine behind the game, that statement had more weight behind it than
you can ever imagine. Excitement? Yes, I had it in abundance.
Trepidation? Sure, there was plenty of that too. How would the Fox
Engine change a series that I had followed for so long? After playing it
for several hours at E3 2013, the answer was very much positive.
The Difficulty Curve
Pick up the pad and start to play PES 2014 like any of the previous
titles in the series, you’ll find that you won’t get very far. Whilst
the game retains that distinct PES feeling, it plays differently and
that is very much a good thing. The power of the Fox Engine combined
with some new features, means that the rigid feel of previous games has
gone. MASS and TrueBall tech have much to do with getting rid of that,
helping to make the on-pitch action in PES 2014 look and feel more
natural than its predecessors. For instance, when you’re dribbling, the
player you’re controlling not only moves more realistically, you feel
his weight shifting as he jogs or sprints in the desired direction.
Sprint too much and attempt to turn at the last minute? It’s more than
likely the ball will go out of play or will be intercepted by the
opposition. This applies to even the star players such as Robben, Ribery
or Neymar. After all you don’t see these guys constantly sprinting in
real life matches like headless chickens, do you? Well, Robben maybe!
Sorry, bad joke. In all seriousness, it’s a great change, one that
forces you to think about when you sprint and dribble with some real
care. I learnt the harsh way, and I suspect many of you will too.
Another area where MASS and TrueBall Tech come into play is with the
first touch and control system. There is a real emphasis on first touch
an control in PES 2014, something that is apparent even in your first
match. The physics system works in tandem with the TrueBall Tech to
simulate how well you end up controlling a ground or lofted pass. The
results are sublime, with the level of success dependent on where the
player is, how his body is positioned and which direction you push the
analogue stick. Much like the dribbling mechanics, you have total
control, but everything is bound within reality. Sometimes your player
will take the perfect Bergkamp-esque touch, whereas others he’ll fail
completely. It’s not completely black and white, there is a grey area
too. So if you happen to take a less than perfect touch that doesn’t
immediately mean you’ll lose the ball. Sometimes that will be enough,
depending on the situation of course. Whatever the result, once you get
you used to it, you’ll never feel cheated. Whatever you do has an impact
on how successful you are. It’s a harsh lesson to learn, but oh so
rewarding when you get it right. I said this to a few people after
playing 2014, but I think the difficulty curve will be steeper for
regular PES players, whereas total newcomers might adjust a little
easier. That’s not because it’s “newbie friendly”, but more because a
newcomer won’t be stuck with certain bad habits.
Freedom of Passing
Quite possibly one the best parts of PES 2014, the freedom of passing
in the game is exceptional. That might sound a little weird at this
early stage, but it doesn’t make it any less true. The Fox Engine and
the introduction of TrueBall Tech has done wonders for this integral
part of the game. Even at four bars, what most would call assisted,
there is variety and freedom in the passing. At times, even on the one
or two bars, the passing in PES 2013 felt very much on rails and
assisted, frustrating many hardcore fans. Putting the pass level down to
three or less resulted in even more freedom, but I rarely strayed too
much from four or three as I felt they were good enough. I felt that I
could weight and direct the passes in exactly the way I wanted.
Obviously I wasn’t always successful, but the sheer fact that three and
fours bars felt so good speaks volumes.
Lofted passes also felt great, allowing you to spread play when you
like. The ball won’t just travel in straight line like a target missile;
it will curve depending on how you strike it and where you want it to
go. Building up moves in PES never felt so satisfying, mixing up ground
passes with lofted long balls is a real joy to witness and be part of.
It’s so good, that you’ll almost forget about the through ball button.
In fact, I can probably count the number of times I used the button on
one hand. The standard passing is so varied and free now that the
through balls almost seem useless. If I was being totally honest, it
appears as if over the top through passes and ground ones have been
toned down in terms of their success rate. Each time I tried to put a
player through using the dedicated button, I under or over hit it. Going
by previous iterations and how overpowered the through balls were, this
was and still is a massive positive for me. Hopefully it results in
people using their actual passing skills rather than rely on the through
ball button.
Audio and Visual Depth
Whilst the E3 2013 code lacked the polish of the screenshots and
trailers you’ve seen so far, it’s still a step up when compared to any
previous current-gen titles. “That’s not hard”, I hear you say. Yes,
you’re right. I’m not going to lie to you and say it look next-gen,
because it doesn’t. However, previous PES titles aside, it’s a MASSIVE
step up when it comes to the current-gen standards. It’s using the power
of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, finally pushing both of them on a
technical front. Animations are fluid, player models look great,
lighting is fantastic and stadiums look great. The latter is exemplified
by the breathtaking crowds. Now, they’re not fully 3D, but man do they
look good. Whether it’s the Bayern fans creating a mosaic before
kick-off or Santos followers lighting up flares during a match, they
really add to the sense of occasion.
Coming back to the animations, just the like best PES titles of the
past, you’ll notice new ones as you play and be amazed. It could be the
frighteningly real way Robben runs, or something simple like the way a
player moves his head when flicking a ball on. Even goalkeepers have new
animations, but more on them later. For now, let’s move to sound in PES
2014. It’s difficult to completely comment on the audio side of things
due to the environment we were playing in (noisy E3 showfloor), but we
did manage to bump up the volume on a few pods we played on and the
noise from the crowd in relation to what was happening on the pitch was
just amazing. The enthusiasm of the Bayern fans and the sheer passion of
the Santos faithful came across brilliantly. Whilst the Heart feature
was full featured in the E3 build, if this is an early indication of
what Konami plan to do with it then I for one can’t wait to see how it
turns out.
The Set Piece Conundrum
The ability to direct set pieces via a dotted line, a new feature
that turned out to be a bit of a talking point between the lucky people
that played PES 2014. Sounds simple enough and it is, but its inclusion
is somewhat of a double edged sword. You are given the freedom to adjust
the direction, height and curve of the ball for both free-kicks and
corners. If it sounds great, that’s because it is. It works really well,
a little too well in fact. What do I mean by that? Well, you can score
directly from corners and it makes the art of the free-kick a little too
easy. The free-kick point is less of an issue, but as I played more and
more it became apparent that you could score directly from corners
almost every single time, turning it into a bit of an exploit. Two
corners in a row I did the exact same thing and hit the same point of
the crossbar. If I spent a bit more time with it I’m certain I could’ve
done what other players were doing, scoring direct from corners
regularly.
This possible exploit was fed back to the relevant people, but I
still feel something would lost if the feature was taken away
altogether. I enjoyed whipping in corners and free-kicks just as much as
I welcomed the challenge of defending them. The tactical element
fascinated me, but not everyone is going to be as fair and sportsmanlike
when it comes to using this feature. It’s sad, but that’s the truth. A
suggestion was made by me to limit where the dotted line could go for
corners, but then that would take away an element of freedom which was
the idea behind it initially. Like I said at the beginning of this
section, it’s a double edged sword situation and I don’t envy Konami in
how they go about dealing it. I just hope it’s not taken it out
completely, but ultimately that might be long term solution. You can
even turn the dotted line off right now with a simple press of R1 or RB.
Penalties have also been tweaked, with the kicker getting reticule
on-screen that gets bigger as you move towards the corners of the goal.
This makes it slight easier for the goalkeeper to save shots, but the
kicker can move the reticule at the last second to fool the shot
stopper. It’s a nice little mechanic, but I hope it’s smoothed out a
little with a proper explanation of how it works delivered to players
before they take or attempt to stop their first penalty. The little
mysteries have been a staple of PES titles of the past, but for
mechanics like this they really should be explained the first time you
come across them.
The Fundamentals
Let’s start with goalkeepers shall we? They’re much improved. The men
between the sticks are now more reliable and stable, with new
animations introduced to reflect differing styles. In the E3 build,
Neuer was most impressive. He came out for the ball when he could,
catching wherever possible. In PES 2013 the keepers started to push the
ball away from goal as much as possible, resulting in less rebound
goals, and that’s even more apparent in PES 2014. The keepers also stand
up much longer during one-on-one situations, making themselves big and
spreading their body to make a save when necessary. I genuinely can’t
remember playing a PES during this stage previously and saying “what a
save” so many times.
Shooting has been slightly tweaked too, with the feel being less
“floaty” than before and more natural. Long range shots in particular
felt great, no matter if you scored or not. Staying with scoring,
headers have been greatly improved, which means you can actually score
them now if you’re in the right position instead of every single one
floating over the bar. Crossing felt pretty much the same though, which
isn’t necessarily a supremely bad thing, but it would’ve been nice if it
had the same freedom as the rest of the passing model. This was fed
back to Konami, so hopefully later builds of PES 2014 will have improved
crossing.
Attacking wise, the AI was still as great as ever, with good movement
around the ball carrier depending on which area of the pitch he is
moving towards. The defensive side of things I’ll touch on in the next
section, but the actual defending mechanic itself has improved thank to
MASS and TrueBall Tech. You still double tap X or A to go into a tackle,
but your player will now go towards the ball rather than the player.
The feedback you get whether you’re successful or not via the resulting
animations is lovely, more natural and realistic than any previous PES.
In fact, that sentiment could apply to the entire physical side of the
game, as it’s a real step up from PES 2013. It’s slight shame then that
referees are a bit inconsistent without any prior warning, with some
giving fouls when there actually wasn’t one committed. That’s not
necessarily a bad thing as referees are inconsistent at the best of
times in real life, but it would be great if there was an indication
before the match as to what type of official (lenient, fair, strong and
so on) you’re up against. This would allow you to adjust your style and
escape the frustrations of certain referees.
Areas of Improvement
I mentioned a few slight improvements that could be made in other
sections, with this particular one kept for the defensive AI and player
awareness. It’s not something I noticed until the second day of playing
PES 2014, but since then it was very much apparent. It had a slight
negative impact on some matches, whereas in others it was completely
affecting the result of matches, especially when playing against other
human players. I noticed several occasions where one player would have
the ball in a defensive and one or two players near him would just stand
there doing nothing, even when the ball carrier came near them. There
was no forward or sideways movement that would’ve made it easier for you
to get out. In real life football this is what happens, if one player
has the ball in the defensive area then others will move around
accordingly, giving him options to move out and get the ball forward.
This rarely happened in the E3 build of PES 2014.
To add to this frustration, these non-moving players would get in the
way on several occasions, resulting in the ball being gifted to the
opposition for a goal. There were several occasions where I benefited
from this and the goal I scored as a result felt cheap. I was on the
other end of it too, which was really frustrating. This also happened
occasionally when defending corners, with cheap goals being scored on
the back of the lack of defensive awareness. It’s a frustrating negative
as the rest of the game is so good, really enjoyable. As you’d expect
this was fed back to Konami and I was assured that in future builds this
would be addressed. I would imagine it’s a case of the development team
heightening the responsiveness of the defensive AI and other players on
the pitch that are not being controlled. A new build should be
available to play just before Gamescom, so I’m hoping to report with
back positive things in relation to this after getting hands on with
that.
Final Thoughts
I’ve played several builds of PES at this early stage and never come
away feeling so positive about the game. It’s clear to see the Fox
Engine and several new features have put a spring into PES 2014′s step
that was missing from previous current-gen iterations. The game feels
fresh, more fluid and realistic than before, yet it still retains that
PES magic. It may not be next-gen, but if Konami stay on track and
improve the game in key areas before it launches (modes and features),
PES 2014 could well be a true return to form for the series. Can I have
the next build now please, Konami?
(Posted 21/06/2013)
Here is news about the new Trueball tech M.A.S.S Features!!!
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today revealed a new trailer
for the highly anticipated title, Pro Evolution Soccer 2014. The
upcoming addition to the popular franchise will mark a new
beginning for the series, with an all-new engine allowing for the
most comprehensive advance for the Pro Evolution Soccer series
since its inception.
The trailer highlights Pro Evolution Soccer 2014's Trueball Tech
and M.A.S.S features:
Trueball Tech: Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 centers everything on
the ball including how it moves and how players use it. First touch
and sublime control are what set certain players apart from others.
The ability to not only read a pass, but to be one step ahead and
to know what is needed to gain yards on an encroaching defender.
Trueball Tech allows the player to trap or knock on a pass using
the analogue stick with detailed bar-centric physics determining
the weight shift of the player and the height and speed of the
pass, as to how the player's body will automatically shape to
receive it. The Pro Evolution Soccer series has long since treated
the ball as an individual entity, allowing the player huge amounts
of freedom to pass into space, run on to a knocked-on counter, or
produces short triangular passes to make space. Trueball Tech adds
even more freedom, with full 360-degree control within several
yards around the player and the ability to shield the ball from
opposing players, use deft controls to wrong-foot them, and
intuitive methods to master close control.
Motion Animation Stability System (M.A.S.S.): The physical
combat between players is a vital part of a match, and the new
M.A.S.S. component simulates the bodily contact between multiple
players within tailored animations that segue seamlessly into each
other. Rather than a series of preset animations that occur under
specific circumstances, M.A.S.S. reacts instantly to any situation,
with the reaction of a fouled player entirely dependent on the
direction and force with which they are tackled. Dependent on
factors such as their size and power, players will stumble but
instantly recover if clipped, barge others off the ball, and use
their stature to block players from possession. The integration of
the M.A.S.S. element has also facilitated new advances in
one-on-one situations. The individual battles between key players
can determine the outcome of a match, so particular emphasis has
been made on such battles in Pro Evolution Soccer 2014.
To view the trailer please visit:
Www.YouTube.com/watch?v=foGfXQ73jHw
(posted 21/06/2013)
Hey guys here also for the PES lovers witch i loved myself to because of the shooting, bud once a fifa man always a fifa man what wil not say we aint going to play pes coes a king is a king and there is no saying no to a nice game of football so lets go !!
The Fox Engine
The Fox Engine is a cross-platform game engine built by
Kojima Productions
for use in future titles developed by the team. It is believed that
this engine is designed for the next generation of video games. The
engine was revealed by Konami on June 3, 2011. The engine's development
began after the completion of
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots with the goal of making the "best engine in the world."
The engine will make it possible for Kojima Productions to develop
multiplatform games with a significantly shortened development time and
has been described as the first step for the developer to move away from
development for a single platform. The engine is named after FOXHOUND, a
fictional military unit from the
Metal Gear series, wherein is also a reflection of Kojima Productions itself, which based its company logo on FOX's fox emblem.
Working for more than four years on the new installment of the PES
series, the PES Production team has revealed the whole new system behind
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014. Based on Kojima Productions’ Fox Engine, the
game will feature new amazing graphics to recreate the excitement and
variety of a top-level football match.
Konami let everything go in a press release about the new features of PES 2014. Of two-legged ball control to better emotions of the players, everything is thanks to Konami's new Fox Engine. The very first thing we know about PES 2014 so!
PES 2014 Konami dev has a long list of new features released. Practically the only thing we knew was that the game on the new FOX engine will run, but we put all the new tricks below for you!
True Ball Tech
True Ball Tech according to Konami one of the biggest new features in PES 2014. Lets you control the movement of the ball, how the ball reacts to the first contact with a player, but most importantly two-legged ball control!
"The player has total control in how Determining Their body is angled to receive a pass, Whereas previous football titles present the user with scan options. Instead, True Ball Tech Means That it can be chested or nodded fits an opponent, flicked into space or to a teammate, while closer dribbling control is a much more personal attribute in the new game. "
Abbreviated MASS, is similar to FIFA's Player Impact Engine. Duel Rende players have more contact with each other and the impact depends on weight, construction and speed of the players. This should ensure a brighter duels, because you can exert more pressure and you get more options to tackle. By M.A.S.S. dribbling is also expanded and have more options in attack.
"Dependent on factors zoals Their size and power, players will stumble but instantly recover if clipped, others barge off the ball, and use Their stature to block players from possession. Similarly, PES 2014 now has more styles or tackle, as Opposed to basics in foot or sliding types. "
Heart
The Heart mechanism ensures that your team is even more dependent on morality than if the previous versions. Your team is influenced by a packed stadium, whether you're playing at home or out. Moral of individual players remain in the game, so for example you play. By a brilliant goal better
PES ID
PES ID is also extended. PES 2014 has the personal playing styles of 100 known players. So you not only footballers to their name and appearance can recognize, but also to the way of walking, dribbling or shooting on the field.
team Play
With Team Play on the same team can control up to three football players. So you can work out together intricate tactics and weaknesses of the opponent fully exploit, if you want to take the trouble. Before
"These players will make very different off-the-ball runs to exploit holes in the defense or midfield, using the flanks, curved runs, or overlap play to make themelves available. These moves can be preset to key areas of the field,-allowing users to exploit defensive weaknesses before hand. "
The Core
Konami is known for that they work closely with the community. It's called The Core, which they try to make of uniforms and facial animations to smooth movements. The game as realistic as possible They also have the free kick and penalties radically taken on the shovel (haha).
PES 2014 will also include the Asia Champions League, complete with official teams.
Finally, of course, try the Fox Engine even just to put as the new Messiah. Down the guys from Konami Creative Producer of PES series Kei Masud:
“Thinking outside the box
on an annual series such as PES is not easy, but the Fox Engine has
allowed us to develop such a level of freedom that we are constantly
realising ways of making PES 2014 a true representation of football.”
PES 2014 will be released for the current generation consoles and PC sometime in 2013. Moreover, they know that the game is easy to scale up to the next-gen consoles.
doubt for a while, wait just a minute. Chances are that in a month or two then you are saving you're self s a lot of money. Or would 150 euros for a brand new PS Vita still be too much for you?
