Gamer Unit

Another year, another game of Pro Evolution Soccer arrives. The simulation football industry is a two-horse race and in recent years FIFA has been dominant leaving PES looking in on the outside. Will PES 14 manage to regain its footing in this industry? Let’s find out.
Let’s begin with the bread and butter of simulation games, the licensing. No one wants to play a game which doesn’t offer the players real-world tournaments. The game is supposed to be a simulation after all. PES 14 still trails FIFA on licensing, but they have made a notable move to cut down on the deficit. PES now has exclusive license of the UEFA Champions and Europa League which is definitely a step in the right direction. However, as things stand currently, PES is still not up to the mark in their licensing.
In gameplay as well, PES is able to compete with its main rival. It introduces. PES 2014 is so accommodating; some matches are were patient, strategic affairs, with slow passes building up to a break through the center of the park. The next match could be a frantic end-to-end game, with play occurring mainly down the flanks. It feels unscripted and unpredictable. This is PES at its pinnacle. Two of this year’s biggest innovations – TrueBall Tech and MASS – aren’t strictly changes to the gameplay, but rather they’re systems that build on to PES 14 itself.
TrueBall Tech essentially transforms how the ball moves and how the players are able to manipulate it. It does really improve the player animations and adds to realism of the game. PES 14 controls have also been tightened up, with complex moves a bit easier to pull off. The other innovation by PES this release is Motion Animation Stability System (MASS). It’s Konami’s attempt to make PES much more physical, a quality in which the series has been deficient. Pre-decided animations are gone in favour of more dynamic interactions between players, factoring in speed and orientation at the moment of contact along with the intensity of the collision. Combination Play is another new idea this year – it’s the ability to assign specific plays to key areas of the pitch, which can be initiated manually. Essentially if you are on the left flank and wish to cross it over, a quick tap of a button will set the play up. It won’t succeed everytime, and the process may seem mechanical, but it is there for those who wish to use it. 
There is also a new feature called “The Heart” which in a nutshell is, team morale affecting the team dynamics. It doesn’t change the game drastically and the changes aren’t noticeable for the most part, but it is a decent idea. It was just not implemented well. PES still lacks variety and depth outside of the usual career mode. Although, the UEFA Champions League has been added with licensing, most of the other leagues aren’t licensed with teams and players becoming random entities. This is usual business for PES fans but for the casual gamer, I can see this affecting PES sales. PES hasn’t even attempted to replicate the “Ultimate Team” Feature and this is surely a disappointment.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 and provides a great foundation for it to build on going forward. But it feels like it’s only taken one step forward rather than take a leap of faith and revolutionize the series. Ultimately, even with all of the flaws in the game and lacklustre licensing, PES is still a good play simply for its fun and creative gameplay.