PES 2015 Review

Having talked so much about the modes, let's finally walk onto the pitch. As the whistle sounds and a match is underway, you really get a feel for PES 2015 and its unique gameplay. There's no doubting that this is a PES title, with many control and physics nuances that help separate it from EA's offering. Passes and shots have a high tendency to connect, avoiding the frustrations sometimes caused by FIFA's purposeful randomness. There are no touch errors or misplaced shots, and that makes PES 2015 a game that's much more of "a game" where player skill matters and consistency is always expected. If you're not a fan of the thrill of unpredictability of football that FIFA leans towards, then PES has you covered for a more classic experience.

Compared to last year's edition, some work has certainly been done to improve the field of play. Both friendly and opponent AI is better, finding space quicker and making fewer dumb decisions. Offsides are not common, and thanks to the continued use of PES ID system, famous players are recognizable on the pitch by their play style and body movements. Teams are also more likely to use strategies of their real world counterparts, so you can expect sharp counter-attacks from Everton and a deadly passing game from Barcelona. Dedicated tacticians now have an option to set a few formations to choose from on the fly during a match, with each also offering a "with the ball" and "without the ball" setting.

But, despite overall solid gameplay, there are flaws. Most immediately, you'll notice a lack of responsiveness. Compared to FIFA, PES 2015 controls often feel sluggish, and you're unable to execute one-touch shots or passes as fast as you want to. Players fumble and get dispossessed, much to your frustration and despite having filled the power meter. Movement is equally clunky and not often precise, and sprinting really doesn't feel as fast as it should. Players also seem to completely run out of energy shortly into the second half, even if you purposefully not touch the sprint button – which makes no sense.

The AI has some problem areas as well. The most notable is positioning – it seems that the team with the ball is always much more involved in the play, while the defending team stands around and gets easily beat even by the lesser rated strikers. Despite being closer to the goal, defenders will watch strikers run by, and make little effort to stay between the ball and the net without direct player intervention. Cycling through selected players often provides suboptimal position. At least the referees are mostly fair – against the human controlled team, that is. It seems the AI teams can do no wrong, as there's been practically no fouls, let alone cards, given to the opposition in the many hours played.

Entering the match, the first thing you'll note are the much faster loading times to get to kickoff. Next up, however, you'll note the subpar visuals. Indeed, despite fully flexing its visual prowess with Ground Zeroes, PES 2015 on Xbox One looks decidedly dated. From the fans to the pitch, the game runs at a solid framerate but lacks fine details and desperately needs higher resolution assets. Jagged lines often dominate the screen, and some textures are so blurred that you can barely read player names on jerseys with the default camera. Outfield players at least look okay, especially during cutscenes, and still hold a more realistic visual edge of FIFA's sometimes wax-like looks.

There are a number of real world stadiums that have been recreated, but they aren't really a match for what FIFA did with the Premiere League grounds this year. Top players look like their real life counterparts, but most of the squads in the game still feature only basic resemblances at best. Commentary remains the same, and somehow seems worse this year, with many non-specific descriptions of the action and lots of noticeable repetition. At least the soundtrack is now filled with popular licensed music, instead of the somewhat pretentious classical and techno from years past. Crowd cheers are satisfyingly loud and dynamic. After being shockingly left out last year, rain is once again available as a weather condition.

Some of the technical hiccups occur off the pitch as well. The game retains the frequent use of a completely black screen during some events and loading, taking you out of the experience. An improved main menu cheekily borrows FIFA's grid-based look, but as you dive into some of the Master League and myClub deeper menus, you'll still find the outdated and convoluted UI that's in need of overhaul. Fancy new backgrounds now load 3D stadiums and players based on an upcoming match, but all that does is cause hitching and lag when browsing the menus. In myClub, loaning players for your team and participation tournaments do not work.

PES 2015 is a solid foundation for the franchise entering the new console generation. It has promising gameplay and sound design, and while the FOX engine is much improved over last year, it's hardly in top form compared to Ground Zeroes. The emphasis on skill and predictability still carries a unique appeal, but we wish the controls and responsiveness were better. MyClub is a good start for a FUT-like mode, but it too needs more growth and refinements. PES 2015 is good value for hardcore fans who can now truly say that Pro Evolution Soccer is back on track. Even footy fans unfamiliar with this long running franchise may find something here to satisfy their desire for something different.