Konami reveals autumn release date for Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 with a host of improvements
Konami is looking to take back the crown of being the best football video game on the market with its latest title ‘Pro Evolution Soccer 2012’ after falling behind to its closest competitor, Electronic Arts’ FIFA series, in the past few years.
After confirming that PES 2012 will be out this autumn, the kind people at Konami went on to reveal the various tweaks, improvements and new features that their latest game will hold.
The AI engine reportedly underwent major changes and is vastly improved and suited to providing players with a game that relies more on teamwork and instinct rather than find glitches in the game and exploiting them, as was the case with previous titles.
The PES series was famed for being the best game for playing another human being, however, its AI came under heavy criticism for being too ‘formulaic’ at times. It seems the developers at Konami seem to have paid special attention to the issue.
Apparently, friendly AI as well as opposition AI have undergone the overhaul as your squad mates will add more options to a players attacking play, making runs to confuse defenders and to provide options for passing opportunities without having to be prompted
to do so.
Sticking with the AI, which seems to be the main area Konami have mustered all their efforts into, the defending also seems to have undergone improvements as positional defending and Zonal marking will make creating goal scoring opportunities requiring that
extra bit of skill on the player’s part.
PES also seems to have taken a few notes out of its bitter rival FIFA’s book as selecting an active player can now also be done using the right analogue stick, a feature which FIFA has been utilizing since its 2008 version.
According to Konami, “This allows users to pick a teammate anywhere on the pitch, thereby allowing players to react to threats faster, and to shut down attacks more quickly."
While new features are always welcome, one thing that set the PES series apart from the rest was the fluidity of movement of both the ball and the players. While FIFA relied heavily on animations, PES rendering and execution of physical collisions and interactions
was the best in the market.
It seems that Konami have taken it one step further with adding an extra level of physicality to the players as they can use their body more effectively and realistically. To be more specific, players will be able to hold up the ball better and collisions
will be even more realistic, which if it turns out to be the case, will set a new benchmark in the genre.
Other more minute features include new skills, player styles, ability to customize passes and improved lighting that ought to improve the game both technically and visually if they are as good as they sound.
It seems that Konami are trying to bridge the gap between the real sport of football and its videogame counterpart both in terms of gameplay and presentation.
Shingo Takastuka, the man behind PES, was speaking in a press conference, "For me, the ultimate aim in the ongoing PES series is to match what people see when they go to a match or watch a big game on TV with what they experience on their console."
One can only wait and see whether it is the year Pro Evolution Soccer can take back its crown as the king of football simulation games when it comes out later this year.
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