[PES 2012] #1: Nieuwe verbeteringen maar ook nieuwe fouten?

PES 2012 Announcement Video!

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PES 2012: Real Football Simulation

KONAMI details focus for forthcoming Pro Evolution Soccer simulation

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has outlined its ambitious plans and focus for PES 2012, which it will release in Autumn 2011 for PlayStation®3, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Windows PC, Wii, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) and PlayStation®2, and which again boasts exclusive use of the UEFA Champions LeagueTM & UEFA Europa LeagueTM licences.

“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,” explains Shingo ‘Seabass’ Takatsuka, the Creative Producer of the Pro Evolution Soccer series. “As such, in consultation with football fans across the globe, we have been working non-stop to isolate and determine how to make our game marry in with how real football is played. This is key to PES 2012, and key to providing the ultimate football experience within a console title.”

To this end, PES 2012 continues KONAMI’s determination to work with fans of both the PES series and football in general, to create a truly realistic, immersive and utterly playable take on the modern game. Thus, the focus in PES 2012 is the instinctive way the game can be played and on teamwork in particular. Seabass and his Tokyo team have worked to recreate the very essence of top-level football, ensuring the new game’s AI engine has undergone a major overhaul and provide an experience akin to being part of a real team.

Attacking play is a cornerstone of PES 2012, and the new game benefits from a more open approach that allows users to dictate the pace of movement, with all-new AI elements incorporated so team mates make runs and offer support in one-on-one situations. Players make useful dummy runs to draw defenders, and this offers users greater options to move the ball around when they are being closed down. Thus, the team works together a more cohesive unit, reacting to the movements of the player with the ball, and working to force the opposing team into mistakes.

Zonal marking and positional defending are also massively enhanced; ensuring players are forced to work harder to split the opposition defence. Meanwhile a new cursor switching system has been implemented using the right analogue stick to switch to any player on the field. This allows users to pick a team mate anywhere on the pitch, thereby allowing players to react to threats faster, and to shut down attacks more quickly. Hold up play is being tweaked to give even greater control. AI defenders are able to hold a much tighter defensive line, position themselves better and track opponents more efficiently. The off-the-ball switching also extends to key set pieces, such as goal kicks, corners, free kicks and throw-ins, and allows users to target a specific player and send them on runs or to drag defenders out of position, and allows for quick breaks and space to be exploited more easily.

The physicality of top-level football is represented as PES 2012 extends the jostling system of its predecessor. Defenders rely on their strength and stature to force a player from the ball as strikers and play makers make use of unique attributes to beat their markers. Tighter, more accurate collisions see players tumbling dependent on how they are knocked off the ball. Crucially, control is not lost, allowing the stumbling player to be brought directly back under control.

The result is a game that, more than ever, truly represents the key attributes of the world’s greatest players, but without sacrificing balance and allowing single players to waltz undefended through a game. Coupled with heavily tweaked animation, more detailed lighting techniques, a wider variety of player styles, improved dead-ball situations, expanded tactics and a new customisable pass feature, means that PES 2012 truly captures the essence of top-flight football.

“Team work is what separates the world’s greatest teams from their peers, and is the hub of everything within PES 2012,” added Takatsuka. “PES 2012 focuses on the core elements of top-level football: attacking play, freedom of movement, the creation of space, and working together as a unit both up field and in defence. These elements combine to create a game that flows and ebbs like a real match, with individual shows of brilliance changing a game, and more control over every aspect of play within a wide-ranging yet instinctive control system. PES 2012 will turn the heads of fans everywhere.”

KONAMI will be detailing further key enhancements to PES 2012 in the coming months

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nobleknight91 wrote:
Adam wrote:
news at 3pm lads!

what kind of ??
video ???

No, like I said this is the "so, so" news. Not really news, just some screens.

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A little bank holiday surprise from Konami this afternoon in the form of new screens and an accompanying press release for PES2012 which can be found below :

KONAMI shows PES 2012 improvements

Konami Digital Entertainment GMbH today revealed the first in-game images from its forthcoming PES 2012 title, showcasing the newly-implemented movements and animations the new game enjoys.

The new screens show a variety of situations from within PES 2012 that have been bolstered by new animations, visual enhancements and control elements. The Tokyo-based team has worked hard to ensure PES 2012 is a more fluid and playable experience, with the jostling system used in last years game now enhanced to offer proper bodily contact and physical reactions, while close control and the team AI has been reworked to provide a more realistic recreation of real football.

As such, PES 2012 gives the player total control, with dribbling now refined, while passing and build-up play are enhanced by AI that ensures teammates will make dummy runs and support the player with the ball.

PES 2012 will be released later in the year.

So it would appear that Konami are keen to emphasise that PES2012 will indeed see improvements in the animations department along with enhanced collisions which was always going to be welcome, especially if it is all going to add up to a more fluid gameplay experience. It is also encouraging to read that dribbling will be more refined (along with close control) because for as much as the dribbling mechanics were excellent in theory and certainly a strength of PES2011, the execution was just a little off in its consistency and responsiveness. Close control was lacking especially in first touch and taking down airborne passes so if these areas were to see improvement they would make a pretty big difference by themselves.

As for the screens themselves, they dont give too much away but they do hint at a couple of things. First of all and probably most striking is the screen showing Sneijder appear to take a hit from De Rossi. Note the enhanced level of detail in Sneijders face which shows him emoting after the collision, right down to neck vein and muscle detail to go along with the contorted expression on his face. A small detail and certainly not one we will be seeing from a playing angle but a nice touch nonetheless. It is of course hard to read too much into a still image when trying to arrive at a conclusion regards fluidity and variety in animation but in the Sneijder/De Rossi screen it certainly looks like player interaction will be improved in terms of offering visual feedback to the player.

Moving on to the Spain/England screen, we have what is very much a familiar PES pre-release asset but it does look to show some potential improvements regards lighting in night time matches which any PES player will opine was quite possibly PES2011s achilles heel in terms of the visuals. Kit detail and how it sits on the player models looks a bit more natural too, though Capdevilla does look as though he has piled on a few pounds. Player models generally look a touch better (more athletic?) and while these screens might not show vast improvement in appearances, they do display a little more in the way of smoothness of texture though whether this is a result of a touch up or added filter for the screens themselves is anybodys guess for the moment. Still, it is good to see that we are getting some screenshots that show night time lighting straight from the off.

Finally, we have the Robinho close up. This one has proved to be a favourite for us at WENB as while it doesnt give anything away at all regards gameplay, it does clearly show that PES still has a great eye for small details in kit design (numbering/lettering on Cassanos shirt) and the way Robinho is emoting also worthy of note. Again we see the little details in neck muscle and facial muscle detail but we also get a glimpse of further detail in the form of sweat forming on the Brazilian superstars brow and forehead. Also, does it not also look as though the crowd might be more varied? Hard to tell again if this is a result of the asset having undergone some touching up but it could be that pitchside ambience and detail might see some further improvement.

So from starting the month of May not really any the wiser as to what would be happening with PES2012 we find ourselves ending the month having had two releases of announcements and assets. Hopefully this form continues for the remainder of PES2012s pre-release cycle and you just now WENB will be there to cover it every step of the way! Stay tuned.

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KONAMI reveals further additions to gameplay at Los Angeles Expo

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH will further outline new, key advances to PES 2012 at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles. The publisher will reveal a first trailer to showcase vital new elements to the game, which will be released in Autumn 2011 for PlayStation(R)3, Xbox 360(R), Windows PC, Wii, PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) and PlayStation(R)2, and which is the only video game with to feature the exclusive use of the official UEFA Champions LeagueTM and UEFA Europa LeagueTM competitionslicence.

PES 2012 continues KONAMI’s determination to listen to its fanbase and make key improvements to the aspects the audience demands. Thus, the focus for PES 2012 is to ensure the highest level of playability, challenge and realism for the game, whilst also improving the level of control offered to users. Fundamental changes to all areas of its AI have been made following user feedback. Similarly, teamwork is central to how the game moves and feels, enabling fans to replicate anything they would see in a real match.

The trailer will be revealed for the first time at KONAMI’s pre-show presentation, and perfectly illustrates how the new additions benefit the PES experience.

Active AI: PES 2012 strives to recreate the movement and team ethic of real football, and Active AI plays a vital role in this. Players will no longer flock to a ball, but will make intelligent runs to create space and draw markers, while others will make themselves available, instigate runs, and visibly call for the ball. In the box, support players will make diagonal decoy runs, full backs will overlap on the wings and midfielders will provide support from behind the ball. The new Active AI routines ensure the flow of a match is more natural, with specific routines for both attack and defence. Hold-up play implemented last year has been improved for easier control with more effectiveness. Defending as a unit plays a key role, and players now hold a tight line, check on the distance between each other, track back as a unit, and fill in for each other. As individuals they also make better decisions to close space, block and tackle.

Jostling: Physicality is a key component in PES 2012, with player strength one of their key individual attributes, and having a vital effect on how they can use their strength to win the ball in a one-on-one situation. Players now fall depending on how they are challenged, with more realistic animations used to show the challenges between two jostling players.

Graphics: Several aspects of the game have enjoyed a huge overhaul. Player facial expression is now much richer and the lighting effects are more natural, while new cameras show off the huge variety of pitch-side movement, with more detail on and around the game than ever before.

Off The Ball Control: Equally key to opening up PES 2012 is the ability to highlight any player at any time. A new system has been implemented, allowing users to switch players with ease. In defence, the right stick is now used to select any outfield player, while set pieces are also enhanced through its use. Goal kicks, corners, free kicks and throw-ins now let the user quickly take control of any player off the ball, enabling clever runs which create space for an attack.

Referee AI: Referees are also crucial to general game flow and their AI has been greatly enhanced to ensure fewer interruptions to play. Decisions are improved, and advantage is played much more regularly in offside and free kick scenarios. As such, refs will only intervene when truly necessary, but they will show cards if necessary once play has broken down.

Pass Support: Accessed through the new personal player settings, Pass Support allows users to determine the level of AI assistance when passing the ball. Players can opt for one of five settings from full support, right up to full veteran setting which switches off all assistance so that the direction, weight and speed of every pass is at their disposal.

“We are really pleased to implement so many improvements within the areas that our fans wanted changed,” commented Jon Murphy, European PES Team Leader at Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. “PES 2012 is about matching real football, whilst ensuring an unrivalled gameplay experience. The trailer highlights many of the innovations we have added, and, more importantly, how they benefit the game. There’s plenty more to come, but for now we look forward to seeing how fans react.”

KONAMI will be detailing further key enhancements to PES 2012 in the coming months.

PES 2012 will be released for PlayStation(R)3, Xbox 360, PC-DVD, Wii, PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) and PlayStation 2 in Autumn, 2011.

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Goalkeepers

Often the difference between a good football game and bad one, you’ll be glad to know that the shot stoppers in the E3 build of PES 2012 are rather good.

During my time with the game, which consisted of six matches (set at 10 minutes), I only encountered one genuine mistake. Now, I don’t know about you, but I think that is an impressive ratio for a football game that is still in development.

If you were to compare the goalkeepers in the E3 builds of PES 2011 and PES 2012, the latter would be vastly superior in every single aspect. That includes animations (more on those later), realism and reliability.

For instance, in my second match (I was playing as Spain), Iker Casillas made a superb double save which you would struggle to come across in the retail version of PES 2011 let alone the E3 build. The fact that he reacted so promptly to the rebound after his first save, is what made the entire scenario so impressive. The Spaniard didn’t get up and then stand around like a zombie admiring Pique’s beard for a couple of seconds; he got up as soon as realistically possible and made the second save.

One area where the virtual shop stoppers could use a little work is one-on-ones, but that is just me nitpicking. Standout moments like the one mentioned above combined with the general reliability, even at this early stage, provide enough evidence to suggest that the goalkeepers in PES 2012 could be the best in the series to date.

Passing and Shooting

The passing and shooting systems in PES 2012 are pretty much exactly the same as PES 2011. However, there are a couple of new additions which influence these particular facets of the game ever so slightly. Thankfully, both additions have a positive effect.

First up, you have the tweaked ball physics which provide a much more realistic feel to the overall passing and shooting. It’s extremely hard to describe the exact effect, but don’t be surprised to see the ball occasionally bobble across the turf after a poorly hit pass or shot.

Secondly, in a move that is sure to delight the hardcore football gamers, Konami have finally included an option which allows players to adjust the level of support they get with their passes. The option, known as Pass Support, throws five different settings at your disposal. By default the Pass Support settings are set to three bars, meaning you have some control over the weight, direction and speed of your passes. If you want full control over everything, you just need to adjust the settings accordingly.

The fully manual passing system takes a while to get used to as you’d expect, but if you can get to grips with its intricacies, you can really pull off some wonderful passing moves. Think of it like getting used to the new passing system back in PES 2011 and you’ll get some idea of the learning curve.

Unfortunately, the fully manual settings have only found their way to the passing system at the moment and do not apply to the shooting system is PES 2012. With a while to go until the game is released, there is a possibility that Konami could announce fully manual shooting at a later date, but it is more than likely that particular feature will not make the cut in PES 2012.

Set Pieces

Good news, the penalty system in PES 2012 is nothing like the one in PES 2011. Gone is the system that only Einstein could understand and back is the more traditional penalty system seen in PES games of the past. It might not be the best penalty system ever, but it works well and is dead easy to get to grips with.

Right, with that out of the way, let’s move onto the best new feature in PES 2012. I am, of course, referring to off the ball control during free kicks, corner kicks, goal kicks and throw-ins. It’s a feature which you will forget to use during your first few matches in PES 2012, but when you eventually do, you will wonder how you did without it.

Just received a free kick in a dangerous area on the wing and want to knock the ball into your star striker so he can try and score?! Flick the right stick in the direction of your star striker’s position and he will be highlighted. You can then move him around to a position you like, press the cross button and whip the ball in. He might not score, but you have certainly given him a better opportunity to do so. It’s incredible, it really is. It’s also very intuitive and easy to understand, meaning players of all skill levels can give it a go.

During my time with the game, I actually managed to use this new feature to score a goal via a corner kick. It felt genuinely rewarding and satisfying, just like scoring a goal should. It was all my work; I didn’t need to rely on anything or anyone else.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Even the most ardent PES fan would admit that player AI in PES 2011 wasn’t perfect. For every great moment, there was almost always a silly one on the horizon to counter it. Well, it seems like Konami have taken on board the feedback in regards to AI and, I must say, the results are very impressive.

First of all, AI players on your team will now actively make realistic overlapping runs. Think Patrice Evra for Manchester United or Dani Alves for Barcelona and you’ll get what I mean. In fact, I played as Barcelona and just as he does in real life, Dani Alves was bombing forward at every single opportunity. Not just like a headless chicken either, the runs he was making were intelligent and, more importantly, realistic. You know that long ball Xavi and Iniesta love to play to Dani Alves, it’s possible to replicate that in PES 2012 (if you’re good enough) with a stunning degree of accuracy.

The intelligent running doesn’t just apply to the full-backs either; it applies to pretty much every single attack minded player on your team. Midfielders will make dummy runs to create space and they won’t just run in straight lines either. They will make intelligent diagonal runs as well, something which was very rarely seen in PES 2011. Of course, it’s up to you to decide how you want to utilise these runs and which player you want to pass to. Do you let a dummy run be just that or do you pull a fast one and try to get that player through for a scoring opportunity? The decision is yours, but the fact that you have all these options at your disposal is just mind boggling.

Konami have also paid some attention the defensive AI in PES 2012 as well. The defensive AI in PES 2011 was quite good, but at times players has the tendency to bunch up which hurt the overall gameplay and, well, didn’t reflect the overall realistic nature of the game very well. Those days have now gone, as defenders and (to a certain extent), midfielders perform their non-attacking duties with a high level of realism.

For instance, if you have a 4-4-2 formation, your team (depending on your strategy/tactics) will consist of two banks of four and the defensive movement of the players (defenders and midfielders) will be much more realistic when compared to PES 2011. Defenders won’t just follow and track one player, if they sense danger in a nearby area they will swoop in to try and cover. It’s all very subtle, but changes/improvements to the AI like this will only help enhance the overall quality of the gameplay.

Visuals

Much like its predecessor, PES 2012 looks great; even at this early stage. Player likenesses are even better than before, kit detail has been upped a level and, most noticeably, the lighting is vastly superior to PES 2011. Oh and square nets are in too, but you knew that already, right?!

Animations have also received some attention, quite a few new ones have been added and the majority of the older ones have been tweaked for added fluidity and realism. These improvements in the animation department shine ever so brightly during gameplay as you glide across the pitch with Messi like a graceful ballerina. Not that Messi is a ballerina, of course!

Finally, PES 2012 might not have a super slick looking collision system underneath its hood, but it doesn’t really need one. This might sound a little crazy, but it has its own little system and it uses it rather well from what I have seen so far. There’s no over the top coming together of players, instead everything just looks natural. Players “bounce” off each other quite realistically, falling or stumbling to the turf without much fuss. It’s not flashy, it’s just simple and, you know what, it works really well.

Verdict…so far

The foundations for a truly great football game were laid down by Konami with PES 2011. The next game in the series just needed to build on those foundations by adding a few key gameplay elements. From what I have seen so far, if PES 2012 continues to improve at its current rate, there’s a strong possibility we could be graced with the best PES game to date.

So there you have it!

Watch out for a more indepth preview from WENB later today, as well as a quite epic podcast from myself and Suffwan early hours.

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Well what a day for PES 2012? Loads of things to cover so lets begin. Adam from WENB was answering questions fired at him on twitter this afternoon and did an amazing job as well.

Hit the Continue Reading Article! button below to see all the questions and answers. Don't forget you can follow Adam on twitter here.
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Q. What does UEFA strengthening their relationship with Konami mean for PES 2012? E.g. Menu Design, endorsements etc.

A. The front screen is now a full UEFA.com screen, with a new ticker at the bottom. Also, menus now have CL highlights playing behind

Q. Does the weather conditions have an affect on movement of the ball? Like when it rains.

A. More announcements forthcoming

Q. Can you say if the player models look smoother and more polished now? In 11 they looked like they needed anti-aliasing.

A. Player models now look great in widecam. New levels of detail, with brand new lighting for day and night settings.

Q. What about cursor switching is it fixed?

A. Cursor change is indeed fixed. L1 works great, although now you can change player with the right stick ala FIFA.

Q. How is shooting, i felt it was too automatic in 2011, couldn't really aim at near post often. from a angle

A. Shooting is more like the older games. More control, and result make more sense. New shooting animations, and new ball physics

Q. Are player models, turf textures and details to pes 2010 levels?

A. Yes! Graphical detail matches/surpasses PES 2010. Finally no more inconsistency like PES 2011

Q. Did u try the Broadcast cam? Is it wider and less zoomed in than last year?

A. New broadcast cam is wonderful, we never switched to wide. It shows more of the pitch, and sits still like traditional widecam

Q. What about coaches and subs are they moving while playing a match?

A. in PES 2012 you can see subs warming up, managers moving, and ground staff/camera men walking around the pitch

Q. Is the commentary improved ? PES commentary sucks TBH

A. Commentary I've not heard, but expect it to be rubbish (sorry, person opinion)

Q. Does the grass look real ? becuase in pes 11 it looks flat?

A. Grass looks more lush. Different cuts for different stadiums promised, and, BIG NEWS, different camera angle for different stadium

Q. Any shooting details mate ? Do they connect well ?

A. It feels great, especially with the feeling of the player hitting the ball.

Q. Will we be seeing specific running animations for specific players - just to add to that individuality?

A. Running aminations are back! So players like Messi and Ronaldo have their own, and there are tonnes more that you can assign

Q. Are there any improvements to crossing?

A. Crossing is similar, but feel different thanks to new ball physics. Not massive change though

Q. Do you know something about the computer difficulty settings? On what diffeculty did you play, and are they harder?

A. We played on the hardest, and it was tough. New defensive AI on top teams is tough to break down, first match, no shots on goal!

Q. Are pacy players able to pull away from sluggish defenders?

A.Yes! catch up bug has gone!Quick players stay ahead and can get way from slow players! More on this in the podcast with examples

Q. Is dribbling improved? Star dribblers are still present ?

A. Dribbling massively improved thanks to better responsiveness and more animations. Messi is a joy to control.

Q. Are there any air dual/contact at corners for example, or other?

A. Players fending off people in off the ball movements,looks more realisitc, but not over physical. Can see collisions at corners

Q. Any news on game modes? Or too early, also any changes in formation screen?

A. Yes too early for new game modes. As for formation screen it has changed when viewing players now. Do you remember ISS 64? Players now have letter grade for abilities for quick view.I.E. Messi A for dribbling, D for defending etc

Q. What about that horrible looking fall after being fouled from behind? Shooting animations also much different?

A. Stumbling animation has gone, You always stay in control of players at all times. 100% more responsive. Foul animations look much more realistic. Collision system is fantastic

Q. Did it leave you wanting more?

A. I miss playing PES 2012 so much

Q. Is it possible to perform knuckleballs like PES2011?

A. Yes knuckleball is still in

Q. Who was your favourite player from the playstest and why?

A. Fave player was Xavi. Passing ability was amazing, even on manual.

Q. Has the issue of your teamates sprinting away from goal whilst attacking or the animation lag been addressed?

A. Player runs are now amazing. Also, zero animation lag in PES 2012. 100% more fluid. Big player run announcement coming soon...

Q. Are the trick moves still mapped out like PES 2011, or are they back on the right stick any change there?

A. Tricks as a whole seem same as PES 2011 right now, although I hear it will change.

Q. We know nets are square and look nice, but do they behave realisticly when ball hits them ?

A. Nets feel good, not too sure what else to say as happy with the way they behave

Q. Any change to throw ins/goalkicks? eg. 3 sec to long throw, ai throws long randomly if players marked, gk still pass to nearest.

A. Throwins and goal kicks massive change. Now you flick right stick to select who you want to pass to. Big improvement

Q. How is the overall speed of the game, faster of slower than 11 ?

A. Similar speed to PES 2011 in gameplay

Q. With the different camera angles, pitch textures, nets etc Do u get a feeling that you are in a different stadium for each game?

A. yes, finally! Camp Nou felt so different from other stadiums. Amazing preset camera angle

Q. Game speed option is still in?

A. Yes, game speed option still in, although I never changed.

Q. Any improvements on freekicks (not the shooting kind...the crossing ones)?

A. Freekicks feel different, again from ball physics. Both crossing and shooting ones have more dip and ball movement

Q. Is it easy to use hold up play? Are through pass assisted like in pes 2011?

A. Very easy to hold up play. No more worry about physical contant. No more easy throughball through defence, completely gone!

Q. What happens when the ball goes out for throw-ins or fouls? Does game flow or cutscene?

A. Still black screen when ball out of play

Q. have they got rid of nasty shoots + the bicycle kicks in silly areas?

A. Jumping volleys are out! no more silly jumping volleys from outside the box.

Q. Shirt selection any changes to 2011? As seen in trailers - do the sweat on players faces/body appear gradually in game?

A. Players do sweat, not noticed though. no change in shirt seltion screen or options

Q. Defenders letting a ball fly past them standing bug fixed or not?

A. Defenders don't let the ball fly past them, they are more aware of where the ball is

Q. How good are the pes 2012 graphics on a scale of 1-10?

A. upclose 10, wide cam 8

So there we have it a massive Q&A session from Adam massive thanks to him and his hard work as always.

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Welcome to part one of our PES 2012 impressions!

Along with this write-up, we have a podcast coming around 11pm this evening (UK time).

Below you’ll find a quick fire info burst, for those just wanting bite sized impressions. And after that you have the ultra long write up. Enjoy!

Short Version:

New menu is endorsed by UEFA.com
New mode in menu screen revealed called Football Life
Team AI and individual AI is groundbreaking in the game
Deeper tactics and strategy options in-game due to them being mapped to d-pad
All teams behave uniquely, with a greater emphasis on team play individuality
Graphics improved in gameplay cam, although needs some more work to achieve preferred levels
Match atmosphere greatly enhanced thanks to presence of managers, camera-men and groundstaff
Fans now wearing kits
New camera angle added called pitch side, which hangs lower from the side line. A favourite on the day
New reworked ball physics
More care needs to be taken when passing and controlling, as ball behaves independently and realistically
Goal Keepers vastly improved. New animations and more reliable
Referees vastly improved. Play advantage, and book after a play has stopped
Gameplay more fluid than before, instant response times when dribbling and controlling the ball
Animations more varied in passing and shooting, although not on FIFA levels
Shooting still floaty, needs work
Throughballs not as powerful, easier to intercept with better control of players
New personal data feature lets user customize own controller set-up, including adding an avatar picture


Long version







TELL ME HOW YOU REALLY FEEL

There’s a lot that can be said for the flaws of last years release. Perhaps it’s always easy to focus on the negatives, but as I’ve said many times on the boards and podcasts, PES 2011 was a few improvements away from being very special.

It was the first game this generation that got any sort of media respect, and was the first game that officially stopped the rot when it came to sales on a yearly basis.

What I wanted to do was focus on certain negatives in PES 2011, ones not so obvious, but fed into other issues. Maybe something easier for me to spot, as I truly fell in love with PES 2011 preview code, but something happened in between that and retail which left a bad taste in my mouth. It also left me scratching my head.

Reason being, it’s not as if the changes were night and day, but a collection of tweaks gave a different feel and outcome. Take dribbling and defending. There was a greater balance in preview code, but once shipped new defensive maneuvers and emphasis on physicality changed things drastically. For example, that stumbling animation? Not in preview code. The falling down face first when passing under pressure? Not in preview code. Dribbling feeling heavy at times and easy to defending against? Not in preview code.

Lets develop that last point. Dribbling in context in PES 2011 is actually excellent. Beyond laboring the point of inertia, it’s well developed and thought out, with realism the key point. No foot sliding, no turning into impossible angles, all believable. Problem is, it lacked fluidity. It also screamed lack of faith from Konami, as they clearly weakened its effectiveness in release code. The slowing down of a dribbler’s speed, and implementing what we now call the catch up bug, created an extremely frustrating experience.

It’s an offset of variables all hindering each other. Slowing down dribbling speed and creating heavy touches, but at the same time making any physical presence powerful, with the ability to stumble the player and take him out of your control. Then there was the fact defenders never committed into a challenge, meaning your nice two-touch dribbles that created space never allowed you the opportunity to put distance between you and the player you’re facing. Because A) he was never trying to win the ball, just contain, and B) Konami were worried about players being able to fly past people so they put in a catch up mechanism. So even if you did beat a man, you wouldn’t be able to stay ahead for long.

Lets keep this web of evil spinning.

So the physicality in the game created a feeling of not wanting to hold onto the ball for any length of time when under pressure. Mix in inconsistent referees that you never really trust, and it makes the player never trusting the game will play out fairly. Now you know how Mourinho feels.

So not wanting to hold the ball meant you’d pass, and pass quickly. Here we realized the flaws of the ball physics and general rules a player could break. Inconsistent outcomes with accuracy and power bar never gave any sort of satisfaction. Passes were easy to misplace without reason. The new freedom elements were a godsend, but the directness and laser guided feel and excessive speed made it all look and feel unrealistic. It was like setting the coordinates to a missile and watching it go.

It almost felt like players would think the same, avoiding through ball interceptions as if their leg might get blown off. And even if they did intercept, passing it first time was not allowed. Unwritten law apparently.

Wind back to the catch up bug, as I feel it has a lot to do with shooting. Again it’s all about taking your time when in space in front of goal, but even when put clean through, there’s never any feeling of trust in the game playing out things how you would want. Players would catch up in an instant, and getting that time and space would be at premium. Especially with the inconsistent outcome of the shot, and the time it took your player to actually fire it off.

That leads nicely onto keepers. No need to digress.

So, starting from something like dribbling you’ve seen so many elements intertwine right through the spine of the game, where one small issue would give birth to many more. That’s where this year’s up coming game comes in. A game on the face of it doesn’t seem to do a lot, but the key gameplay fixes and changes create a domino effect on the rest of the product. Correcting one mistake, and you potentially correct them all.

This is PES 2012.

THE BEAUTIFUL GAME

After meeting up with Jon (Murphy) and Steve (Merrett), we quickly got into the game, and just as quickly realized the new post-E3 code was substantially different from the initial code we sampled a few months back. So THAT’S why we couldn’t write about it.

The gameplay has been tightened up massively, with fluidity, consistency, and a feeling of completeness when playing the game. All elements missing from PES 2011. So from here on in, let’s start again with our impressions of PES 2012. We’ll forget the last podcast was ever recorded. Clean slate coming in.

With that in mind let’s discuss the initial presentation improvements, from the front end to pre-match niceties. The front menu is now officially endorsed by UEFA, with a background and bottom of screen ticker linked to the website. Moving between game modes, exactly the same as PES 2011 in the layout, you now have real life footage playing in the background, rather than a single unknown player doing his stuff. The footage we saw looked like Champions League highlights, mainly of Messi tearing apart yet another defence.
Our options there after were limited, as the code only allowed one-off exhibition matches to be played, in the Camp Nou, and only at night. Choosing our teams, which consisted of top European and International outfits, we noticed a new look to the selection process. Picking the teams was still similar to PES 2011; in the way you have two horizontal bars to pic region/league, and the actual team. In PES 2012 you now get a different grading system of the teams, yet again doing away with the hexagon.

Now you get 6 grades for each specific category, ranging from A to D. The criteria are the same, so you have Offense, Technique, Physicality, Defense, Tactics, and Speed. The letter (as mentioned previously) is in a retro ISS 64 boxart font style. Certainly one for the hardcore fans to spot!

Teams selected, and you can then get to pick kits, formation and settings. Team kit selection works the same way as last year, which is perhaps disappointing as confirms we won’t have 3rd kits again for PES 2012.

The formation screen is completely intact from PES 2011, but again the letter grading system in is place. By selecting a player, you now get a picture of him, and beside his mug shot 6 grades showing key abilities you might want to know more than others.

The bottom menus have changed too, with the first four icons linked to the new trigger tactics for the d-pad, which you initiate on the fly. As reported, the d-pad isn’t a control option by default, allowing Konami to utilize the control set-up in a similar to FIFA.

What’s interesting about this element though is that it’s extremely deep. So not only are you changing the formation and playing styles, you can also change parameters even further to make them more obvious/subtle. Another weapon in the armory for the tacticians out there!

Into the match, and you’re first off greeted by a brand new tunnel sequence. It’s much busier than PES 2011, and more ambient. Players are more active, and interact with ground staff walking around them. As they walk onto the pitch you see cameramen congregated behind a barrier taking snaps, with a lone cameraman coming forward ready to wander along the line-up for the big screen close-up. Then a quick jump to players stretching and warming up, right before kick off.

DO YOUR TALKING ON THE PITCH

So with all the pre-match elements intricately described (just so I don’t have to mention them again in the future!), lets get on to the important stuff.

As the ref blows for kick off, a barrage of elements hit you almost instantly. AI, Camera, graphics, ambiance and ball physics. That’s just the first wave! Lets hit those first 5 elements, then.

AI is Konami’s big push this year, and you see it in abundance from the off. Players are so alive to what’s going on around you, and before you know it are making intelligent runs and supportive movements to cover or offer an easy pass. The few minutes of playing PES 2012 actually gives you a clear indication of just how lifeless PES 2011 was in this respect, and it’s the one key thing that has been lacking with the series for this generation.

But it’s not about dummy runs and forward runs trying to get behind a defense, it also about supportive runs and players around you giving you the opportunity to pass. Take Barcelona and AC Milan. Two different formations, and two different ways of playing. Milan’s way of playing is driven through the middle of the pitch, with width only created by the full backs. Options to pass therefore remain channeled down the middle, and means recycling the ball can be difficult due to the centre of the pitch often becoming over populated. Playing as Barcelona however gives you a completely different mindset. Width is always an option, with both wingers and full backs constantly getting forward and supporting attacks. The entire team is very compact, always moving and giving you an option every which way possible – completely differently to Milan.

The camera now swoops low and stays consistent with the flow of the game, always giving you the best view for what’s going on with the action on screen. The camera in PES 2011 was all about giving the broadcast experience, and while many fell in love with it at first, it wasn’t long before we were all yearning for a better scope for what was happening around the pitch, and had me wanting to get wide cam back. The wide cam does just that, sitting still rather than always moving all around the place.

Graphics in gameplay cam have been a sore point for PES fans over the years on this generation; with the game almost giving us a completely different look both close and from afar. Incredibly lifelike close in, PES has always failed to keep the level of detail once the match gets going.

PES 2012 see’s a gradual improvement, although right now it’s not what I would call fixed. There’s much more detail held now, with player physique and kit style (i.e. untucked shirt, wristbands) much more visible than before. It almost looked like the outline of a player’s body had been given a type of shading, emphasizing the differences between shapes. Puyol looked like a mini hulk, while Busquets looks slim and athletic. PES 2011 improved that element, but PES 2012 certainly takes that detail further.

It’s also nice to see a richer looking player surface, with the cut of the grass and believable textures giving you the illusion you’re playing on a wonderful pitch. And it’s not just the pitch that looks great; the entire stadium is something that is more prominent in the new camera angle. Playing in the Camp Nou, the viewpoint really gave the impression that you were watching an actual broadcast.

Now for the ambiance, and PES 2012 has really come a long way. It’s simply brilliant. Managers gesturing and walking around their technical area, ground staff walking around the pitch and behind the goal, and camera men who are on a base follow the play and move with the ball. The crowd (more visible on the fantastic new pitch side cam) animates subtly, but add to the overall visual and atmospheric experience, especially with them wearing the shirts of the home team. And while we’re yet to be able to truly judge the sound and how that element will add to the final experience, it’s already at an incredible high level that not even weird anecdotes from Champion and Beglin could ruin this one.

The final instant realization of change had to be ball physics, which have undergone a massive transformation. Less pace, less laser guided, and more free. For the first time since the PS2 days, the ball actually feels like it’s own entity in PES again. And that’s from the moment the ball is passed, to the way it’s controlled, and then passed on again – each element is key as in every moment you need to make sure the ball is your possession. The power in the passing is ever more key, with over hit passes requiring more care in bringing under control. You’ll also find the ball will curl and bobble in ways it simply hasn’t done on this generation.

After getting past the ‘Fantastic Five’, other key changes quickly become obvious. As you pass, move and dribble, the improved response times and fluidity in movement has been ramped up, with small added animations making it look better and of course make it more responsive.

The physicality has been worked on a great deal too, allowing for better ball retention and interaction with an opposition player. Gone are the days of cumbersome dribbling feel and control being taken out of your hand via a stumbling animation. Things are more seamless, and always keeping you in full control of everything going on during the game. Players will palm off players trying to subject them to pressure from behind and the side, and includes seeing this off the ball too. In the same essence, players are able to ride and skip over challenges, keeping things moving,

The changes also impact how you might approach the defensive side of the game, as you’re more likely to be punished by a mistimed challenge. Something we noticed this playtest is that pressuring a player as he is receiving the ball is sometimes beneficial, as the impact could put him off balance, or make him miscontrol the ball. Other times though, a little bit late in getting there, and you could either be giving away a free kick in a dangerous area or see a player turn you easily with a touch and leave you for dead.

Talking of leaving for dead, fans will be happy to hear the catch up bug has completely gone. Quicker players when past their men will be able to stay ahead, and sometimes even extend the gap between them and the defender. It’s not an exploit however, as you can still contain by holding R2 and X. Suff got the hang of this rather quickly, and was very good at tackling as a whole.

Moving onto other fixes, and I’m happy to report referees were 99% awesome. Calling fouls, playing advantage, and booking players after play had stopped. The 1%? Me and Suff noticed perfectly legitimate slide tackles from the front or side were penalized more often than not. Needs work.

Something that needs less work than expected is Goal keepers. Wow, what a turn around. After being the key element that could possibly ruin an amazing product, it’s already achieved a respectful level, with me and Suff seeing them make saves they would never make in PES 2011. More importantly, they would also make saves in a fresh new animation brand new for PES 2012. We’re talking one-handed saves, reactions to one on one situations etc etc. Throughout the playtest we had a lot more trust in them when reacting to saves. Simply put they caught more and spilled less, with everything spilt usually pushed away from danger whenever possible. From here on in we would like to see much more animation work, and as Suff put it ‘theatrics.’

Shooting also could do with some work, and from the entire playtest, was probably the one key part of the game that could do with a total change. It was odd, as ball physics for passing, crossing etc felt great, but shooting (like in PES 2011) felt extremely floaty.

It didn’t affect you too much when one on one, but shot outside the box usually ended up comfortably in the keepers arms. Not to suggest crackers from outside the box weren’t attainable, it was just they were few and far between, and the feeling of the correct outcome from a controller input just wasn’t there.

I guess it’s also worth rounding up our impressions about dedicating actual time to the animations. It’s a difficult subject, as comparisons to FIFA will always be there. Right now PES still needs work regarding this, as while they’ve made great additions to make the game extremely fluid, it still doesn’t compete with EA’s series. For me and Suff it’s more than enough in it’s own right, but to really make an impact across all fanbases they need to consider a drastic change for the future.

HALF TIME

Overall then, at this stage, PES 2012 is playing a fantastic game of football. It corrects the wrongs of PES 2011, and adds new and exciting elements to go a step further. Expect updated impressions late July from WENB, where we can tell you how the game is looking closer to release.

So far, PES 2012 is looking like it’s on a road to greatness, passing the likes of PES 5 on it’s way there. Yes, that good.

quote:

PES 2012 will support D-pad control
Konami sticks with feature due to fan demand
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Konami has told CVG that D-pad control will be supported in PES 2012 - despite the company's desire to ditch it.

The code the firm showed at E3 earlier this month only allowed for control via the analogue sticks. The news apparently left a handful of vocal fans disgruntled - particularly those that rely on the pad to execute sharp turns during tournament gameplay.

As a result of the feedback, Konami - as community-centric as ever - has now elected to keep the feature in the game. However, it has warned fans that the option won't be in the series forever.

"We've decided not to take out D-Pad this year, because a some fans have told us that they still use it - particularly those ultra-competitive ones who rely on it to quickly change direction," PES Team Leader Jon Murphy told CVG. "The game will default to the twin sticks, but the option will be there to play with a D-Pad.

"Eventually, it will have to come out, so we're encouraging people to move over to the analogue stick. We made a lot of progress last year in a lot of areas, which included freedom of movement. That's a little bit wasted if you use the D-pad, so we don't expect the option will be there in the next couple of years."

CVG caught a behind-the-scenes glimpse at PES's new feature yesterday, and walked away very impressed indeed. Seabass and co's focus this time round has obviously been on pure gameplay, rather than atmospheric 'trinkets'.

Major alterations include a new smart AI, which not only sees CPU-controlled players making much earlier runs, but ensures that defensive players provide more intelligent cover. One of the cleverest new touches relates to set pieces, free kicks and throw ins: players can now use a flick of the right stick to select the recipient of the ball, then manually make a darting run and call for delivery.

The accuracy of goal kicks have also been dramatically improved (hurrah!), whilst the perpetual problem of odd gaps appearing between defence and midfield (and, therefore, the opponent running for yards and yards unchallenged) appears to have been fixed.

"I really do believe that the offering we've got this year will pull some fans back from the competition," said Murphy. "Perhaps we'll see another year when people buy both games, but after six months, we want to make sure they trade-in only one of them - and it's not ours.

"[FIFA] has the atmosphere, the crowds and certain licences we don't - and everybody knows they've got better commentary than us. I can't see that changing. And some of the stuff they're doing with the collisions looks great, depending how it works as you actually play.

"But if you want pure gameplay, I think we'll smash them this year. We've got so many things going for us, but just the lightness of touch and the way the players move independently is fantastic. You notice it instantly.

"You can put the pad down and see your team's movement as individuals. I really hope we can get the demo out to people as soon as possible, because it's all very well me talking about these things - it's when you play it that you see instantly.

"We don't want everyone, it's not about that - we want the front runners, the opinion formers, the players who tell their friends "you've got to check out PES this year". We want to bring them back, and I think we can."

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Op zondag 10 juli 2011 15:02 schreef FireFox1 het volgende:
Weet trouwens al iemand of ze wat aan de penalty kick gaan doen? Voor iemand die gewend D-Pad te gebruiken, scoor ik vrijwel nooit uit een penalty

PES 2011 Penalty Tutorial