PES MyClub, the game for football purists

PES isn’t the perfect game, in fact it’s clearly like FIFA 14, a game in the development phase. However unlike FIFA 15, which continued building on FIFA’s mechanical animations the PES 2015 focus is clearly on user input. In this article I want to compare the mechanics of both games as well as explore how PES must change for 2016. I’ll even rank which one I feel is better, just for some controversy.

If we compare the techniques both games employ to replicate the beautiful game it’s clear to see one wants to put the user in control and the other relies on sharing this desire with artificial intelligence. Where you sit on that fence is the type of game you enjoy, I know where I used to sit but my new chair is very comfy.

Gameplay

Short passing
Short passing is a staple of PES, in fact as a FIFA player who sees a good through ball I’ve struggled in using short passes in the final third. In PES you’re able to pass short in most scenarios, it’s realistic because certain players are better at passing quickly, body position is key, and making space is imperative. In FIFA it’s very hit and miss, there seems to be little difference in passing very short and short and mistakes are rarely user generated. In FIFA when you get a move truly going passing can be perfect, so much so that you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re not Barcelona. The commentary highlights the problem ‘they’re passing like it’s a computer game’, and they’re right, we are, because FIFA is mechanical and the opponent isn’t part of this set of numbers.
PES follows a different route, your manager helps your team play a certain way, possession for example, but don’t expect to flow up the pitch in a perfect sequence of short passes, you must beat the opposing line and draw them out of position to even get the chance to find your triangle. It’s football as it should be.
Winner – PES, it’s integral to the game. That’s how it should be.

Long passing
Long passing on PES is tricky but it allows you to utilise a variety of attacking options, for example if you have a target man a high long ball really will act like a long ball, not just a random punt. Long passing to a small wide player also produces great results too; they will take a great touch if the ball is low but lose headers regularly. The game mechanics are user influenced and both the attacker and defender can play to their strengths. In FIFA these mechanics are not all that present, a pacey player will win as many headers as they lose, perhaps more, because long passing is either hit or miss, it’s either going to your man or it isn’t. Player positioning and attributes do little to influence this outcome, a great example is Giovinco’s agility to win headers.
Winner – PES, no contest. The long ball works how it’s meant to, it’s more than a chance weapon and using it requires attention to detail.

Through balls
Through balls have become an integral part of how football games produce goals, in FIFA the long through ball has been abused and never reeled in thus causing defenders to topple and strikers to take perfect touches, quite literally nothing like real life.
In PES through balls can be just as dangerous but defenders actively spot passing potential, attacking players first touches are less influenced by pace and agility and more on ability and only the best players play the perfect pass. Then we have attacking options for the through ball, in PES you can influence the run your player makes and a well timed pass produces what you’d hoped for, in FIFA it produces what you’d expect, the difference is agonisingly obvious and a PES through ball sets up important not percentage chances.
Winner – PES, from a purist point of view FIFA isn’t even in this contest. If you’re just looking to throw some hail marys then head to FIFA, pick a pass with PES.

Shooting
FIFA has become so aim and shoot it’s agonising, in part due to some appalling programming in the goalkeeping department. Near post shots still produce goals for fun, long blasts are 50/50, headers are actions and finesse is a joy, not in a good way. The only shooting similarities are in chipping, where both games do an excellent job at making it feel realistic with chances very user focussed. Shooting on PES however is fun, really fun, you’re certain to miss and at times you get the feeling it’s never going to happen but it’s largely about attacker, keeper and defender positioning. With time and space you have a great chance but with a narrow angle you need to shoot early or find the top of the net; defenders really do influence accuracy.
Goalkeepers are integral to you not succeeding, and while there are some horrible animations that appear that the ball has hit the centre of the goal, 1 ft from the goal keeper, the frequency of this type of shot allows for the anomaly. Similarly running on a 45 degree angle toward the goal produces all too often, it’s just a good job keepers close well and good defenders snort at attacking agility.
Winner – PES, but not by much. It’s difficult to really judge FIFA when goalkeepers are so dire, I used to play on the 360 where keepers were better but on the Xbox One they can be superb or laughable, on either occasion this is pretty frustrating.

Dribbling
FIFA feels forced and clunky, especially with defensive pressure, but PES can feel slow to respond. Where FIFA is very much about stop start or skill PES lets you choose a variety of movements to beat the man and encourages a few well timed skills rather than a sequence of animations to beat the mechanics. The FIFA update ruined dribbling for me, but in reality it was too overpowered anyway.
The new mechanic destroyed dribbling unless you used a few key skills though I suspect a lot of this was down to AI pressure creating poor touches. Turning circles are now huge.
In PES body position is very important, stopping and starting is at play but if you run a yard away from your man he misses you and doesn’t home in unless he’s a few feet away ready to tackle. Dribbling for the best players is fun but the aim is to beat a man and get into space, you cannot simply dribble or skill your way through two players. It’s realistic, and when well timed a really fun exercise which makes you feel you actually beat a man rather than escaped the AI animation.
Winner – PES, again it’s about context because they both stutter a bit in this department. They’re both imperfect but then dribbling in football is very measured, very few players have ever possessed enough skills to beat a whole team and PES recognises that, playing against Messi examples this.

Skilling
FIFA is a mixture of animations bringing success whereas PES is about timing and surprise, where I love the ease at which they occur in FIFA I loathe the mechanics and enjoy the PES motivation of using them precisely.
Winner – Draw, different strokes for different folks. Neither are impressive enough to win me over.

Defending
This is another no contest. PES has a quality which leaves you panicking in your own box and able to defend space outside it. It’s not perfect, players movements are too slow for the gamer to fully defend space but it’s very user intensive and relying on the AI leaves a lot of space. In FIFA the AI control is incredible, even when the user is rushing in, 5 yard forcefields are not fun and high pressure/aggression makes it a game of ping pong. Football at its absolute worst.
PES also has two other bonuses, you can learn to beat a team by getting used to a management style (defending or attacking), and you can see whether your opponent is using the AI to rush in or whether they are tackling themselves. This has proved really beneficial in an attacking sense and a superb piece of simple programming.
Winner – No contest, PES. FIFA is a mess in defence, it needs a complete overhaul with the user input being more important than AI.

Player movements
Both superb; player runs are great, supporting positioning is brilliant and it’s always nice to set a player on a run. PES does have one improved feature, choosing and timing your supporting players run, it’s a nice feature, but then FIFA is so pretty.
Winner – Draw, both do a great job at making you believe that even Agbonlahor can make a quality run.

MyClub vs Ultimate Team

Menu’s

Loading speed
MyClub is dreadful, really slow, makes you worry that your connection is dying. It’s basic and judders and in general very primitive. FIFA is superb, the menus are a joy, especially after playing with PES, the developers have done a fantastic job at making sure everything looks and acts brilliantly and quickly.

Usability
I might prefer the tactic and manager approach of PES, which for gameplay purposes improves on FIFA, but the information delivery, for example player/game stats is appalling. Adding or removing players to a squad is a palaver, further frustrated by slow loading, it feel extremely primitive and nothing like the gorgeous, sweeping simplicity FIFA delivers. FIFA will have you wanting to check stats, enjoy the concept squads and tempted to explore, in PES you focus on getting it right because making a mistake, for example with your team sheet, takes time to rectify.

Winner, FIFA in a completely different class. PES, this isn’t 2005 anymore!

So you want to play a game

Menu’s, gameplay, they’re just the flesh, what about the bones! Why are you playing? Ultimate Team created a monster, one I wanted to be part of but it limits the user by advocating micro transactions and not gameplay. PES does the opposite, your squad is your squad, you’ve earned it and playing has unlocked its potential.
That to me is a joy, plus Konami regularly give meaningful gifts when things go wrong, for example my 50k gift was saved for the final weeks of the Champions League where I picked up some top quality black ball players thanks to a 70% chance of success.  Packs in FIFA are fun but they’re awful and demoralising, whereas in PES you look forward to getting a new player, especially in the early months of gaming. Though many believe the spinning balls of PES are decided from the outset it’s a good way to play, and building up agents simply encourages this because it’s about improving your team, hopefully adding one or two better players and not just making a whole team of world class talent. The best of the best can be beaten with the right average team!
Agents after every game is a masterstoke, and I’m very happy if 60 agents later I get 3 gold players and a black one.

Squad size limits on PES could be more generous but this should be offset with improved contract sizes, for goodness sake Konami encourage us to play with the limited squad and not scrimp to do so. In FIFA the contract system is great even if the market is a disaster, but you can build a team like a sticker collection which I always enjoy. The marketplace is great fun, even though you’ll never really try the top guys unless you pay, but those same players are available in different modes so in my mind MyClub is a real Ultimate Team competitor.

Tactics are important and while I appreciate what Konami are trying to do with manager style I do prefer the flexibility of FIFA, however if PES bothered to tell us how to unlock the highest managers this wouldn’t really have mattered. Microtransactions for a better manager, that’s a very EA thing to do.

Winner – PES, its close but I ended up preferring the delivery of quality rather than the desperation of affording it. The marketplace on FIFA has ruined Ultimate Team, where coin seller lurk clueless developers procrastinate; PES showed UT fans it could be done,  and done well.

Online

Both can be average to good however where FIFA wins is the sheer amount of players, I rarely find myself waiting 20 minutes to get a game whereas with Pro Evo that can be the standard waiting period. Also slow connecting and loading! Then we have the courtesy rating on PES, it’s a good concept but it threatens people with bans which in principle is fine but in reality can create a real headache for the honest player, especially when playing against a dishonest one. FIFA might crash and disconnect but it doesn’t penalise you by losing precious contracts and fitness, PES has some thinking to do on that front.

Winner – FIFA. PES is behind in developing an online service which represents 2015. FIFA might be down a lot but because they have so many more players people draw attention to it.

Final opinion

Overall both games are unfinished, from a development point of view PES is moving toward gameplay as its core ethos with functionality progressing on the side, whereas FIFA wants to give you an experience and change things if time allows it.
if you’re after a kick around you’re better going with FIFA, it’s the light entertainment that something like Community offers, nothing brilliant, nothing poor, passable with some moments of absorption.
If however you’re after an immersive experience that encourages creative gameplay and want to extend your hobby virtually you don’t really have a choice, it has to be PES.
In 2015 FIFA knows it has a competitor, as PES knows it has a platform. I’m really looking forward to seeing whether FIFA has stopped adding plasters in favour of making gameplay its focus or whether PES has finally matured into a gaming experience in more than gameplay and concept.