Next, I'd like to ask you about the game content. This time, the concept is "the evolution of the 5 meter area around the ball", what was the idea behind this?
Kimura: Over the past 20 years, "PES" has evolved to allow for a variety of controls. In addition to manipulating the players involved in the ball, we've also made it possible to move the players to cut off passes and destroy spaces to prevent them from being thrown in. As a result, the emphasis gradually shifted to areas other than offense and defense around the ball. That was one direction, but at this time, we decided to revise all of that and go back to the basics to make it more enjoyable to play around the ball.
t's true that you can perform much more detailed operations when you have the ball in attack than when you're defending, right?
Kimura: That's right. By combining the strength of the left stick and the R2 button, you can perform a variety of moves, from slow dribbles to full-on dashes. The defenders, on the other hand, have to keep a little distance and read the various attacks to deal with them.
The game is very realistic, isn't it?
Kimura: However, the defenders are delayed by a few tenths of a second compared to the real players because they have to use the controller, so if we adopted the same control system as the attackers, they would be at a disadvantage. This is why we introduced a game-like element called "matchup. As long as you hold down this button (X button + left stick), the game will automatically pressure you when an opponent with the ball is nearby, or block your passes or shots. In addition, the same controls are used for both attackers and defenders to perform "body contact" (when attacking) and "charging" (when defending). In short, you can use your body to prevent the ball from being stolen or to go for it. The more you can use it, the more interesting the competition will be.
I think it's so much more convenient than before. On the other hand, I was so confused that I asked myself, "Do I have to move the players around me?
Kimura: We've reviewed all the defensive controls so that players can concentrate on the game at the edge of the ball as much as possible. We also introduced matchups and invited several professional players to test play the game to adjust the balance, and made a number of adjustments.
This is the first time you have used the Unreal Engine.
Kimura: One thing that's easy to understand is the expressiveness of the graphics. The overall visuals have been greatly enhanced, including the ability to express the detailed movements of the supporters filling the spectator seats. Also, the engine can be used on all types of hardware, so the development benefits of being able to create for PlayStation 5, PC, and mobile devices all at once were immeasurable.
As you mentioned, this game is also characterized by its cross-platform development, including mobile phones. However, aside from the visuals, I think there will inevitably be differences in the controls for different hardware.
Kimura: The way I see it, instead of customizing a single work for each hardware platform, "eFootball 2022" will exist as a digital platform, and home consoles and mobile devices will be the devices to access it. That's what we're aiming for. We want to make sure that the basic game experience is the same on all hardware, and we plan to make it possible to connect a controller to play on mobile devices in the future
Is it taking a lot of time to adjust the balance?
Kimura: To tell you the truth, we originally planned to release the game in time for the creative team. However, the quality of the matches, including local matches and online battles, has reached a level that we can deliver ahead of schedule, so we decided to release the game ahead of schedule so that people can play it as soon as possible. We hope to gradually add new modes and specifications in the future.
Source:
https://www.famitsu.com/news/amp/202109/24234530.php?