Hi everyone, this is my first ever evo-web post. Has been a viewer from 2003.
From Winning Eleven to FIFA08 to PES 21, didn't expect to post anything, let alone this first post to be one that will somewhat – be defending the latest release by Konami – eFootball 2022.
Sorry, this will be a long post. Some of the views I have from playing eFootball...
Like all, I have waited for 2 years for this game with careful anticipation. Saw all the half baked pre-launch communications but still downloaded the game on 30 Sep to test it out. Did all the basic set up, changed my button configurations – "match up" to L1 and "physical defending" to X.
First impression vs all older WE/PES games, the game felt slow and sluggish with input lag. Passes are slow. I hated how player dash. I hated how limiting it is to change directions when dashing. I believe many of us struggled to even pull off basic moves like turning with the ball. I noticed Fred in particular, makes a lot of touches making a simple turn to face opponent's goal. Even faster players like Rashford and Shaw took a long time to turn and at times loses possession of the ball due to them jumping over the ball to face opponent's goal. Basically players are not responding to my commands. I also hated the new way of defending. CPU walks into my box and do whatever they want. I gave up. From where PES 2021 was, eFootball is nothing close. It is nothing resemblance of a 2-year effort.
However, thanks to the forum, I got to know that there was a bug in button configurations with the "Match Up" button. I went back to default and gave it another go. Played the game a few more hours, both against CPU and local 1v1 games.
First off, this is the settings that I am on. I am a FUMA player and I played on -2 speed. Stadium cam, Zoom 3, Height 5, Angle 9. I always prefer -2 game speed as it allows me to react to things and that I can spot my players run better.
From the extended hours that I put in, I have noticed a couple of concepts which are different to how PES plays:
1. Player's movements. Both on and off the ball. I find that players hardly turn sharply anymore. In older versions, most players react to directional commands fast. Even when asked to perform a 180 degree turn, it is almost instantaneous. In eFootball, they no longer do that, on or off the ball. What I do now is allowing players who are on the ball, more space before I turn to face opponent's goal. Some times I would even push the ball towards my own half just to retain possession while making space. All these just to make a proper turn safely and to proceed with more purpose. Otherwise, I would do a square or back pass. I never have to do back or square passes to go forward this much I feel.
Playing it like the old PES, expecting 180 degree turns, I find that our players still reacts to it. But I feel that it is as though we are "forcing" our players to play faster. Resulting in even a Paul Pogba showing too much of the ball to the opponent, making it easier to lose possession. At times, these commands even result in uncontrollably slow touches which honestly feels laggy and unrealistic.
This new concept however, slows the pace of the game down. But I do believe that if any players has a way to turn faster than I can in game, they will be able to get on with their next move faster than me. This is where skill gap matters I guess.
2. Player's speed/dash (R2). Both on and off the ball. This is the most frustrating. In all of PES and even FIFA, we are somewhat used to changing directions sharply if we time our dashes well. But in eFootball, I can't. Playing it more, I start to realise that there could be more than 2 speeds when dashing with R2. Something like: Stage 1: Acceleration – Stage 2: top speed – Stage 3: slow down.
In the past, maybe there was acceleration as well.. but the window from acceleration to top speed is unnoticeably small. Which means, players can hit top speed almost as quickly as we hold down R2. In eFootball, I can almost be sure that the stages of dash are different. We probably can't tell from the animation but if you guys try using Sane, his animation in top speed can be quite obvious. I feel that the window from acceleration to top speed is bigger now. This is where I notice that during this acceleration stage (approx. the first 2-3 touches upon holding R2), players can still react to direction changes well, in close control. In this acceleration stage however, it allows a slower DMF to catch up with players like Luke Shaw. This dash concept makes it way harder to beat defenders with pace. But having fast players, we want to be able to do that. So, what we are aiming for is essentially for our fast players to go into the top speed stage.
But to do so, it is different from how we do it with older PES. In the older games, we can start dashing with R2 anytime and it is fairly easy to outpace slower defenders. In eFootball, the physical defending function make its harder to dash pass anyone shoulders to shoulders. As the function slows attacker down or even dispossessing them in the process (Fouls do happened but random). Therefore, I feel that dashing has to be more measured now. It is only when a right situation arises when, i.e., defenders are out of positions, a counter attack or against a wrong footed defender. Gaining that 2-3 initial steps allows acceleration to go into top speed which is critical to outpace someone. There is also this new skill which does that forward dash fake when you flick the R2 stick forward, I find it rather effective in throwing defenders off balance to gain that extra bit of space and steps. All in all, the concept is to throw defenders off balance. Win that extra space then start to dash. I do however managed to dash pass some Arsenal defenders with Rashford, shoulders to shoulders before being brought down. Video down below.
In defending, I find that if a defenders starts chasing after an attacker in top speed with R2, it will leave him most exposed. This is critical because I noticed that even when off the ball, players in top speed need to slow down before regaining control of his directions. And there is this foot planting/braking state (very small steps like to sort out their legs) if we try to force the player to turn back when in top speed. In this state, if a player like Luke Shaw starts changing his directions if he had started to slow down already, defenders will be facing all kinds of trouble.
Many times, I managed to "break defenders' ankle" by switching directions when they are trying to regain directional sense after some top speed race. I once have a CPU controlled top speed Saka fell off after throwing in a last ditch tackle against my slowed down Greenwood on the flanks. I managed to keep the ball and cut into the Arsenal's box from there. This makes defending very tricky against any players who is good with this dash concept. Personally, I feel tracking them by holding the match up button while protecting the box, resisting to dash with R2 while preventing them from cutting in works best. So long we don't let them cut in, they will have to cross the ball which is easier to deal with. Also, if they cross or shoot in top speed, players are more likely to do a "miskick". This is officially in the game as when a miskick happened, a pop-up will show up warning players of that. This is where I feel they have made dashing less effective totally vs older PES.
I started using dash very differently now. I will only dash when there are no defenders in front of me. Because, hitting top speed will hinder changing of directions. So, we will have to not only time it right but also know where we are heading and what we want to do after dashing. Otherwise, it will just be plain bringing the ball up field 30 yards to no man's land just to be ushered out of play. Defenders holding onto the "match up" button will 100% win the ball back even if they slowly move into your path. At top speed, we won't be able to dodge them. I believe that we will have to start letting go of R2 way earlier before a defender positions himself in front of us. Players in top speed behaves almost like they didn't have control of the ball, other than knocking it forward in a straight line, attempting to change directions during top speed will either result in stroking it slightly away stopping the ball completely. At times, I even feel that players totally don't react to our command to change directions in that state at all. I definitely cannot change directions sharply like in older PES with a 90 degree angle turn in top speed. Takes longer to do so in eFootball even when my player slowed down. I do however believe that a better player than me who understands this dashing concept more will be able to still cut in more seamlessly with faster speed. It is frustrating as one of my main attacking play with my wingers in PES is now no longer effective.
Similarly to defending when dashing (holding R2). A habit which I am starting to avoid. While chasing after an attacker in top speed, if they stop or change directions, our guy will have a harder time to match those changes and can result in their tripping over. This somewhat reminded me of that Iniesta's interview where he said that the player with the ball is with the most advantage as he is the one who decides what to do with the ball. As defenders, we can only follow where the ball goes, if they stop and we are not ready to.. then we be exposed. Defending with R2 held down can cause that. That foot planting state will not allow us to cover our misjudgment quickly enough. All in all, it is inevitable to dash alongside attackers but I feel we will have to do so with more considerations, almost like guessing when they are going to make their next move. The physical defending button will help but more often than not, resulting in a foul. I am thinking that if anyone who can use the sliding tackle better than me, it should work too. But I am a player who doesn't slide much.
This is the video of the Rashford dash. When receiving the ball, I do not know what I pressed but he did a stutter fake, let the ball ran pass him. I suspect this is down to pass speed. I took the first touch with an intention to keep the ball inwards. That touch instead sent the defender the other way, I knew I won that extra step at that moment, seeing no defenders in front, I push R2 to accelerate. But with the oncoming defender closing in, I slowed down, not decided on what option to take seeing the defender positioned to cover the box. Tried accelerating again going in between them, targeting to cut in when I hit the byline. Was surprised that I am starting to outpace the defenders but was brought down before hitting top speed. If I have managed to the byline with them chasing me in top speed, that is where I would have slowed down first and can try to "break their ankles" with sharper movements.
In old PES, I would have dash all the way to the byline and send in a low cross. Or even cutting in with pace for a shot. All still in accuracy. In eFootball, that won't happen now. Miskicks happen in top speed.. I do experienced that. You'd be wondering what's wrong when all the usual attacks are easily dealt with but it is all down to this miskick happening in top speed. Now there are more consideration to see where I can attack that defence more effectively now.
These are what I learned from these would be "new" concept of dash. I feel that understanding the concept will allow us to play the game better. One more thing I notice when in top speed, upon releasing R2, some players will still take another heavy touch before regaining close control. This can result in defenders winning the ball back. Many times, it is easy to think of it as input lag. But when I try timing it better, I feel that I am having more controls of it now. Also, I am unsure if this is down to fatigue too but timing should be the key. These being said, I do feel that the game does suffers from input lag..
I understand that Konami has made a mess for this release. Communications in this era shouldn't be this poor as well. But I do feel that upon giving the game more hours, I find that the concept of what they are trying is innovative. Many would consider players' movements and dash concepts of a football game to be part of the basics of this genre.. changing them now when feel like a double edge sword. Releasing the game in this current state doesn't help at all too... I do however wish that they update it soon, to at least iron out the fundamental video game issues like clipping and all those amateurish graphical related bugs.
For me, this is the first time I experienced in a football game where the players' movements concepts are closest to real life but it shouldn't be cumbersome to play as well. If they survive this, get that balance right, this game could turn out to be very decent.