Spot on, couldn't agree more and thanks for typing it out. Same goes to others that took the effort. As much as i tried, in the end I just couldn't be arsed to pin point every little thing that is different and how it affects overall gameplay. Not after all the abuse from Konami this year with their surprise patches.
Yes, the game is definitely better and smoother and all that. But i agree in the end this season update doesnt deserve a whole lot of praise when you consider the game is now pretty much in a state it should of been a year ago when it was released as an unfinished product that they eventually fixed by dumbing it down untill nothing more was left then a shadow of its potential.
Thankfully some of that has been restored now. The anything can happen feeling has largely returned and the game feels less scripted, more fair and under your own control. Despite this, i still have this sour taste in my mouth when playing it. Not because of bugs but mainly because it shows again so clearly where the focus lies: attack, attack, attack. All those little improvements made it smoother and snappier but where is the calmness to counterbalance this?
Most definitely i am guilty of romanticising the past when i say that on a meta level playing PES nowadays feels more and more detached from the real thing due to a lack of small strategic choices. What i mean by that is in real life, every match starts by feeling each other out, slowly building up play. Looking for that little space, that unattentive moment to exploit, getting in those little pokes to provoke a too eager move, etc. PES used to represent this so much better.. i am looking at you 2017, PES5, et al.
Where is the art and skill of maintaining possession under increasing pressure and perfectly timing that pass, dribble or tackle. Knowing when to make your move. That is how i learned to play PES and how i still play now. But the other game now encapsulates this aspect much better. Every pass should count and should have consequences; good or bad.
Yet, in reality everything is wide open until the box. I can go left, i can go right, i can go wherever i want. There is always a player i can pass to, there is always a way out (on top player). "Hey, there goes my fullback again for the 20th time this match and no one seems to care.". In PES 20 and 21, building up play requires me to fool myself to believe it actually serves a purpose. As if i am enacting a football match on a (huge) football pitch while under the hood a baseball game engine is running. But there is no subtle risk assessment going on in the back of my head whatsoever. No spotting the right moment. No real taking into account if i am controlling Jantje or Pietje. Let alone taking into account which opponent i am facing. Be it attack or defense; nothing forces me to really act differently depending on the players involved in the situation. Its very much on me to imagine that bit as to provide myself with a more interesting experience. Sure, there is individuality, especially for star players, but i dont have to rely on their traits as much as i would like.
Meanwhile, i will continue to enjoy the good but its such a shame its stuck in a distractingly cheap frame. It could of been so much better if they didn't try to please their whole user base without implementing some gameplay sliders. Hopefully they created a modern core for 22 that can handle sliders and/or uses more advanced methods of increasing the difficulty (tighter marking, sprinting more impact on stamina, etc) instead of just using handicaps.
Sorry guys, I just miss midfield battles, not having a shot on goal for a whole match, longing for that one good chance. I want to feel a creative challenge, not just test my skills and reflexes. I want to see stories evolve. Sure there are the occasionally stories but they lack depth. Offline fans are left with moments of real beauty that are missing a solid beginning and middle and get boring all too quickly, like a song with only a chorus.
