• Major upgrades completed! Please report any issues you spot in here

eFootball PES 2021 Discussion Thread (CONSOLES)

Agreed. I’ve tried so many times to settle with it but the last true PES, 2019, was the last title to feel like PES to me. From 20 onwards, the eFootball vibe was ingrained and strengthened every year to the point I don’t even equate eFootball with PES/WE nowadays, it’s just a different game entirely.
Fifa's fault
 
Agreed. I’ve tried so many times to settle with it but the last true PES, 2019, was the last title to feel like PES to me. From 20 onwards, the eFootball vibe was ingrained and strengthened every year to the point I don’t even equate eFootball with PES/WE nowadays, it’s just a different game entirely.
Agree totally, it s basically as u said it, u find after a while the limitations of what u can do in this gameplay model implemented
 
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.
I know it's been 3 years but I just found this comment and agree with everything you just said. I'm desperately trying to find a game (or mod) that manages to replicate the midfield battles and buildup of real life football. Have you found anything so far ?
 
I know it's been 3 years but I just found this comment and agree with everything you just said. I'm desperately trying to find a game (or mod) that manages to replicate the midfield battles and buildup of real life football. Have you found anything so far ?
Hi @leo2626,

Actually, for me, the answer was switching to legendary. It turns out (surprise, surprise!) that having less time to pick players out and getting punished for your mistakes makes each pass count.

Of course, in the beginning, I just watched the CPU pick out their striker, turn, and boom. But I stuck with it and made the switch more gradually by handicapping the CPU via the form arrow, starting with the biggest possible gap and then decreasing it step-by-step.

Still, I find it very demanding but get a real kick out of the challenge and trying to master all aspects of the game. I have to say, the better I got at pressuring and closing down passing lanes, the more varied and scrappy my games have become. These mini-battles all over the field are the fruits of the labor I was searching for. I'm still very much enjoying PES 2021 up until this day and almost every day.

If you are interested; these posts give a bit more background behind my renewed opinion/mindset:

https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-consoles.83069/post-3895453
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-consoles.83069/post-3886284
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-pc.84053/post-3809676
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-pc.84053/post-3889580
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-pc.84053/post-3929088
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-consoles.83069/post-3893746
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-pc.84053/post-3789427
 
Last edited:
Are there any settings I can make manually if need be to every team, to reduce the amount of space there is on the field? I love the spacing out and positioning 25 yards out from each goal, it seems about peefect but the middle part of the field, especially working the ball from the back, always appears too open, even when the opposing team needs to score.
 
Hi @leo2626,

Actually, for me, the answer was switching to legendary. It turns out (surprise, surprise!) that having less time to pick players out and getting punished for your mistakes makes each pass count.

Of course, in the beginning, I just watched the CPU pick out their striker, turn, and boom. But I stuck with it and made the switch more gradually by handicapping the CPU via the form arrow, starting with the biggest possible gap and then decreasing it step-by-step.

Still, I find it very demanding but get a real kick out of the challenge and trying to master all aspects of the game. I have to say, the better I got at pressuring and closing down passing lanes, the more varied and scrappy my games have become. These mini-battles all over the field are the fruits of the labor I was searching for. I'm still very much enjoying PES 2021 up until this day and almost every day.

If you are interested; these posts give a bit more background behind my renewed opinion/mindset:

https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-consoles.83069/post-3895453
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-consoles.83069/post-3886284
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-pc.84053/post-3809676
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-pc.84053/post-3889580
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-pc.84053/post-3929088
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-consoles.83069/post-3893746
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-pc.84053/post-3789427
you are trying to convince yourself that legendary is good, and that the game is not rigid when are close to the penalty area, actually i tried everything,
it s just a rigid game, ur not allowed to more freedom in what u can do when u are on the penalty area, it becomes a very automatic game there and overly physical,
 
you are trying to convince yourself that legendary is good, and that the game is not rigid when are close to the penalty area, actually i tried everything,
it s just a rigid game, ur not allowed to more freedom in what u can do when u are on the penalty area, it becomes a very automatic game there and overly physical,
You won't hear me say this game is not rigid or that CPU is not OP in the box. There is definitely this nearly inescapable structure, which, like a gravitational force, constantly pulls the gameplay towards a certain trajectory and outcome. However, in moments, it is possible to break free from this, although it requires a certain amount of concentration and persistence.

I happen to very much enjoy the process of fighting against that rigidity to see if I can find the holes and learn along the way. Perhaps, if it wasn't for the OP CPU in the box I would have lost interest by now, yet now I still find myself challenged to master teammate runs with L1+RS, improve my timing for skill moves, or use subtle R2+circle passes to serve my striker in the box. Hell, just talking about already gets me excited to play a game tonight and learn how to utilize Oshimen better so I can finally beat Atalanta. So yeah, you are right, I am convincing myself that legendary is any good ...and it is definitely working.
 
Last edited:
You won't hear me say this game is not rigid or that CPU is not OP in the box. There is definitely this nearly inescapable structure, which, like a gravitational force, constantly pulls the gameplay towards a certain trajectory and outcome. However, in moments, it is possible to break free from this, although it requires a certain amount of concentration and persistence.

I happen to very much enjoy the process of fighting against that rigidity to see if I can find the holes and learn along the way. Perhaps, if it wasn't for the OP CPU in the box I would have lost interest by now, yet now I still find myself challenged to master teammate runs with L1+RS, improve my timing for skill moves, or use subtle R2+circle passes to serve my striker in the box. Hell, just by talking about it I already get excited to play a game tonight and learn how to utilize Oshimen better so I can finally beat Atalanta. So yeah, you are right, I am convincing myself that legendary is good ...and it is definitely working.
Problem with PES is that it doesn't have contextual dribbling. In real life, you don't always try to do the same animation when you dribble, you direct the ball towards where the enemy defense can't reach. However, this is not how PES works. The ball goes always the same direction making it easy to intercept. Dribbling with someone pressing you up high is very difficult cause the defender has too much the upper hand and will always, or almost always, intercept the ball when it passes close to him. This makes pressure overly effective and makes the game feel rigid, cause even when you dribble one man, the next one will be almost impossible.

FIFA is right the opposite, for example, and you can pass defenses too easily cause they are very bad at taking the ball out of you and you can outrun them with high rythm players, but this makes the game no tactic at all.

Probably best games in this sense are early 2010's up till 2014, basically because PS3 era games paid much more attention to detail than modern ones, and had a much better flow of games, with less dribbling boost.

Again, this is why I preffer PC versions of the game, that can be modded, but in console, it is what it is, and each game has it's own flaws and advantages, and while early 2010's had better game flow, for example, the control input was not that polished, and didn't felt soo much fleshed out. Animations where more realistic in speed, yes, but less responsive. So you gotta love each game for what it offers to you.
 
Hi @leo2626,

Actually, for me, the answer was switching to legendary. It turns out (surprise, surprise!) that having less time to pick players out and getting punished for your mistakes makes each pass count.

Of course, in the beginning, I just watched the CPU pick out their striker, turn, and boom. But I stuck with it and made the switch more gradually by handicapping the CPU via the form arrow, starting with the biggest possible gap and then decreasing it step-by-step.

Still, I find it very demanding but get a real kick out of the challenge and trying to master all aspects of the game. I have to say, the better I got at pressuring and closing down passing lanes, the more varied and scrappy my games have become. These mini-battles all over the field are the fruits of the labor I was searching for. I'm still very much enjoying PES 2021 up until this day and almost every day.

If you are interested; these posts give a bit more background behind my renewed opinion/mindset:

https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-consoles.83069/post-3895453
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-consoles.83069/post-3886284
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-pc.84053/post-3809676
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-pc.84053/post-3889580
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-pc.84053/post-3929088
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-consoles.83069/post-3893746
https://evoweb.uk/threads/efootball-pes-2021-discussion-thread-pc.84053/post-3789427
Legendary and gamespeed -2 is the best working football experience i ever had. Of course there is a lot that could be improved, but the status quo of EA FC and efootball doesn't send any signal to leave PES21 in the near future.
 
Legendary and gamespeed -2 is the best working football experience i ever had. Of course there is a lot that could be improved, but the status quo of EA FC and efootball doesn't send any signal to leave PES21 in the near future.
no way, pes 21 after a while becomes very repetitive with the AI, it s a discussion we did many times before im not gonna get bck to it, the game is good playing vs a friend, but vs AI, the game is rigid and allows not much freedom inside the box,it s a physics matrix as someone mentioned before, ea fc 24 is a much better game when u set realistic sliders
 
no way, pes 21 after a while becomes very repetitive with the AI, it s a discussion we did many times before im not gonna get bck to it, the game is good playing vs a friend, but vs AI, the game is rigid and allows not much freedom inside the box,it s a physics matrix as someone mentioned before, ea fc 24 is a much better game when u set realistic sliders
I agree about pes 21 ai but disagree about fifa/eafc that sliders make the game better. Changing one value and thinking that you fix something you actually broke other stuff in the game, even the game speed in the settings before the match gives different game against ai. I remember in previous games many people who use sliders used to lower acceleration slider by one or two and that caused defenders to be disables to sprint and follow ai attackers on defence. This is just one example, there are bigger impact from changing some other stuff in the sliders. For me personally I just increased acc slider to minimise the visual skating but all that is worth nothing when ai don't follow players in defence.
 
no way, pes 21 after a while becomes very repetitive with the AI, it s a discussion we did many times before im not gonna get bck to it, the game is good playing vs a friend, but vs AI, the game is rigid and allows not much freedom inside the box,it s a physics matrix as someone mentioned before, ea fc 24 is a much better game when u set realistic sliders
Both games have their flaws. In PES, I'd say defenders are way too much overpowered in 1v1, and also the movement of the players in the pitch is less dynamic, while FIFA players can walk, run, etc.

FIFA feels more dynamic itself, the engine is newer, and more adaptable than Fox Engine.

Let's not forget that Fox Engine was an Engine made by Kojima Team for MGSV, once the game finishes and Kojima breaks with Konami, they get an Engine that is not polished for any game other than MGSV and that the only people that could understand it (essentially Kojima Team as a whole) have departed ways from the company.

So yeah, it is natural that FIFA 23/EA FC24 feel better. I mean, they are two year older, developed in the same engine adding modular things, step by step... If FIFA is not a more realistic game, is just a matter of design.
 
Been playing PES 2021 on PS4 solidly now for 3 years. I often think when I start up the game that Konami must still receive metrics telling them how many people are still playing this and other old titles. You'd think if you were them you'd get the eFootball single-player experience out to market pretty damn fast. I'd be a Day 1 purchaser and probably all the other single-player diehards would be too. The reason this isn't happening is probably one we like the least – that they won't dilute their multiplayer world and PES 2021 really is the end of the line.

Still, what a swansong! '21 is now easily my most-played PES in history, and I never thought anything would beat PES5.
 
Been playing PES 2021 on PS4 solidly now for 3 years. I often think when I start up the game that Konami must still receive metrics telling them how many people are still playing this and other old titles. You'd think if you were them you'd get the eFootball single-player experience out to market pretty damn fast. I'd be a Day 1 purchaser and probably all the other single-player diehards would be too. The reason this isn't happening is probably one we like the least – that they won't dilute their multiplayer world and PES 2021 really is the end of the line.

Still, what a swansong! '21 is now easily my most-played PES in history, and I never thought anything would beat PES5.
What setting's do you use? I've played nearly 1000 hours and want it to remain fresh, any suggestions, camera angles?
 
I've just put the speed to +1. Had a few games and the beauty of PES is you can slow play right down, knock it around the back etc... still if you want to but the added speed has made the dribbling feel more 'alive'.

I just played as Brighton, gave it to Mitoma and waltzed past 3 defenders, it was superb.

Now to update the squads and I'll probably start a new ML in the coming weeks.

I'm also using Live Broadcast cam which is going to take a bit of getting used to.
 
I've just put the speed to +1. Had a few games and the beauty of PES is you can slow play right down, knock it around the back etc... still if you want to but the added speed has made the dribbling feel more 'alive'.

I just played as Brighton, gave it to Mitoma and waltzed past 3 defenders, it was superb.

Now to update the squads and I'll probably start a new ML in the coming weeks.

I'm also using Live Broadcast cam which is going to take a bit of getting used to.
Thank you for the information mate. Much appreciated. Glad you played for brighton, I actually work for them. I will try the plus one speed I usually have it at -1
 
Both games have their flaws. In PES, I'd say defenders are way too much overpowered in 1v1, and also the movement of the players in the pitch is less dynamic, while FIFA players can walk, run, etc.

FIFA feels more dynamic itself, the engine is newer, and more adaptable than Fox Engine.

Let's not forget that Fox Engine was an Engine made by Kojima Team for MGSV, once the game finishes and Kojima breaks with Konami, they get an Engine that is not polished for any game other than MGSV and that the only people that could understand it (essentially Kojima Team as a whole) have departed ways from the company.

So yeah, it is natural that FIFA 23/EA FC24 feel better. I mean, they are two year older, developed in the same engine adding modular things, step by step... If FIFA is not a more realistic game, is just a matter of design.
the main issue with pes , is the ML, where the ai is scripted and scripting when it kicks in, it triggers that repetitive goal scoring matrix that is set by design, and it s really not good when u play ML, suddenly, u know that ur next match is gonna a scripted fest with cpu always looking for the same way and same trajectory to score the goal, this is my main gripe and why i don t come back to pes 21 , it s just a rigid game on superstar player, it s so automatic in front of goal, it s not smooth with the movement of the player inside the box, u have to always rely on the safe pass and move to get the goal, while in fifa, it s different, u can do stuff under pressure inside the box that will give u the goal or the corner or whatever the better outcome that comes out of it, in PES it s just rigid, im not talking just to talk, i have been a pes player ever since iss 2002 on the ps1, i know what i feel when i play ML in pes 21, it s just scripted and rigid on the top difficulty.
 
no way, pes 21 after a while becomes very repetitive with the AI, it s a discussion we did many times before im not gonna get bck to it, the game is good playing vs a friend, but vs AI, the game is rigid and allows not much freedom inside the box,it s a physics matrix as someone mentioned before, ea fc 24 is a much better game when u set realistic sliders
No matter which sliders you use, the inconsistent animation/ball speed and the absence of a proper first touch error disqualify EA FC as a football game. Personally i can live much better with some pattern (which you can break to a certain amount, especially if you play full manual).
 
No matter which sliders you use, the inconsistent animation/ball speed and the absence of a proper first touch error disqualify EA FC as a football game. Personally i can live much better with some pattern (which you can break to a certain amount, especially if you play full manual).

Don't discuss off topic games in this thread.
Keep on topic.
 
I've come another step closer to finally beating Atalanta with Napoli. Before, I ignored fluid formations because I found that they made the transition after losing the ball too rigid and abrupt, resulting in players sometimes ignoring the ball in an unnatural way. Yet, after making other adjustments, like man markings, tight marking, and lowering my defensive line to be less vulnerable against their strong and speedy strikers, I still had an issue with De Roon having too much time to divide play and De Keteleare coming into empty spaces in the final third. Especially with my defensive line being lower, their strong midfield had a lot of space to play with and it made it more difficult to force them to the sides and then close them in.

The changes I made are quite straightforward, my formation in possession is 4-3-3 and I now switch to a 4-2-3-1 when out of possession. Meaning Oshimen goes from CS to SS allowing him to be more involved in the play and my wingers moved back to playing as midhalf, a bit to the center to force the CPU to pass it to the sides. My AM, the light-footed Zielinsky, gets into the CM position, and the CM, in turn, positions itself next to Lobotka to form a tight line before the defense, where he can help nullify runs from the midfield and close down passing lanes to the strikers.

Immediately, Atalanta was far less direct in their play and the game felt much more under control. Most of their shots (6 with 4 on target) over 120 minutes were blocked and came from outside the area. The more dangerous attempts were the result of obvious individual mistakes. I almost felt a little disappointed to see how easy it had become to hold them off. I also noticed the match was less dynamic than before because Atalanta was not tempted to play those risky balls through the middle which resulted in a lot of scrappy moments that forced me to play my best defensive and transition game.

The good news is that I now have another puzzle to solve. Tracking back of course drains more energy and my interceptions are on average farther from their goal. As a result, I had fewer changes myself and it was harder to catch them off guard. I will have to tinker with things some more and it will probably result in taking a bit more risk at the back. After half time I already made sure my wingers would keep their positions, which I might do from the start in my next game. It's a matter of finding a good balance.

As someone who previously neglected tactics a bit, I am happily surprised to notice that it really pays off to simply observe what is going on in the field and act on it. Of course, it's nothing near a Football Manager-esk depth and I kind of dislike how effective these simple changes are in taking the angle out of their attacks. As soon as I figure out how to increase my exG again, I might have to undo handicapping the CPU with a minus 1 form arrow to see if this revives the defensive challenge.
 
Last edited:
No matter which sliders you use, the inconsistent animation/ball speed and the absence of a proper first touch error disqualify EA FC as a football game. Personally i can live much better with some pattern (which you can break to a certain amount, especially if you play full manual).
full manual has nothing to do with the AI scripting in ML, u ll have scripted gameplay and rigidness no matter what
 
full manual has nothing to do with the AI scripting in ML, u ll have scripted gameplay and rigidness no matter what
I just can assume what you are referring to exactly, but you can manage the most obvious phenomenons (AI superpowers in precision and reaction) by super cancel and clever player switching to block passing lanes. This is really not the side where PES2021 shines, but it does not outweigh the positives.
 
I just can assume what you are referring to exactly, but you can manage the most obvious phenomenons (AI superpowers in precision and reaction) by super cancel and clever player switching to block passing lanes. This is really not the side where PES2021 shines, but it does not outweigh the positives.
u don t understand still what i mean, the AI will always look for the same pattern it s designed to , to get the goal, even the same trajectory of the shot on goal, it s too robotic when u see it, the player will always shoot the ball the same place on a different match, the ball trajectory of the shot , there s no variety to it , u ll feel repetitive behavior after just few matches in ML, i don t really know if this was fixed at all, and i don t think it was,even the modded FL 23 has those issues still, in FIFA u never feel repetitive behavior of cpu scoring, the matrix is just better, the coding is better
 
u don t understand still what i mean, the AI will always look for the same pattern it s designed to , to get the goal, even the same trajectory of the shot on goal, it s too robotic when u see it, the player will always shoot the ball the same place on a different match, the ball trajectory of the shot , there s no variety to it , u ll feel repetitive behavior after just few matches in ML, i don t really know if this was fixed at all, and i don t think it was,even the modded FL 23 has those issues still, in FIFA u never feel repetitive behavior of cpu scoring, the matrix is just better, the coding is better
I understand what you are saying. There is very little first-touch error in PES 2021 unless your player is ranked 70 or lower and subsequently everything seems to click together without error for teams if you don't pressure them hard. The CPU wants to find logically the best route to goal to avoid pressure so if you tend to play in the same way, you see the same goals scored against you again and again with little variety. With FIFA 19, I can play CPU v CPU and it be a different result every time because of the error being genuine for first touch and the players will screw up randomly with a bad pass or dive in and miss a tackle. With PES2021, there is little to no variety when the CPU is placed in a specific situation and copycat build-ups and shots occur.
 
I understand what you are saying. There is very little first-touch error in PES 2021 unless your player is ranked 70 or lower and subsequently everything seems to click together without error for teams if you don't pressure them hard. The CPU wants to find logically the best route to goal to avoid pressure so if you tend to play in the same way, you see the same goals scored against you again and again with little variety. With FIFA 19, I can play CPU v CPU and it be a different result every time because of the error being genuine for first touch and the players will screw up randomly with a bad pass or dive in and miss a tackle. With PES2021, there is little to no variety when the CPU is placed in a specific situation and copycat build-ups and shots occur.
Exactly which is why i don t play pes anymore, because ML is just not good for me, i don t know if FL 24 with variable difficulty fixes this....i don t know
 
u don t understand still what i mean, the AI will always look for the same pattern it s designed to , to get the goal, even the same trajectory of the shot on goal, it s too robotic when u see it, the player will always shoot the ball the same place on a different match, the ball trajectory of the shot , there s no variety to it , u ll feel repetitive behavior after just few matches in ML, i don t really know if this was fixed at all, and i don t think it was,even the modded FL 23 has those issues still, in FIFA u never feel repetitive behavior of cpu scoring, the matrix is just better, the coding is better
Thank you for going into details finally. As you refer to ML, i can not say anything because i never played this mode. In offline league mode games i don't see anything to this extent.
 
Exactly which is why i don t play pes anymore, because ML is just not good for me, i don t know if FL 24 with variable difficulty fixes this....i don t know
I think the PES2021 mods fix a lot of the repetition and improve a number of things on PC but for those of us on console, it's a dead end experience especially if you're on Xbox.
 
Still enjoying this but there are a lot of player requirements, so to say. For example, if you are tired or grumpy then forget about it it, this game will not lift you up, except if you're in a patient mood and have enough time to spare to convert your mindset.

The full list of player requirements to get the most out of PES is very long, especially for seasoned players, to a point it becomes borderline unreasonable and only for the most passionate. Somehow its still all worth it for me.

I just wish they would of kept multiplayer and the actual connection quality would of been better. This game deserves to be played online as a classic for decades to come. Man, if there would just be some service that could run these servers on behave of Konami in return for a few bucks per month per user.

I might even e-mail Sony/Konami about the possibilities at some point. It just feels off to let all these weird bussiness desicions get in the way of good old fun.
 
Last edited:
I've always hated one thing about PES2021, at least for the console version, which is what I have... and that is the fact that they've messed up the colors and especially the lighting compared to PES2019, which was sublime looking. I'd watch all of these videos on YouTube and Reddit, with PES2021 using turf mods or lighting mods, and it'd look even better than PES2019 did, the way Konami messed this up has always bothered me. Now, I know this will sound stupid, but so far I've been playing on my 32' TV I got over a decade ago at this point, and I never had to change the image settings for anything, I almost forgot that they were even a thing, I kept using the simple default ones thinking it was all there was... but there was another menu with deeper settings, like color temperature and things like that... and now this looks so much easier on the eyes. It's ridiculous I have to change my TV's settings in the first place, I admit, but it worked.

I still wish I had a PC powerful enough to play PES2021 with mods, since it'd probably look even better, and I'd be able to customize the cameras in a deeper way than what I can do on console, also improving the baggy looking kits and player anatomy/models would be good too, maybe edit some scoreboards and stuff... but for now I don't have a PC that can run PES2021, so I'm just glad that I finally got rid of the toxic yellow colored pitches and cartoon saturated look...
 
It's a shame, the more I play PES2021, the more I realize how much we needed a proper PES2022. It's a fantastic installment, don't get me wrong, but there's so much wrong with it that, if they had just fixed it on a next generation PES2022, it would've been perfect. I feel that nothing shows off the flaws in this than a rival/derby match, and if you're on anything above Regular or Professional difficulty, it gets 10x worse... it can really feel like a chore, especially the defending, no one marks properly, the CPU just skips the midfield with a few passes, the striker receives free, turns and shoots, their accuracy for shooting is superb, on the slim chance you manage to get near one of them on the ball, before they make a pass to someone who's free, they'll just shield it, and you won't get that ball no matter what, you can try to press with another player, but then they'll just make a ridiculous pass as if they have eyes on the back of their heads, of will get a foul... and the referee is so poorly programmed here, I wouldn't mind it so much if it weren't for one single, and pathetic, thing in this, the CPU free kicks. It's just like PES2012, if it's a direct free kick, they'll score 9 out of 10, and the few that miss either hit the bar or go slightly above it, it's just really frustrating...

I'll often suffer hard tackles and slide tackles, and they might kill me, but it was on the ball, so it's not a foul, but then I'll often do a tackle, on the ball, and it'll be a free kick, and more often than not a goal. I'm trying to get used to Top Player, but rival/derby matches make Top Player downright miserable to play, but if I play on Professional it becomes a bit too comfortable. It's not just these matches though, these issues are present everywhere, it's just that the lower the difficulty, the less they are a bother, or even noticeable. CPU free kick accuracy, inconsistent fouls, too much space, no proper marking, no real interceptions.

It bothers me too because I own PES2018, and a lot of the flaws here aren't there, it sort of feels counter intuitive to have a yearly titles where flaws are put into it instead of taken out of it. Here it's way to common for my teammates to stumble onto one another, for my FUMA passes to select the wrong player, for the player switching in defense also never going to the player that it might make more sense to become even when using the right stick, for me to not intecept a pass even when it's going right through my selected player, I managed to intercept passes often in PES2018, but here it feels like it was programmed for it to not be a thing, players don't stretch their legs to stop the ball. I really wish we could've gotten a proper next generation PES2022, with better colors/lighting like in PES2019 or better, a UI that doesn't feel amateurish, a more interesting midfield battle thanks to proper marking, for the CPU attacks to vary, and free kicks not going in 100% of the time, a better referee and fouls that feel consistent, and of course improved modes. I know a lot of people are happy with this installment, mostly PC players with mods, but for console... it's a shame it ended here, this was good, but flawed, and there won't be a next PES to fix it all...
 
Back
Top Bottom