I'm not a fanboy of either titles, IMO, prior to this years installments PES6 and FIFA 12 were the pinnacles of each respective series. Konami always seemed to be struggle with the jump to the 'next gen' (PS3 and XBOX360 at the time), and FIFA has made each installment of their series following FIFA 12 more 'competitive' to appeal to a wider audience.
I have played FIFA pretty much exclusively since FIFA 12, I put in more than a 1000 FUT games on that installment. Honestly I think that has to be one of the best football games ever made. Since then I have been playing less and less, not through lack of time, just because the games have gotten worse. Just to confirm, I am good at FIFA, I win the majority of the games I play, however the wins just aren't enough to enjoy the game. I bought both PES and FIFA last year, playing PES for about a month before switching back to FIFA. Both games were not good. I stopped playing both of them in the end.
It's strange actually, FIFA to me is an angry game, if I play it I just feel the frustration in me boiling up, if it's not the worst goalkeepers ever to appear in a football game franchise (which have not been fixed properly in 4 years!), then it's the ridiculous miss placed passes, pace abuse and stupid deflections around the goal (seriously, after playing FIFA for a week we all know where the deflections are going to land when a shot is blocked, either pinging out of the area for a counter attack or to the far post where an opposition player will be to tap it in). The core gameplay of FIFA has not changed much since FIFA 13, just some slight tweaks which keep it new for the first week, but become almost irrelevant after a week of playing, when you just end up playing the same old FIFA.
PES this year I think is the winner for me, not that I think it is the 'right choice', seriously, play whichever fucking game you want. But I honestly believe that FIFA is the cusual choice. For the players who think they are the best at the game and do not believe that the game is assisting them, all while playing on full auto (Seriously people, if you are not on full manual then the game is deciding which shots hit the net, and which passes are misplaced). I like to think about my football, I like to be able to line up a team which is best for each game, and have to change my gameplan throughout the game to earn a win. PES offers this, FIFA does not.
A match on each game sums it up for me. My first online game on PES I picked Crystal Palace. I like the set up of the team, with quick counters and speedy wingers. My opponent was Real Madrid, my online opponent knew how to play the game, knew some skills etc but I can only presume did not know how to play football. He tried to just blow through my team with Ronaldo and Bale... ppffftt, after all, it was only Crystal Palace. However, I know how Palace line up and how they play. I absorbed his attacks, sending him out wide anytime he got into the final third, forcing him to try and cut in where a tackle was easy to win, or into a last ditch cross, which my back line dealt with easily against a lonely Benzema. Then bang, straight onto the counter, as soon as we had possession Bolasie and Zaha streched the pitch on their respective wings, Puncheon pushed up into the hole and Campbell occupied the two centre backs with his pace. He couldn't handle me, I picked my moments and scored with 4 out of 6 shots before he turned off his console. I was victorious. This would not happen on FIFA. It cant happen. A casual couldn't pick Real Madrid and get beaten by Crystal Palace, it wouldn't happen. It can't happen. There would be instances where my defenders would bounce of Ronaldo, Bale or Benzema regardless of my positioning or timing of the tackle. the skill of the input does not matter as much.
This brings me to the final nail in my FIFA coffin. A draft team I had against the CPU, two players of note for me were Ronaldo on the left wing, and Bernat at left back, opposition players of note were Montoya at RB and Kondogbia at CM. I had Ronaldo free, he was gone Montoya was 3 yards behind already writing his obituary. It was good night vienna . But wait, whats this, he caught up!?! He's pulling me back, he's dispossessed me!?! All within two seconds, c'mon?? Really?! It's gonna be like that. Ok. The ball's given to Kondogbia, he's heading down the right wing, it's OK Bernat's got this covered. Wait.. Why aren't you sprinting Bernat, c'mon it's Kondogbia, you can outpace him with one leg. No no no no... Kondogbia has blasted past Bernat, he's actually opened up a 5 yard gap. Cross comes in... But it's saved, oh wait, it's bounced to the far post where it's knocked into the empty net. Just another goal on FIFA, the same one which is conceded every 2-3 games. Same old same old. (FYI, this was around the 50th minute and the players were not tired, just to re-iterate, I know my FIFA very well. Too well. And this is the problem.
I guess comparing these two games is like comparing Counter Strike to COD or even Battlefield. All the games have their own merits and their own issues. Some prefer one series, while others just get how that can be possible. C'est la vie.
P.S; Anyone who is playing PES and bashing any 'bugs', while being fully aware of the update needs to have their head examined. Konami have confirmed that fixes will be made based on community feedback and changes will be implemented. I for one cannot wait to get back of holiday to play PES again. This is a feeling I have not experienced for a long time.
