This game is a Masterpiece, if the retail code is infact better than this then it will be incredible.
I just played 2 games as Penarol v Santos, lost both 0 - 1 but they could not of been any different and this variety is one of the things that makes the game special.
First game I had loads of the first 11 in poor form, usually I would just play them but I decided to use the squad players(they are terrible). The match was 90 mins of defending and it was absolutley thrilling. I could not pass out of my half, I would begin to build up and bring my players out and as soon as things got a bit tight and I had to try a pass that wasnt straight forward I would lose the ball. My only goto player, Estoyanoff a tricky winger on the right, was never in the game and the times I caught his runs in behind my long ball over the top was woefully inacurrate. As a result I faced attack after attack and really had to concentrate on my player positioning using secondary pressure and the new right stick switching. They got through plenty of times but my keeper and some luck kept it at 0 - 0. At one point they mananged to break through and hit a shot which my defender blocked, it fell to another attacker who hit a shot at the post, this rebounded to another santos player who struck it on goal only for my keeper to save, this fell for another shot hit into the post and then I managed to clear it. This was the most manic moment I can recall playing a football game, totally unscripted and it filled me with a sense of urgency, impending doom, amazement, joy and relief that I imagine would accompany a similar situation in real life. In the end they knicked a goal, I thought I was going to hold on but after creating 16 chances to my 0 they deserved it and I was happy to lose.
Second game I only had Aguilar in poor form so I swapped him for Domingo, switched Estoyanoff to the left wing, put the usual left winger back as a WB and put Pacheo as a SS instead of having 2 CFs like the previous game. The difference was immediate. I created a chance in the first few mins which required the keeper to make a great save. The movement was now brilliant, Esoyanoff on the left kept coming deep for the ball, the original LMF now at side back was bombing forward at every chance which was letting Estoyanoff come inside and many times I caught him making a diagonal run infield. Pacheo was dropping deep for the ball and filling the hole between the 2 DMFs and the CF. With this movement, the passing ability of my 2 DMFs and Pacheo and the dribbling of Estoyanoff who I was now able to constantly pick out, I was able to pull Santos all over the place. I battered them in the first half and it seemed like everytime I went forward it would result in a chance on goal, but it remained 0 - 0. Second half was a bit more even and both keepers were superb, especially mine who pulled off atleast 3 saves that I swore were in. If the keepers were in the usual form I think the score would of been around 3 or 4 all. Towards the end my boys started to tire, turns were a bit heavier, passes were wayward and the movement seemed to dry up and this is where Santos began to edge me out. They dominated the last 10 mins and got a goal but again they deserved it, I gave them my best in the first half and they held out.
I can never remember playing the AI in PES and being happy losing games, but not only being happy that I was beat fair and square but actually really enjoying the games despite losing.
