This is going to be long guys, so it's not for the feint hearted!
Okay as many of you know this is my background - played demo one til my fingers bled, so to demo 2. Bought the US retail so had a few weeks before the UK masses because I couldn't resist it.
So -
1) I bought US retail for PS3
2) Bought PC version on the 14th October, here are my findings.
My current setup on the PS3, is a 50" LG plasma, I thoroughly enjoyed the demo games but constantly alternated between lots of settings. I find that if you want to play a fast and furious bit of fun thrash, then something like gamespeed 0 is fine with perhaps wide cam. I had tumps of fun with Inter and Bayern and Spurs using these settings, but the game just went into counter attack overdrive.
For some reason then I started potching with camera angles etc etc and just lost sight of trying to perfect one angle at one speed and started to get frustrated with the game. It was around this time that I enjoyed the game the least, and there was some weird shit going on. I think this is just another of these quirks that KONAMI have probably unwittingly introduced, although each person will have a different take of what fits their game and how they play it. Across the two platforms (PC and PS3) I think there are some quite startling results.
It was only yesterday that I re-discovered my passion for the PS3 PES after sticking the settings on Pitchside cam and -2. This is with Professional mode and 15 minute match time. I honestly believe that this may be the BEST mode on the PS3, which is both visually good and responsive enough to get the most out of it. Wide cam for me is too far out and whilst there is a trade off in passing lanes angles etc in pitchside the reduced game speed gives you that bit of extra time to reposition players. The problem with anything faster or anything better on the PS3 (like Top Player) is that a) the CPU response is just too great and b) especially on Top Player v better teams there is undoubtedly cheating of the highest order going down. So in conclusion for my PS3 points, I really loved the game starting off, then went off it a bit, now back to really liking it, I'd say now, right at this minute after a 0-0 v Man City and a 1-0 v Bolton, the PS3 version, using pitchside, professional, 15 mins and -2 gamespeed is where it is at for simulation minus the cheating. MY ONLY QUIBBLE is that I get slightly too high possession for my liking somewhere around the 58/59/60 mark, but it's no great shakes. At the moment, the offline game for me with these settings is an 8 maybe an 8.5.
Now onto the PC version. I must confess to being intrigued about this version, with MANY people saying that it was like a different game. And to a degree they are right.
With my rather basic AMD Athlon X2, 2GB Ram, and Radeon HD 2600 XT card, 22" LG monitor, combined with kits, scoreboards and Jenkey's patch I think I am in football heaven.
This version is OFF THE CHARTS FOR ME!!!!
Firstly, the graphics are stunning. Secondly you seem to have that ounce more control with is vital when facing trickier players. The players seem to have more weight about them. Top Player cheats like hell, but here is the really interesting part. Professional is too easy on the PC version, and Top Player is a joy at times but cheats. BUT, SUPERSTAR is where it is at. I play on Wide Cam, gameplay speed -2, pass assist bar at 2 (on superstar I feel you need that little bit of extra help as it is hard, but fair) and on 15 minutes. I don't use Jenkey's gameplay patch but I have altered the shot speed so that it is harder and cranked the ball weight up a notch, this kind of negates the floaty feel and you can really hit some rasping low drives with these settings.
You can disable the blur too and get rid of the annoying replays for everything as well as specifying scoreboard settings and the assignment of many more replay slots to save.
On the pitch, with these settings THIS GAME IS THE BEST footy game I've ever touched. Superstar is such a great setting because as of yet I have yet to feel cheated, instead the CPU looks to play you with football, but will slaughter you if you are lapse in your defence. It is truly the simulation mode together will the settings I mentioned. The CPU will have more possession so you get that old gen feel that if you lose possession it may be a while before you get it back. I had an earlier game v Sunderland where I swear I felt I didn't have possession for about 10 minutes game time, they put some great sustained pressure against me, won the ball back and worked me over again. To see out such a passage of play when the CPU is in control is truly satisfying.
OVERALL GAMEPLAY
I've got the intricacies out of the way, I just want to touch on the great strengths of PES. This PES more than ever relies on precision defending in terms of positioning and you must know your players inside out. Player individuality shines all over the place. Carroll is the beast in the air, Downing has the strength of a gnat but you really skin a player and whip a ball in, Gerrard is strong, physical, with great passing, Adam for example has a dynamite left peg etc etc.
It is really a game that you have to learn and learn and learn. I have clocked probably a few hundred hours on it by now and only now do I know how to defend properly, and I obviously still get beat. It has a great balance of being able to slow the pace right down, or speed the game up. You can play slow considerate football, or get involved in an attack and counter fest. The range of scores have been amazing personally, I have had a 5-1 for me and against me, I have had a 4-3 and a few three three's when I was playing an open, attractive style of play that I threw caution to the wind. Lately I have adopted a more conservative approach and through a combination of tactics, getting the right players in their positions and a slight change in the way I approach and play the game I'm now getting a lot more 0-0, 1-0, 1-1 scores.
The simple things make this game great. Suarez was having a blue arrow day, and nothing was going right but I picked him anyway as he's a match winner. Chelsea were all over him. I subbed him on 30 minutes and brought on Downing and suddenly he was causing problems. Another game, Carroll was having one of his clumsy games and I felt that they were winning possession too easily between my midfield and their defence, so I switched him for Kuyt who's work rate meant that he was always an option to start joining up the play. ONE BIG THING I've noticed is the value of having players in their right positions. For example although some players may have the ability to play as a holding DMF player, if his cards are stacked for attacking play and joining attacks then they will. I was trying Gerrard in this role, and it simply backfired. Now I have Lucas and my new signing who has specific defence cards.
Another thing that many may be doing is playing too many creative players in a team, remember if you're Man City for example it may not be wise to have all the creative players in the same line-up, a team full of Aguero's and Tevez's may look dazzling on paper, but why do Man Utd choose the unfancied duo of Carrick and Fletcher in the middle? In this years PES it is about striking a balance with individual players and their attributes and cards together with the assigned tactic that you desire.
There are some issues of course, it is a computer game after all, but on the PC, I really, honestly would give this game nothing other than a 9 or maybe even a 9.5, it is THAT GOOD.
Now this next point may be contentious, but it's only what I think and I urge you to at least think about it. I do think that certain variables when mixed together break the game somewhat. I may be talking totally out of my arse here, but I have tried almost every variable on the PS3 from changing the display resolution, to changing speeds, camera angles etc etc and the game seems to play different all the time.
An example would be that I wanted to use my PS3 game, but I wanted to zoom in so that Wide cam would be magnified, so I changed the settings on my tv and it just didn't sit right with the game. In fact two goalie errors where the shots went around one mile and hour and he just missed the ball, and jumped away. I really, really do believe that with a certain mixture of settings the game behaves really really weirdly.
So just to recap, for me anyway
PS3, 50" plasma, - Pitchside cam, -2 speed, professional, no assists, 15 mins
PC, 22" LCD - Wide Cam, -2 speed, superstar, 2 bar assists (although still experimenting with this), 15 mins, Jenkeys patch to cut out blur, disable annoying replays, make shots harder by two notches, ball weight may need to be increased one notch (depending on your pass assist level, I personally don't use the eradication of game cheat or his gameplay tool)
The two platforms have their respective pros and cons, although the PC version has very, very little cons I must confess.
The PS3 version is slow enough for you to enjoy the game with full visual pleasure of the pitchside mode without getting raped by cheating Top Player cheating, and both you and the CPU can build attacks, also the ball physics feel better and generally I rarely see a goalkeeper blunder. Downsides is that it isn't quite as responsive as the PC, the players feel a little floaty at times, but the game pans out lovely.
The PC version - for my money the best footy game ever. Graphics sharp, wide cam gives a great view and ball physics are believable. On Superstar at -2 the game is full on sim. Haven't seen one goaly blunder that I would class as game-breaking, CPU doesn't cheat.
SO FINALLY, I have found my optimum settings for both platforms. The PS3 will get my time if I'm in a chill out mood in the living room and want to kick back on the sofa, the PC version will get my time if I want as near as simulation mode as possible with full on concentration with my nose right up to the monitor. It's all good here.
FIFA
I cannot leave this thread without mentioning FIFA. I bought this and it's going back. I'm not going to bash it or anything it has many outstanding features. The gameplay tries to be realistic and yeah okay, for a few days it had me, but the repetitive nature of the games and the at first subtle CPU cheating becomes intolerable. The contain function is just an illusion and gives you much less control than if you don't use it. By locking onto a player and mirroring the man you'll already giving your less responsive defender even less response time than otherwise. I see the came CPU goal over and over, I played it on World Class mode by the way.
The simulation and the way the game pans out is also, I believe mostly illusionary. I tampered with the sliders to give me the best possible game and it is indeed a solid effort from EA, I don't think they can be faulted for what they have tried to implement this year by trying to make it more hardcore. Unfortunately the more you play it the more things grate, and for all it's graphics, snazzy menus etc etc, I'm afraid on the pitch, which for me personally is 80% of the game, it just wasn't doing it for me.
A final note to all the bashers and haters - each to their own guys. I've undoubtedly had my moments and I still do where I want to smash the controller. Top Player especially really really frustrates me, not so the difficulty level of it as I think it is balanced okay in gameplay it's just that the AI cheating is through the roof, thus rendering it a 'plasma smashing mode'.
The GAME NEEDS TIME - I highlighted in another post, that this game needs lots of time. You will get hammered, I still do with all the knowledge that I have accrued. But that's what I want. Never before have I had to pay this much attention to opposition tactics, my players form stamina and fatigue, the formation I will set myelf and the TYPE of game I want to play. If I'm playing Swansea for example I'll free up my players and have a right ding dong with the CPU backing myself in a 4/5 goal thriller. If I'm playing Chelsea that is honestly the worst thing you can do, it's a 4-3-3 job with three covering defensive midfielders.
Also quickly assess how the CPU are playing, are they exploiting your wings? Is your full back too far in, have you compactness set too far closed is that why they are hitting the long ball down the wing? Why are Arsenal pouring through my midfield, do I have enough players in there? Can I press the game a bit forcing more congestion and stopping them having time on the ball? The game is getting a bit stagnant they are playing too deep, let's get my CF right up top with a couple of guys off him for the knock down and play long ball for a bit. There's no gaps ion the middle of their defence? Then work the channels, get player range close and keep it tight and slow on the flank working a cross.
All these things can influence a game.
The greatest emphasis I would WORK OUT first and foremost though is how to defend properly. It is really not advisable to charge into players as that just opens up a passing lane and takes one of your players out of the game. Try and funnel them into closed avenues, always get a man goal side and track runners, the greater the mode and the better the team the harder this is because they will have many runners off the ball, this is where it gets trickier and you just have to learn by trial and error which guy to follow if you are outnumbered.
It's a hell of a game guys. It really is. Just persevere with it, by Christmas you'll have it cracked lol!! Over and out.
