Isn't it strange how preconceptions can alter quite dramatically through insight and appreciation ? Pre-conceived beliefs shattered as a firmer understanding becomes almost glaringly transparent. Well, that's where I'm at right now. PES is game that endeavours to replicate football, it provides that year after year, albeit with a differing philosophy. Football is football, Konami never seek to re-invent the wheel with every addition, but what they do is offer a different vision, an alternate philosophy. In order to fully appreciate their work, we need to understand and buy into what they are striving to achieve. The most successful titles to date have been the variants that we struggle to grasp from the interim. See PES 5. Only after hardened play-testing, can we begin to appreciate and understand the direction laid before us. Its not just about how we want to play the game, but how the game wants us to play it.
Taking every flaw into consideration within the current build, I can safely say I turned yet another corner last night. I began to 'feel' what this new title is all about, and with that came a huge sense of excitement. Every new PES is designed in a certain way, and being very naturally football-minded, I enjoy dissecting the vision. Each is different, very few editions if any, follow the same principle. What we have right now, deep below the cosmetics and flaws, is a game that in my opinion, will be the most balanced yet. Make no mistake, this will be a very deep game, and although it looks more simplified from the outside, it's actually anything but.
My life-long concerns with regards to complete responsiveness being detrimental to the success of highlighting individualism, I'm happy to say have been banished for good. There is a level of individualim within this code that is both subtle and ingenius in one. What I've come to accept after playing this code is that individuality doesnt have to be blatant, it still has it's place, and it's not truly compromised in the name of progression. Which is what we have. We could argue that the 'Oil-Tanker' turns from lesser defenders within PES 2011 are not realistic, that would be true. The artistic licence worked though, and we were given a lesser benchmark for which a better class of defenders could be defined. But is that really needed if we can create a more realistic professional defender that is still made of many variables to his skill-set ? Probably not. Not if the structure of the vision for a more realistic and fluid experience can be met.
The balance to this new version of PES is key to it's success, and that's where it will excel like no other. The foundations for the new defensive system opens so many new doors. For the first time ever the defending skills required in PES will be just as important as the attacking alternate. Nothing in football is as exciting as seeing a player run and take on another. It's mesmirising, it's what gets fans out there seats. From a player perspective, there is nothing more thrilling. It's man on man, or with Lionel, man on 4 men. With 22 players on the pitch, you play man for man, to take out an opposing player with a drop of the shoulder, takes him out of the game and opens up so many options. And this is what we have here. A true battle of wits, never truly seen before in this context. We've had sprint whores in PES, many of them, and often. There was no skill to that though, now there is. It's not about speed, it's about the shifting of weight and how we deal with it. It's a new concept that really will change how we play the game.
PES 11, which I loved, and appreciated, had the 'Catch-up Bug', it was a deliberate bug to combat the 'Sprinters', and in turn ensure a more passing related philosophy. Instead of fast players, we were given killer through-balls. Great in theory, but at the expense of one of the most exciting aspects of football, speed. Again, it was a differing philosophy, and although enjoyable, was severely lacking in hindsight.
After soley playing the PES 12 demo, over 3 days and 25 hours, I played a PEEL fixture last night, and the success of the Pressure tactic hit home hard. It was beyond horrific, and it really hit home just how much this new PES promotes a much higher level of football in every conceivable area. I'm alarmed how I could have accepted this lazy, cowardly excuse for Pressure defending in PES 11. And I've loved the game all year. Sure the Pressure irritated me, but I accepted it. After playing PES 12, I can't anymore.
My initial fears with regards how will the momentum and inertia be compromised with the advent of such a responsive experience have also been quashed. It's still there, and very apparent once you submerge yourself within this new vision. I captured a lovely new animation last night that really made me smile. The pass was behind my player initially, but he read it and improvised accordingly with a picture perfect technical toe trap. It's these little features that excite me, they are so subtle but massively realistic.
I also had a play around with the new Explosive Burst trick, I really like how that is implemented and it will serve purpose as yet another weapon against the Pressure whores.
The bottom-line is that I'm so glad to be proved so wrong with many pre-conceptions I had. Yes I still have an issue with the keepers, the passing to the wrong man bug, the over-assistance with passing in general and everything else that people have mentioned. But, I can now truly see where Seabass is going with this game, and it's a completely different level to anything I have seen before. This will be the most balanced PES ever, I have absolutely no doubt about that. Roll on demo two.....
As 2 player PES games go, it doesnt get much better than this.. ..
YouTube - Porto v Napoli
lionel on 4 men 
