Okay, here's my final review after several more games this morning.
Last night I crucified the game, this morning I can appreciate things a lot more. Firstly, I re-hooked the game up to my 50" Plasma, and the game does feel different somehow.
For me, demo 2 is still too fast on 0, so I played a good few games on -1. The first thing that struck me was the graphics, I actually think they're pretty damn good. Even the night game, the grass seemed lusher and darker. The players weren't as skatey as when I played the game on my 27" LCD, and the game felt alive.
Passing feels good. On zero assists for everything you can knock balls past their intended targets and overhit balls. Shooting feels good. Atmosphere seems good.
BUT - here comes the same problems, and I just cannot accept them.
1) Human v CPU rules governing how you play
Totally on a different planet to each other. The game plays rather nicely when I have possession and am building up or looking to create. I feel that I still have to get the ball under control and take that extra touch and that I have to be careful with my passing and choices.
The CPU has other forces governing them. Every player (almost) looks to go forward with their first touches. Every player looks to sprint forward with their first touches even. So I am still grabbing the CPU by its coat tails to slow the game down. The AI is bad IMO. Player ID? You must be kidding guys. There are differences between a few players for sure, but what about the most fundamental differences between players in terms of keeping possession? In the space of 1 minute of earth time, Messi lost possession three times and Xavi once, all to silly direct dribbles, bumping into crowds of players. Which brings me onto point 2 -
2) It's the year 2013, and still KONAMI cannot get a grip on CPU player awareness. By that I mean the CPU is never aware of me cutting down space and hardly ever aware that it needs to pass sideways or backwards. Most Barce moves consist of 3/4 passes before possession is lost. Indeed, almost any side in the world is capable of playing the ball round the back for some breathing space to create midfield space, and making 10 passes. It seems every team in this game cannot.
There are some sim elements in there this time around. But a simulation of football it is not. It is just too frantic, too end to end, possession loss by the CPU is a joke, their directness is a joke, and possession stats between the human and the CPU is a joke. As Juve I just had 82% possession against Barcelona. I think it's the highest I've ever had. How many times did I have to go hunting for possession like every time has to against Barcelona.....none? Within 1 second I'd get the ball back.
3) Scripting and dodgy keepers. My last point. I still feel scripting is there in some blatant moments, particularly my favourite now is the human keeper parry into the six yard box for the CPU tap in to rather innocuous shots. This is after they deal efficiently with laser guided shots. I swear some CPU guy hit one shot clocked at 350mph?!?
Conclusion -
SO MANY things improved. But like classic KONAMI, a few things ruined. I cannot play a football sim where I am getting upwards of 70% possession every game. I cannot play or take seriously a football sim in 2013, where the CPU doesn't play anything like real football. Players don't run forward all the time, for the full 90 minutes. Players have appreciation of space, losing possession is huge in real football and so players protect the ball by passing it around.
I guess in conclusion the game is just built to be a go forward arcade blast. In that respect, I guess it will succeed. Certainly many things have been improved over 2012. But I am at the end of my tether, I really feel that KONAMI is one of mine, but it may be time to skip a title and wait for the new engine. It has to be time for a mature football simulation to be made, and right now it just isn't happening.
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I know they want to keep it challenging, but would like them make it happen less often for cpu ai to force to get past in one-on-one situation. 
