Recently, been playing the updated PES2014 and was really appreciating the challenge. I thought that if they would just stick to this route it could only get better.
Then i played the WE2015 demo and was shocked at how arcade it felt. It just made we want to play some more 2014. I decided to wait for the PES2015 demo instead.
Just now i played my first games in the European demo and this time went for the weakest team, Atletic, because in PES2014 i also play weaker teams. Slowly i started to appreciate this game and i can see some of the improvements off the top of my head:
* Shooting indeed feels better
* Player collision model and ball deflections are more realistic and can lead to cool unpredictable situations
* Better responsiveness (but should be more situation and player depended to my liking)
* More moments where an attacker or defender has momentum and can leap in front of another player or can deflect a shot at the last moment with the tip of his foot.
* Players sometimes miss a header!
* Opposition AI is really nice, especially when in possession. They dribble better, more varied passing, take more risk but also make more mistakes (which is a good thing off course).
* Trough balls can feel tremendously satisfying on advanced mode. I had one outside foot pass that aligned perfectly with my strikers run who hit the crossbar.
* Strikers can break away from their defender when the timing of your pass is just right.
Room for improvement:
* Players feel a bit 'light' and the pitch a bit too big in comparison with player models.
* Defender awareness is still a bit of and issue sometimes.
* Passing could use some more variety depending on player energy, stamina and position. For example after a long sprint in the 70th min with low stamina i should not be able to perform the same crisp pass as earlier in the game. Let alone when the receiver is not in direct sight of the passer. I do not mind that passing is more crisp, because in real football it often is, its just the variety that is missing. Perhaps timing a pass could be made just a tiny bit more difficult depending on the player you are controlling. That would make you really feel the difference between Xavi and Pique.
* Indeed, differences in stats could be more apparent, especially when stamina is at a low point.
* Would like to see some extra animations for examply for controlling a high ball and being off guarded as a defender.
So, yeah i like it, but the pace of the game could use some more variety. Important gameplay elements like passing can be a bit too easy, just some tiny tweaks here and there would be enough.
P.S. In the mean time i can recommend 2014 (offline) to everyone. I've been playing the CL with a weaker team with manual controls and i just cant get trough the group stage
But i enjoy trying again and again.
