Pro Evolution Soccer 19 review

Each year FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer battle for the title of the best football game on the market. While FIFA has become the dominant player thanks to its officially licensed teams and populist approach to the sport, PES is usually the choice of connoisseurs. But does Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 keep this trend?

Training

A great feature of PES 2019 is its detailed training mode. It ensures that you can get to grips with the game relatively easily. Considering how different the game is from FIFA, even though many of those differences are subtle, it’s a welcome addition. The trainer guides you through everything the game has to offer.

It teaches you the basics and then delves into the more complex things you can do. For example, you can learn how to perform a perfect pass with a lob or send a defender in the wrong direction with a trick move. Learning all of this is satisfying. But using it in a match against opponents who are actually trying to beat you will make you smile.

Passing by

One of the areas where PES 2019 really stands out is the way it has moved away from allowing you to get around opponents. This has been a problem for football matches from the very first days of play. Most early titles suffer from games dominated by fast, laser-accurate passing.

Thanks to a realistic first touch in PES 2019, controlling an oncoming ball is difficult to master. The pass is given the actual weight and the ball feels heavy. It forces you to sincerely try to figure out where the space is. And it allows the defending player to intelligently press to take advantage of the new mechanic and turn off attacks.

This is not to say that the passes are not clear as the ball touches the field. It’s just that everything feels a little slower and more deliberate. PES 2019 really wants you to think about everything you are doing, rather than just throwing the ball hoping to find a chance to score. While it produces a little less action, it is truly thrilling when a thoughtful attack comes to fruition.