Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 review

Presentation

The presentation of PES 2018 is something of a mixed bag. The stadiums look great and the crowd inside them looks great and sounds great. This helps promote a sense of authentic atmosphere in matches. A lot of praise goes to the developers for making animations smooth as silk. However, the game menus are still underwhelming.

Player models have seen improvements, at least in some cases. Fully licensed players like Barcelona or Dortmund superstars look amazing. Each of these individuals not only looks exactly like their real-life counterpart, but also behaves like them.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the other players. Full internationals for countries like England and Spain also have players that look like generic placeholders. While this isn’t a big deal, it can get you out of the dive.

While FIFA has expanded and updated its team of commentators, PES 2018 leaves a lot to be desired. Peter Drury and Jim Beglin’s team doesn’t work. The two don’t seem to have any chemistry. What’s worse, the two also talk to each other at times in what appears to be an in-game mistake. There are also a lot of repetitions, so you can hear the same phrases over and over again. Konami definitely needs to improve on this in the future.

Final verdict

Despite the updates, there are still some issues holding PES 2018 back. Shady defensive issues sometimes infuriate, while the lack of full licenses for most teams and leagues will put players off.

If you can overcome these problems, Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 has a lot to offer. Casual gamers who just want to have fun playing like their favorite teams with their friends will likely stick to FIFA. However, those who want a more authentic football experience that feels right should try this game.