The first major enhancement for Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 is called TrueBall Tech by the development team, and it's very impressive. The new physics give the athletes in the game the ability to perform more animations and attacks on the ball than ever before, and the player now has full control over the athlete's every movement. This allows new forward passes to be executed in game or new tackles and steal attempts while playing defense. Body control is everything in the game, and if the player finds themselves out of position to receive a pass, control of the ball will likely be lost or turned over to the opponent. There is a definite learning curve involved with the new controls and animations of Pro Evolution Soccer 2014, but players that can master the new mechanics will find themselves pulling off some spectacular offensive and defensive maneuvers on the way to another win.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 tampers with the AI for its new release and makes defenders take advantage of the new animations at their disposal. It's also possible to recognize all athletes on the pitch reacting to the ball carrier in a more realistic fashion to improve gameplay overall. Goalkeepers and player walls now react to the penalty kick more than in previous versions, defenders can be instructed to play a more aggressive style of defense on the fly and offensive players have more pass options available, and the moves are utilized often by AI opponents. Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 is now a lot more fun in single player sessions with these improvements, and there are far fewer exploits for players to take advantage of in multiplayer matches.
Despite numerous new perks included in Pro Evolution Soccer 2014, the game doesn't manage to do much in terms of new game modes or improvements to its match presentation. Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 has always been about realism and relies more on the actual play on the field to make matches exciting rather than sophisticated announce teams or impressive pre-match spectacles. The announce team does a pretty good job of calling matches, but its not too rare to hear some recycled lines from one game to another. There is a helpful tutorial for introducing players to new mechanics that have been introduced to the series for the first time, but the popular Master League is till about the same with an exception to switch to different teams not previously available in previous releases for the series.
Quite possibly the most noticeable change for players that haven't been closely following the Pro Evolution Soccer series is the new graphics and animations. The sport has never looked better than it does in Pro Evolution Soccer 2014. Stadiums are now alive with individual sections reacting to the play on the field and helping to create a hectic atmosphere comparable to real life matches. As the stadium rocks, players can receive slight boosts as the "12th man" cheers them on and creates a home field advantage. Many of the athletes in the game are also noticeably enhanced with the same likeness and style of play as their real life counterpart. The ID system was introduced in Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 and now includes more than 50 of the best players to ensure superstars of the sport look and play as they should.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 is the best release for the series of this generation. The game makes numerous strides to make it a great game for soccer fans, and it's definitely good enough this time around to help draw in a new audience for the first time. Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 looks real and is faithful to the sport. Fans will love the new graphics and player animations, and while tricky controls might turn off casual fans, putting in a bit of time and effort is a rewarding experience when the practice begins showing up matches. This may not be the year Pro Evolution Soccer takes over the sport, but it probably should be. Pick up your copy of Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 for one of the most realistic sports experiences ever.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 is now available from all major retailers for the MSRP of $59.99 and can be purchased for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 is rated E by the ESRB. For more information on the game, check out the official Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 website.
Game Features:
- TrueBall Tech
- Motion Animation Stability System (MASS)
- Offline Multiplayer 1-4
- Online Multiplayer 1-2
- Online Leader boards
- DLC Support
- Trophy/Achievement Support
Game Information:
Developer: PES Productions
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360 (reviewed)
Release Date: September 24, 2013
