Keeping control of the ball is everything in PES 5. And even when you do pass, balls won't automatically fly to a free team mate. If you run too fast and the ball dribbles forward, you won't be able to pass until you catch up. Unlike other football games for consoles or arcades, the ball does not magically stick to a player's foot in PES. Hitting the virtual pitch in a match will also prove to be problematic for newcomers.
The instruction booklet for the PC version is enough to make first timers pause - there are controls for through balls, trapping, reversals, one-two passes, dribbling pace, feints, tackles, pressure, defence levels, set pieces, feeds, super cancels, different types of crosses and much, much more. FIFA may have the flash and pizzazz, but PES makes you work hard for every single goal.įor newbies, playing Pro Evolution Soccer 5 can be a daunting experience. But the PES series has been slowly making ground thanks to its dogged determination to be tough as nails to play. The FIFA series is the more popular, featuring excellent presentation, hundreds of licensed teams and players, and solid gameplay. There're two major franchises when it comes to football games - EA's FIFA series and Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer (known as Winning Eleven in Japan). If you're a new passenger on the bandwagon, here's a quick lay of the land.
