Download.it search icon
Advertisement

A realistic football-simulation game with great graphics, animation, physics and gameplay

A realistic football-simulation game with great graphics, animation, physics and gameplay

Vote: (6,681 votes)

Program license: Demo

Developer: KONAMI

Version: 1.0

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(6,681 votes)

Demo

Developer

Version

KONAMI

1.0

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Greatly improved animations and tactics that make the game feel real
  • Amazing ball handling with the analog stick
  • Various game modes that you can enjoy for hours

Cons

  • Lack of weather effects
  • The faces of lesser known athletes don't look as realistic as famous athletes

PES 2014 is a soccer simulator video game where you get to make the best soccer team in the league. This game features better graphics than previous versions along with updated animations and more modes than ever. The numerous game modes will ensure that you get hours of fun from this game without feeling bored or stagnant.

Multiple Game Modes

Any sports game gets boring if there aren't enough game modes to enjoy. These allow you to experience the sport in various different ways and more game modes usually means more fun and replayability. Match mode is good if you just want to play a quick game either locally with a friend next to you, online against another real opponent or against the computer. You'll like this mode if you just have enough time for a single game.

Football Life is the primary mode here and the one that will require the most time to master. This is basically a story mode where you are taking your time and managing them to win the championship. This mode is available both online and offline. You create a team and manage their contracts. You can also choose to manage the whole country as opposed to a single team, which allows you to experience the managerial side more than the athletic side of soccer.

You'll be responsible for training athletes, trading them as needed and scouting new talent for your team. You must also ensure that you're ready for every match coming your way. This is a fun mode and it gives you a lot of flexibility in crafting the perfect team.

The Become a Legend is similar to Football Life but it only involves a single player. Instead of being the manager you're now playing as a lone soccer player trying to be the best soccer player around. You can choose a position for yourself, like goalkeeper, and then make yourself the best player for that spot. You can also become the captain and take charge of how your team advances through the game. This is an enjoyable mode for those who are most enthralled with actually playing soccer instead of managing a team.

Competition mode gives you various different cups and championships to play towards. You can take your team and try to win the cup of your choice. For example, you can play in the Europe League, Champion League, Asian Champion League and more. Some leagues and championships are missing and true soccer fans will notice this. The reason for this is licensing issues that prevented PES 2014 from including them, but you can still enjoy many of the leagues and championships.

This mode is available both online and offline. You can play against the computer or see how you would do against real opponents. If you play offline, then you can adjust the difficulty so that the games are hard enough to be challenging and fun.

The last mode is Training. The Training mode helps you learn the controls and improve your skills. There are numerous tutorials that will show you how to best move your character, perform special moves, properly kick the ball and more. There will be many tips and sessions to ensure you know how to perform every move flawlessly. If you're new to PES 2014 or soccer games in general, then you may want to try this mode first.

Improvements and Changes

Like most sports games, PES 2014 is made along a continuum of other PES games. There were several improvements in this version that made the game more realistic while also giving players more options for controlling the ball.

Something that plagued PES for years was how the ball would slide more like a bowling ball than a soccer ball. This made it hard to control and greatly reduced the realism. PES 2014 finally fixed this with TrueBall Tech. You can use the analog stick to control the ball. You get 360 degrees of freedom with this. You'll find that this improvement not only makes it easier to handle the ball, but also improves all your shots and tactics.

Tackles look more realistic and there are improved physics with how effective tackles are. Players with more strength and weight will have an easier time tackling weaker or lighter players. There are also struggles between players of similar strengths and you'll have to mash the buttons to win the struggle.

Movements and tactics are more realistic in this version. The pace has been slowed down, but this is a good thing because it allows for smarter strategies rather than just rushing in and hoping things work. It's harder to steal the ball and you'll be forced to study how your opponent moves in order to beat them. This makes the game more realistic while improving overall mechanics.

Movements in general have been improved. This does enhance the game, but it more significantly impacts the presentation. Previous versions of PES had your players abruptly change direction. It looked jarring and unrealistic. This version has fluid changes that look realistic and natural.

While goalkeeper mechanics haven't changed much, their animations and movements are much better. They will move naturally as the jump or dive for the ball. You'll also find that they are usually harder to get around than in previous versions. At the same time, they can be slow against strikers and some players have found this irritating.

The computer's intelligence has been significantly increased. It will feel like you're playing against seasoned veterans at higher difficulty levels. There are six different difficulty levels to choose from. The artificial intelligence is smart enough to have the computer play as as team. Players will pass the ball, make fantastic shots and will work together to beat you.

PES 2014 has a module editor that allows you to edit tactics for your team. This ensures that you are ready for any play. While adjusting the tactics can be tedious at times, this really pays off if you set your team correctly.

Lack of Weather

While there are some weather effects like wind and light changes, you'll never be able to play in the rain. The weather effects will feel limited especially if you compare this to other contemporary soccer games. At the same time, at least you'll never have to worry about random effects impeding your performance. It takes away from some of the realism, but some players may not care too much about the weather effects.

Pros

  • Greatly improved animations and tactics that make the game feel real
  • Amazing ball handling with the analog stick
  • Various game modes that you can enjoy for hours

Cons

  • Lack of weather effects
  • The faces of lesser known athletes don't look as realistic as famous athletes

Pros

  • Intriguing Gameplay
  • Excellent Atmosphere
  • Updated Animations
  • Better Teamwork
  • Play Goalkeeper

Cons

  • Slowly Paced
  • No Alternate Weather
  • Some Awkward Movements

PES 2014 is a soccer simulation game similar to FIFA, and this version features updated animations, better graphics, and a superb atmosphere. While different aspects of the game are loading, the screen will populate with suggestions for optimizing your gameplay.

There haven't been many changes to the controls for this version, but the analog stick has been improved for better ball control through a full 360 degrees. One of the most exciting aspects of the new graphics engine is the improved physics for the ball.

Tackles have been redesigned for a smoother, natural feel that looks much more realistic. When two players impact or go shoulder to shoulder, the outcome is determined by the strength, weight, and power of the characters.

This version is paced a bit slower, but that is ideal for team play. It's no where near as easy to steal as it was in the older versions of the game, and you'll actually have to use timing and strategy to force errors so you can strike.

One of the biggest complaints about the past versions of PES is that players sometimes change direction abruptly for no reason at all. For PES 2014, that is no longer an issue. Shots are more realistic, and crossing the ball requires much more manual control in this version.

In PES 2014, the AI system has been significantly upgraded. CPU-controlled players move exceptionally well, and they are harder to predict. They can easily switch back and forth between solo strikes and complex team plays, and they'll take some spectacular shots. You can alter the strength of the AI through six different levels of intensity.

This version of PES takes advantage of a graphics engine called the Fox Engine. This new tool helps the game take more details into account, and it boosts the quality of the character resemblances. The engine is far from perfect, and it has sporadic issues with dropping the frame, but that is a negligible problem. Strangely, this version doesn't allow you to alter the weather with either snow or rain.

PES 2014 also lost some features that many have been wanting gone for some time. The old 'binary' player framework system forced the characters to follow preset frames of action, but that isn't the case for this version. Each player acts independently for the ultimate flexibility.

Thanks to the impressive sound effects, the game has an immersive feel that will make you think you're really in the middle of a packed soccer stadium. The crowd reacts to just about every little detail of the action.

While this game still has a way to go to beat FIFA, it still offers a unique and engaging style of play that's fun, addictive, and surprisingly in-depth for such a game.

Pros

  • Intriguing Gameplay
  • Excellent Atmosphere
  • Updated Animations
  • Better Teamwork
  • Play Goalkeeper

Cons

  • Slowly Paced
  • No Alternate Weather
  • Some Awkward Movements