It May Instead Be One Of Those Inclusions That Requires A Few Months

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For long-term fans of Pro Evo, though, this is merely how things are, and most die-hard fans will tell you they don’t come for the fancy licensed packaging, they come for the gameplay.PES2014 - Pro Evolution Soccer 2014Luckily for them, Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 certainly plays as you’d expect from the series, with a much slower tempo than FIFA, and more of a need for tactical, thought-out buildup play, as opposed to frantic through-balls over the top of the defence. The Fox Engine brings some impressive animations to matches as well, with the new MASS (Motion Animation Stability System) creating some incredibly realistic player interactions, particularly with slide-tackles.

Players will now fall based on where they’ve been hit on their body, with a full-on frontal slide tackle creating a completely different reaction than a late clip of the ankles. You’ll see a lot more evidence of players holding the opposition at arm’s length as well, shielding the ball whilst stationary, or using their shoulders in an attempt to outmuscle those running alongside them. The ball itself is clearly an object independent of ...
... the players now, as it’s no longer tied to a particular player’s animation. This can create some chaos when it begins pinging around a crowded penalty area, and means that you really need to make sure that your player has the ball under close control at all times.

What most of these seemingly aesthetic changes bring to the game is that Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 plays and looks a lot more like an actual game of football, and this makes you realise just how scripted and pre-assigned animations in previous entries of both Pro Evo and FIFA have been. The sense of authenticity is added to by the new Heart feature, which governs how the crowd, and in turn, the players, react to the events happening in-game. Heart is most noticeable during particular instances, such as scoring an early goal, or managing to snatch a late equaliser, though it more obviously affects the crowd than the players, with the volume and frequency of chants noticeably increasing when the intensity of the game picks up. Heart is supposed to affect the mental attributes of players, but with my time spent with the game, I couldn’t really tell much of a difference in their performance levels following these incidents.

It may instead be one of those inclusions that requires a few months of dedicated play to really begin deciphering adequately.PES2014 - Pro Evolution Soccer 2014There are a couple of instances within the game that highlight how much the Fox Engine has improved aspects of Pro Evolution Soccer 2014, and not in a positive manner, as they feel like elements that have been left behind. Firstly, and famously for the Pro Evo series, the commentary is quite poor, with much of the delivery being particularly flat. While it’s a neat touch that the commentators will remark on whether a certain player has scored a goal, or made an assist in the game, they usually sound disinterested, and there’s a noticeable gap between the mention of a player’s name and the comment that they’re attempting to make about him.

The other aspect of gameplay that appears lacklustre when compared to the rest of Pro Evo 2014 is the act of goalscoring, which should be one of the most exciting areas of a football game. Shots are noticeably flat and lacking in any sort of verve, and goalkeepers (even top performers such as Lloris or De Gea), feel as if they’ve been brought across from non-league, as they’re best http://www.eacoins.co.uk described as flappy, and at times seem completely disinterested in blocking shots, particularly on the rebound.Outside of matches, Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 is a mixed bag of interesting game modes and fairly boring presentation.