PES 2016: Life-like play

A must for every football fan

Have you ever felt helpless while the ball rolled over the line, when one mis-pass led to your team conceding a goal or being outflanked by a striker? If you’ve played defensive positions in soccer, you shall identify with the feeling.

This is exactly the kind of exasperation I felt as I helplessly watched my otherwise brilliant defence being outwitted; my star goalkeeper letting in casual shots. I felt as humiliated as Iker Cassilas during Spain’s 5-1 rout by the Netherlands at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Oh, did I forget to mention, I was playing PES 2016 (Rs 2,499 for PS3) when I felt all these emotions.

Now there’s this huge debate about which is the bigger soccer game. Since I haven’t played this year’s FIFA game yet, suffice to say I’m mighty impressed with Konami’s PES 2016, despite their licencing problems (oh yeah, you might not get to play as your favourite club). First, the game is fast, it’s all skill and some guts as well. Skill wins over strategy as you dance your way through defenders, complete those set-pieces and run fast — very fast. And once you score, there are those wild celebrations.

The realism in the physics and artificial intelligence (AI) is so addictive, you might think it to be the real deal. Watching a La Liga match after a few rounds of PES 2016 provided me with a feeling of déjà vu. The players’ movements are captured in stunning detail.

If that’s so, you may ask, why was I frustrated with conceding goals? Well, that’s because that is the game’s Achilles’ heel. The defence AI is erratic. One moment they wouldn’t let anything through even in extra time, and the very next game would be a goal fest. But if you’re on the offensive, it makes things easier, as I discovered.

That said, PES 2016, while revelling in the brilliance of a few, is a sum total of all 11 players — it is the quintessential team game; so pick your team carefully. There is, of course, still the grouse about limited off-the-field activities, notwithstanding unconvincing smiles after signings. But MyTeam has improved by leaps and bounds. Hey, I got to go — there’s another match I MUST play.