Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 Trailer and Features

In recent years, the Pro Evolution Soccer franchise has been overshadowed by the more popular FIFA series. This year however, Konami will be hoping that the latest edition of PES, PES 2013, will pip FIFA 13 to the title of “best football game”. 

Set to be released on October 4, 2012, Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 has been built around three main elements, PES FullControl, Player ID, and ProActive AI.

PES FullControl

A number of different features come under PES FullControl. First off, manual passing and shooting have been introduced to give the player total control over how hard, and where a pass  or shot goes. While for the average player, manual passing may be hard to master, for seasoned PES fans it should provide a new challenge. The first touch system has also been improved. Now a whole assortment of feints, traps and flicks have been added to expand options on the ball.

The speed of dribbling has also been slowed down to more accurately represent the actual speed of play. This slow down has allowed Konami to provide players with the option to pull off a number of new tricks, such as nutmegs, while controlling the ball closely.

Player ID

Player individuality is the main feature of Player ID. Now, players with a lot of flair like Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo will be noticeably different in the way they act when compared to those that aren’t as flamboyant. The AI of goalkeepers has also been changed up, with keepers now meant to be more intelligent in their movement and shot stopping – theoretically making it harder for the player to score.

ProActive AI is much like the name suggests, an overhaul of the AI system in PES. Among other things, defenders will be more intelligent in how high their defensive line is, and the game as a whole has been touted as being more realistic than ever before – a claim that we’ll be looking to put to the test.

As with previous years, PES 2013 has not secured licensing for all the major teams around the world. Powerhouses like Real Madrid, Manchester United, Barcelona and teams in many of the major European leagues are fully licensed, but in terms of the Premier League you’ll still be playing with London FC if you want to use Chelsea. Check out the full teams list here. 

So there you have it, the biggest new features that PES 2013 will be bringing to the table on release. While many of them may seem to be minor, the guys at Konami are adamant that all of the little changes will come together to create a much better playing experience. Which football game will you be getting your hands on this year, PES 2013 or FIFA 13? Leave your answers in the section below, and stay tuned as we’ll be giving away one of these games to a lucky Soccer Reviews reader!