Konami recently unveiled their free-to-play football/soccer esports game eFootball in order to compete with EA Sports’ FIFA series of titles.
Launch has been an utter failure, with negative Steam reviews far outnumbering positive ones. Konami has taken proactive measures to address issues immediately but many remain deeply-seated – this may take longer to remedy than anticipated.
Pro Evolution Soccer (PES)
Konami has produced and published the Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) series of association football simulation video games since 1997. To date, eighteen main instalments and numerous spin-off titles have been released across multiple platforms; PES was previously known as Winning Eleven and has long been considered an alternative to EA Sports’ flagship franchise FIFA.
Konami decided to take an unconventional approach with Pro Evolution Soccer 2021 by opting for an incremental release, rather than full version upgrades, called Season Updates. This would allow them to keep prices at lower levels while offering fans access to an updated version of the game.
Though this was a great solution for those that wanted to continue playing, it wasn’t well received by fans of the franchise. Due to not offering full versions and splitting up titles into separate series, some fans lost interest in it and went back into hiding for several months until April 2022 when Season Update came out and dramatically enhanced both gameplay and features of the game.
One of the major changes was to player control, designed to enhance your experience of controlling your players and placing them into scoring positions. Furthermore, camera changes were implemented for an even more dynamic approach to following the ball around the pitch and training mode was upgraded in order to help players develop their skills further.
Konami softened the blow of losing their official FIFA license by adding fully licensed leagues, such as UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Super Cup competitions as well as international leagues from across Europe and even around the globe. This served to demonstrate their dedication and show that PES fans still had faith in Konami’s product.
Konami have made significant advancements to their in-game AI, which is now much more responsive and adept at handling different situations better. Furthermore, they have introduced custom training sessions for your team; this allows you to train them according to how you wish – perfect if you want to develop certain specific skills or improve on existing ones. Furthermore, the game offers authentic stadiums so that players can experience realistic soccer gaming environments unlike anything you will find elsewhere! It’s definitely worth giving this game a go.
eFootball
eFootball, previously known as World Soccer Winning Eleven, will soon become KONAMI’s Pro Evolution Soccer franchise. Set for release this year as a free-to-play title with licensed teams and myClub features, as well as events where players can win rewards such as new players or myClub coins – it will soon become one of KONAMI’s upcoming free titles!
eFootball developers have implemented some changes to its gameplay, including faster pace and greater emphasis on skillful play. Furthermore, there will be new more realistic duels which take into account player speed, body weight and air movements – as well as more detailed camera views which allow zoom-in duels.
Unreal Engine 4 will also bring about changes, with its advanced graphics creating four times more animations than previous PES titles. Furthermore, developers have implemented a motion matching animation system designed to accurately capture ball and player movement resulting in more realistic goal celebrations and tackles.
As well as offering its signature features of eFootball, the game will also include online and offline tournaments that can be enjoyed with friends. Furthermore, cross-generational gaming between PS5 and PlayStation 4 users will be supported; additionally haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support will be provided on PS5.
One of the most appealing aspects of eFootball is its promise of regular updates to the game, while FIFA continues to charge premium prices for their annual releases. Konami plans on making eFootball free to download and enjoy; they haven’t stated yet whether a similar approach will be taken with regards to microtransactions and online content.
Though eFootball features impressive graphics and gameplay, initial reviews were mixed. A poor Metacritic rating of 25/100 indicates it failed to impress many fans of the sport. Numerous criticisms have been levelled against this game, such as its lack of a Master League mode and overpowered events. Yet these drawbacks don’t stop it being enjoyable and rewarding for soccer enthusiasts. For optimal experience, a stable internet connection is recommended. Furthermore, using proxy or VPN services while playing will negatively affect performance as it could cause lag or other issues while playing. Therefore, before downloading eFootball it is wise to test your connection beforehand and if any issues arise try disabling VPN or proxy before beginning playback of the game.
