Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer franchise has always been an insurmountable rival to EA Sports FIFA franchise. This year’s fifth installment features John Terry and Thierry Henry as cover stars; will that be enough to keep PES relevant?
Gameplay is intuitive and slick, using top-of-the-line animations. What’s especially remarkable is the developers’ efforts in including subtle details like jaw structure and limb movement in players’ expressions.
Gameplay
Konami’s take on football video gaming, and an alternative to EA Sports’ FIFA series. Formerly known as Pro Evolution Soccer (PES), eFootball was rebranded and changed its name in 2020 – supporting crossplay across multiple platforms with free-to-play access for all users.
eFootball differs from other football games by featuring full-body motion capture of players and an improved animation system that more closely emulates real life movement of their characters. Furthermore, this new camera strikes a balance between intense gameplay and strategic perspective of the field.
This game also offers various gameplay modes, such as Master League mode that puts players into manager role and also serves as an eSports competition environment. Popular clubs include Barcelona FC, Manchester United, Arsenal and Bayern Munich among many more.
Creative Team feature in the game allows users to form their own teams and compete against others from around the world. It is available across platforms – PC, mobile phone and consoles alike; however, for optimal experience a fast internet connection must be present for optimal experience.
Graphics
PES (Pro Evolution Soccer) was long considered to be EA Sports’ primary rival when it came to soccer videogames. But in 2020, they made an important change by changing to eFootball and adding new gameplay elements as well as using Unreal Engine technology for smoother graphics with greater detail and fluidity.
The eFootball franchise is available free to play on Steam and has similar system requirements to other PC games; however, optimal performance requires fast internet connection speeds for optimal playback and cross-platform support. Furthermore, unlike FIFA franchise games which require subscription fees or in-game purchases; eFootball doesn’t impose subscription costs or in-game purchases on its players.
Comparative to its competitors, eFootball 2024 stands out by significantly improving the graphics of player models and animations as well as facial expressions and jaw structures of its players compared with previous iterations of the game. This allows gamers to more closely associate with their heroes’ success while making them feel invested in their success.
Though eFootball 2024 has improved substantially, some teams still do not have official licenses yet; specifically Italian teams Inter Milan and AC Milan who have exclusive deals with EA Sports; however the graphics quality should more than satisfy most fans as an excellent alternative to EA’s FIFA series.
Licenses
PES 2019 marked the first time since Pro Evolution Soccer 6 that Konami did not include both the UEFA Champions League and Europa League licenses; these had been acquired by EA Sports instead. However, PES 2019 kept all other licenses including La Liga, Italian Lega Calcio, Dutch Eredivisie as well as individual club licenses like Bayern Munich (which uses an alternative badge and stadium name but was included in PES 2017) as well as individual club licences like Manchester United who use fake badges/stadium names but were included by PES 2017.
Konami has recently become less tolerant of any editing involving player kits and statistics in each new release, though fan communities still find ways around these restrictions. Konami has also increased their efforts in prosecuting those who violate copyright laws of their games, with several notable instances including websites offering illegal copies.
Konami announced they had signed an agreement with Major League Soccer Players Association to feature Major League Soccer (MLS) players in their game, called eFootball, due for release early autumn for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox Series X/S/One/And Xbox One. It will be free-to-play without microtransactions; local matches with teams from official licensed leagues will initially be provided with cross-generation matchmaking being added later for PS5 vs Xbox Series X or S compatibility.
Installation
Konami announced they are making some major adjustments to the Pro Evolution Soccer series with their latest title, eFootball. This game will emphasize more the eSports aspect while still offering traditional matches and leagues – available on PC-Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One as well as future PS5/X/S consoles.
First step to enjoying eFootball is downloading it from its official website and moving it into your installation directory. Next, launch it and get playing! To maximize results, high-speed internet is recommended.
Once the eFootball game is installed, you can begin creating and selecting players for your team. You can even form custom leagues to compete in tournaments; but be aware of its restrictions; for instance, only up to four teams at any one time can play against each other at once.
PES series has long been known for providing an authentic simulation experience when adapting football into video game form, and this year is set to continue its legacy with new features and renewed emphasis on eSports.
