fifa 15 10 lessons it must learn from classic pes
TRANSCRIPT
FIFA 15: 10 Lessons It Must Learn
From Classic PES
http://www.gamebasin.com/news/fifa-15-10-lessons-it-must-learn-from-
classic-pes
Before EA Sports’ FIFA series began adding new features and official licenses with each new edition,
Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer franchise well and truly ruled the football simulation roost. There
was once a time when realistic shooting, crisp passing and the famed Master League mode held
PES in a higher regard than the authentic yet seemingly unfinished product EA Sports churned out
season after season. PES4, PES5 and PES6 were arguably the most accurate representations of the
beautiful game Konami has ever produced. But along with the Playstation 2 era, PES’ glory days
faded away as video games transitioned to the almighty Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. As
Shingo ‘Seabass’ Takatsuka and his development team stumbled, EA Sports pounced: FIFA 10 was
the first clear indication that the tables had turned in the football sim market and the Canada‐
based brand hasn’t looked back since. Although Konami are still searching for an answer to why it
all went wrong, the underpinning principles of their classic games can teach EA Sports
developers one or two things. Here are 10 lessons FIFA 15 can learn from classic PES. If Konami
returned to its roots, do you think PES could ever reclaim its crown from FIFA?
10. Pace Isn’t Always Unstoppable
Alongside new leagues and gameplay features, each new FIFA game seems to come with another
not‐so‐secret method of scoring: corners, headers, crossing, finesse shots and the notorious kick‐
off glitch have all been abused in past editions of the series, but none more so than pace. Speed
has incessantly prevailed in the previous half‐dozen versions, and it’s about time EA Sports
developed a way to ensure goals come from a variety of sources. Defenders and forwards were
more closely matched in the physical stats department of classic PES, meaning footraces and
tussles for ball were unpredictable yet fair. This forced the user to probe for a clear‐cut opening
rather than simply launch the ball into space at every opportunity, resulting in a much more
innovative and rewarding gameplay experience. Of course, attacking players are quicker than
defenders on average, but the gap between the two stereotypes in current FIFA games isn’t
conducive to a realistic simulation of the world game.
9. Licenses Aren’t Everything
Raw gameplay aside, official licensing has been at the heart of the FIFA versus PES debate for years.
The plethora of deals held by EA Sports have been central to the series’ popularity; to be exact,
FIFA 14 features 33 fully‐licensed leagues including virtually every single one of the
major competitions around the globe – bar the Konami‐owned UEFA Champions League. Although
some were willing to ignore EA Sports’ clunky gameplay on previous‐gen consoles in exchange for
the bells and whistles offered by a list of glamorous partnerships, others preferred
Konami’s product despite its limited authenticity. But there was a gateway to the best of both
worlds. A detailed Edit Mode and fan‐made patches provided a sanctuary for those who craved
a sophisticated football sim, but couldn’t bear to play a WEFA Championship (Champions League)
final between Man Red (Manchester United) and Isar (Bayern Munich). Edit Mode would suffice
for simple touch ups like renaming unlicensed clubs, stadiums, players and competitions and
making logos and kits, but hardcore licensing enthusiasts could go a step further using patches on
PC. These allowed fans to download kits, player faces and hairstyles, boots, stadiums,
scoreboards, trophies and add new leagues, all thanks to a hugely dedicated and talented PES fan
base. Fans love being able to tailor PC versions of PES to their own personal taste, and this should
prompt EA Sports to spread their licensing network even further – or provide a means for console
versions of their game to be moulded in a similar fashion.
8. 30-Year-Old Footballers Are Still Useful
It’s certainly true that a footballer’s career is short, but EA Sports applies this notion inaccurately
and far too ruthlessly. FIFA 14 suggests a player’s 30th birthday is the beginning of a sudden and
violent decline in overall ability. Career Mode players will be familiar with their older squad
members becoming deadwood after their physical and technical attributes dwindle within a single
campaign. Physical degeneration is fair to an extent, but real‐life players don’t lose their class in 12
months – look at Andrea Pirlo, Yaya Toure and 2013 Ballon d’Or nominee Franck Ribery. Growth
types in PES meant it wasn’t uncommon for some players to remain brilliant well into their 30s. A
select group of worthy legends were given the long‐term development curve in PES5, namely
Paolo Maldini, Zinedine Zidane and Cafu among others. Konami assigned this trait with diligence
to avoid letting hordes of superhuman veterans boss the Master League for decades. Considering
the enormous power of next‐gen consoles, surely EA Sports will soon get cracking on adding
personalised player growth types in Career Mode. Konami was doing it back in 2005.
7. Players Grow At Different Rates
FIFA 14 Career Mode gamers will relate to the irritating problem of buying the next goalscoring
sensation only to watch his interceptions and standing tackle attributes skyrocket, while his
finishing and ball control stagnate. Sometimes player growth in the FIFA series merely seems like
an occasional boost in random stats, with no relevance to the player’s strengths or primary position
– but Konami has implemented a more refined system since the earliest versions of PES. Each
player in PES5 had one of seven different types of development curves, ranging from Wayne
Rooney’s meteoric teenage growth to the slow but continual bloom of Paolo Maldini and
everything in between. Regardless of their development type, players’ stats were boosted by
getting time on the pitch, and playing in certain positions also resulted in greater improvements
for specific abilities. For example, a central midfielder would be more likely to improve his
technique and passing accuracy whereas a striker’s finishing and response skills would progress. As
opposed to the ‘potential’ rating handed out in Career Mode, old school PES offered an
advanced layer of depth to player growth, giving you, the manager, more influence in moulding
your pixelated wonderkids.
6. Career Mode Needs Training Options
Training is a difficult feature to apply to a football management simulation, and if detailed in the
same scale as Football Manager 2014, it could frustrate fans looking for a less meticulous
experience. On the other hand, very basic options leave virtual managers with little more to do
than handling transfers and playing matches. Master League in PES5 provided you with the chance
to hone specific players’ attributes during the off‐season. Getting the best results required an
element of skill in striking the right balance of improving your players without overworking them.
Presented in a simple layout and easy to use, training was a handy but non‐essential feature of
classic PES. Something along the lines of the Adidas micoach sessions introduced in the 2014 FIFA
World Cup game could spice up pre‐season training in Career Mode, but being forced to actually
play out the drills could ruffle a few feathers. There’s no harm in including the option if users are
given the option to delegate the work to an assistant staff member, or turn it off completely.
5. Legends Should Be Unlockable
FIFA 14 introduced the ability to use Legends cards on the Xbox editions of Ultimate Team, and
although EA Sports inexplicably chose to omit some of the most popular former greats including
Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham, fans warmed to the mouth‐watering concept of
being able to team up Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele and Lionel Messi in a deadly multi‐era strike force.
What’s not to like? Well, there’s definitely one glaring problem with the way EA Sports
incorporated legendary players into the FIFA series. The retro world‐beaters are exclusive to the
Ultimate Team game mode on Xbox consoles – unfair, huh? In contrast, every classic edition of Pro
Evolution Soccer included a PES Shop in which the player could access stars of the past, albeit
hidden under aliases including Puckac (Ferenc Puskas), Rozerio (Romario) and Sorua (Gianfranco
Zola). Deciphering these humorous nicknames was a bit of a fun challenge, and you could
also correct them in Edit Mode if unlicensed stuff really bugged you. Yes, players of this ilk came at
a price, but once unlocked with PES Points, they would join the default player database and
become available in all game modes – including Master League. FIFA already has an EA Sports FC
Catalogue, so why not insert a few dozen unlockable ex‐superstars in FIFA 15?
4. Classic Teams Should Feature
Similar to Legends in FIFA 14, classic nations and club sides should be included in
all upcoming versions of the game – even if EA Sports are forced to mask teams and players under
false names like Konami do. Wielding the greatest elevens of all‐time is equally appealing as taking
control of legendary players – if not more so. Just like retro kits are up for grabs in the EA Sports FC
Catalogue, teams of years gone by should also be available. Imagine pitting the late 80s AC Milan
side, the Barcelona of 2009 or Brazil’s 2002 World Cup‐winning squad against today’s cream of the
crop. Although this would please many, there’s one problem with classic teams. Given that most
of the aforementioned sides have a number of players who were close to unstoppable in their
prime, would vintage sides be too good? Most of the players in the Classic Brazil team on PES5
boasted multiple attributes above 90, Pele (aka Palm) even warranted the maximum attack rating
of 99. Would players of this stature ruin the game if they were included? Probably. But this could
easily be fixed by restricting the use of such brilliant players to offline game modes.
3. Players Need Signature Free Kick Types
FIFA 14 incorporated some of the most iconic free kick motions in world football, such as Cristiano
Ronaldo and Gareth Bale’s knuckle ball technique, and to be fair, EA Sports has done a reasonable
job of keeping up with the ever‐growing number of free kick run‐ups experimented by modern
players, but future editions of FIFA must continue to replicate the unique methods used by dead‐
ball specialists. Different players are more effective in particular set‐piece scenarios than others,
depending on the angle, distance and number of players in the wall. In consequence, having a
diversity of free kick motions within the game is becoming increasingly important as digital ball
physics edge closer and closer to real‐life. Konami addressed this back in the Playstation 2 era
by including 10 varied free kick motions in PES6, ranging from Roberto Carlos’ 20‐yard run‐up to
David Beckham’s elegant instep curler. Apart from adding a touch of visual authenticity, this
enabled you to select the kick‐taker based on the type of strike required to beat the keeper. In
addition to matching their Japanese rivals, EA Sports have a chance to seize the initiative and assign
multiple free kick types to a niche group of players, allowing the user to decide exactly what type
of shot to execute. Think of someone like Keisuke Honda, who alters his run‐up and technique as
necessary – that sort of variation would serve FIFA well.
2. Skill Moves Should Be Personalised
The best editions of Konami’s soccer sim franchise placed very little emphasis on using skill moves
and as such there wasn’t a huge repertoire of tricks and flicks at your disposal. In fact, step overs,
roulettes and back heels aside, the ‘flip flap’ (known as an ‘elastico’ in the FIFA series) was the
one flamboyant move in the book, and could only be pulled off by a handful of very special players.
In FIFA 14, all players with the same skill moves star‐rating have an identical repertoire of tricks,
effectively stripping the most extravagant players of their individuality. Think of it like this; not all
the best dribblers in the world use the same skills to get past their marker. How many players
realistically will perform a rabona, drag back fake or hocus pocus manoeuvre in a real‐life game of
football? Adel Taarabt? Neymar? Not many, that’s for sure. Using a five‐tier system to determine a
player’s skill level is far too general, and EA Sports should return some individuality to the most
spectacular dribblers in world football. It would take some research, but wouldn’t the game be
more authentic if players were assigned individual moves they’re known for on the pitch, rather
than simply what they’re ‘probably’ capable of?
1. Kits Sometimes Clash
For years FIFA fans have begged EA Sports to enable home and away kits to be mixed about in the
pre‐match menu screens to avoid clashes. You could alternate between the home and away socks,
shorts and shirts for both competing sides in old school PES, but FIFA has no such
preventative measure apart from third kits for most but not all teams. With Ultimate Team now
allowing you to use any home or away kit you desire, EA Sports really should take a leaf from the
book of vintage PES to address this issue. Konami’s innovative option solved kit‐clashing and
freshened up the game in visual terms by allowing you to mimic real‐life teams. For example,
Chelsea always wear blue socks as part of their home kit when playing away from Stamford Bridge.
This is a minor cosmetic detail, but every little thing counts in a football simulation.
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