PES 2016 VS FIFA 16: The War Has Returned but which is better?

PES 2016 at Gamescom convinced Tom it could take on the might of FIFA 16

COMMENT: The debates will rage in the classrooms, train stations, pubs, clubs, offices, construction sites, hairdressers and on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube. What is better PES or FIFA? One man gives his verdict after playing both at Gamescom.

During the reign of Playstation 2 and the original XBox there was a clear conflict between Pro Evolution Soccer and FIFA. Overall PES was the better game and was applauded by critics and fans alike.

During the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, FIFA absolutely annihilated PES in sales, fans opinion and critics reception. I would argue that this wasn’t because FIFA was a better game, instead PES just got worse.

It looked like Pro Evo was dead until last year when critics and fans began to remark that the series was returning to its glory days, and with a buzz around Gamescom being that PES is back, this year looks to be a return to the FIFA vs PES debates.

Having played both of them with representatives from Konami and EA, I have got to say PES was my favourite.

 

The game played like a return to the glory days of the series and the tagline ‘Love The Past, Play The Future’, truly represents this.  It is a return to core PES values. It has always had the issue of not having licensing.

That is not to say the FIFA was bad, it was very good, but its gradual increase every year makes the differences hard to see. 

PES was a more challenging and rewarding game to play. It didn't feel necessarily slow when compared to FIFA, but more solid.

Pure controller skill will not always win games in PES as the tactics and formation are very important. You have to work for every goal.

That being said, I did happen to score an absolute howler in the game from about 45 yards out and sat there in complete shock. I had never scored a goal like this in PES for the last 10 years.

The Konami representative informed me that this is not a consistent goal type in the latest PES, but there will be the opportunities to score these kind of goals if the write situation and circumstances appear.

 

The core feeling gamers get while playing FIFA is still the same with minor tweaks and improvements to the graphics and animations.

The gameplay has been expanded, with improved defensive mechanics such as sliding tackles where the length of the tackle can now be controlled by the player, while other addition like the ability to stop midway, get up and keep up with the defender.

A big new addition is the ability to dribble in separation of the ball.

I was most impressed with playing as the Women teams. These did not feel like reskins of male players as they moved and reacted differently in tackling and shooting situations.

This is the first time in any football video game that we have women players. 12 licenced international women's teams will be included which can be used to play matches in quick match and custom tournaments.

EA has confirmed that players won’t be able to pick men’s team vs women teams.