It is undeniable that PES 2021 is one of Konami’s riskiest efforts ever! After all, we are not talking about a simple game, but an update to last year’s version. (Wasn’t it like that every year in the worlds of FIFA and PES !?- P)
In short, to fully understand Konami’s goal with this release, PES 2021- Season Update has the same gameplay and modes as PES 2020, adding new equipment, teams, and of course, completely updating the squads.
However, there are other improvements that go unnoticed, but that really increase (and greatly) the value of this game. After all, here we have an excellent football simulator costing ‘just’ 30 €.
PES 2021- For € 29.99, it’s basically a must-play!
So, of course, PES 2021 is still not a perfect game, featuring many of the flaws of last year’s version. However, some refinements in the way football are played, and new content added to the MyClub mode makes it really worthwhile to experience what Konami has to offer in this very strange year of 2020.
So… PES 2021 is equal or not to PES 2020! Yes, it is the same, but it is also different! Confused? Me too!
As you can imagine, reviewing this game is not anyone’s dream, since it is not at all easy to explain what the studio wanted to do with this release. After all, after PES 2020 is most likely one of the best games in the saga, we now have a simple update to take things forward.
But… There it is! PES 2020 was already a tremendous evolution, so Konami took the opportunity to think about giving some accurate touches to the project, by refining the whole experience.
In other words, yes, the interface is exactly the same, but when it comes to the game itself, it seems that the players respond better, that everything seems more natural, and that even the computer’s AI is a bit more ‘smart’. In short, the action is more authentic, and above all, alive!
In fact, we can say that while FIFA continues to bet on a more arcade mode, with a fun but completely unrealistic type of game. PES continues its journey to be the ultimate football simulator. Bringing several small changes to the 2021 version, which end up improving or just completing the experience.
The online mode is better!
Last year, we saw a big bet from Konami on ‘eFootball’, that is, in the online mode of the title. That said, we now have new filters (which include new security for your connection and that of your opponent), with the base experience itself looking more robust, and therefore more complete.
MyClub is now a rival to the very popular FIFA Ultimate Team
The online mode is almost all the same, except on MyClub, which is now trying to face the giant FIFA Ultimate Team. As a matter of fact, Konami herself knows that it is a very unbalanced duel, so she opted to lower the entry barrier a little, making it possible to quickly catch strong legends and put them in her team.
Graphics and Licensing
PES has already accustomed us to having reference players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar or Messi, to look like… Well… Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Messi. All thanks to the agreements with the clubs and the leagues, which in turn allows the players to be scanned, and of course, getting everything very detailed in the game.
In other words, Neymar looks like the real player, both in facial features and in his ability on the pitch. And who says Neymar, also Van Dijk, Hazard, Salah, etc… All players who have many of their real mannerisms inside the simulator. Something that obviously helps to increase immersion.
Conclusion
In short, despite the lack of some novelties in game modes, improvements in gameplay, graphics, and online, take PES 2021 to a whole new level. And of course, as it is much cheaper than its direct rival, it can even make a dent in EA’s undeniable dominance with its FIFA.
In the meantime, this big bet by Konami is expected to bear fruit next year. After all, this ‘update’ doesn’t just reflect the impact of COVID-19 on the game’s development. It is very likely that the studio preferred to start the development of its first PES for the new generation of consoles sooner, forgetting a little about PES 2021. Therefore, everything indicates that the duel next year should be really bombastic.
Furthermore, what do you think about all this? Share your opinion with us in the comments below.
