Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 Review

Pro Evo loses a number of key licenses, fails to change the awful menus or commentary, and flumps the key gameplay updates – surely Konami’s annual football franchise is now on life support?

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They think it’s all UEFA, it is now…:

Pro Evolution Soccer‘ has always struggled to get the licenses of juggernaut FIFA. But losing the Champions League and UEFA cup is arguably a body blow that Konami will struggle to recover from.

Is Pro Evo as good as ever or like the new fatigue feature, is it on its last legs?

Story:

Konami still won’t/ can’t/ don’t bother with a story mode. Instead, old stalwarts like the ‘Be a Pro’ mode limp on with generic text screens, little interaction with other players or managers, or any great feeling of player progression.

The awful menus and the writing style get more and more antiquated every year, with random words and phrases capitalised, and a style of written English that shows that very little effort has gone into the translation from the original Japanese.

Gameplay:

This is a story that repeats over and over again. Master League, Divisions, MyClub, Skills Training – they are all identical or nearly identical to the offerings over the last two years. The main menu tells you about some of the improvements, but they feel like the offerings of a team which is out of ideas or, maybe worse, out of money. There are some new agent types and special offers available in My Club, but it all feels a bit like clutching at straws.

You have to mention the license position every year, but this year it’s worse than ever. The champions league and UEFA cup are gone, instead replaced by a number of smaller top flight leagues from around the world, which may be great if you’re Turkish, but less good for those than mourn La Liga or wish the Premiership could be included.

Gameplay updates are really muted. Corners and crosses have been nerfed too far from last year, in what feels increasingly like the pace/ no pace FIFA yearly changes. Fatigue was feted as being a major change, but you really can’t feel the difference, and I never had to substitute a player because they were exhausted.

Ball control is still more natural than FIFA, and does feel genuinely less connected to the player, but this still ends up with some very odd animations and gameplay gaffes which are unrealistic because the players can’t keep up with the ball physics.

Good

  • Still plays well
  • Partner teams

Bad

  • Lack of licenses starting to hurt
  • Commentary
  • Menus
7.9

Good

Graphics - 8.5
Sound - 7
Gameplay - 8
Multiplayer - 8
Value - 8
Editor - Reviewer GamerKnights

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