PES 2012 announced
Out this autumn.
Konami has announced PES 2012, due out on PC, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 this autumn.
The focus this time around is on "the instinctive way the game can be played and on teamwork". The game's AI engine has undergone a "major" overhaul.
Attacking play is described as a "cornerstone" of the game. A more open approach allows players to "dictate the pace of movement".
Team mates will make runs and offer support in one-on-one situations. Players make dummy runs to draw defenders, too.
The idea is that the team works together as a more cohesive unit, reacting to the movements of the player with the ball, and working to force the opposing team into mistakes.
Zonal marking and positional defending are said to have been "massively enhanced", forcing players to work hard to create goal scoring opportunities.
There's a new cursor switching system, which lets players use the right analogue stick to switch to any player on the field. This can also be used during set pieces, such as corners and throw-ins.
"This allows users to pick a team mate anywhere on the pitch," Konami said, "thereby allowing players to react to threats faster, and to shut down attacks more quickly."
Hold up play has been tweaked and AI defenders hold a tighter defensive line. Physicality is extended, and collisions are more accurate.
Other improvements include tweaked animations, more detailed lighting, a wider variety of player styles, better deal ball situations, expanded tactics and a new customisable pass feature.
Konami reckons the end result is a game that doesn't allow single players to waltz undefended through a game. It obviously hasn't seen Salomon Kalou play.
"For me, the ultimate aim in the ongoing PES series is to match what people see when they go to a match or watch a big game on TV with what they experience on their console," PES main man Shingo "Seabass" Takatsuka said.
"As such, in consultation with football fans across the globe, we have been working non-stop to isolate and determine how to make our game marry in with how real football is played. This is key to PES 2012, and key to providing the ultimate football experience within a console title."
The game again features the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League licenses exclusively.
