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What ’s being done witheFootball PES 2021is a moderately bold conclusion from developer Konami - instead of a full - on inspection and repair and a new entry into the enfranchisement , the biz is being billed as an update toPES 2020 . Essentially , PES 2021is mostly the same experience fans had with the prior yr ’s game with some small improvements and the common thespian shuffles and roster updates that keep these kind of sports simulations up to date with their real - earth vis-a-vis .
As such , foot 2021is by no means a important modification from its last loop inPES 2020 , but where change has been made , it ’s noticeable . Having play through the last three iterations , theleap betweenPES 2019andPES 2020felt much more pronounced , while the differences inPES 2020andPES 2021might only be noticed by those who consider soccer simulator among their favorite games of each generation of console . That ’s not a bad thing forPES 2021 , though , which has often catered a bit more to entrenched fans rather than casual viewers , and the advance made in gameplay and to Master League at least offer some footfall forward , however small .
Related : Screen Rant ’s eFootball PES 2020 Review
Of of course , the biggest draw to thePESseries is its gameplay , and that ’s where the centering will be from fan and critics alike with each entry into the series . PES 2021is almost identical to its predecessor in every way - character exemplar have n’t been upgraded much , choice remain fundamentally the same , and there are n’t any new modes worth a look from veteran fans . The real execution of soccer strategy inPES 2021 , however , has changed somewhat - it feels like passing in particular has become respectable , with players more able to keep in line their range and pepper through timed strikes that create some gorgeous moments .
It ’s also worth noting that , inPES 2020 , it felt like the AI almost never made a error . Regardless of the calibre of the side , players all took the tar like clones of Messi , with even vitamin B complex - league strikers clear superb end as though it were a commonplace occurrent in all levels of the mutant . InPES 2021 , whatever tweaks have been made to the way the processor operates is revalue , as they ’re much more human in their approaches to the secret plan . Now , player will actually miss passes , or mess up up a strike , even when they ’re being assure by AI . As the difficulty grade scales , it feels more appropriate to the layer its on , which is especially great for competitors who only are n’t as good at association football sims as others .
Still , the fashion the plot is play inPES 2021remains a different smell fromFIFA , for good and worse . It just does n’t feel as centre - popping orcinematic asFIFA , and that ’s okay when the AI and the close restraint are firing on all piston chamber , but exposed when a player makes a head - scratching decision or another team hunkers down for an attack at a draw .
Off the pitch , there are some fragile modification made to Master League that make it a more palatable experience . Manager models have been update and there are some new matches to be played , but the mode is largely the same as it was - not that that ’s a defective thing . Master League was already one of the good parts ofPES 2020 , and it remains as cryptical and fun as it was anterior , even if the UI could earnestly use some work to bring itself back out of the early 2000s .
One thing that occurred in the transition fromPES 2019toPES 2020is that a lack of essential game modes was covered up by some of the other major steps forward the serial had taken . Now thatPES 2021is a much more subdued progression for the dealership , it ’s become abundantly clear that it still lacks a honest single instrumentalist story . There ’s just nothing here that ’s even close-fitting to the athletic storey severalise by other games , and it really hurt the claim . Not everyone want to play as an upstart and navigate their career , but enough consumers do that it should basically be a requirement for these sorts of mutation sims moving forward .
That deficiency of change and some shortcomings that really should n’t exist at this point in the genre do n’t fully take away from what remains a beautifully executed game for what it is . PES 2021also benefit from a refreshing honesty on the part of Konami that control it priced below a full - feather video game discharge and treat more like the update it is , so that needs to be consider when evaluating it as a standalone statute title . It really is more of a top - up on thePES 2020formula rather than an heartfelt endeavour at pushing Konami ’s soccer sim to the next level .
Where that approach leavesPES 2021is , ultimately , just wherePES 2020was last yr . PES 2021still has the same qualitiesthat make it tempting - its naturalistic approach to soccer , its cryptic and rewarding Master League organisation , and its MyClub system ’s accessibility - and they are n’t going anywhere . The same can be said for its issues , though , include the licensing that has plagued the series for several iterations and results in some chuckle - desirable team epithet . All things consider , PES 2021is a perfect point of entry for those who miss out onPES 2020and a valuable update to the biz for those who already own it , but it ’s not different enough to cover up its flaws in the same way its harbinger did , making it an arguabletier low thanFIFAas sports sports fan turn their eye towards what next - gen simulations can put up .
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eFootball PES 2021is available now on PC , PlayStation 4 , and Xbox One . Screen Rant was provided with a PS4 download code for the purposes of this revue .