Fall of 2012 Football Video Game Review/Comparison

FIFA 12

Pro Evolution Soccer 12

The summer is winding down, the days get shorter, the leaves turn, and this means that football season is upon us. For the virtual footballer the wait is almost over for the two football games available: Pro Evolution Soccer 12 (Rel. Date September 29 in North America) & FIFA 12 (Rel. Date September 27 in North America). Now instead of just watching games on the weekends we can take over clubs, mold them into perennial world-beaters, score ridiculous goals, and compete against players in every corner of the globe! The following will attempt to make your decision easier if you're undecided or give you a different perspective if you think you're mind is already made up.

First up is Pro Evolution Soccer 12 or PES 12. Made by Konami this game's demo states that this is not the finished product, that the finished product may be different, etc. After downloading and installing the demo you are made to watch (for a video game) an incredibly long introductory video.  That said, the graphics were ok in the video, but some of the players looked downright creepy. Seriously, Gerrard Pique's jaw looked like it was going to disconnect when he was "yelling". Other such facial animations looked equally as bad. They were not all bad, just average to bad in my opinion.

After the intro. you start out at the main menu and can choose to play an exhibition with a few teams. The teams were Man Utd, A.C. Milan, F.C. Porto, and Napoli. Not exactly the largest clubs in the world, but variety is the spice of life. The rankings they give for team speed, defense, etc. are nice, but no overall ranking present is a rather odd exclusion. Add to that the fact that Manchester United only had one A ranking, the rest B's, and A.C. Milan had all A's and also Chicharito was ranked as a 72 overall. I'm not a Man U supporter, but I had hair missing from scratching my head so much.

Once the clubs are chosen, there are several pre-match options. I liked the fact that I could enter one menu and totally adjust my entire squad, from personnel to strategy to formation and everything else. Unfortunately they give you a mouse button that you actually have to scroll over options which seemed odd and made switching players clunky. One thing that was nice was that you can move a player around on the pitch from within the same menu to allow custom variations of formations. I did not like the fact that, while you can choose pre-set tactics such as quick counter or long-ball, you cannot customize the tactics.

Once actually playing the game there were some issues, as well. The basic controls are easy enough, but the more advanced controls were a bit confusing to implement. The menu explanations were not very clear and mainly just too many as there were six pages of control lists. There was no goalie kick meter, so I had to guess how hard I was kicking the ball. The controls are sticky, and by that I mean once I send a player in a direction he is dead set on that direction and difficult to change around. The commands carry over similar to FIFA World Cup 2010 where if I go for a tackle and steal the ball quickly, the same command I just pressed will still be active and the player kicks the ball out of bounds.

While PES 12 has its issues, and there are many, it is not all bad. The game is best when it is going full speed. If you like to play a fast-paced up-beat style then this game might fit you more. The other thing to mention is that the aforementioned lengthy list of commands might suit someone who wants to take the time to learn them. Just as in a deep fighting game, taking the time to learn all of the many combos in this game could be really rewarding. PES 12 seems to focus on the individual far more than the collective. It's focus is on creating highlight reel moments on the pitch and little else. An entertaining game for a fast paced style of play, but sub-par in too many other areas of the beautiful game to matter to this footballing fan.

Stars: 2.5 / 5

Now for FIFA 12. The demo starts off with a tutorial which shows off the new defensive features. All of the new features are nice, but take a while to get used to (you can exit the tutorial at any time by pressing the start button). Overall, the new presentation is very appealing visually, while having this year's music already included was a nice touch. 

Martin Tyler and newcomer Alan Smith

The only available mode is exhibition unsurprisingly since it's only the demo, but you can choose between Arsenal, Manchester City, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Marseille, and, again, A.C. Milan. From there, once you've chosen you're side, you take the pitch and will notice something surprising and stunning to some and unfortunate as far as I'm concerned. Andy Gray will no longer be involved with FIFA, being replaced by Alan Smith.  I'm aware that Andy Gray has his out-of-the-booth issues, but frankly, I'll miss his style of announcing. 

Once the match starts, you'll notice that the new features are as billed. Precision Dribbling is a very nice addition and really does allow you more time on the ball in order to execute your game-plan. The Player Impact Engine does a nice job of simulating big tackles and slightly bumping someone will just make them lose a step. It makes it much more realistic. The other new feature is Tactical Defending which I found to be a little hard to get used to at first. After some time toying with it, it becomes a welcome addition to your defensive repertoire, as you can tug at opponents with the ball or just reach in with a foot without going for the tackle. Players each have their own weight and feel effortless to move around the pitch, very few times did I have trouble switching directions. The only negative that I can come up with is the menus are a bit tedious and sometimes the rankings can be a bit off. I constantly have to switch around when altering my club before a match. The graphics are by and large solid and the improved shadows and lighting are a huge difference visually. Overall I feel that the game excels in several areas, a superior title in several ways, and a delightful way to experience virtual football.

Stars: 4 / 5