Flowing matches and improved AI
This new instalment of Pro Evo still has the same flow as previous games and the fact that the referee isn’t as whistle-happy as he was in Pro Evolution Soccer 5 means that games move from end to end creating an authentic match day experience. There are also numerous other subtle modifications to the gameplay that effectively improve the experience ultimately meaning that the game is a more physical, flowing and tactical battle on the pitch as players tussle for the ball and show off their individual skills. For example, try taking Wayne Raanie on a powerful run towards goal and if you’re skilful enough, you’ll see him use his strength and shoulder barge the defender out of the way. Player stats have been tweaked to reflect the players’ on-pitch statistics more accurately and across the board it’s clear to see these changes.
Tackling has been noticeably enhanced and if you make a well-time challenge you’ll leave your opponent on the floor, steal the ball from the tips of his toes and now be able to walk away with the ball under your control. The action appears to be much tighter and keeping possession of the ball needs more concentration than before due to the tweaks with the AI players. They now close you down more effectively and appear to be more intelligent at spotting any runs into space. While this does mean that the game is more realistic, it also ensures that you won’t sending balls over the top of the defence to a player running towards the 25 yard line with such ease as before, Pro Evolution Soccer 6 is a more difficult game to master and fans will need to spend a decent amount of time adjusting to the small changes. We’re not bad Pro Evo players, but the first few matches we played resulted in 0-0 draws as we battled to become accustomed to the AI improvements.
Click for larger imageThe enhancement to the defensive play of the AI also translates over to the attacking play. Players make superb runs for through-balls and will try and get ahead of the play when you have possession as they constantly search for more space in order to receive a pass. Reactions from players in the box who are jostling for space are also more realistic, and after the initial bore draws that we played, we scored three times in as many games from headers (something that we rarely did in Pro Evo 5). The attackers in the box seem to be far more aggressive at getting into position and scoring from corners and wing play is a rewarding experience.
Click for larger imageIt wasn’t long before we started to find our range of passing and shooting as we soon realised that taking on three or four players at a time is not quite as straight forward as before. We were knocking the ball left, right and centre to spread the play and create space for players to run into. The work rate needed to create that scoring opportunity has took a significant shift and the balance between defending and attacking play is almost spot-on, and although we do think that some people won’t like the change, it’s just going to be a matter of time before Pro Evo fans fit into the new system.
