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Have fun building careers and competing in tough soccer matches in this fun game for the PC

Have fun building careers and competing in tough soccer matches in this fun game for the PC

Vote: (15 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Konami Digital Entertainment

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(15 votes)

Free

Developer

Konami Digital Entertainment

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Very naturalistic gameplay on the pitch
  • Multiple modes completely free to play
  • Nicely detailed renditions of real players

Cons

  • Missing some major licensing deals
  • Gameplay off the pitch is pretty weak

Konami has made their popular football game - and rival to FIFA - free for the first time, and while the Lite edition of Pro Evolution Soccer is missing some of the features of its paid counterpart, the fundamentals impress as much as ever. Pro Evolution Soccer may be the biggest competitor for FIFA, but it has its own distinct sense of personality too.

Arguably, the actual gameplay when you're out on the pitch is the best available in a football game. The moment-to-moment experience really makes you feel like you're in the midst of a professional soccer game. Part of that comes down to the ball physics here. Konami has clearly invested a lot of money into making the grass and ball feel real, and there's a sense of physicality and occasional unpredictability to ball movement that really captures the chaos and control of the pitch. The sense of movement requires both more skill and a better understanding of the actual game than FIFA.

There's clearly a lot of love for the sport here. Konami has gotten the rights to a ton of different players, and the animations here are exceptionally well crafted. It's more than just an aesthetic choice too. Reading that animation is critical to success out in the stadium. Being able to read the environment is especially important, but being able to adapt is just as important. The clinical and clean controls of FIFA may feel more responsive, but PES 2019 forces you to respond to the sometimes unpredictable nature of physics.

Things get a little more uneven when you aren't actively in a game. The menus are poorly designed, and the simulation elements can't even begin to scratch the surface of what FIFA has to offer. That may be by design. PES is all about the moment-to-moment gameplay, and what happens outside of the game is just in service of getting back on the pitch.

Fortunately, if you're curious about Pro Evolution Soccer, you won't have to drop any money to give it a spin. This free version of the game comes with a refreshingly rich depth of modes to choose from. The main and meaty League Mode is completely free, and that gives you access to a variety of global events. Then there are more basic modes like exhibition and skill training.

If you want to manage a football team meticulously and see the results in real-time, you may want to give PES 2019 Lite a pass. But if your love of soccer comes down to the kinetic action that takes place on the pitch, the sheer thrill of the game here should keep you interested for at least a few matches.

Pros

  • Very naturalistic gameplay on the pitch
  • Multiple modes completely free to play
  • Nicely detailed renditions of real players

Cons

  • Missing some major licensing deals
  • Gameplay off the pitch is pretty weak