Pro Evolution Soccer 2019

The beautiful game.

Control has always been one of the masterstrokes of the PES franchise – particularly the ability to express yourself on the pitch, making even those small touches of the ball important. PES 2019 continues this glorious tradition in new ways, but it’s juxtaposed by the A.I., which is out of your control, predictable in its attack, and executes questionable transfer business. PES 2019 hits more highs than previous iterations, but it’s also bumping up against its own ceiling.

PES 2019 may lack the fancy presentation of FIFA, but when it comes to gameplay, PES 2019 can more than hold its own. Smooth gameplay, a variety of animations, and interesting game modes take the sting off of the lack of licensed teams. FIFA may wear the crown, but PES is a worthy rival.

For almost half of my life, I’ve heard about the holy grail of football games: Pro Evolution Soccer 6. As someone that never actually played this game, I can only go by what I’ve been told about it, "Adriano pot shots, Master League was so good, it’s the greatest multiplayer game ever", blah blah blah… this was one of the main reasons I decided to pick up FIFA 2010 as my first football game instead. As EA has continued to put out consistently decent football games, I’ve never felt the need to pick up PES despite always wanting to try it. I mean, who has money for two football games each year? ...

PES doesn't quite hit the mark this year.

PES 2019 is a good football game. It isn’t a major improvement over last year’s title, but despite the lack of the Champions League it isn’t worse either. The matches play well, the modes are well crafted for the most part, and there’s plenty of fun to be had. There are some things that do need addressing which haven’t been touched since over recent iterations, but hopefully they can be fixed in future patches and updates.