In FIFA 15 we've already seen one of the big football/soccer (depending where you are) titles of the year and now it's almost time for another. Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 (PES 2015) will be launching next week cross platform but Xbox One owners can load up the demo right now and take a look. So that's exactly what we did.
A couple of notes first on the video and this post. We've only played the demo version available in the Xbox One Store, and as such details may be different in the final release. The video below was captured from the Xbox One Game DVR which limits the footage to 720p.
If you've played both FIFA and PES before, then you'll immediately notice the difference in gameplay, not just limited to the difference in controls. That continues for PES 2015. It has a much more 'pick up and play' feel about it. Once you've mastered the controls PES 2015 is a delight to play. It's fast paced and seems to strike a good balance between realism and fantasy. It's still possible to pull off some ridiculous moves with minimal effort on your part and deliver some sublime long balls into the box.
Graphically PES 2015 has grown up for the new generation console. Crowds are animated, players faces look like, well, the players' faces, and there is perfect hair galore. If you know what your favorite players look like, you'll have no trouble recognizing them in the game. The recreations of facial features and details are sublime.
Perhaps the best thing about PES 2015 though, is that it's just all out fun to play. The demo doesn't hint at any of the long-tail game modes, but it does hook you in and make you want to play another match. And another. And another. FIFA 15 might have the edge on the overall football experience, but it can become hard going after a while. While that is perhaps trying to be too realistic by making it tougher to pull off ridiculous passes and screaming goals, PES 2015 doesn't forget that it's actually a game and strikes a great balance between a realistic experience and a good time playing it.
We'll reserve overall judgment for now, but based on the demo alone we're excited for PES 2015. It's the first Pro Evo title to arrive on Xbox One, and it looks like it's doing it in some style.
The game launches on November 11 in the U.S. (November 13 in Europe) and can be pre-ordered now at Amazon for $59.99. It'll also be coming to Xbox 360, too, for $39.99. We'll update as and when an Xbox Store link goes live, but if you fancy trying it out yourself the demo is still live for you to download.
- PES 2015 (Xbox One) - $59.99 - Pre-order now
- PES 2015 (Xbox 360) - $39.99 - Pre-order now
