PES 2019 in the preview: Even more realistic, even more beautiful

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The case is official for a few weeks: FC Schalke 04 is now – like FC Barcelona or AS Monaco – one of the new clubs Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 affiliates. To celebrate this cooperation, the District Club has been invited to a reference event of football simulation in their own country. There, along with some other journalists, e-sports and influencers, we were served the first pieces of PES.

Places such as Schalke's VELTINS arena seem deceptively real also from the outside point of view.

Source: Konami





The latter, in particular, only catches the attention. Although the guiding and menu management options remain largely untouched when we first enter the lawns of the two stadiums – Camp Nou Barcelona or VELTINS Arena Schalke – the new look prettier title is felt. Both sites have been faithfully reproduced with the original thanks to 3D scanning technology. The playground and the outside are just as illusory as the player's tunnel. So we can look before giving the kick, because impatient kickers paw their feet and wait impatiently to jump into the first duels. This adds to the unique atmosphere that feels almost like on the ground yourself.

PES knows how to impress visually. According to their own statements, the developers set the goal










As if you were at the stadium: Konami faithfully reproduced the tunnels of arena-style players.

Source: Konami





to extract everything from the currently used Fox Engine. Konami is even abandoning the versions for the old-gen consoles this year to focus more on optimizing graphics performance on PS4, Xbox One and PC. A worthwhile step because the positive results are clearly visible: Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 convinces with 4K HDR support, crisp sharpness and a bright color palette.

The public in the stands seems more realistic than in the predecessors and provides the extra mood.

Source: PC Games





The visual presentation, especially in terms of lighting effects, has also been brought to a new level and leaves a picture completely different from that of its predecessor. The Enlighten software now makes the sun and stadium more natural. This translates into grandstands and playgrounds depending on the time of day, a realistic shadow. Last but not least, Konami has added some extra details and animations to the public in the ranks, adding snow weather effects. These should even affect the game. Not only do your players leave their mark on the field, but the turf itself also draws your strategy and tactics.

Authentic players with individual skills

Speaking of players: the actors are again edited now partly similar to the confusion. Even the most unusual hairstyles, like the French star Paul Pogba, thought the developers. Overall, the teams give a good image, here and there, but the footballers are still a little plastic – especially when you zoom very close to the faces.










Players like Suso from Milan look a lot like their real models – thanks to their tattoos And their individual hairstyles.

Source: PC Games






In the gameplay area, PES 2019 at first glance seems quite similar to its predecessor. Looking more closely, however, falls on this










Bullet physics and shot mechanics have been revised. So you have more reasons to cheer

Source: PC Games





Konami made a lot of small adjustments. Especially, the physics of the ball, the central aspect of any football simulation, has been reviewed again. The leather behaves differently than in PES 2018, its movements are more natural and varied. The trajectory of the ball now takes into account not only the posture and the way the ball was kicked. The rebounds are even more realistic. It makes business, even remotely, to look much more promising but also beautiful. If a whistle from the edge of the box forces the goaltender to a spectacular parade, it's a fascinating sight – also because of the new shooting mechanics with unique animations or more emotional reactions from the actors

Dribbling and overtaking became even more demanding in PES 2019.

Source: PC Games





Dribble has also changed. Thanks to the improved tactile function of the whole body, factors such as the position of the ball or the posture play a more important role in the acceptance of the ball. Depending on the situation, you can take control of the ball and treat it further. In addition, PES 2019 introduces eleven new capabilities such as Pbad Blind or High Tee. These give each player a unique sensation – a small agile winged runner like Philippe Coutinho behaves on the ball unlike a big central defender like Gerard Piqué. Overall, however, all players move much more easily – which is partly due to new animations that allow precise movement of the sound and tight ball control.

Crisp gameplay with quick changes

An unequal duel: players behave differently depending on their physique and abilities.

Source: PC Games





In addition, the pbad system now requires even more precision, so you will need to determine the power and direction to get the ball where you want it. The duels have become more demanding, also because of the smarter AI. In general, it is a little harder to have access and pressure – especially in the final stages of the game. Then, your player's fatigue is visually noticeable. Your actors give clear indications that they are exhausted, their endurance decreasing performance. For victory or defeat, it is therefore essential to make the right personnel decisions at the right time.

The new Quick Subs, whose principle is already known to FIFA, will be useful. During a break – like when the ball comes out – you can










The Quick Sub feature allows you to swap out worn players without interrupting the game.

Source: PC Games





Change your player without opening the pause menu. However, Konami has improved the function a little: on the PS4, it is activated via the touchpad instead of the button R2. So the selection really only opens if you really want it. Accidental changes because the sprint key was held down are not present in the PES. In addition, not only three put before the start of the game or proposed by the AI ​​quick change can be performed. Instead, you can select each player and get an adequate position replacement offered. This allows the game to continue and the immersion is not broken. "PES 2019 really looks like football," says Matthias Winkler, veteran of the franchise and Schalke eSport professional.

FC Schalke 04 is the only Bundesliga club to have been confirmed until the end of the season. present.

Source: Konami





In conclusion, PES do not naturally avoid talking about licensing. After all, it is one of the biggest differences from last year: the loss of rights on the Champions League and the Europa League is difficult, and the developers are aware of it. Nevertheless, Konami has an appropriate answer ready: Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 contains nine fully licensed leagues – such as the Portuguese League NOS or the Russian Premier League exclusively represented. This equates to the highest number of league licenses in the history of the franchise. In addition, the Japanese are waiting with 25 legends, such as David Beckham and Romario. As for the Bundesliga, there is an agreement that three teams from the German Premier League will be included in the match. One of them is certainly his partner Schalke 04, until now, the other two can only be speculated. After the departure of BVB but teams like RB Leipzig or Bayer Leverkusen are close

Pure football with seven leagues licensed and 25 legends

[19659023] Overall, Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 left us with a graphic and fun impression. Overall, the football simulation feels very round – compared to its predecessor again a little slower and more deliberate. The show on the pitch is also presented in a more attractive way, which leads the manager of the European brand PSE, Lennart Bobzien, to conclude: "If you want to experience real football, it's Pro Evolution Soccer. " If this is true, you can convince yourself this year from August 30 – two weeks earlier than usual. So, the football simulation is almost a month earlier in the market than the competitor EA Sports. If you prefer to get a picture of the title before you buy it, you can wait for the release of the demo on August 8th. To look in does not cost anything.