Konami has shared first screenshots and details on Pro Evolution Soccer 2015, coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC this fall/winter.
The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game mark the first full implementation of Kojima Productions‘ FOX Engine within the Pro Evolution Soccer franchise.
Get all the details below, courtesy of Konami.
“The Pitch is Ours…”
PES 2015 is centered on the mantra “the pitch is ours.” (A soccer field is referred to as a “pitch.”) Through the combined efforts of the Tokyo and Windsor-based PES Productions team, the heart-thumping and nail-biting moments of top-flight soccer have been perfectly recreated. PES 2015 sees a true return to core PES values of total control, super responsive controls and renowned gameplay, where the user has unrestricted control over how they play. Konami has completely reworked a number of key elements to ensure every pass, shot or off-the-ball run is finely balanced to give maximum player satisfaction within PES 2015‘s on-field action.
By looking at three key tenets of the modern game, the PES Productions Team has completely reworked the in-game shooting and goal-keeping mechanics:
- Excitement Of Goals
A new shooting system allows a variety of unrestricted shooting styles with precise control over the direction and power of all strikes. Countering enhanced attacking options, goal keepers intuitively close angles and are capable of an incredible number of ways to react to any situation, including altering center of gravity.
- Final Pass
Likewise, passing options available to players when delivering a final pass have been expanded, allowing for little knock-ons or searing low passes that use new physics routines to ensure the ball behaves realistically across every situation, providing unique and differing outcomes decided by user actions.
- 1 on 1
The final key element that has been totally reworked centers around the degree of close control on offer. Positioning is vital, but the ability to dribble into space and beat your marker is now hugely improved and opens up PES 2015 as the definitive on-field experience.
These central features are then supported by additional elements to create the most entertaining and breath-taking match-day experience imaginable.
- Incredible Response Times: Lightning fast controls allow users to instinctively react to every movement when the ball is in play.
- Full Pitch AI: The game engine now features AI that is constantly adjusted covering everything that develops on the field, resulting in players making runs, finding space and marking opponents even when off-screen.
- Closest Control: Take on defenders using each player’s inherent dribbling skills, as opposed to relying on “trick” moves. New skills include jinking runs, responsive sprints and incorporating a much wider range of pace – from walking to sprinting.
- Case for Defense: Users have complete control over when to close down, tackle or hold up play. Successful defending is based entirely on the decisions the user makes.
FOX Engine Benefits
Next-gen editions of PES 2015 also mark the first full implementation of Kojima Productions’ stunning FOX Engine within the PES franchise. Having debuted last year in an embryonic form, the power of the new wave of consoles – Xbox One and PlayStation 4 – has allowed a level of visual acuity and in-game advances that were previously impossible. All graphical features in-game from players, to crowd and stadium now benefit from a single source of real-time lighting naturally bringing the game to vivid next gen life.
- Behavioral Patterns: PES 2015 now boasts a huge array of players that both look and play like their real-life counterparts. KONAMI has faithfully recreated over 1,000 players this year, with custom animations and playing styles across its extensive player roster. They run like they should; play the way they do in real life; and react emotionally as they would to fouls, goals or referee decisions – with their frame of mind actually affecting how they play.
- Poetry in Motion: The individuality of players is further enhanced with seamless animations. No sacrifice to animation has been made in the pursuit of fast response, yet the movements flow effortlessly calculated in real-time and dependent on the player’s position in relation to the ball and its speed.
- Bring the Noise: PES 2015 mirrors the atmosphere of a top-flight match. The crowd animations have been hugely enhanced, and the ebb and flow of a match is met with context-sensitive crowd effects and movements.
- Let There Be Light: Real-time lighting is used across the entire stadium, with the enhanced visuals bathed in the changing light of day or the stark glare of the floodlights at a night match
PES ID Returns
The PES series has always centered on player realism: recreating their abilities and letting the user run freely with the world’s greatest stars. The FOX Engine-powered PES 2015 is as committed to this as ever, aiming to bring the best players and teams to vibrant life – recreating the playing styles of the world’s best teams and stars.
- PES ID: Teams will be set up to play as they do in real-life, while their star players will work within this framework, but will be instantly recognizable via their runs and playing styles. The world’s greatest teams will not only move and find space like they would in real life, they will also defend or attack like them automatically.
- Balance of Play: Teams will automatically adopt their real-life counterparts’ game plan, whether it is counter-attacking, out wide or defensively minded.
- Realistic Abilities: While the world’s greatest players are indeed capable of moments of incredible skill, PES 2015 focuses on players’ abilities and not their flicks and tricks. Beating a man using pace and close control is the key to attacking play, and only those that can will get away with rainbow flicks, but not every time.
With these key advances in place, however, KONAMI has not neglected the wide range of options users expect. Along with enhancements to established favorite modes, a wealth of new features are set to debut in PES 2015.
Key Additions:
- myClub: Extensive Master League Online overhaul allows players and managers to be added using accumulated GP or via micro-transactions within club dealings. Agents now used to meet player requirement criteria, while unhappy players can upset the balance of a side to detrimental effect. This extends to offline play.
- Live Updates: Weekly data updates constantly adjust transfers and team line-ups in English, French, Italian, Spanish and Brazilian leagues. Player data is also updated based on current performances every week, so if a player is on a goal-scoring streak, his stats will be boosted accordingly in the update. This will be applied to all online modes and will be optional within single-player mode.
- Accurate Player Stats: The player parameter system for PES has been completely rebuilt, working with key community sites across the globe to create the most realistic player stats database.
- Adaptable Match Environments: When an opponent prefers to play a passing game, players can tell the groundsman not to cut the grass so short. Or they can have it watered to speed up their team’s passing play. Players can tailor any part of their stadiums to suit their current needs.
Konami will share further details regarding game presentation, ball physics tied to weather conditions, new leagues, a new role control system, enhanced player and stadium edit modes, online systems and anti-cheating technology, and improvements to existing modes in a future update.
View the screenshots at the gallery.
