PES Chronicles

For most of my time on PES5 until now, I was barely stringing two passes together.

The problem stemmed from trying to do too much too quickly. PES2008-itis: it was still happening, days after the changeover.

It’s strange how PES2008 has affected me. Over the past few months I’ve played a lot of FIFA08 (PS3) and I’m comfortable with slipping into the mode when I have to. This means adopting a pattern of play that many PES players have found strangely disagreeable about FIFA08: a slow, patient, methodical buildup, taking into account the game’s sedate, sim-like pace.

Does that sound familiar? Yes, it’s how PES used to be seen by most PES players, including me. PES2008 has changed all that. Whether next-gen FIFA08 is a good game or not, there is no denying that it is more sim-like than next-gen PES2008.

So I became used to playing PES in a new way. I.e. the arcadey way. Thus, when I picked up PES5 again I tried to bomb forward, incessantly passed the ball long, tried to beat defenders with insane dribbles, and failed. That didn’t prevent me trying again, and again, and again. And again.

When would I stop trying to play PES5 as if it’s PES2008?

Today. Back to basics. Pass and move.

Deliberately controlling the pace of a game, so it’s played your way and not the opponent’s way, is one of the hallmarks of PES that has made it so revered through the years.

Happily, PES5 allows the careful, pass-and-move-oriented player (namely me, in this case) ample opportunity to put my virtual foot on the ball and dictate how fast or slow I want events to unfold. When I was zapping the ball forwards as fast as I could and trying to sprint past every defender in sight, I wasn’t playing PES5. I wasn’t playing it how I used to play it, anyway.

I played a lot better in a new tournament on 4* difficulty. I took my time. I was content only to win by one goal if that’s what I had to do. Perhaps I paid the price for this caution. I was beaten on penalties in the semi-final again, this time at the hands of Italy. As ever, I am not allowed to reload the save game to replay the fixture. I have to go right back to the start of a new tournament. I might bump up the difficulty again, to 5*. I’ll see how I feel tomorrow.

Overall, though, I’m a lot happier with the gameplay and my performances. It still hasn’t fully ‘clicked’ for me. Whenever the CPU has the ball everything on the screen seems to whizz around at a bewildering pace. I’m being a very naughty PES fan and continuing to play FIFA08 (PS3) regularly. Whatever else can be said about EA’s surprising all-new style of football game, they’ve got the pace right in my opinion. I hope PES2009 plays at a similar pace.

My main game is PES5 right now. It’ll continue to be my main game. I think.

I’m steadily accumulating PES points. I want to purchase everything of importance - alternate matchballs, 6* difficulty, the cream of the Classic Players - in the PES shop before Master League gets underway.

Similar posts:

• PES2008: it’s the keepers’ fault
• My latest bogey team
• I can’t go on, I’ll go on
• Shallow waters
• Into the volley of death

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 5th, 2008 at 2:37 pm and is filed under International Tournament, PES5, pes2008.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.