I like this game and hate it in equal measures.
The Good
- The manual passing is fantastic when you get used to it.
- The pace of the game is perfect.
- Online is vastly improved.
- There's a good degree of player individuality.
- 'Slow' players are just as effective as quick players, unlike in old PES games.
The Bad
- My main gripe is the boost that defenders seem to get when an attacker gets past them. Paul Robinson chased down Antonio Valencia just there, even though Valencia had a five yard head start. The game is biased towards defenders, basically because they aren't able to make the game more difficult so they introduce artificial difficulty like unrealistic player speeds and strengths.
- Too much CPU involvement in what you're doing. They sometimes shoot, tackle, head and clear the ball for you. I don't know why. I'm perfectly capable of making mistakes on my own. The latest example is my crossing the ball in to Berbatov when suddenly the CPU controlled Scholes leapt like a salmon and put a diving header out for a throw.
- Collisions and physical play are weird. Strong players are able to brush players off the ball too easily.
- The ball physics are poor. Sometimes you shoot and the keeper saves it and the rebound lands on the halfway line, or goes out for a throw without touching the ground.
- The AI is still wank. In no particular order: players don't make runs, your defenders suddenly sprint in other directions when players run through, your own playersoften run across you when you're trying to clear the ball which leads to you booting it at them.
- Scripting. Sometimes the AI decided it's going to score and even hacking down their striker forty yards from goal will somehow lead to them scoring.
- The cursor selection is awful in semi-assisted. The manual mode is idiotic. Loose balls are impossible as five of your players stare at the ball, utterly disinterested.
- Keepers are still awful.
- Referees are even worse.
- Throw ins are shite. Particularly in two player. They can see where you're aiming to unless you do the last minute change which is less accurate.
- The penalty system. Why?
- Tricks are too easy. Which means they're massively overused online.
EDIT:
- Your players run into each other when chasing loose balls. A lot.
- Millions and millions of scissor kicks from thirty yards. Have Konami even bothered to play this game?
The Inexplicable
- Not being able to turn off player names being above the CPU's head.
- Not being able to play 2 v 2 online with 2 people on the same console.
