I have been playing on professional and a high percentage of my goals have come via rebounds off keeper parries. The keepers seem to parry far too much though. The physical side of the game is well depicted too with jostling defenders often pushing you off the ball or guiding you to the corner.
What else then? The graphics - especially the player likenesses – are fabulous. Players can be dragged and dropped into exact positions Football Manager-style and there is a huge amount of tactical flexibility available. The strategy and tactical play has been massively improved. Luckily then an overhauled strategy section will help. Hardcore PES fans may need to relearn the game. One thing quickly became clear - the old PES tactics of relying on pace and tricks just don't cut it any more. The rearguard action didn't hold though and I ended up losing 2-1.
The next 44 mins of the half were spent under the cosh as I somehow kept it at 1-0. I sent a lovely dinked through ball to Rooney who placed it beautifully into the bottom corner. A feeling confirmed when I scored with my first move of the game. England vs Sweden on professional – a nice easy way to start I thought. This was struck home in the first game I played. The changes do take some getting used to though. The general freedom now given to your general passing will take some getting used to but it soon becomes unthinkable to go back. By varying the pace you can create a unique pass into space rather than the more scripted ones of older PES games. Now you really need to direct the ball to the player you want rather than lazily stabbing at the button. For example the traditionally effective use of the through ball has lost its power. A new power bar is a big improvement and makes a massive change the game. The speed is one thing but the real change is in the passing and feel of the game. Or you could be a masochist and play at "-2" and recreate the action of hungover veterans down on Hackney Marshes. More relevant is "1" which feels like the PES speed of old. Here you can adjust the speed from the FIFA-speed standard "0" to arcade crazy "2". Thank the sporting gods then for the adjustable speed option. PES is now much more realistic but – whisper it – maybe not as much fun. Remember the days of bursting through the middle or down the wing with Adriano and co? Not any more. Where once PES was fluid, fast and frantic it now plays at sedate FIFA-speed. We're not talking licenses or innovative online multiplayer – PES is as far behind the FIFA curve here as normal – but rather the action on the pitch. Konami have only gone and transformed PES into FIFA. But if the Saints winning was a surprise it was nothing compared to PES 2011. Five hours later this feeling was confirmed as Lee Barnard scored Southampton's first goal for about 10 years (or so) and victory was secured at Hillsborough. When PES 2011 (Xbox 360) arrived last Saturday morning I knew it was going to be a good sporting day.