Offline, the CPU is obsessed with getting to the byline, firing in a low cross and either burying it first time, or laying it off to another player to stick it in the net. The drought of headers is the first sign that some of the changes from last year aren’t welcome, and the same is true for the AI, which is all over the place. Yes, headed goals were too easy last time, but they were fun, and now they’re almost completely gone. The ball bounces off your head like a balloon, giving the keeper plenty of time to react. I’ve not scored many headers, though-high crosses were dominant in PES 2018, but Konami has gone a bit too far in making them more difficult. I’ve bagged 25-yard screamers, deflected scuffs that trickle into the corner, 1v1s in which I’ve slipped the ball under the keeper’s body, and first-time volleys that curl into the top corner. If you want a good first touch you have to think about both the direction you’re running in and where the ball is coming, and you can’t simply ping passes between players at will, which means putting together a slick team move feels more satisfying than ever.Ĭombine that with the excellent ball physics and you’ll score all sorts of goals. In FIFA, it sometimes feels like the ball is being pulled to a player’s foot-here it bounces and bobbles, skips over the wet surface, and spins erratically after a failed flick. It’s not just passing and shooting that look more realistic than ever: in my first few hours I was regularly pulling up instant replays of players stumbling after being tripped, or of the goalkeeper trying to gather a dropped ball, and watching in awe.īall physics are also improved. Though there are no revolutions here, subtle improvements do exist on the field, starting with animations. It’s never really bothered me, especially because I spend most of my time in Master League, where you take a team of made-up nobodies to the top. Some leagues, including the Scottish Premiership, are fully licensed, along with the odd team like Barcelona and Liverpool, and you can always download an options file to get the proper team kits and badges for unlicensed teams. You’re also still playing, largely, with unlicensed teams, so expect to see Man Blue up against West London White. There are no new modes and no game-changing new controls to master.

Not all that much has changed since last year.

Play pes 2019 online