Pro Evolution Soccer 2015: Release Date, Features, Top Player Ratings, Preview

Konami is set to release the current-generation debut of its world football series Pro Evolution Soccer. PES 2015 is sparked by updated graphics, the evolution of the Fox game engine and a few new modes designed to captivate the attention of longtime fans—and to potentially attract new ones.

The game releases Tuesday, Nov. 11 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Many fans have already gotten an opportunity to download the demo. After playing it, I came away impressed with the flow of the action, and many of the best features of the series were kept intact.

Here's a sample of some of the gameplay I captured:

Player Ratings

Ronaldo is the Man

If you asked most fans who is better—Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo or Barcelona's Lionel Messi—many would probably say CR7 at this point in both men's careers. 

ESPN SportsNation conducted a poll asking that very question back in January, and 54 percent of fans tabbed Ronaldo as the man.

Because of that, it makes sense that the ratings makers for PES 2015 also named Ronaldo the highest-rated player in the world, per PESMyClub.com. It also doesn't hurt that despite Mario Gotze gracing the cover of this year's game, Ronaldo has been the face of the franchise for years.

Here's a look at the top-25 rated players in the game: 

Rank	Name	Age	Team	Overall Rating
1	Cristiano Ronaldo	29	Real Madrid	95
2	Lionel Messi	27	Barcelona	94
3	Manuel Neuer	28	Bayern Munich	93
4	Luis Suarez	27	Barcelona	90
5	Gareth Bale	25	Real Madrid	90
6	Sergio Ramos	28	Real Madrid	90
7	Arjen Robben	30	Bayern Munich	90
8	Andres Iniesta	30	Barcelona	89
9	Bastian Schweinsteiger	30	Bayern Munich	89
10	Philipp Lahm	30	Bayern Munich	89
11	Neymar	22	Barcelona	88
12	Gianluigi Buffon	36	Juventus	88
13	Franck Ribery	31	Bayern Munich	88
14	Angel Di Maria	26	Real Madrid	87
15	Carlos Tevez	30	Juventus	87
16	Mario Gotze	22	Bayern Munich	87
17	Diego Godin	28	Atletico Madrid	87
18	Jose Callejon	27	Napoli	87
19	Luka Modric	29	Real Madrid	87
20	Robert Lewandowski	26	Bayern Munich	87
21	David Alaba	22	Bayern Munich	86
22	Arturo Vidal	27	Juventus	86
23	Thomas Muller	25	Bayern Munich	86
24	Paul Pogba	21	Juventus	86
25	Jerome Boateng	26	Bayern Munich	86

The Youngsters

Take note of young stars like Juventus' Paul Pogba, who is rendered awesomely in the game. At 21 years old, Pogba is the youngest player in the top 25. He's one to build around.

image from PES 2015, provided by Konami.

Neymar, David Alaba and cover athlete Gotze are the other players on the list who are 22 years of age or younger.

New Features

MyClub

Master League needed a reboot, and that's just what MyClub is designed to be. With more control over the construction of your club and the ability to earn GP through achievements, the mode looks to capture the type of participation that the NBA 2K series has generated with modes like MyCareer and MyTeam. The in-game currency opens up tons of opportunities.

 

Master League is Still Around

MyClub isn't taking the place of Master League. The old favorite will still exist with Super Cup competitions and more player development tools.

 

Become a Legend Too

Every sports game needs a single-player career experience these days. Become a Legend is PES', but it too has gotten a bit stale over the years. In PES 2015, Konami looks to bring an experience that balances training and on-the-pitch gameplay.

 

Enhancing Online Experience

Most new gaming concepts need to have an online component. PES 2015 is making strides toward ensuring online play is as good as it can be. 

Up to three players can now assume different roles on the same team during online play. Taking control of attackers, midfielders and defenders can allow gamers to work as a unit on the virtual pitch.

There's also a new anti-cheating mode designed to thwart the attempts of gamers who try to use exploits online. That's a tough task to complete, but it's good there are efforts being made to better the game in this area. 

Live updates will release on a weekly basis to keep players ratings, stats and teams accurate.

 

Gameplay Improvements

Improved Commentary and Presentation

Commentary has been redone to create a more immersive feeling to the virtual broadcast. New stadium sounds and action from fans are designed to create a unique broadcast experience.

The utilization of cut scenes during specific segments of the action, or between plays, could also aid in these efforts. 

 

Push-and-Pull Tactics and the Fox Engine

The gameplay is only going to be as good as the engine it runs on. PES 2015 will go into its second year with the Fox engine. There were a few kinks that needed to be worked out in regards to collision detection in the demo, but overall, the flow of action was fun.

The flight of the ball was realistic, as were the bounces and the caroms off man and grass.

New push-and-pull tactics also help to simulate the jostling that takes place on the pitch.

 

Looking Ahead

I haven't played the full version, so we're not in a position to deliver a full review. Look for that on release day after giving the game a healthy spin.

 

Follow Brian Mazique aka FranchisePlay, the Sports Video Game Journalist