Pro Evolution Soccer 2017: Reviews, Gameplay Videos, Features and Impressions

Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 hits the shops on Tuesday, September 13 in the United States and two days later for Europe and the rest of the world, so it's time to take a closer look at Konami's latest offering.

Boasting a range of improvements and refined features, PES 2017 will look to continue the series' tradition of using realistic gameplay to create a truly authentic football experience.

In that regard, this year's game takes a step further with the implementation of Konami's "Control Reality" dynamic, which adds a range of new features and improvements to the match experience.

Speaking to PlayStation Access, PES global product and brand manager Adam Bhatti described a number of the improvements:

For example, the addition of "Real Touch" will refine each player's first touch when receiving the ball. A crafty technician will control the ball quicker and be able to escape defenders, while those less gifted with their feet will be slower and have a more difficult time of it. 

Per Konami's official website, the feature will see players "control the ball in unique and different ways based on where and how you control them, dictating the flow of the game based on how they react to the unpredictable movement of the ball."

LLUIS GENE/Getty Images

Using the Real Touch well will be key, particularly when playing against computer-controlled opposition, who will be making use of "Adaptive AI," which will see them vary their approach to the game based on your style of play.

Cutting off passes and angles, sending an extra man to close down a star player and altering their tactics going forward depending on how you choose to defend are just some of the challenges the AI will present on higher difficulty levels.

Perhaps most notably is the improvement to goalkeepers. The men between the sticks have often been a source of ire for PES players in recent years, but the stoppers have made a significant jump this year after being given improved reactions and agility more in line with their real-life counterparts.

You can see the new features in action here:

As noted by Bhatti, among the 30 stadiums in the game are the Camp Nou, Anfield and Signal Iduna Park, courtesy of Konami's official partnerships with Barcelona, Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund respectively.

The game also boasts some truly stunning likenesses:

As usual, player ratings have also been updated with the game's official Twitter feed teasing a selection of the best in each area:

Within their overall ratings, each player will have their own unique attributes represented, whether it be pace, passing or finishing.

PES Data Collection Assistant Thomas Broad gave further insight into how the ratings work for different players:

"

#PES2017 ⚽ pic.twitter.com/pj0yiVT34Y

— Thomas Broad (@_thomasbroad) September 12, 2016"

Modes such as the Master League and myClub return more in-depth than ever, with changes made to transfers, scouting and player growth.

Referees are said to show "improved judgement on player collisions to determine fouls" and make use of "extra intelligence" in their decision-making, particularly in regards to playing advantage.

Reviews

The game has gone down a storm with critics, with GamesRadar's Ben Wilson among its biggest admirers:

Not only did Wilson give the game four-and-a-half stars out of five, he also wrote in his review for FourFourTwo that this effort by Konami is "the best football game the Japanese developer has ever made."

Wilson was particularly impressed with the AI, writing that the game's "greatest achievement is the manner in which it reads what you’re trying to do, and reacts accordingly."

FourFourTwo offered a video summarising Wilson's review, with Peter Drury and Jim Beglin's commentary the most notable source of criticism:

Wilson is reserving judgement on comparing PES to the upcoming FIFA 17, however:

Tom Orry of VideoGamer.com also cited the game's AI as one of the highlights, along with players' individual stats making a noticeable difference to their performances, and describes it as "a wonderful football game that just begs to be played."

He expanded on his review in the following video:

Winning Eleven Blog's Adam Neaves gave the game a nine out of 10 and wrote: "Konami have produced not only the best PES ever, but for me, the best football game I have ever played."

Neaves highlighted the improvement of goalkeepers as a major boon, and regular PES players will be pleased to hear that "early impressions of Master League already shows much promise," with the separate transfer and salary budgets making for a more authentic experience in the transfer market.

Impressions

PES 2016 was a triumph for Konami's long-running series, one that arguably saw it surpass rivals FIFA in terms of gameplay quality.

With a whole host of tweaks, innovations and additions improving on that package, PES 2017 is set to be an even stronger entry to the series, and the visuals successfully build upon last year's impressive graphics.

While PES will still be behind the upcoming FIFA 17 in terms of licensing, the partnerships with the likes of Barcelona in addition to the continued inclusion of the UEFA Champions League make the former a highly polished end product in its own right.

On September 27, FIFA 17 will be released in North America and like PES, the rest of the world will get it two days later. In the meantime, PES has well and truly laid down the gauntlet.

The game is available on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC.