Pro Evolution Soccer 2020: Review Roundup, Gameplay Videos, Features

Pro Evolution Soccer 2020 hit shelves on Tuesday in its latest attempt to make inroads into the FIFA series' dominance.

Now officially titled eFootball PES 2020, Konami has set a new focus around the competitive aspect of its game, with enhanced realism potentially making the game an esports competitor to FIFA.

Barcelona phenomenon Lionel Messi will headline the game's front cover after last doing so in 2011. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner featured alongside former Barca team-mates Ronaldinho and Andres Iniesta in the announcement trailer, which detailed a host of new and updated features:

Konami has released its title two weeks before their biggest rival's, and PES 2020 has so far received largely favourable reviews as it seeks an early edge over FIFA 20.

Fraser Gilbert of FourFourTwo described this PES as "more realistic than ever," which is one area in which the game could set itself apart from FIFA and attract its own audience.

The game appears slightly slower in this release, though it also looks slicker in certain smaller actions (such as when a player takes a quick free-kick or throw-in): 

Henry Burrell of Tech Advisor got an early look at PES 2020 in July and outlined its realism as a big strength. However, he did note the new camera angle sometimes lags behind play when launching counter-attacks, which could pose a problem if it persists.

There are noticeable improvements in the graphics department. That's not to say the aesthetics are perfect, however, as Goal's Ronan Murphy pointed out some questionable facial features among Bayern Munich's stars:

One of the biggest changes to this year's football simulator landscape was the announcement that Konami obtained exclusive image rights for Juventus.

PES also has partnerships with the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Arsenal, but the exclusive deal with the Bianconeri means FIFA can't feature the club's official name or ground this year:

Bleacher Report's Nick Akerman revealed Juve's new FIFA moniker in July:

Matchday Mode is a new option that will debut on PES 2020; each week, Konami will choose a fixture (e.g a derby) to feature as the headline match, and players will represent one of the two teams in a form of worldwide head-to-head.

There have also been extensive changes made to Master League, updating PES' core single-player mode to give a more genuine experience of day-to-day management in football:

The licensing additions and the improved realism of its gameplay could make PES 2020 the game that begins to tilt the football title scales back in Konami's favour.