Overview

PES 2012 continues KONAMI's determination to listen to its fan base and make key improvements to the aspects the audience demands. The focus for PES 2012 is to ensure the highest level of playability, challenge and realism for the game, whilst also improving the level of control offered to users. PES 2012 offers improved animation, visuals and AI updates making game play a much more realistic experience.

Attacking play is a cornerstone of PES 2012, and the new game benefits from a more open approach that allows users to dictate the pace of movement. All-new AI elements allow team mates to make runs and offer support in one-on-one situations. Players make useful dummy runs to draw defenders, and this offers users greater options to move the ball around when they are being closed down. Thus, the team works together a more cohesive unit, reacting to the movements of the player with the ball, and working to force the opposing team into mistakes.

Zonal marking and positional defending are also massively enhanced; ensuring players are forced to work harder to split the opposition defence. Meanwhile a new cursor switching system has been implemented using the right analogue stick to switch to any player on the field. This allows users to pick a team mate anywhere on the pitch, thereby allowing players to react to threats faster, and to shut down attacks more quickly. Hold up play is being tweaked to give even greater control. AI defenders are able to hold a much tighter defensive line, position themselves better and track opponents more efficiently. The off-the-ball switching also extends to key set pieces, such as goal kicks, corners, free kicks and throw-ins, and allows users to target a specific player and send them on runs or to drag defenders out of position, and allows for quick breaks and space to be exploited more easily.
 
The physicality of top-level football is represented as PES 2012 extends the jostling system of its predecessor. Defenders rely on their strength and stature to force a player from the ball as strikers and play makers make use of unique attributes to beat their markers. Tighter, more accurate collisions see players tumbling dependent on how they are knocked off the ball. Crucially, control is not lost, allowing the stumbling player to be brought directly back under control.

The result is a game that, more than ever, truly represents the key attributes of the world's greatest players, but without sacrificing balance and allowing single players to waltz undefended through a game. Coupled with heavily tweaked animation, more detailed lighting techniques, a wider variety of player styles, improved dead-ball situations, expanded tactics and a new customisable pass feature, means that PES 2012 truly captures the essence of top-flight football.

Features

Active AI - Recreates movement and team ethic of real football. Players will intelligently create space, and make themselves available whilst visibly calling for the ball.

► Jostling - Utilise player strength to win the ball in one-on-one situations. More realistic animations show the challenges between two jostling players, with players falling depending on how they are challenged.

► Off the ball control - Highlight any player at any time to strategically position your players. Goal kicks, corners, free kicks and throw-ins now let you quickly take control of any player off the ball, enabling clever runs which create space for an attack.

► Referee AI - Greatly enhanced to improve decisions made and to ensure fewer interruptions to play. Refs will intervene only when truly necessary, and advantage will be played more frequently in offside and free kick scenarios.

► Pass Support - Choose from one of five settings, from full support right up to the full veteran setting which switches off all assistance so that the direction, weight and speed of every pass is at your disposal!

Screenshots

Reviews

	Gameplay			8.8
	Graphics			8.5
	Sound			8.0
	Value			8.9
	Distributor: Mindscape Classification: G Review Date: October 2011 Reviewer: Peter Bourke		8.8
PES 2012 (Pro Evolution Soccer 2012) There are two franchises that come around like clockwork every year and each franchise has their fanboys and haters. The franchises in question are Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) from Konami and FIFA from EA Sports. If you haven't played a soccer game for a few years, I would recommend that you check out PES 2012 because it offers both a sturdy single-player and multiplayer engine that has a considerably amount of longevity and replay value. The highlight is the innovative control system that gives you some amazing control of the soccer ball as you kick your way to victory!   Click HERE to read the full review

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