Konami’s critically acclaimed series Pro Evolution Soccer has been around forever it seems. First released as “Goal Storm” way back in 1996, it has been locked in a head-to-head battle with EA Sports FIFA franchise for many years. A battle that has seen FIFA take the lead in recent years. The latest version, Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 has been widely heralded as a masterpiece. Konami hopes, with the release of two upcoming free updates, it will push PES 2017 ahead in terms of accuracy and graphics.
A statement on the Konami website details the improvements to be made with October’s 1.02 and November’s 1.03 updates.
“October’s 1.02 update will add a number of improved facial likenesses to players within the game… The October file will recognise over 39 players who have excelled in the early part of the season, and will offer photo-realistic reproductions.”
The team is also introducing new official boot styles, with the option of choosing which studs a player can wear, presumably with a noticeable effect on how the player moves and performs.
Update 1.03, coming in November and timed alongside Sony’s PlayStationPro, will introduce 4K resolution as well as making the game smoothly run at 60fps. These performance updates will be coupled with closer partnerships to two teams, Liverpool F.C. of England and Borussia Dortmund of Germany. They both are to have their stadiums, fan chants and match experience closely recreated. Liverpool’s iconic stadium, Anfield, which has recently undergone renovation, will be included. For the first time in a video game, it will feature the newly constructed stand, something that in the real world increases the capacity and the atmosphere within the stadium.
The video below, from YouTuber xCoffeeman, shows the “Evolution” of Pro Evolution Soccer throughout the years, up to the previous version in 2016.
PES 2017 may still have some work to do to wrestle control of the premier football *ahem* soccer title away from FIFA. They are still victim to EA’s stranglehold on many of the top teams’ licenses. This means that some teams and players within PES have false kits and names. It has been nearly a generation of gamers since PES was at the pinnacle in this duel. If it keeps upgrading it graphics and licensed content however, it may just begin to sneak ahead, thanks to its fluid and realistic game mechanics that, at one time, saw it be the most popular video game of the most popular team sport in the world.