A couple of years ago it was announced that in Britain, FIFA series is outselling PES 25:1, and in many other countries, the numbers are not much better. Even in the golden days of PES, about 15 years ago, FIFA was still selling better thanks to its licenses, but the difference wasn’t nearly as high. Gamers opinions are divided, to the point that both games are called both arcade and realistic simulations, depending on who you might ask. There is no arguing that FIFA is currently at the top, mostly because of two things: marketing budget and licenses. EA Sports has giant campaigns every year, while a smaller company like Konami can’t afford something like that. As for the licenses, FIFA already has over 30 leagues, including even lower division which is excellent for career mode. Take control of Port Vale in League 2 and try to make to Premier League, and European cups, while building your squad and developing players. While PES also acquired lots of leagues for PES 2019, there is no such depth there. Plus, Bundesliga, Premier League, and even Spanish La Liga are FIFA exclusives.
In some cases, license forbids Konami to include even fake leagues, like the case with Bundesliga. Instead, players can use an editor to build leagues, players and teams, and share it, at least if you are playing on PC or PS4 since that’s impossible on Xbox One. We already said so much about licenses, but that is the main reason why we can already conclude that FIFA will again be the choice for most of the players.
That is why the new edition of PES (oddly named EFootball Pro Evolution Soccer 2020) will once again focus on the gameplay, going for the higher level of realism than it’s rival. To many, PES is already ahead, thanks to player individuality. Stars like Ronaldo, Messi, or Neymar have their traits, so it’s easy to recognize them on the field. FIFA lacks that kind of personality, so there is nothing unique to the player. The same thing happens when it comes to the way teams play. While in FIFA all clubs play almost the same, in PES you’ll have to adjust your tactics for specific games. FIFA is doing much better when it comes to the player collision. While PES made improvements in the last couple of years, it’s still a step behind its rival. FIFA is also doing much better with a goalkeeper AI. They act realistically, while in Konami’s game, you’ll still occasionally be frustrated. Your goalie will make a horrible mistake or act like an amateur, covering the wrong angle. So, should you pick PES or FIFA this year? It’s like choosing between best adult games because it all depends on what you want from the association football game. If you already have your favorite, then you can stick with it as this won’t be the year of significant changes. Developers are focusing on next-gen consoles that are coming in 2020, so the exciting times are coming.
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