Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 (PC) Review

Standing out is nothing that PES 2016 has to worry about. Beginning with the graphics online, it's a beautiful game. Players' facial features are very well detailed, accurately showing expressions, and they give a subtle, yet highly effective, connection to the characters. The beautifully lit stadium is cascaded with realistic lighting that accentuates the beautiful grass and fluid movement of the players. Graphically, PES 2016 is on point and is arguably the greatest facet of the entire experience.

As each match kicks off, a cut-scene runs through all the ceremonial introductions and pageantry. Watching this adds a nice feel of completion, but sometimes gamers just want to play. These introductions can't be skipped, which means there's no start up and get going. While these cut-scenes are in no way annoying, not being able to skip them just seems out of place in a game released in this day and age.

PES 2016 features excellent commentators, but the soundtrack is, well, 'odd.' It's excellent, but it feels like something right out of Tony Hawk or GTA. While the music is good, it feels fairly out of place. This is all well and good, but how is the gameplay? For lack of a better word: fantastic. While it is clearly designed with a controller in mind, the keyboard controls work fluidly, although if a player is not using a controller, keyboard controls will have to be figured out with trial and error. Nowhere in the game does it supply the keyboard alternatives to an Xbox controller, which, while being a huge pet peeve, is fairly easy to work around, thankfully.

Gameplay is as fluid as it is pretty. Manoeuvring around the field is almost effortless, with any gamer worth their salt being able to keep track of the ball on the field and ensure they have control of the right player at the right time. Dribbling, tackling, and shooting are easy to co-ordinate, and transitioning across the many team-mates on the field is incredibly simple. The feeling of movement, just with the arrow keys, is remarkably natural, although it feels a bit clunky when turning. This probably doesn't feel as clunky when using a controller, but it feels a bit like turning a tank when moving with the arrow keys.

When it's all said and done, PES 2016 is a great title with some rough edges. The menu system is very boxey and doesn't flow very well. The load times are just south of being obnoxiously long. All of this is secondary, and while it may impede immediate pleasure that cut-scenes must be watched, the long term is so much better. Even running the video with the lowest settings, it still looks beautiful. It's the perfect mixture of realistic graphics that never look too real.

Moreover, the shortcomings are minor, and will more so serve as a minor irritation than a game changer (no pun intended). PES 2016 maintains its momentum by being a gorgeous and easy to control arcade football experience. It sets itself apart not only from other football releases, but other sports titles in general. Konami has crafted something that is very easy to pick up and get lost in, and should be enjoyed as an excellent example of sports gaming.