The World Cup is winding down, but there’s still a lot more soccer to look forward to in 2014, including the release of Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2015. Scheduled for release this Fall, and in development for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One, Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 will be the first game in the series to use Hideo Kojima’s Fox Engine.
With a new engine comes a new desire to rework the game from the ground up and, in the months ahead, Konami plans to reveal new details about Pro Evolution Soccer 2015’s commitment to “game presentation, ball physics tied to weather conditions, new leagues, a revolutionary role control system, enhanced player and stadium edit modes, online systems and cheating technology, plus talk about improvements to existing modes such as Master League and Become A Legend.”
But for now, hit the jump to get a full rundown on the the on-field improvements Konami has planned for Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 and the benefits of the Fox Engine
On the field, Konami wants to focus on shooting and goalkeeping mechanics:
Excitement of Goals: A new shooting system allows a variety of unrestricted shooting styles with precise control over the direction and power of all strikes. Countering enhanced attacking options, goal keepers intuitively close angles and are capable of an incredible number of ways to react to any situation, including altering center of gravity.
Final Pass: Likewise, passing options available to players when delivering a final pass have been expanded, allowing for little knock-ons or searing low passes that use new physics routines to ensure the ball behaves realistically across every situation, providing unique and differing outcomes decided by user actions.
1 on 1: The final key element that has been totally reworked centers around the degree of close control on offer. Positioning is vital, but the ability to dribble into space and beat your marker is now hugely improved and opens up PES 2015 as the definitive on-field experience.
Incredible Response Times: Lightning fast controls allow users to instinctively react to every movement when the ball is in play.
Full Pitch AI: The game engine now features AI that is constantly adjusted covering everything that develops on the pitch, resulting in players making runs, finding space and marking opponents even when off the screen.
Closest Control: Take on defenders using each player’s bespoke dribbling skills, as opposed to relying on “trick” moves. New skills include jinking runs, responsive sprints and incorporating a much wider range of pace – from walking to sprinting.
Case for Defense: Users have complete control over when to close down, tackle, or hold up play. Successful defending is based entirely on the decisions the user makes.
The power of the Fox Engine will give all of these on-field features a boost thanks to a more realistic presentation:
Behavioural Patterns: PES 2015 now boasts a huge array of players that both look and play like their real-life counterparts. Konami has faithfully recreated over 1,000 players this year, with bespoke animations and playing styles across its extensive player roster. They run like they should, play the way they do in real life, and react emotionally as they would to fouls, goals or referee decisions – with their frame of mind actually affecting how they play!
Poetry in Motion: The individuality of the players is further enhanced with seamless animations. No sacrifice to animation has been made in the pursuit of fast response, yet the movements flow effortlessly calculated in real-time and dependent on the player’s position in relation to the ball and its speed.
Bring the Noise: PES 2015 mirrors the atmosphere of a top-flight match. The crowd animations have been hugely enhanced, and the ebb and flow of a match is met with context-sensitive crowd effects and movements.
Let There Be Light: Real-time lighting is used across the entire stadium, with the enhanced visuals bathed in the changing light of a changeable day or the stark glare of the floodlights at a night match.
And speaking of realism, Konami’s PES ID system returns to give players a real-life approximation of their favorite soccer stars:
PES ID: Teams will be set up to play as they do in real-life, while their star players will work within this framework, but will be instantly recognisable via their runs and playing styles. The world’s greatest teams will not only move and find space like they would in real life, they will also defend or attack like them automatically.
Balance of Play: Teams will automatically adopt their real-life counterparts’ game plan, whether it is counter-attacking, out wide, or defensively minded.
Realistic Abilities: While the world’s greatest players are indeed capable of moments of incredible skill, PES 2015 focuses on their abilities as a player and not their flicks and tricks. Beating a man using pace and close control is key to attacking play, and only those that can will get away with rainbow flicks. And, even then, not every time…
All of these improvements are great, but Konami also plans to bring plenty of “Key Additions” to Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 as well:
MyClub: Extensive Master League Online overhaul allows players and managers to be added using accumulated GP or via micro-transactions within club dealings. Agents now used to meet player requirement criteria, while unhappy players can upset the balance of a side to detrimental effect. Extends to offline play.
Live Updates: Weekly data updates constantly adjust transfers and team line-ups in English, French, Italian, Spanish and Brazilian leagues. Player data is also updated based on current performances every week, so if a player is on a goal-scoring streak, his stats will be boosted accordingly in the update. Applied to all online modes and optional within single-player mode.
Accurate Player Stats: The player parameter system for PES has been completely rebuilt, working with key community sites across the globe to create the most realistic player stats database.
Adaptable Match Environments: Does your opponent prefer to play a passing game? Then tell the groundsman not to cut the grass so short. Or have it watered to speed up your team’s passing play. You can tailor any part of your stadia to suit your bespoke needs.
OK, that’s everything we know about Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 (for now). Go back to watching the World Cup!
