Best PS4 PES (2015-2021)?

[Filippo-Inzaghi]

Hi all,

The new EA FC26 triggered me to miss playing on my playstation. Haven't touched it for years.

The thread in here made me (partially) accept, that a football som these days will forever have a hard time. Combined with two small kids, time is limited.

Instead I want to remove dust from one of the old versions. That leads me to the question. Which PES title did the best in the PS4 thread. I see ked myself, but couldn't find data on actual play time for each title. It seems PES2017 was one of the most played from my side.

Which title did best and why? Vote and if you want to explain in the thread here.

Sorry, if a thread like this already exists (then, please link)! Feel free to reference the FIFA series and explain which title YOU believe did the best in the ps4 generation.

I will personally use the votes to play the winning title from time to time. Have a great Sunday!

 

[H_G]

I would say the last ones, 2019 and 2020/2021

 

[FC Bayern]

I enjoyed and played a lot of 2020/21. I've voted for it as it seemed the most complete in terms of teams and stuff. But the AI for 2017 deserves a mention, a close second place definitely (just lacking the Scottish league for me)

 

[Chris Davies]

I've been wondering this exact thing, looking for a new football game fix.

I used to love PES 2017, but the AI gets someone sent off every match I play and it's so attack-heavy that it's just silly. It's one of my least favourites now.

I downloaded the PES 2019 demo on PS4 last night and I was really surprised at how fresh it felt, on Top Player too.

As Inter, the ball weight felt so right, transitions were well balanced, and it had those "special moments" I've been missing (I hit a hopeful through ball to create a 1-on-1 with the opposition defender and managed to outmuscle him just enough to force a shot off, which the keeper just diverted wide). Even the keepers feel great, sometimes palming a really hard shot into the net if they're poorly positioned.

But... I re-downloaded it on PC (Steam) with all the data packs etc. and it just didn't feel the same. The AI were turbo-ping-ponging it everywhere, no matter the team - pass accuracy super high as a result - and I was a bit crushed.

So I have two questions...

1) What's your favourite of this era and why?

2) Does gameplay feel different between PS4 and PC, or is it just the case that the final version of PES 2019 was different?

 

[SerieALegends]

2019 was less on rails, decent challenge,lighting and look was the best of those games but its issue was the CPU AI and its limited patterns otherwise its the best

2015 despite its flaws was probably the one for me that felt most like a football match because the AI could dominate possession and skin you alive dribbling

2021 is probably the best all rounder but for me it feels very stiff and linear and missing the random wow moments I like in my football games

2018 kinda like 2021's little brother same sort of feel but not as bad (but the dreaded AI chip ball was annoying)

2017 pretty solid all around no major flaws but arcade madness! at least PES was fun again which is why this game is remembered fondly


If I had to be stuck playing one of them forever I think I would go for 2015 so that got my vote

 

[NeoRetro]

I loved those 3 finals version (or one and a half regarding graphisms), But PES 2020 last official patch fucked up the ball physics, not only the Live Update issue for every player for us to buy the next version (Konami was already

When PES 2019 cames and to me, that was really the time that i stayed blocked on that version, i loved the changes they gaves, how they mastered finally Fox E., and yes it was fresher as it feeled like they introduced a new engine.
For me the second version after PES 2017. My favourite is Pes 2021 without discussion.

Now, where i PES 2021 can be stiff depending the way you play, but it can be really dynamic too : the issue is especially that practically ALL clubs got the same long range style of play, smaller club (so 95% of the game). That's the biggest issues of the games but to me : i won't say that it's the best football game i never played etc. but the one that maked me suffering to won a game.

I won't say that 2019 where easy or 2017, but i never really been cornered or humiliated by the AI, the level of difficulty, and i always felt it was my fault : i didn't do what you should when there's a counter attack or i was too agressive in attack than i opened space for the AI (whatever people said about the AI : in the higher difficulty of every PES yearly version the vision was pretty limited. It was the only one i could've lost to Antwerp with Inter Milan in superstar difficulty. But on ML it's a bit too hard so you got to tone down one leven above. The issue is that two level above, yes, the AI was a bit too dumb and attacked too rarely.

Now i don't understand that much the "stiff" part, it's looking and feeling more like football especially when the ground is bigger. It's just another purposal vision of realistic football game, and i really like the fact that the game could change the tempo from one game to another, and it's up to you to decide how. But that was already on PES 2019 so....

Then, since they added Tight Possession and Agression on stats, it was impossible to me to came back where dribbling was mixed with others stats to handle the tactical dribbling result, and Agression editable.... I can't play on a PES game without it, it's a bit like when they removed stats as they were auto-calculated by the engine for PES 2012 and 2013.

Now 2 big issues that suffers PES 2021 to me, no game could be perfect far from there:

-Tactics for approximatively 90% of teams where playing long ball/counter/defensively tight. It's a long work but with some information, at least for your ML league, you could edit the tactics and then you will get an astonishing AI but the difficulty will drop. They introduced Fluid Formation on 2015 version, and yes, even if the game was easier it was more tactical.

-I would said the introduction of transfermarkt values in ML / to me, it's a bit messing up the whole database values calculations. IF only, on PS4 (as a console players) you could've change it : it would have been pretty great.
But the total removal would have been an option too before starting a Master League, players values calculations was good before, why to change it?

-Now, regarding controls : i was in PES 2019 a big fan of R2 dribbling. The exchange with the right stick could have bring back a lot more of movement, but it wasn't the case unfortunately : perhaps 4 or 5 forgettable moves where possible. It's less natural than the button we were used to play with since PES 5, to dribble on face of the goal. @Chris Davies i got the exact same feeling when i retried a vanilla PES 2017 version. Scoring every time i shooted. Don't know if i played on -1 speed. And then some people said that we got rose teinted nostalgia glasses.... It's has never been my case personnaly.

 

[NeoRetro]

Sorry for the Double post, but i wanted to do a poll but i got no idea what to purpose as answers : It's about the pitch size (common to FIFA old glory as well as PES)

When there's an "pitch increasing" after a version, there's three option to make it looks like realistic in terms of balance and overall looking.
Or you increase inertia and make players overall more realistic (regarding stats of course) or you slow down the passing but keep the player agility and speed without ball for counter etc., even if it's not really realistic and keep the passing fast.

With a smaller pitch, you will got more encounter so more dynamism, like it was the case on old gens such as PS2, PS3 and PS4 until PES 2017.
We talked about PES 2019 to 2021 and they make the good compromise too me, while PES 2018 was a crash test. Fifa, to me, failed a bit on certain version (Fifa 15, 18) but was shining in V14 version : Ignite was there but the pitch wasn't already bigger. All felt more natural than in, sorry for the fan, the two following Ignite version such as Fifa 15 and 16. Even if to me, Fifa 15 is an atrocity in comparison to the 16, even if i ain't a fan of the floaty version. BUT there's a version lookalike who keept the Impact Engine with Fifa 16 gameplay : i sincerely recommand you to test it : i tried it as there was a PS3 Fifa 16 patch season 2025 here make by a cuban team :



The download link is on 2 section above. Try it with RCPS3 you won't regret it! Only big issue is that all is in spanish. But i place easily that version on par with FIFA 13 and 14 NG version. I tried both version one after the other, and (it's up to me) i honestly found that version more fun, less floaty and easy to score, at this point i didn't through it was possible to make a discovery such as that pretty big hidden gem :

https://sites.google.com/view/im-virusmike-exe/ps3-all-you-need/ps3-modded-gamesretexture

PS don't try the EA FC 25 patch based on Fifa 19 as it's the last version out on PS3, awful in comparison + tons of slowdowns.

 

[robbieryan]

At the time it was PES 2017 and I played it a lot and it was very refreshing. It felt like an obvious iteration of 2015 and 2016 which was obviously a fresh take on the game after the failure (commercially) of PES2014. The AI playstyles were slightly more varied and especially on manual the ball and players felt more free than they have for a long time. The problem is, as with most football games of this era, the enjoyment came with a personal caveat that it needed to improve in certain areas for the next versions and for me I don't think it did improve in the way I was hoping. Going back to it I can feel the limitations that I previously gave a pass to and to be honest it's the same going back and playing any previous PES game and why I'll never be able to try and sort that fix out by doing so.

 

[oldbox]

In the form without mods, PES 2019 is best.

 

[Hayes]

One thing for sure, any sane person will never choose pes 2016. That game is atrocious

 

[FC Bayern]

The voting is absolutely correct. 2020/21, 2019 & 2017 are definitely the top three

 

[VierGraustufen]

(All versions refer to a PC with very good hardware and a 2K screen)

What I never understood in PES 2019 is that defending is really fun. This is not possible in PES 2018 because switching to the next player is really bad. Even in 2014-2017, defending is really bad compared to PES 2019.

The strengths of PES 2019 are simply that it reacts faster than PES 2020 and PES 2021, which are too sluggish. In PES 2019, it's just fun to create the necessary space or time to then play the pass; you have to work for it with football logic from the first touch to the timing.

In short, in PES 2019, defending is just as much fun as attacking.

Those who play Master League at world class level will find it easier after 2-4 seasons because team chemistry makes the game easy. That's how I led the poor Swiss team Neuchatel Xamax to the championship title, cup victory and the semi-finals of the Champions League. (I think top teams would have more money for really good players).

In general, I find PES 2019 extremely underrated in the PES community.

Everyone plays what they like, and our love of football unites us.

 

[subtra3t]

(All versions refer to a PC with very good hardware and a 2K screen)

What I never understood in PES 2019 is that defending is really fun. This is not possible in PES 2018 because switching to the next player is really bad. Even in 2014-2017, defending is really bad compared to PES 2019.

The strengths of PES 2019 are simply that it reacts faster than PES 2020 and PES 2021, which are too sluggish. In PES 2019, it's just fun to create the necessary space or time to then play the pass; you have to work for it with football logic from the first touch to the timing.

In short, in PES 2019, defending is just as much fun as attacking.

Those who play Master League at world class level will find it easier after 2-4 seasons because team chemistry makes the game easy. That's how I led the poor Swiss team Neuchatel Xamax to the championship title, cup victory and the semi-finals of the Champions League. (I think top teams would have more money for really good players).

In general, I find PES 2019 extremely underrated in the PES community.

Everyone plays what they like, and our love of football unites us.

I found player switching and everything else in general to be extremely responsive in PES 18.

Honestly I kind of found defending fun in all the PES 17/18/19 games. Because of the sluggishness it's horrible in 21 but those 3 games were still very responsive.

I do agree with you in that PES 19 is very underrated. In my opinion it's far superior to 21 (never tried 20), and I just wish it was modded more.

 

[simogto90]

Am i the only one who prefer 2020 over 2021?
I feel there is more midfield while 2021 has too much open spaces.

 

[VierGraustufen]

I just played another match in PES 2020 and lost 0-1 after 120 minutes of extra time. And that's exactly my problem with PES 2020 & PES 2021: the games are not designed for 5-6 minute matches at superstar level because there are too few goals. Time often runs out. In PES 2019, I can play 10-minute matches and score several goals on World Class depending on the match, or sometimes just play 1-0.

I'm going to play PES 2021 again now.

Edit:
I won 3-0 in PES 2021 with the same teams. The difference to PES 2020 is that the players react faster and don't weigh as much. Darum bevorzuge ich PES 2021.

 

[rockstrongo]

Being mostly on console, ive prefered PES 20 over 21, plays a bit better to me, reactions much faster vs 21.
Used to love PES 15 when it came out, having a hard time playing it now though.
If Pes 16 had the goalkeepers of Pes 17 it would have been a great game.
Pes 19s look and feel is unmatched, though the one way attacking from the cpu when playing ML is a gamebreaker for me, different story when playin exhibition/league mode.
I always return to Pes 17 when wanting to play Pes nowadays, even though my Pes 19 league mode career is brilliant.
This is all based on console gaming

 

[subtra3t]

Being mostly on console, ive prefered PES 20 over 21, plays a bit better to me, reactions much faster vs 21.
Used to love PES 15 when it came out, having a hard time playing it now though.
If Pes 16 had the goalkeepers of Pes 17 it would have been a great game.
Pes 19s look and feel is unmatched, though the one way attacking from the cpu when playing ML is a gamebreaker for me, different story when playin exhibition/league mode.
I always return to Pes 17 when wanting to play Pes nowadays, even though my Pes 19 league mode career is brilliant.
This is all based on console gaming

I went back to PES 15 a few months ago and I really liked it, the pace felt artificially slow and headers were broken though. PES 16 felt superior in everyway except that it's completely unplayable as a game because of the goalkeepers.

I think if you put PES 17's goalkeepers into 16 it would be the best PES ever probably, 16 had amazing ball physics, apart from the keepers it was perfect.

 

[rockstrongo]

I went back to PES 15 a few months ago and I really liked it, the pace felt artificially slow and headers were broken though. PES 16 felt superior in everyway except that it's completely unplayable as a game because of the goalkeepers.

I think if you put PES 17's goalkeepers into 16 it would be the best PES ever probably, 16 had amazing ball physics, apart from the keepers it was perfect.

Youre absolutely right, brilliant game, but gks broke it, plays extremely well
Cant figure out why the rekeased it that way, or didnt update the keepers.

 

[NeoRetro]

One thing for sure, any sane person will never choose pes 2016. That game is atrocious

Worst version since... No, worst version of any PES and that's all.
Agree with @robbieryan i didn't hated 2015 but was pretty average and shoot all straight/seems all the same + the fact that the keeper was blocked by i don't know why when you shooted from, let's say the Penalty area.
The thing is i hated Fifa 15 as like PES 2016 i scored a lot from any lenght or position. But from what i've heard it was very sensitive to sliders, probably the Ignite engine no?
FIFA 16 i already talked about it so it was a Fifa year's 10 years ago. Now Fifa 17 corrected all that was messed up in the first 2 version where all keeper where unreactively brainless, and shooting was satisfying (we complained a lot about it).

PES 2018 i don't know why it's so high praised here for a game without referee at all, challenge, inertia on a bigger pitch, faster etc. Big disappointement after PES 2017. They introduced PES 2019 graphisms and animations but not the physical engine neither tactical. It was the same dribbling as PES 2017 but it was harder to pass a man as the pitch fits to it. But on a bigger size.....

Means that you get too much space to dribble, and the match was liket attack/defense all the time with very few ball loss until somoene tempted a shoot. So yes when i got PES 2019 i opened a champagne bottle after one hour playing it. All the realism in 10-12 minutes i wanted, my vision of a new football game was IN.

Edit: About the famous "reactivity" to me it was fresher having a wayyy better physical real engine when you accel/decelerate. It's not lag like in PES 2014, and i don't want upper reactivity neither if it mess up too much with reality. PES 2018 was that kind of game, PES 2015 wasn't that weightless.
But it a matter of preference i should say : i prefers realistic pace movement even if it's tend to make the gameplay lless reactive than the opposite.

Looks how games upper reactive with a bigger pitch aren't balanced without realistic movement pace, Fifa versions like 19-20-21 (i won't talk about all Hypermotion versions i felt like cheating to won a debate lol) and what i explained how it was to me a PES 2018 session too.
Ah yes, i don't hate PES 2020 but there's less challenge, physical and animations algorithms and variety than on PES 2021. You noticed his differences which are for you a strong point for your preferences.
Now you should try to get if you're on PC the official patch BEFORE the latest, the one frozen all the players to be edited : to me it became WTF to play honestly, ball physics became too weird. Without that i would replay that game aswell like i do with PES 19.

 

[Kopite1990]

I have definitely enjoyed PES21 the most, but it is hard to judge as I think that is hugely skewed by the lack of alternatives in the last 5 years.

I still believe it is a great game and I still go back to it now for my main football fix. However it is hard to say how it would stack up against other titles had EA and Konami been more competent over the past few years.

 

[SP83]

Difficult one this.

I've sunk a lot of hours into all these games. I've been experimenting the last few weeks and 20 & 21 are deffo missing a bit of 'something' that the other 3 bring.

I was leaning towards 19. I updated it a bit, was trying stuff out in friendlies then started to see the AI could basically decide to score when they wanted. I conceded a goal vs a 1 star team, playing as Bayern, and it was literally 1 touch passing and unreal movement. It put me off a bit.

17 is a brilliant game but after playing newer titles, the passing feels a bit 'rigid'. By that, I mean if you play 18 onwards, there is a bit of curve to a standard pass or when you switch play, 17 it seems to just go in a straight line.

So, I've given 18 a good thrashing this last week. Played all different types of matches, edited players etc... I've enjoyed it so much that I decided to edit Villa, team I support, to their current squad and start a ML tonight.

It's not perfect and lacking stuff other games have but for passing, dribbling 👌 and action, it delivers what I want. I've had some great moments on it recently, scored some lovely goals and the biggest thing for me is STATS MATTER. I made McGinn and gave him high strength on the ball. He can back into players like he does in real life, spin and off he goes. Had a great move last night where I invited the pressure, played a ball into him, he held it up, span and clipped it forward and I was away on the break.

I've added in a few missing players and trawled through the database to improve certain players who we know come good in the years since this game came out.

Looking forward to getting cracking later, I'm gonna put Villa into the Championship but with the squad we got, even with low TS, I should destroy it.

 

[subtra3t]

Difficult one this.

I've sunk a lot of hours into all these games. I've been experimenting the last few weeks and 20 & 21 are deffo missing a bit of 'something' that the other 3 bring.

I was leaning towards 19. I updated it a bit, was trying stuff out in friendlies then started to see the AI could basically decide to score when they wanted. I conceded a goal vs a 1 star team, playing as Bayern, and it was literally 1 touch passing and unreal movement. It put me off a bit.

17 is a brilliant game but after playing newer titles, the passing feels a bit 'rigid'. By that, I mean if you play 18 onwards, there is a bit of curve to a standard pass or when you switch play, 17 it seems to just go in a straight line.

So, I've given 18 a good thrashing this last week. Played all different types of matches, edited players etc... I've enjoyed it so much that I decided to edit Villa, team I support, to their current squad and start a ML tonight.

It's not perfect and lacking stuff other games have but for passing, dribbling 👌 and action, it delivers what I want. I've had some great moments on it recently, scored some lovely goals and the biggest thing for me is STATS MATTER. I made McGinn and gave him high strength on the ball. He can back into players like he does in real life, spin and off he goes. Had a great move last night where I invited the pressure, played a ball into him, he held it up, span and clipped it forward and I was away on the break.

I've added in a few missing players and trawled through the database to improve certain players who we know come good in the years since this game came out.

Looking forward to getting cracking later, I'm gonna put Villa into the Championship but with the squad we got, even with low TS, I should destroy it.

If you're on PC you can download the hano patch to get updated squads and kits for all teams.

 

[SP83]

If you're on PC you can download the hano patch to get updated squads and kits for all teams.

I'm on console, I know the PC stuff is more updated but I'll make do.

I have used SiuMings Ted editor tool for PES21 before and he's hinted it might work with older titles soon, so if that happens it'll make editing a lot easier for older games.

 

[Stijnisdruk]

I'm leaning towards PES 2017 being the best PES on PS4. Because of its AI it has the most replay value for single player modes I think.

But when it comes to modes, Random Selection mode entered in PES 2018 I believe and gameplay wise I also like PES 2019, especially for human vs human couch play. The AI in PES 2019 becomes very repetitive after a while, but after periodes of time in which I've been playing FIFA 23 and FC 25 on PS4, PES 2019's gameplay feels like a breath of fresh air.

I haven't played PES 2020/2021 for a while now, but when comparing PES 2021 with PES 2019 about a year ago, I definitely preferred PES 2019.

The most nostalgic one for me however is PES 2016. Playing them now, the games that came after it are better football games in many ways, but back then I truly felt PES 2016 was a great game. I don't think I've had as much fun with a new PES-game on PS4 as during that season. Even with malfunctioning goalkeepers the scorelines are more realistic than in EA's current games.

The one that dissapointed me the most was probably PES 2018. After PES 2017 it felt like a step back when playing the AI. Also the online beta felt like a much better game online than the final game. And I couldn't stand the backheel passes in that game.

 

[Madmac79]

In my humble opinion:

not a fan of 15 and 16, I won't go in depth but I found them both fundamentally broken (not only for the GK in 16). It's a true shame as in terms of AI, looks and feel they have some unquantifiable unexpressed potential, but I personally just can't play them no matter what.

17 has the most human AI, as an "enviroment" (I often use this term as a combination of how ball physics, player movement, dribbling, etc. are in general as a whole) it's more than ok and corrected all I didn't like of 15 and 16, but in this it's of course inferior to what came after (at least to 19/20/21). OVerall I'm a very big fan anyway (what I could give to transpose these same AI on one of them other three!).

18 is a fun chapter overall but it's too much on the fast side and there is not enough physicality to me. Personally I think that with the robotization of the AI, that started mostly with this chapter, all Pes from this onwards are way more "meta" than the past (in the sense that I feel like I'm playing more to beat the game at his own terms than to make football - if it makes any sense. All football games are somehow "meta" of course, but some leans more to it than others.. which can still be fun, anyway), and 18 is the more "meta" of them all.

About 19.. I hated it at the times, as when it came out AI was absolutely cursed, knowing just a single way to attack (the low cross) and sometimes even refusing to score. Today, with a nice DT18/the patches they did later/the fact we are effectively forced to stay with these same games forever so many of us spend way more time exploring it made rediscover this edition and oh man, it's incredibly fun, on the ball is the perfect compromise between fast 18 and slow 20/21, moving players around an absolute, plausible pleasure. I'm even able to notice more stats difference between agile players and slow, clunky ones. A truly pleasant surprise.

20/21 I'm also a great fan, played way more 21 and I think there is little to be said about it. I don't remember all those differences with 20 so I'm curious to do a long term save there to eventually.

So, in short.. can't pick one, and I suggest you to do same! They all have big differences and can be enjoyed in different times.

I have definitely enjoyed PES21 the most, but it is hard to judge as I think that is hugely skewed by the lack of alternatives in the last 5 years.

I still believe it is a great game and I still go back to it now for my main football fix. However it is hard to say how it would stack up against other titles had EA and Konami been more competent over the past few years.

It's a great truth. Most of the games I've enjoyed in those last years, like not a brief game or two but ending up doing match after match for multiple seasons were titles like Fifa 19 or the same Pes 21 (or Pes 19 currently) that I played very little or even despised on release.. had publishers went on producing games without massive, unsustainable gaps (like EA) or basically without single player (like e-football) I wouldn't probably have really retried any of those ones.

Don't know if it feels more disapponting for the current state of things or more of an upside since many of those titles clearly had way more hidden value than the one loaded with hype and judgement we could appreciate in the brief season they were the "new" thing.

 

[Chris Davies]

About 19.. I hated it at the times, as when it came out AI was absolutely cursed, knowing just a single way to attack (the low cross) and sometimes even refusing to score. Today, with a nice DT18/the patches they did later/the fact we are effectively forced to stay with these same games forever so many of us spend way more time exploring it made rediscover this edition and oh man, it's incredibly fun, on the ball is the perfect compromise between fast 18 and slow 20/21, moving players around an absolute, plausible pleasure. I'm even able to notice more stats difference between agile players and slow, clunky ones. A truly pleasant surprise.

I have to ask sorry - I've been through your post history trying to find out without mithering you to post your mod list etc., but I can't find it...

What DT18 and what patches are you using?

 

[cleanslate]

My vote would go to PES 2017. But if I could, I'd have voted for PES 2018 too. 3rd perhaps PES 2015 because of my memories playing it, it was so chaotic that it was fun, and honestly considering my experience with FIFA 15 - I didnt end up feeling pissed or yearning for ultra simulation because there are other games made by them for that purpose. So seeing them sort of in a similar vein is something I really liked

I felt with 2015, it was one of those years where both EA / Konami got either close to each other or went in the same direction. Both games were fast.

Other examples of both games "getting it right" imo are PES/FIFA 11, PES/FIFA 17

 

[Madmac79]

I have to ask sorry - I've been through your post history trying to find out without mithering you to post your mod list etc., but I can't find it...

What DT18 and what patches are you using?

Hi Chris, no problem! The DT18 I'm using is this one @millossobek reported: https://evoweb.uk/threads/pes-2019-discussion-thread-pc.79091/page-80#post-4203685 (it's in the @incas36 gameplay collection)

With this DT18 I've had CPU using long shots and high crosses consistently (other than a very nice amount of fouls and an over aggressive AI - maybe a bit too much, but I like it). I've settled for this but I think there are a lot of other valid ones in the thread, between Incas collection and @Sany023 's zip (will probably try them too at some point). Of course, it goes without saying, don't expect miracles - the AI as a base does always have that "robotic" touch that it's quite distinguishable at this point of the saga no matter the Dt18 you try, but the experience from vanilla to me it's way improved anyway.

As for the patches, I probably expressed myself poorly, I meant Konami's official updates. I remember AI wise the game was in a much worse state in the first months (as I wrote above), then somewhere in the beginning of 2019 it came out a patch that fixed at least the more blatant stuff.

 

[millossobek]

I only play on PC (with and without mods), so I can only speak about the PC versions, but here's my rundown..

For a long time, PES 2017 has been my favorite of the entire generation. It's the PES where I played my longest Master League (Reggina) in both Top Player and Superstar, and I really enjoyed it.. I played with Smoke Patch, some face packs, and other stuff, and in my view, it is the one that has the best Superstar level, the most balanced, and the best "vanilla" experience out of the entire bunch. I used to play with these gameplay mods, but I have since reverted to Vanilla gameplay, as I believe it is the most balanced in Superstar. I can't quite put my finger on it, but games seem very dynamic, with great CPU intelligence, varied attacks, and it just gives me that "next match feeling".. Just an overall brilliant, balanced game in my opinion that always leaves me wanting to continue my campaigns.

PES 2021 is a solid title for me out of the box, but what gives it that extra bonus is the sheer variety of mods it has. Not only gameplay, but everything from boots, banners, commentary files, and other add-ons. The only good thing about Konami going the sad "efootball" route is that PES 2021 has been continually modded and the community I think will continue to be very strong for a long time. I think dribbling in general is better in PES 2019, but it is the sheer customization options of PES 2021 that gives it the edge. And I find the Vanilla .exe quite enjoyable as well (especially with Soccer Game CPK by Sensei @Holland, which doesn't change anything from the actual gameplay, but addresses momentum issues). Overall, for PC, 2021 offers the most options..

PES 2019 is a surprise. When I first played it, I was completely unaware of the gameplay modding community, and only played Vanilla.. and it was incredibly frustrating to me.. I would be, for example, playing with Estudiantes de la Plata vs a much weaker Argentinean team, winning 2-0 comfortably in the 75th minute, and then my opponent would go absolutely insane and score 3 goals in the last 15 minutes. Time after time.. I think I "rage quit" PES 2019 more times than any other game I've played..... BUT this, like @Madmac79 mentions, is BEFORE gameplay mods. Now I am using the dt18 linked above by Mac, and also have tried THIS ONE (which is an edited version of a @*Supernova* gameplay), and "Professional Gameplay Mod, again by Master Incas (the last two are designed to be played in Professional, as for the reduction of the momentum).. That being said, PES 2019 is an absolutely beautifully designed game IMO. The best looking out of the entire generation, with smooth dribbling, great lighting, and overall feeling. It is definitely moving up my list.

PES 2018 isn't enjoyable for me without gameplay mods (because I find the defenses to be very flawed and passive), but WITH gameplay mods, it's a completely different experience for me. This is one I've used which fixes the tackling issue. I wouldn't rate it as highly as PES 2017 or 21, but it's a good game with nice atmosphere.

PES 2015 and 2016 for me, are in a way, the most flawed titles. I know that @slamsoze calls PES 2016 "the people's football game" and in some ways, it is a good game (it has Copa Sudamericana, just like 14, and 15, which is a major addition), but the goalkeepers.... Oh man, the goalkeepers.. I even started a thread which tries to address this issue, changing stats, trying out different gameplay mod combinations, but I think the gk flaw is pretty much unfixable (I tried giving all goalkeepers "offensive goalkeepers" as well), unless you want to give them all 99 rating (and therefore break Master League).. And 2015, there is one flaw which I have mentioned quite a few times in the forum, and it's the inflated scores issue in Master League for any games over 10 minutes.. which is pretty much a dealbreaker for me (6-4, 5-3 scores, etc for CPU simulated games).. It's a shame because PES 2015 actually has enjoyable gameplay, but for me, who plays 90% Master League, this is a major flaw.

So anyway, my two cents.

 

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PES 2019 is an absolutely beautifully designed game IMO. The best looking out of the entire generation, with smooth dribbling, great lighting, and overall feeling.

Always thought that. The grass in PES 2019 is basically my dream pitch in a football game. Lighting too as you say

FIFA 15/16 also has good grass I guess, FIFA 16 especially, when you play under the rain at Stamford Bridge. The stuff that happens in gameplay with it too is so great, the ball's speed reducing, tackles and collisions when you run towards / with the ball due to the rain... it's unbeatable.

PES 2011 is probably one of the better looking games in PES series as far as the colour gradient / grass goes and its aged not too bad. I don't like PES 2020/21s colours. Gives me a bit of a headache. PES 2018 feels too similar to 2017 which looks decent but nothing more nothing less