PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2019
- August 29, 2018
- Konami Digital Entertainment
- 14h median play time
PES 2019 is the next big thing in soccer simulation; possibly, the greatest way a soccer game is presented thus far.
Get on SteamPRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2019 is a soccer simulation game with improved player models and animations for a more realistic experience. The game features enhanced ball physics and improved AI for a challenging and immersive gameplay. With licensed partnerships, players can experience improved graphics and realistic player movements for a more authentic soccer experience.
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Cloud
NVIDIA GeForce NOW
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The gameplay is highly realistic and enjoyable, providing a true football simulation experience.
- Graphics and animations have improved significantly, making the game visually appealing.
- Master League mode offers depth and customization, allowing players to engage in a detailed management experience.
- Online connectivity issues persist, with many players unable to log in or experiencing frequent disconnections.
- The AI behavior is often unrealistic, leading to frustrating gameplay where players may not respond as expected.
- Lack of licenses for major leagues and teams detracts from the overall experience, requiring patches for a more authentic feel.
- gameplay303 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of PES 2019 has received mixed reviews, with many praising its realism, fluid mechanics, and improved ball physics, making it a strong competitor against FIFA. However, players have expressed frustration with AI behavior, online connectivity issues, and inconsistent mechanics that detract from the overall experience. While some find the gameplay enjoyable and challenging, others criticize it for being glitchy and lacking necessary improvements, particularly in online modes.
“The gameplay is fantastic.”
“Great gameplay and graphics but broken online.”
“The minute to minute gameplay is phenomenal and blows FIFA out of the water.”
“It feels like game designers only care about microtransactions and ways to make more money off the same game instead of actually improving the gameplay.”
“If you're thinking of buying this game, don't save your money. The AI in this game is by far the worst; it can't pass or help you. The mechanics are even worse, as your running slows down while the AI becomes god-like in speed and accuracy. Setting up good plays is almost impossible.”
“Poor gameplay, poor game mechanics, freezes between throw-ins, free kicks, goal kicks, changing halves; it's just awful.”
- graphics130 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game receive high praise for their impressive quality, realism, and attention to detail, particularly in player models and animations. Many users highlight the stunning visuals, especially in 4K HDR, and note that the graphics surpass those of competitors like FIFA. However, some criticisms arise regarding inconsistencies, lighting issues, and a lack of significant improvements over previous iterations.
“I came back to PES after too many years to count (10? more or less) and I was simply stunned by its impressive graphics department and by how enjoyable the general flow and pace of a match is.”
“The graphics on 4K HDR are stellar.”
“Stunning graphics & gameplay (the pace, numerous natural player animations), you feel like it's a real match when spectating someone playing in real life.”
“Poor graphics, strange lighting, clunky controls, unrealistic movements.”
“Still the same crappy hair, face, and facial hair visuals for create a player, and I mean crappy... I got better looking of these things in The Sims 2 and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.”
“Picking up nine more minor league licenses is a consolation, but now that football games have reached a point of extreme high fidelity, with lifelike player models and animations, the fickle issues of its lack of aesthetic consistency is more jarring than ever.”
- stability14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 57 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is mixed, with some users praising smooth performance and lack of major glitches, while others report significant issues such as freezing during key gameplay moments and various AI glitches. Overall, while the game runs well for many, there are notable stability concerns that detract from the experience.
“Awesome controls, new skills, graphics, no glitches.”
“Game runs great.”
“Game runs great.”
“Poor gameplay, poor game mechanics, freezes between throw-ins, free kicks, goal kicks, changing halves; it's just awful.”
“Well... except the glitches that occur sometimes.”
“Lots of small glitches on the pitch.”
- music14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 57 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users describing it as boring and uninspiring, particularly for a dynamic sport like football. While some note that the soundtrack is an improvement over the previous year, the overall sentiment is that it lacks energizing and motivating tracks, failing to enhance the gaming experience.
“I'd also like to say that the soundtrack is much, much better than last year's!”
“Let's also not forget about the music.”
“You would think that the music for a dynamic sport game such as football would be energizing and motivating, but the PES team has other plans.”
“Music this year is horrible, not even a single song is decent.”
“I remember the PES 2016 soundtrack being a spirit booster; now it sucks!”
- story12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is criticized for lacking depth and variety, with players expressing a desire for a dedicated story mode similar to FIFA. The current gameplay, particularly in "my club," is seen as underwhelming, with poor AI performance detracting from the experience. Overall, the absence of engaging narrative elements and additional modes leaves players feeling disappointed.
“It would be cool if it had a story mode like in FIFA.”
“Online play is poor; the 'story' gameplay with 'My Club' isn't great.”
“PES doesn't have extra modes like FIFA, such as story or survival mode coming this year.”
“After a long day of work, it turns out that you don't have much time to keep up with story mode.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, with players reporting poor performance even on high-end systems, such as the GTX 1080 Ti and Core i7 7700. Common complaints include stuttering, gameplay bugs, and inconsistent server performance, leading to an overall unsatisfactory experience.
“Also the performance of those servers, once you are connected, differs a lot.”
“When you do get to play, you're met with a whole host of gameplay bugs, sound issues where commentary is too low, and stuttering issues.”
“Aside from server connection issues, I've suffered from micro stuttering with a PC that is more than capable of running this game at its highest settings.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, particularly noting that the farming speed in MyClub has been significantly slowed since the 2020 release, making their efforts feel futile. This has led to dissatisfaction with the overall experience, as players feel their hard work is undermined by the game's mechanics and the company's perceived decline in quality.
“Since the release of 2020, they slowed our farming speed in MyClub. The match game speed settings are very fast in the menu, but very slow during the match.”
“All your 'hard work' farming players and scoring goals just gets thrown out the window because Konami continues to be the disappointing company it has become in the past few years.”
“The lack of top-level league licenses is frustrating; commentary is disjointed and tedious.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find humor in the creative nicknames fans assign to their favorite players, often reflecting regional and national identities. Additionally, the exaggerated challenges on "Legend" difficulty, where opponents display comically unrealistic speed and precision, add a layer of absurdity to the gameplay experience.
“Legend difficulty is undefeatable since opponent players always run faster than yours and tackle the ball with hilarious accuracy.”
“Nicknames I just find funny, as fans might give their favorite players nicknames during a season, and they are often connected with what part of the world your club is located in, what country it's located in, and the nationality of the player.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is significantly hindered by numerous minor bugs, such as issues with player indicators and lag during online play, which detract from the overall experience. However, the atmospheric sounds and commentary are generally well-received, providing a decent auditory backdrop.
“Atmospheric sounds are good, commentary is fine.”
“There are many minor bugs like unknown problems in changing player indicator, eccentric goalkeepers, low cross is unbeatable, constant lagging online, and many others which destroy the atmosphere of the game and generally the experience (and your mood).”
- monetization3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that players are frustrated with Konami's monetization practices, particularly regarding misleading advertising and the presence of microtransactions in the myClub mode, where real money can be spent.
“The monetization model is fair and doesn't force you to spend money to enjoy the game.”
“I appreciate that the game offers a variety of ways to earn in-game currency without having to spend real money.”
“The microtransactions are optional and don't impact the overall gameplay experience.”
“How Konami can get away with advertising something that's not there is just shocking.”
“Microtransactions: you can spend real money within MyClub.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express a deep sense of disappointment and sadness regarding the game's decline, highlighting a strong emotional connection to its former greatness. The repetitive nature of the sentiment underscores a collective feeling of heartbreak among players.
Critic Reviews
PES 2019 Review – PS4
PES 2019 is by far and away the best football sim money can buy, boasting an enviable level of depth and authenticity FIFA simply can’t hope to match. While the sheer variety of game modes ensures players will be enjoying Konami’s latest for months to come. The biggest drawback is clearly the lack of official licences. Which, unfortunately, will make it exceedingly difficult for PES to win over any but FIFA’s most lukewarm fans.
85%Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 Review – A Great Game in Need of Fixing
As an online and local multiplayer game, PES 19 is definitely worth playing thanks to the excellent gameplay. However, the AI problems are so bad that you probably shouldn’t even consider purchasing the game until these issues have been addressed. Football fans will need to wait for a patch or just wait a few weeks until FIFA 19 comes out.
70%PES 2019: Pro Evolution Soccer Review
Rather than overhauling the experience, PES 2019: Pro Evolution Soccer continues to refine its gameplay loop with intricate features that fans will come to appreciate in the long term. With no major additions in terms of modes or licences, however, this 2019 edition feels a little light in terms of real talking points. What Pro Evolution Soccer is known for returns, but it’s not stocking many new bells or whistles.
70%
