We tried eFootball 2022 v1.0.0, full version of old PES

We still do not understand the short circuit in eFootball. The heir to PES has arrived in digital stores with a highly problematic version after a promising network test and a quick test a few days after launch. Let’s not talk technically, although the frightened faces of Cristiano Ronaldo have long been emblematic of this failure, above all in terms of gameplay. This is the point that the dears of the glorious PES continue to proudly emphasize. KonamiHowever, it chose to release a slow game with rough animations and lack of artificial intelligence. At this point, the other short-circuit: what should have been some sort of live service with constant updates in both content and gameplay has stalled for months, leaving thousands of players in limbo.

After some time, the Japanese developer is ready to launch the “full” version of its game. We went all the way to London Try eFootball 2022 version 1.0.0or the game, which will arrive on the digital stores of PlayStation, Xbox and PC on April 14.

posthumous discoveries

Organized by Konami, the event was a sui generis event focused solely on gameplay. There were no developers to interview, still stuck in Japan due to the pandemic, and information on the launch date and mode Dream Team (Dream Team) we discovered them via the official blog post.

In short, the Dream Team mode appears A cross between FUT and the beloved Master League. In other words, not only will you build your dream team, it will also need to be trained and shaped according to your needs. We still don’t know how you can change various parameters and what incentives you will have to empower your team with new versions of cards that will be released regularly.

What Konami is telling us is that each card will be unique and not just an enhanced version. They will be both current players and stars of the past (for example, we saw Andrea Pirlo in the Juventus jersey), they will be created on the basis of both the performances on the pitch and the “theme” of each. season or bimonthly periods during which players must compete.

technical side

Under technical profile The PlayStation 5 version of eFootball 2022 (the only one present at the event) showed up nicely. Let me be clear, nothing that makes you cry for a miracle, we are still talking about a cross-platform product that also includes publishing on iOS and Android, so even in its best capacity it shares an “old generation” backbone with other platforms. . This time, however, the game runs smoothly and without any issues, with no weird bugs, problematic downloads or linesman running in the middle of the pitch. Even tackles are cleaner and more precise, a detail that makes fights more satisfying and refereeing more consistent.

This polygonal models They’re well-made and move satisfactorily on the pitch (they do seem to limp a bit in presentations, but that’s a detail) and don’t show the painful grimaces that can change their faces, especially in replays.

In fact, we also noticed some improvements. shadow management and the higher level of detail are two things that make the stadium’s turf and overall atmosphere that much more believable.

As the previous pre-launch rollout got burned (we still don’t understand what happens between the submitted build and the released build) we want to make a necessary premise: our test is a controlled environment with a demo limited to content and options. In other words, we’ve always been able to play local friendly matches, lasting only 5 minutes, with a handful of licensed teams, as usual, in good weather conditions. So we don’t know what will happen by changing these parameters or playing online.

the game

As we said, the changes made to the card are the ones you can find on the official website. There you will discover classic formal designations that are always very fascinating. What interests us is to know the sensations. pad test. The developers say they’ve introduced many new features, such as co-pressing or more balanced arbitrage, based on player feedback.

First of all, the experience is very different from FIFA 22, which is the current (and only) benchmark. This game speed it is more determined, its movements are less hectic, and it feels the need to seek the target by maneuvering rather than by endless dribbling. Inertia is very present and it will not be possible to make infinite changes of direction on a piece of land in a semi-automatic way. Indeed, the ability to push the ball forward after a stop (with double pressure of the trigger) is one of the most useful new moves, especially for speeding up the stopping phase and trying to set up a slightly faster maneuver. Also, since dribbling seems very complicated unless we’re missing something.

In fact, it still looks dramatic if the ball is played close to the ground. slow. Medium and long balls do better, but classic ground passes are very slow. So much so that paradoxical situations are created where the ball can be caught on the way by a teammate who, meanwhile, finds himself in orbit but does not touch the ball because it is “expected” for another player. Thus, it gives the idea that the players on the field are sometimes not very alert.

My impression is that we’re back on a level similar to PES 2019, a game that of course works, but has some in it. animation holes This did not allow the players to behave completely harmoniously on the field. For example, although input is given and there is no interference, no interruption of movements or no command being executed, it is often not possible to pre-hike the ball because it seems that play must adapt to the situation. gives “orders” to the animations it has. You can also see this in the return animations with the hands of the goalkeepers, which in some cases was not really natural.

However, we are talking about a much higher level of gameplay and cleanliness than previous versions of eFootball 2022, but this 1.0.0 is still and clearly lays the foundation for a more diverse, robust and fun game system.

The aim of the developers is to make players a more control on their own actions. In fact, from this first test, we seemed to have noticed how new moves and new abilities are designed to put you before a choice: Try to do things in a hurry, forgo some precision, or do things at a standard cruising speed. , but with a higher degree of accuracy? In eFootball 2022 you actually don’t have to hold down the shutter button all the time: players will not only tire faster, but will also hit the ball in a “sensational” way, meaning they’ll try harder. complex game, but will potentially pay more dividends. This means it’s better to use a “normal” shot or a precision shot to score goals, while in more desperate situations you can look for a turn and hope for your player’s technical skills.

This is a system that, if deepened, could have some features. potential, especially to make the power differences between the various players more clear. In fact, the good ones will know how and when to use certain shots, while the more casual ones … will be much more comfortable playing.

The basics, therefore, seem to be there, the problem is that when we talk about Konami and Team PES, we don’t know how, but first of all when the various improvements will be introduced. With 2 years from PES to the disastrous eFootball and 8 months from the first release to 1.0.0, it’s not a good business card for an increasingly weak series. trust In addition to its most ambitious fans, it also captures the most prestigious licenses and the esports community around it.

eFootball 1.0.0, therefore, a new start, but it’s still not the game we’ve all been waiting for. This will take some more time, an element that is starting to wane before PES fans lose their confidence for sure.