I have played Fifa 11 PC and PS3 demos and PES 11 PC demo and I have to say that this year, both the PC and PS3 versions of Fifa open a real can of whoop-ass on PES 11 - I played it a couple of times and just didn't want to go back to it, whereas I'm pretty much playing the Fifa 11 PC demo exclusively. Am very much looking forwards to the full game!
To those who are liking PES 11, enjoy the game too! :
I think it's not exactly reasonable to claim that FIFA does whatever to PES this year.
Personally, I believe that we have two good games, but two very different games in the way they play.
When you play FIFA, everything is very methodical, but also physical in the way that players interact. It's easy to pick up, there's no real difficulty in pulling off tricks, or winning the ball back. You're constantly hounded by pressure, theres no standing off, and it becomes very difficult to play the game how you want to. The jostling system just isn't realistic. I went to the Huddersfield-Yeovil game at the weekend, only a few times in the game do you see two players linking arms to jostle for a 50-50. It's just not as common as EA seem to think.
PES on the other hand has completely reworked its animation system this year - and it takes getting used to. It's not supposed to click in a 'couple of games', it takes a while to master and requires patience.
It's the same with the shooting. You see all these people proclaiming; 'The shooting is rubbish, the ball is all floaty'.
Well, yes, it is floaty, unless the ball is in the right place to the player when you hit it, you're body is facing the correct angle for the shot, and the power is suitable.
It's a difficult game to master, and unless time is invested upon it, you don't get anything back. However, press that L2 for manual, and start spreading long balls around, finding gaps, the game quickly develops a style of play which renders it far more simulation that any of its predecessors.
What I'm basically saying, is that PES has gone from 2010, which was a decent game, but arcadey and easy to master, to a game which is far more true to life, punishing players for bad passes, and over using the sprint button.
I keep seeing people complaining that they can't get away from defenders. It clicks once you've got some game time; just like real life, you need to wrong foot a defender, or push the ball further from your body rather than take little touches.
One thing that I will say about FIFA this year, is the utter travesty that is Personality +. Typical EA, branding a feature which isn't really a feature at all, and has been part of the PES series for donkeys years. And yet, they don't implement it properly. First touch is the same for everyone, it's ridiculous!
Playing with up to 30 teams in the PES demo is just a joy, because these players act like there real life counterparts. Robben is a deft dribbler, using R2 and pushing the stick forward and back whilst dribbling keeps the ball close but allows him to accelerate. Iniesta is a wizard, who's balls over the top always seem to go exactly where you want. Rooney powers at defenders and is deadly when the ball is at his feet in the area.
The beauty of this is that you'd imagine that say, Sneijder and Iniesta would feel similar as they are both excellent with there feet and passing. Not so. The small differences in there stats make a world of difference.
tl;dr We have two great games this year, but one of them takes time to appreciate over it's, on face value, 'perfect' cousin.