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For the graphics, this is going to be a real debate. Some of the players were literally perfect. People like Sergio Ramos, Neymar and Jack Wilshere literally looked like you were there next to the real people themselves. However, there were a few exceptions to this.
For my sins, I am a Newcastle fan. So of course for my first game against my mate I was Newcastle. My God… Only a few of the Newcastle players looked like they should. Ayoze Perez literally looked like one of those non-story based characters in the early Grand Theft Auto titles, which disappointed me and I should revert back to what I was saying about how the little things annoy me nowadays. Yes… I was annoyed. Then I went back to being the more superior teams and I was once again falling in love with the graphics. The stadiums looked good although some of the made up stadiums looked boring and bland, and every so often when I came up against a lesser player I was annoyed at the inconsistencies.
The crowd looked decent as well. I liked that no longer do all the fans turn up dressed in full kit or a black T-shirt. The crowd is full of a range of different colours and a fair amount of home or away kits. I did have a little issue with the kits, however, I think I will focus on this in the enjoyment section later.
Overall, I would say that I was thoroughly impressed with the graphics and the wide range of colours on offer, but I still feel there is a fair bit of room for improvement, even though it has to be understood that some of the character resemblance is as much due to image rights as it is poor graphics. I think an 8 is fair for the graphics. Some might think that an 8 is too high, but for the most of the time, I was very impressed with the likeness of the players.
When it comes to the soundtrack, I liked it. Wait a minute – can I make the font smaller? I mean,the first song with which I was greeted was James Bay, and I have to say that Hold Back the River song really gets me in the mood for some football fun. Then, a few games later on, comes Justin Beiber… this was a real big problem because I didn’t find myself hating the song. I mean I wanted to hate it, I felt like I should hate it, but I enjoyed it. Now the soundtrack to these current-gen football games never seem to disappoint a little like the old Tony Hawk games, and I found that this year you have a good blend between a range of different genres which keeps you and your friends entertained.
The other focus should be on the commentary. Now, if you remember some of the old ISS games, you will remember some of the most comical commentary in the world. I am afraid, that even in 2017, you will still find some slightly comical commentary. When you shoot from 60 yards out because you’ve definitely pressed the wrong button, and the commentary bemoans that he should have definitely scored from there. Then, as soon as the game has started, you score a screamer with Gareth Bale and the commentator tells you they’ve enjoyed watching him for the whole game.
My favourite part is when you are a well-known player and a decent chance falls your way. Out comes some kind of high-pitched squelch which would be more suited to the preliminary rounds of X Factor and not football commentary. The main commentator is Jim Belgin, and I wasn’t surprised to read this on the World Wide Web – http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/pes-2017-commentary-being-recorded-this-week. He doesn’t care if we hate the commentary and I wouldn’t say I hate it, I just don’t particularly like it, although it did make me and my mate laugh quite a lot. Overall, I would give the sound a 6. It’s an enjoyable soundtrack, but after a while, you find yourself switching it off, and that kind of defies the point.
So when I write about the enjoyment section, I always think back on everything we have learned so far. The game offers a good range of modes. It has a real slick style to it and this makes it enjoyable to play. The issues, however, stem from the commentary being quite annoying after long spells of play, and the graphics being inconsistent. It is also worth revisiting the lack of real names for certain stadiums, as well as team names. One of my biggest issues was the lack of the German league, and that there was no Bayern Munich in the whole game. Overall, does this really affect your opinion on the game? Well, yes, actually for me it does. With good sound and more consistent graphics, I could have given a 10 here… well maybe a 9.5, but instead I think it is only fair to give this an 7.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 is out now on Xbox One, PS4, PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, and click on the packshot for the full-size version.
Important info:
- Publisher: Konsmi
- Players: single player, multiplayer
- HDTV options: up to 1080p
- Sound: DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1
Commentary: Jim Belgin
|
GRAPHICS SOUND GAMEPLAY ENJOYMENT |
8 6 9 7 |
| OVERALL | 7.5 |
I have been a video game player since 1993 and a music fan since I can remember. I studied Film and Journalism at university and ended up becoming a Primary School teacher. Video games changed my life and sent me on the right track and have stayed with me ever since.