14 DAY TRIAL // 
Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 is a game that shows the organic nature of modern football, the way a variety of players, who sometimes have very different levels of ability and personality, manage to work together to create moments of impressive beauty and skill.
From time to time, it feels all too easy to score goals in the new football sim from Konami, and there are also moments when getting to the goal of the other team feels entirely impossible, but almost every match in the game delivers a moment that will stick around in the minds of players long enough to be shared with fellow fans and players.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 is not focused on spectacle because the development team understands that football is a sport that's based on teamwork and individual hard work, even if the modern media spectacle tends to appreciate big personalities and conflicts more than it should.
The new game from Konami is not perfect by any means, but it represents a major step forward for the series and offers solid competition for the EA Sports-made FIFA series.
Story
Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 gives gamers a wide variety of ways to engage with the world of football, and most players will probably start by choosing their favorite team in the Master League, trying to lead it to as many victories as possible.
The game still lacks some licensing deals, which means that the English championship, for example, is populated with teams that lack real-world names and emblems, but most of the biggest players are present, complete with signature moves and likenesses.
The Master League offers a better presentation than it did last year, with gamers able to easily deal with all aspects of team management from the central screen, and there are more options than ever when it comes to preparing players and the entire first eleven for each match.
Training allows gamers to develop the skills of their most important players and to make youngsters solid options for the future, and the tactics screen, even if it remains a little unwieldy, can be used to carefully tweak the behavior of a team and the various positions based on the strengths of each club.
Transfer and contract negotiations could have used a little more work in Pro Evolution Soccer 2016, as clubs tend to sometimes let big players like Tony Kroos go for relatively small amounts of money, but the scouting is improved over last year, and it's easier to deal with unwanted offers for core players.
Gamers can also choose to simply play a one-time exhibition match, the Champions League is there for those who only want superstar action, the training module offers some interesting challenges to deal with, and it's also easy to go directly to MyClub for those who are looking for a more multiplayer-focused experience.
Gameplay
Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 wants players to focus on careful build-up and solid teamwork rather than on the impressive skills of superstars, showing that football is, above all else, a sport in which eleven players need to work together and enhance each other's skill in order to get a win.
The developers at Konami have improved the physics of the interactions between players and the ball, and have boosted the Artificial Intelligence of both teammates and opponents, which makes matches feel closer to the real world than before.
“Gaining and keeping possession is very important, with each players reacting naturally to challenges, be they standing or sliding, and passes no longer feel like they are slightly delayed, as they were in the previous installments in the series.”
Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 encourages the player to try out different ideas, testing the limits of the opposition to see where they can find the opening to move in on goal while simultaneously making sure that their entire team moves back in order to defend, especially against moves on the flanks.
The goalkeepers react a little slower than they should, which means goals can be delivered from a variety of positions, but the pleasure of the title is found in the build-up, in the exchange of passes between midfielders and attackers that then move forward to find space and create opportunities.
At the moment though balls, especially when used against AI teams, seem a little overpowered, especially when delivered to an attacker who has the speed to find space among the defensive line of the opponents.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 does have a relatively inconsistent approach to fouls, which I suppose is to some extend linked to the difficulty system the player selects.
There are moments when hard tackles, delivered from behind and inside the box, are only punished by a yellow card, but also situations when a referee punishes a big attacker simply for using his power to take the ball from a defender in his own half.
Gamers should stay clear of using the Coach Mode for matches, which tends to deliver a lot of midfield action, a small number of shots on goal, and often no fouls or cards in 90 minutes during high-profile games.
Graphics and audio
Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 introduces a host of new animations for players, which makes the gameplay smoother than in last year's installment, but the title still has moments when it looks a little blocky, and the presentation can also be a little underwhelming.
The stadiums are solid, although crowds are not great, and the use of light is very good, but players tend to look like wax models when viewed up close, which might be due to the switch to the Fox Engine, which was not created for this kind of simulations.
During matches, I found it better to focus on the actual pitch action, which is fluid and detailed thanks to the added physics and the animations, skipping over the replays that can break the immersion.
The user interface still has some problems and makes it harder than it should be to deal with tactics and formations.
The soundtrack of Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 is solid and manages to deliver some good beats while navigating through menus, but the commentary can sometimes feel repetitive, especially for those who spend many hours with their favorite players and teams.
Multiplayer
Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 allows gamers to quickly go head to head in a classic one-time match, and the game works well both locally and online, but for the most dedicated fans, the most engaging multiplayer feature is MyClub.
Gamers are able to select a coach for their virtual club and then get a batch of starting players, with one star offered on loan for a limited number of matches.
From that point on, Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 allows them to play against opponents from all over the world in order to get the currency to hire scouts and then get better players, which in time means that a dream team can be assembled and then tested against other human opponents.
Gamers need to carefully consider the compatibility between the stars that they choose and the philosophy of the manager, and the only downside for MyClub is that sometimes the GP currency feels a little hard to come by.
The Good
- New physics and animations
- Emphasis on teamwork
- Master League options
The Bad
- Some graphics issues
- Fouls are treated weirdly
- Needs squad updates
Conclusion
There's a lot of room for improvement when it comes to presentation and some graphics, but I had fun in almost all the matches I played, even those that I lost, after I learned to stop thinking about how fouls are judged.
Konami will probably soon deliver a content update to tweak the referees and to revise some of the outdated initial line-ups for major teams, and when that happens, Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 will offer a very solid game for football lovers who want to focus more on the organic elements of the sport rather than its spectacle.
