PlayStation 4 Critic Reviews

An utterly essential purchase. PES 2016 is the best there is, and the best there's been in a very long time.

The football here is unpredictable and undefinable. Matches take on their own personality, depending on who is playing, both on the pitch and behind the controller. You are given enough control and room for expression that you don’t need to conform to best practice. Instead you need to play to your and your team’s strengths, negating the opponent’s and managing the tempo of a game.

Hand on heart, I can’t remember ever being so consistently thrilled, surprised and delighted by a football game before.

PES 2016 is a stunning football simulation. With more animations, better controls and some incredible players 3D models, is a no-brainer for every football enthusiast out there.

I'm glad I had a chance to check out PES 2016 as it would have flown completely under my radar during this busy video game time of the year. I can say I will no longer be an exclusive FIFA player and already have recommended some friends to check out Pro Evolution Soccer

There's little worth in assessing soccer sims by the weight of their game modes, or indeed, the breadth of their official licenses. All that truly matters is what unfolds in those virtual ninety minutes, either against a friend, an online stranger, or the computer. On that test alone, PES 2016 represents the best game in the series since the PlayStation 2 era.

The improved Master League mode is a godsend, adding substance to the package and complementing the excellent gameplay. With the advanced collision system, Konami has done in a year what EA has been trying to perfect since FIFA 12. The added physicality and increased number of animations has done wonders for the gameplay. The introduction of an excellent edit mode (see ‘edit it up’ for more details) to the PS4 version even makes the usual lack of licenses a relative non-issue.

PES 2016 is about more than just a few additions for the year. It ushers in a new era for the franchise that needs to be experienced.

Pro Evolution Soccer is finally back to its best, in what is undoubtedly one of the greatest sports games of all-time.

The best football sim to date.