That’s a PES fan-favourite career mode where many (including me) have historically found their enjoyment – and it would’ve been welcome here even if that would mean playing the anaemic AI endlessly. There’s no edit mode where you can change players and teams (a staple option in past eFootball/Pro Evolution Soccers).You can play against a friend offline, but are limited to only nine licensed teams to pick from.There are still no online lobbies in which you can choose to play against a friend.For a 1.0 release there’s still a baffling lack of ways to play available, with a long list of omissions that you’d expect as minimum: Your options in where to do this are limited, though, as are most of eFootball’s modes. Playing online adds to the excitement, providing welcome spontaneity to proceedings. For a 1.0 release there's still a baffling lack of ways to play available. That predictability has resulted in me scoring carbon copies of the same goal three times in a row from kick off on more than one occasion. They play in predescribed patterns that are very easy to work out, and at a pace that I’d be able to keep up with in real life – and I haven’t played an 11-a-side match in over a decade. Maybe I’m being rude, but overall the AI just seems pretty dense – both for officials and opposition players – meaning playing against the computer is largely dull, no matter what difficulty setting you choose. While they now seem to be able to differentiate between a foul and clean tackle, they do still enjoy giving out both yellow and red cards for the most trivial of offences. One moment you’ll be jinking past a defender and curling one in the top corner, the next you’ll be trying to dribble only to find your player has a turning circle more at home in Euro Truck Simulator.įurther proving this point are the referees, who were tragic in the initial release. In fact, the only real consistency with eFootball’s gameplay is its inconsistency. Some passes will be laser-focused and threaded through the eye of a needle, while others slowly roll along the floor begrudgingly towards a teammate – without feeling clear about what caused the difference. If you do get a shot away, though, there’s a decent chance of it going in as goalkeepers seem more balanced now, no longer reacting like Daredevil hearing a brick smash through a window.įrom time to time there are flowing moves to marvel at, but they happen all too rarely, with satisfying passing coming at a premium. Although these do occasionally result in a spectacular goal, you are far more likely to get the ball pinched from your toes as your player takes half a century to wind his leg up. “Stunning kicks” are a new quirk that allow you to hold down the right trigger and apply extra power to passes and shots. These new additions don't completely solve the problems that initial release had, though.
These new additions don’t completely solve the problems that initial release had, though. It’s obvious that this, as well as a couple of other gameplay additions, were meant to be in eFootball from the start, but instead it was released in a completely unfinished form.
Calling teammates for extra pressure and stealing the ball high up the pitch has led to goalscoring opportunities more often than not. The ability to now press as a team and put pressure on the ball brings an edge of modern tactical play to eFootball that it desperately needs. It’s unclear if this is down to a bug or not, but something that clearly needs addressing either way. AI defenders do appear to wander off out of position on their accord though, allowing for long through balls leading to goals happening way too often.
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There is an increased sense of control in attack and defence, too – eFootball no longer feels like it’s simply happening to you.ĭefence is by no means fully refined, but improved shoulder charges and manual tackles definitely help you deal with opponent attackers with greater ease. They are also more reactive, no longer ignoring balls outside of their immediate radius, although controlling them neatly can often be a bridge too far. Having had to play a lot of eFootball’s earlier versions, it may just be Stockholm syndrome at this point, but there does seem to be a freer flow to general play as players feel a lot less stiff to manoeuvre. There does seem to be a freer flow to general play. On top of that are menus and UI, which, although more colourful than we’re used to from Konami’s football games, are still awkward and unintuitive to navigate. The same can’t quite be said for the atmosphere inside the stadiums, which often falls flat, not aided by some lifeless commentary.
It’s a vast improvement over the hilarious and sometimes frankly frightening faces being pulled in the early access version. Overall, the presentation on the pitch looks pretty good – player models are largely accurate and the stadiums, while limited in number, look authentic.