Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 Reviews
When you reach a peak in performance, as Pro Evolution Soccer has done over the past few years, there is always the danger of diminishing returns.
With its peppy presentation and new lick of paint, Konami has breathed even more life into PES with its latest instalment, a celebration of everything thrilling about football. Gameplay is exciting and technical, and the selection of modes varied and replayable to the point where it's hard to see where the franchise will go next - except for fixing some major flaws in Master League and adding some more licenses. Fans of the series need not Pjanic: PES 2018 continues the series' goal-den streak.
PES 2018 is an exceptionally successful simulation of the football match. Better physics of the ball, the better physics of the players and slowing down the match came out to be a good idea. Unfortunately, it's Konami - the company had to break something.
Review in Polish | Read full review
PES 2018 is yet another progressive game in this long-running series that wows us with its changes. The gameplay hasn’t been this fun since PES 2013 and graphics are simply stunning. That said, Konami needs to get more aggressive and competitive with EA Sports and FIFA series and with current pace, it’s just impossible. Maybe it's best for Konami to take a year off and rethink the most fundamental elements of PES.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Konami has done it again, they made a perfect football game even more perfect. The ball control feels even more accurate, animations are the best in the gaming scene, visually the game looks really beautiful and the overall presentation has been improved too. Football fans that like tactical and realistic play should buy PES 2018 IMMEDIATELY!
Konami have upped their game again. Your move EA.
PES 2018 is a highly refined package, offering plenty of incentive for the existing fanbase and new fans alike, especially through the introduction of three-vs-three and Random Selection mode. The visuals and animations are much improved, with less jarring transitions, more animated players, and a far greater level of detail in the crowds and stadiums. All this raises the general presentation standard significantly, putting it on the same level as FIFA or thereabouts. While the gameplay has mostly changed for the better through a host of minute changes that add up to something more than the sum of their parts, the only shame is that rebalancing always seems to put something else out of whack - in this case the keepers' quite dodgy behaviour, which can ruin the fun. It's very 'two steps forward and one step back,' but still represents a big pragmatic leap forward, since they have thought outside the box about how to attract more football fans. Three-vs-three is a huge success, and there's no doubt it will be responsible for many converts.
Apart from some serious goalkeeper issues, PES 2018's gameplay is on par with last year's edition and is still as thrilling, if not even more so. The dated presentation, however, continues to hold it back - it needs to be dragged kicking and screaming into this decade sooner rather than later.
On the pitch Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 is the undisputed football king, but around that there is too much stagnation.
Review in German | Read full review
A great new entry for this legendary soccer series.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
While it doesn't address some longstanding degradation of ingenuity in certain areas, PES 2018 provides the best pure football found in a videogame, and the additions it has made only amplify that.
Konami didn't want the Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 to be a great leap forward, or a great evolution for the series. But instead they focused on making the game's strengths even better and this decision totally pays off and PES 2018 is the best in the series so far.
Review in Persian | Read full review
PES 2018 is a solid football experience but realism on the pitch can't make up for the lack of added value, general innovation, licenses and design flaws forever. The clock is ticking and PES is evolving too slowly by today standards.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
This is the best Pro Evolution Soccer of the last years and it guarantees hours and hours of entertainment online or with your friends. However, its wonderful graphics are not enough to compensate the lack of licenses and the lack of innovation in some game modes.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
PES 2018 is not without its flaws, many of which will both frustrate and disappoint you, but its excellent on-pitch gameplay helps it overcome most of those hurdles and come out the other side an extremely enjoyable football sim.
The end-to-end gameplay of Pro Evolution Soccer is a double-edged sword. It's the reason it's so exciting to play – goal fests are, by their very nature – but it also contributes into making a game that feels unrealistic at best. And then there's Konami and its licensing troubles, which seems to further deteriorate each year.
A timely overhaul that should take a great game to new heights - though it's not quite on peak form this year.
Whether playing online or off, there's a huge amount to do here and a huge amount to love about it. Put the effort in and you're repaid with a genuine sense of satisfaction and a feeling of real accomplishment. Once again, PES has set an incredibly high level of quality for other sports games to try and match.
PES 2018 is a great football game that delivers a fun experience across its various modes. The actual in match gameplay can be sublime and its hardly ever boring thanks to the lack of stoppages. Konami has created a real contender for this year's footballing crown, but issues like the simple nature of the commentary, and AI being a little silly at times hold it back from being proclaimed champion just yet. However, if you love your football then PES 18 is well worth picking up.
The most satisfying football game ever, wrapped in a frustratingly ugly shell.