Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 Reviews
It's a solid jumping-on point if you're new to the series, but seasoned veterans may find too few improvements to justify the price.
Unfortunately, a small number of licenses prevent the game from becoming truly perfect, but Pro Evolution Soccer is primarily loved and appreciated for its deep gameplay. And this aspect in PES 2018 is great.
Review in Russian | Read full review
On the pitch, PES 2018 is almost perfect. But as always, the lack of licenses is a bit of a let down. If you can look past that, it is a must-buy.
Review in Swedish | Read full review
Some notable adjustments make PES 2018 a lovely football game that feels comfortable to play and realistic from the very first match. New animations, better physics and responsiveness are, with the fact that it is quite challenging, what makes it a fun simulation that has to be considered for this season.
Review in French | Read full review
While the same issues of bland presentation, a lack of in-game atmosphere, and licensing inconsistencies return once again in PES 2018, if you're looking for a football game that plays close to perfectly, offering you the control to be precise with every touch of the ball, Konami's game is comfortably the best option around.
While the list of off-field changes is more than limited, PES 2018 improves upon the in-match action of last year's title enough to get by and remain at the top of the footballing table.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 is the perfect football game on the pitch, but flounders off the pitch. It offers a lot of value to the franchise agnostic but might not be compelling enough to warrant the annual purchase.
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.
All in all, the line on the graph that is PES' progression as a series has gone up with Pro Evolution Soccer 2018.
PES 2018 improve a lot gameplay, animations and feeling during the game. Despite for the squad licence and the single player experience, still less attractive than the other big football game.
Review in Italian | Read full review
PES 2018 is Konami's classic back at its strongest on PC, and the small changes to the feel of the gameplay have genuine ramifications on the pitch. It might lack the big budget feel of FIFA, most keenly felt in the match atmosphere, commentary and the lack of TV-like production values, but it plays a damn fine game of football.
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.
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
All in all, PES 2018 is a very good game. It has less of a wow-factor than the competition, but it scores with realistic gameplay, solid game modes, and a good presentation. PES is not a perfect game and the great gameplay is a bit flawed by the excessive flamboyance of the players, but the overall feel of the title won't make you regret the dollars spent.
All the pieces are there with "Pro Evolution Soccer 2018" but it feels as though many fall a little short of their full potential. "PES" is still a champion on the pitch where it matters most, but the series continues to fight an uphill battle in terms of licensing and feature set.
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
This year's version of PES have finally managed to offer some fun and smooth football gameplay and challenge FIFA over the best soccer simulation crown. PES 2018 still hugely suffers from lack of licenses for many teams and players, but if you want to experience the fun side of football, PES 2018 is your choice.
Review in Persian | Read full review
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.
PES 2018 is a very solid entry into the Football Gaming Genre and it ticks 90% of the boxes for me. So it's on its way to being a great game. I just can't seem to overlook the very simple things that Konami just haven't done to get over that line for it to be a classic in my opinion. It is a very enjoyable and addictive game (which is the main thing). I think people will get a lot of playtime out of it, but will be very annoyed by the same issues that seem to plague every PES release (Goalkeepers, Commentry etc.). As well as the amount of things that are identical to the 2017 release (which is much cheaper).
Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 is a terrific game and Konami have definitely scored a cracker here. It may not have the shine, the names, or the good commentary that FIFA has, but the challenging, rewarding and impressive tweaks to the AI and gameplay really do make PES2018 the most realistic and enjoyable football games on the market right now.