There will always be rivalries no matter where you look; Playstation vs Xbox, Ferrari v Mercedes, Messi v Ronaldo, FIFA v Pro Evolution. Fans of both are always at each others’ throats to give their point of view on who or what they feel is best. With the coronavirus outbreak, most people might find the time to revisit the football gaming world while they sit at home and practice social distancing.
Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the better part of the last decade, you would know that FIFA is by far the more popular game, with FIFA 19 outselling Pro Evo 2019 22:1. PES has definitely been taking a beating over the last decade as it has lost so much from a point where they were near neck-and-neck 10 years ago.
With such a track record, many would have assumed that Konami would have just given up the race and conceded defeat to EA. However, with PES 2020, Konami have decided to double down with investment and marketing in an attempt to regain market share.
But does it hold up against FIFA 20 though?
Licensing
The biggest gripe that most players have had with PES for a long time is the licensing issues. FIFA has always gained the licences to almost every club and league out there, something that Konami has not been capable of doing. For too long (and even now for most teams), you would have to play with your favourite teams under a different moniker like Manchester Blue (Manchester City) or Madrid Charmatin B (the PES 2020 name for Real Madrid).
PES has managed to secure some more clubs this year, with Juventus coming onboard and making the move away from FIFA. However, with only a few clubs licensed fully, FIFA still wins in this regard despite the Euros license to PES.
Gameplay
PES has always had more of an arcade feel to it as compared to the more complex gameplay of FIFA, something that drew players towards FIFA. In recent years, PES has gradually been improving its gameplay and some may even hold the contention that it is better than FIFA currently with some holding that FIFA now feels more arcade-like than PES.
FIFA’s gameplay has largely remained the same. Although there have been multiple patches causing some issues, FIFA’s gameplay is still, for the most part, the same as its predecessors.
PES 2020 is by far the best PES ever and if neutrals were to truly give it a shot, it would definitely surprise them.
Single Player
Fans of FIFA have for long been complaining that FIFA’s Career Mode has had no significant upgrade to it in years and unfortunately have the same to say for FIFA 20 with EA making only minor updates.
On the other side though, the PES Master League definitely stands out with its progress and have many claiming that it is the better of the 2.
Online
FIFA absolutely trounces PES when it comes to the Ultimate Team game mode. FUT is the game mode where players are able to create their own dream squads by playing and earning player cards or trading them. FUT has almost single-handedly won FIFA the battle with PES, with players pouring money into the game in a bid to ‘win’ better players from packs.
PES has introduced a Match Day feature and although it is a pretty good game mode, it unfortunately does not come close to the phenomenon that is FUT.
Graphics
Both games utilise 3D facial rendering to create player models but FIFA edges out on PES as they have the necessary licences to recreate the feel of specific leagues.
It is truly the little things that matter.
FIFA is definitely still the more popular game and will continue to be so for the next few years but their resistance to change, coupled with the constant improvements made in PES, might prove their downfall.
For now though, FIFA is still the game to go to if you are looking for the more complete game while If you are only looking for a great single player or multiplayer experience (not online), then PES is definitely worth a shot.