With the football season having already commenced, fans are eagerly awaiting the release of 2 of the biggest sporting games in the world- PES 2017 and FIFA 17. In the virtual world, the PES vs FIFA debate has been raging on for years, similar to the Messi vs Ronaldo debate in the real world.
Although FIFA has dominated the gaming arena for decades, PES has been making up the distance in recent years. In fact, in 2014 and 2015, PES won the award for best Sports Game of the Year after voting from the fans.
Also read: PES or FIFA? It's a bit like Ronaldo vs Messi isn't it?
Both franchises have made a number of improvements from their 2016 editions, however, and their rivalry is poised to hit a new high with their upcoming 2017 versions. Take a look at what’s in store for both- FIFA and PES fans, as the countdown to football’s biggest game releases, begins.
Graphics
FIFA’s graphics are set to take a massive boost after adopting the Frostbite Engine used by games like Mass Effect and Battlefield. The game will now have the ability to take on volumetric lighting. It will also feature more emotions in play and have a much more realistic game experience.
The number of animations has also been tripled as EA looks to bring in more expressive reactions to events in the game. There will also be a new look at the grounds, tunnels and changing rooms for pre and post match interviews.
PES 2017 will retain the Fox engine that the franchise adopted for the 2016 edition and although lighting and animations will be slightly improved in the new edition, the rest looks set to remain the same.
Buy FIFA 17 here
Gameplay
FIFA 16 came under heavy criticism for it’s unrealistic and extremely unnerving gameplay. They have however implemented a few game-changing (pardon the pun) features for their upcoming version.
FIFA 17 adopts a whole new approach for set pieces. Most notably, the camera is now placed behind the runner for corners which will provide a whole new experience for gamers. Also, player stances and approaches to free kicks can be altered to be more realistic.
Not just that, FIFA have also made changes to throw-ins. A player can now run up and down the touchline before faking throws to teammates in order to throw defenders off guard.
The all improved artificial intelligence ensures that players make more intelligent runs into space rather than just a beeline towards the opposing penalty box. Physical play has also been enhanced to a certain extent.
Players now have the opportunity to compete in aerial challenges without actually going for a header. This means that Olivier Giroud and Didier Drogba can hold off defenders and bring down the ball instead of cushioning headers for teammates. With jostling handled by a single button, players can now dribble and protect the ball at the same time.
Konami, on the other hand, got it right last season with their gameplay and have just made a few minor tweaks in order to improve the overall experience. The main problem with PES 2016 was the poor quality of the goalkeepers which has now been rectified. Keepers now have the ability to pull off stunning, athletic double saves which makes goal scoring much harder.
Also, PES’ new adaptive artificial intelligence will ensure that oppositions learn and adapt to a user’s style of play thereby preventing him from using the same strategy repeatedly. A number of new tactical innovations have also been introduced including Jurgen Klopp’s Gegenpressing and Barcelona’s sophisticated tiki-taka.
All in all, PES definitely takes the cake in terms of gameplay although FIFA is closing in the gap.
Buy FIFA 17 here | Buy PES 2017 here
Game Modes
One of the most eagerly awaited features in FIFA 17 is their newly introduced Journey mode. This will see players follow the career of young youth hopeful Alex Hunter as he tries to progress through the ranks at both club and country levels.
Alex will have the opportunity to play in a number of attacking positions and training drills and sessions will help increase his skill level. On the other hand, poor performances could see him loaned out to other lower league teams. There are also a number of cutscenes where you can choose to tell the media and your teammates exactly what you want.
Experiences from Marco Reus, Harry Kane, Dele Alli and a number of others were all taken into account to make this game mode as realistic as possible. Apart from Journey, the standard career, manager and ultimate team modes will also be available.
With PES, it remains uncertain as to what to expect. The traditional Master League will feature new transfer and wage budget restrictions as well as a dedicated transfer deadline day. They have also retained the licenses for the UEFA Champions League and Europa League and these 2 competitions will definitely feature.
Online
Another area where FIFA has dominated in the past is in online gameplay. While EA improved their servers to a small extent from their turbulent FIFA 15 version, PES 2016 was an absolute nightmare for online gamers.
The game was crippled with lag resulting in losses of major parts of matches. Improvements have been made this time around however and myClub is set to feature new scouts in the auction house in order to easily get the player you are looking for. Also, a team analyser tool will help analyse your team’s strengths and weaknesses efficiently.
FIFA’s Ultimate Team still rules the roost, though, with the ability to buy and sell player cards in order to build a dream team. Arguably this online game mode is bigger than the FIFA game itself.
Buy FIFA 17 here | Buy PES 2017 here
Licensing
FIFA continues to dominate the world of licensing having acquired all the major leagues of the world.
PES have added Barcelona and Arsenal to their roster but it is still disappointing to have to play with London FC rather than Chelsea. They have added a kit editor, though, to try and combat the licensing issue.
Konami has also obtained partnerships with Liverpool FC and Borussia Dortmund which will see the game finally have unrestricted access to the YNWA chant as well as the Anfield and Signal Iduna Park stadiums.
Buy FIFA 17 here | Buy PES 2017 here
System requirements
With the latest in technology and upgrades, both games require some serious computing power. Here is a list of their minimum as well as recommended requirements:
FIFA 17
Minimum specifications:
OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 – 64-Bit CPU: Intel Core i3-2100 @ 3.1GHz or AMD Phenom II X4 965 @ 3.4 GHz RAM 8GB Hard Drive Space Required: 50.0 GB Minimum Supported Video Cards: NVIDIA GTX 460 or AMD Radeon R7 260 DirectX: 11.0
Recommended specifications:
OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 – 64-Bit CPU: Intel i5-3550K @ 3.40GHz or AMD FX 8150 @ 3.6GHz RAM: 8GB Hard Drive Space Required: 50.0 GB Minimum Supported Video Cards: NVIDIA GTX 660 or AMD Radeon R9 270 DirectX: 11.0
PES 2017
Minimum specifications:
OS: Windows Vista – 32-Bit CPU: Core 2 Duo [email protected] or Athlon II X2 240 RAM: 1GB Hard Drive Space Required: 8 GB Minimum Supported Video Cards: GeForce 8800 GS or Radeon X1600 XT DirectX: 9.0
Recommended specifications:
OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 – 32-Bit CPU: Intel i3-550K @ 2.90GHz or Phenom II X4 925 RAM: 2GB Hard Drive Space Required: 8 GB Minimum Supported Video Cards: NVIDIA GTX 260v3 or AMD Radeon HD 4850 DirectX: 11.0
Buy FIFA 17 here | Buy PES 2017 here
Price
PES 2017 is much easier on the pocket, priced between the ranges of Rs.2499 and Rs.2999 across platforms.
FIFA, on the other hand, is uniform all across, and is priced at Rs.3999 for the standard edition while the special editions could hit you hard at Rs.5999.
- *Prices have been quoted from the Amazon website.
Release date
FIFA 17 will release on September 27th in North America and on 29th in other regions.
PES, meanwhile, will be available about two weeks earlier with an anticipated release date of September 15th for all regions.
Overall
Making a decision without having all the information at hand is extremely difficult, but from early impressions, it looks like EA has gotten the better of Konami this time around. While PES’s gameplay and graphics are expected to be slightly superior, FIFA has made significant improvements to try and bridge that gap.
Their new Journey Mode, as well as Ultimate Team, coupled with great commentary and improved realism, gives FIFA the slight edge heading into the release.
Buy FIFA 17 here | Buy PES 2017 here
