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Skills Training now helps players get to grips with attacking options as well, such as different types of crosses, making runs and through balls. There's more going on, more to think about, and more possibilities than ever before. Examples of this include the effortless attacking ability and tiki-taka exchanges of the Barca forward line, or Oliver Giroud's holdup play that brings the attacking midfield of Arsenal into the game. Teams have stronger identities thanks to more defined setups, with play adapting to the teamsheet almost as much as the input from the player. It might well be the missing ingredient that PES needed to take it to the next level, and there's now a stronger sense of realism in how a match plays out and feels from moment to moment. There's been a subtle adjustment to the overall pacing of matches, that in our opinion takes the game a step away from its arcade roots and blends in a touch more simulation. You're made to work for every opening, and getting that vital goal always feels well-earned. To its credit, it never feels too easy nor too hard. In fact, getting the ball under control in a dangerous position and squeezing off a shot is half the battle, and AI-controlled teams will make it hard for you to find the space needed to shoot on goal. Each strike feels unique and goals feel special, the game making you think about how you're going to work every goal-scoring opportunity. This is especially true in regards shooting, and there are a variety of ways to try your luck on goal. Animations look realistic, and although there could've been a bit more variation, there's effortless fluidity when it comes to player movement. In terms of action on the field of play, there hasn't been a huge change from last year's effort, although tweaks have been made to keep improving the formula that impressed so much just twelve months ago. In fact, most of the in-game cutscenes don't flow from the action as well as they could have. Having said all that, we're not huge fans of the goal celebrations, which feel disjointed. You can tell how proud they are of the visual fidelity that they have achieved, as the replays are really prominent and shot from multiple angles it's almost as if they want you to revel in the lush graphics as much as the well-taken goals. It all looks brilliantly cinematic and the player faces are at their usual high standard as well, especially with the partnered teams like Barcelona. This is where much of the polish has been applied and replays make for gorgeous viewing, whether it's the sheen of the football or the smoothness of the player movements as they strike home a goal or make a crucial tackle. Simply put, the graphics are beautiful and the animations are smoother than ever. The second thing people will notice after the revamped UI are the visuals on the pitch, and this is where PES 2017 really stands out. It's a definite step up and Konami has made a good attempt at righting one of the series' biggest historical flaws. Not only this, but tactics can be accessed more quickly and with greater ease than ever before, and you can go from All-Out Attack to All-Out-Defence with the push of a few buttons, the game showing you how it alters your team structure at the same time.
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Although minor, this makes it look less like a boring menu with numbers and names, and more of a tactics board on which a football manager can (attempt to) plot victory. User interface is improved in terms of in-game menus as well, with one of the most welcome changes being that player faces are now included on the Game Plan. Everything is very sleek and stylish, and the clarity benefits from the big pictures assigned to tiles containing the various options. The home menus are altered in their design and the new setup makes for better navigation, with everything being clearly signposted and the layout generally more pleasing to look at. The first thing that people will notice when they boot up the game is that the user interface has been improved and made more user-friendly in a number of ways.
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While many of the changes that have been made are minor in the grand scheme of things, they're all to the benefit of the game. PES 2017 takes what 2016's entry did right and polishes it even further, tweaking a formula that worked so well last year and building upon that success with a variety of in-game improvements. Thus the anticipation building around both PES and FIFA this year has been ramped up to a whole new level, and in this instance, PES has certainly delivered. When Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 was released this time last year it quickly dawned upon those who played both games that this was the year PES and FIFA were closest in quality after years of FIFA ruling the roost.