MbGCaM said:
For those who are interested, I summarized (and translated) the preview:
- It isn't a final build, only 4 national teams (Spain, Brazil, Czech and Italy).
- They were afraid of the game turning into a PS2 HD version... That's what it is.
- First PES next-gen and the first time that one PES underdelivered.
- Only notable change on the graphics: High res grass texture. Nothing more.
- Low-res textures on players for next-gen standard.
- Crowd with arms opened ALL THE ****ING TIME.
- They repeat all the time. "This is a shitty PS2 HD game."
- Semblance betwen Real players and Game players is almost pure coincidence, ever worse than previous versions (for example, one forward of Spain (David Villa, Valencia FC) is 15 cm TALLER than in the real life).
- Faster game than PS2, more dinamic.
- New ball physics, feels rare but it's good. Good animations.
- AI a "bit" better than PS2 version, but nothing next-gen. Goalkeepers with same AI.
- Menus of the game screaming OLD-GEN. Nothing new. Old-fashioned PS2 menus and options.
- FIFA 07 have a good oportunity to be the SOCCER KING again.
Having played the same demo, I have to comment on a few things ...
- They were afraid of the game turning into a PS2 HD version... That's what it is. ->
Well, if we were talking about sheer image quality ... then yeah, I suppose you could say that.
- First PES next-gen and the first time that one PES underdelivered. ->
Granted, I only got to play like 20 matches, but to me it felt exactly the opposite. After the letdown that was WE10, this felt like a return to the good old WE7 times. Meaning slower, more thought-out gameplay. Which in my book means simulation.
- They repeat all the time. "This is a shitty PS2 HD game." ->
No, it's just not a killer-looking xbox 360 game and it doesn't use the wowers next-gen engine we were expecting.
- Only notable change on the graphics: High res grass texture. Nothing more. ->
Wtf? If anything it's the grass that really stands out as the weakest graphics element. A green blurry mess, that's what it looked like.
- Low-res textures on players for next-gen standard. ->
Yeah, well, true. It's all relative when you're playing using the 'wide' camera, tbh. In replays you could see just how 'just ok for next-gen' the player models looked, but only a blind man would've called them 'PS2 in HD'. They look solid if not spectacular (I can't really comment on the semblance between real of game players, 'cause we skipped most of the close-up replays in order to, you know, actually PLAY the game 
)
- Faster game than PS2, more dinamic. ->
Seriously, wtf? The gameplay is waaay slower than on the PS2, but it also feels waaaay more dinamic and - due to the fantastic animations - realistic.
- AI a "bit" better than PS2 version, but nothing next-gen. Goalkeepers with same AI. ->
I'd have to agree. Although one would have to ask himself what's 'next-gen AI' for a game like PES. I mean, the AI felt really solid. Also, I know it's not directly AI related, but what REALLY changes the whole 'happening on the field' feeling and somewhat improves everything in the 360 version, it's the ball physics and the animation. Now that, if nothing else, does indeed feel next-gen. The PES-god lies in all the little animation transitions, as you (we?) PES pros know. So this time: no crappy ball rebounds when two players collide / engage in body to body shoving. The ball feels real. It feels heavier. When you win a contrast you can actually see and understand how and why the ball moved in the direction it did. No more ****in' random pinball effect.
Anyway, after the first couple of matches I too couldn't bring myself to believe that it was really the so anticipated next-gen PES engine I was seeing. But I got past that rather quickly. Underneath all the current-gen era textures in high-res, it's still PES. From the impression I got - it could well end up being the best PES ever. Can't wait.
