Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 offers 'completely reworked' controls on offense and defense

Pro Evolution Soccer 2015, this year's iteration of Konami Digital Entertainment's soccer franchise, will focus on improving on-field gameplay with finer control on both offense and defense, the publisher announced today.

The game will be available this "[autumn]/winter" on PlayStation 4, Windows PC, Xbox One and "additional formats," according to a press release from Konami. PES 2015 is in development at PES Productions' Tokyo and Windsor, U.K., studios. And just as Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 represented the debut of Kojima Productions' Fox Engine in "embryonic form," PES 2015 will bring the technology to PS4 and Xbox One for the first time, and in a more fully formed way.

According to Konami, real-time lighting throughout stadiums will provide a major visual upgrade, along with better animation fluidity and variety for players and the crowd, respectively. Specific animations are also a focus for delivering authenticity, with more than 1,000 players boasting custom animations and playing styles. And the crowd will also react more realistically to the action on the pitch. In addition to offering athletes who play like they do in real life, PES 2015 will do the same for teams as a whole with a feature called PES ID. That applies to tactics, movement and spacing on the field.

Grid View

PES Productions has "completely reworked" the acts of shooting, one-on-one dribbling and goalkeeping, according to Konami. Goalkeepers will follow the ball and better react to it, such as by altering their center of gravity. Players will have "precise control" over exactly how they want to strike the ball for shots as well as final passes. And they'll also have better tools to get around defenders, tactics centered around dribbling abilities as opposed to trick moves.

Along with developing the aforementioned gameplay upgrades, PES Productions is expanding the series' feature set. Additions include elements such as MyClub, an overhaul of the existing Master League Online mode that sounds similar to EA Sports' Ultimate Team and 2K Sports' MyTeam modes. Athletes and managers can be acquired with accumulated in-game currency or with microtransactions. PES 2015 will also offer live updates for rosters and statistics in all online modes; this is optional for offline play.

For more on Pro Evolution Soccer 2015, check out our recent preview, as well as the debut trailer below.