eFootball 2022, the tried and tested next-generation version of the free PES game

The new eFootball was a trump card project. Born from the ashes of PES 2020/2021Konami’s new game was supposed to take the gameplay gained in recent years and build upon it an ever-evolving enterprise that anyone can access, thanks to a free-to-play economic model. The technical test gave us good vibes: DNA was clearly the latest PES and the network infrastructure actually looked a lot less slender and lighter than it did in the past. To all this has been added cross-play and the ability to take your game anywhere, since the game would have remained the same even on very powerful mobile devices now, thanks to the flexibility of Unreal Engine 4.

Therefore, it is a perfect plan also because Konami has taken a vacation (season update plan), to tame the new graphics engine and present itself to the starting blocks in the best way. It seems nothing can go wrong. Apparently.

We don’t know what happened in these weeks that separated us from the publication of the first embryonic version except our version. eFootball Test 2022 It left us completely dumbfounded.

advanced game

We know very well that eFootball is a roving project, which has arrived in digital stores today, but already in a few weeks it will receive a new Updates Not only the content, but also the gameplay, such as new passes and high shots. In fact, from this point of view there is more than expected.

It is true that in eFootball 2022 you can only use a few online team partners, but you can actually see them Several full European championships, maybe not all with official licenses, with all players and formations updated. From Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo, and from Zapata to Suarez, not all European football stars have attended. Serie B is complete, Serie A has 5 official partner teams (Juventus, Napoli, Roma, Lazio and Atalanta), while in the rest of the world licenses are incomplete.

But there is a lot of difference.

At the moment can only start friendly Offline or online, but available licenses are more than we expected. There is also an online competition to start accumulating experience and in-game currency. And then you can use A or X to go through the screens and you’re no longer limited to Start or anyone who replaces it. Konami is good.

In the Next weeks More methods should arrive, perhaps some additional partners and an export method capable of cultivating emerging talent and making champions compete with each other. From this point of view it seems that statements and ambitions have been respected. Such a structure in last year’s game would have been a solid base on which to undermine the dominance of FIFA 22 (the review tells you what this year’s episode was) and block UFL attack and goals.

It’s not PES

When it looked like he could score a blank goal, it looks like Konami did something. When fans asked her to return to Glories of PES 5 and 6They didn’t mean literally. They wanted to say they would like to see that style and pace of play into 2021.

On the other hand, it looks like the Japanese team decided to bring the game back a few years by completely repeating those beloved classics. Although the use ofUnreal Engine 4Technologically speaking, not only does eFootball 2022 appear to be an evolution compared to years past, but it appears to have taken decisive steps backwards. Collisions between players are, in fact, inaccurate and unrealistic. Two athletes, before colliding, slow down and then collide, with a very annoying hiccup effect.

After that, the players swing a lot on the ground, something that is clearly visible when they are about to receive the ball or pass it and move in jerks. They no longer have 360 ​​degree movements and seem to be able to move in only 8 directions. It also looks like the tracks are back in force: sometimes it’s hard to put a soccer player in one position just because eFootball prevents you from moving them freely. Then entire movement combinations appear to be missing, such as first intent shots or “Vitality for a goal kick.

physics ball Yes, it’s refined, but in a really disarming way: It feels like playing with a medicine ball. On the long balls you don’t notice much, but the low shot the ball moves very slowly. A factor that inevitably affects the pace of the game, and it’s very sober. Added to this is the fact that it is much more difficult to understand what force should be given to the ball. Sometimes a pass with the same force can result in an attempt to change sides, other times the ball’s inertia dies at a distance of two metres.

The team’s movements also seem to have worsened, with the 22 players on the field being very consistent and who, especially in defense, don’t perform very logical schemes.

The impression is that the Japanese studio wanted to anticipate the times that will hit stores before FIFA 22, but the published game is far from the last, with many items to improve and a package that must necessarily be enriched. From this point of view, itinerant nature is free to play eFootball is clearly an advantage: in a few weeks, Konami can turn football on its head, overhaul gameplay, introduce new modes, fix bugs and support player feedback.

For this reason, we are waiting for the first big fall update before the first verdict on eFootball 2022, in the meantime you can download the game and try it directly with your hands, so as to understand whether Konami’s interpretation of football is more similar to. Your tastes over the competition.