Unless you’re a fan of realistic football, PES won’t impress you. FIFA’s arcade-like style is easier to get addicted to than PES, which is probably why FIFA outsells PES. The primary difference between FIFA and PES remains in the fact that the former takes an arcade-like approach to gameplay, while the latter is a simulation of real football. For instance, defenders fail to run towards the ball automatically and the referee’s decisions often makes no sense. The most obvious break in gameplay comes when you see the game’s artificial intelligence (AI) handle players. As far as realism is concerned, PES gets things right with its animations and accurate representation of the fluidity of football. PES 2020’s graphics are improved and the gameplay feels smoother. And that’s the right move, instead of facing the uphill battle for legal rights with a giant like EA. With PES 2020, Konami is trying to control the aspects of the game it can.
For a football enthusiast, the game is more appealing simply because it can represent the real life football ecosystem accurately. EA’s tie-ups with official football clubs, brands and more allow the use of real team names, real player names, jerseys, etc. That’s primarily because Konami, the game’s publisher, hasn’t been able to acquire the rights that Electronic Arts (EA), FIFA’s publisher, has.
