Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 Editor's Review

It's impossible to talk about Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 without mentioning FIFA 12: the two games have a longstanding rivalry that puts any local derby to shame. Which is better is a matter of taste, but PES certainly holds its own.

FIFA's big advantage isn't, as you might think, the use of officially licensed players: if that's a big deal to you, and you don't mind a bit of technical fiddliness, you can apply unofficial modifications to PES to add in the real names, and PES does have the European competitions by default. No, the real difference is that for many players FIFA is better for the career modes, while PES is more fun when it comes to on-the-pitch gameplay.

To put it simply, PES feels more real: it's as if you're playing or watching an actual game complete with unpredictable moments and shifts in momentum, rather than a series of predictable animations. It also does a much better job of creating the feeling that even if you are hopelessly overmatched, there's always hope of creating a magical moment to snatch a late winner.

From a technical standpoint, the 2012 edition is much improved on the PC: even computers that struggled with last year's incarnation should run this without distracting glitches or freezes.

As for the PES career mode, that's certainly picked up a little in the 2012 edition. There's now a complete package of cutscenes that, while a little cheesy, are more engaging than FIFA's endless screens of text.

Pro's: More of a "pick up and play feel than earlier PES incarnations; career modes add new dimension.

Con's: Sound still a little bland; referees overly harsh.

Conclusion: May not win over FIFA die-hards, but a great mix of realism and fun.