Review | PES 2021 review: still the best football game around, and a fine way to end the PS4 generation
- The ‘season update’ offers little in the way of innovation but is a worthy conclusion to the title’s run on PlayStation 4
- With the focus on the upcoming PlayStation 5, developers release a pared-back follow-up to critically acclaimed PES 2020
Often when an “update” comes out in lieu of a new title, there’s a tendency to feel a little robbed, perhaps. A bit like we’ve been duped, like the makers have taken a year off but kept their hand out.
The irony of this particular release (the helpfully titled Pro Evolution Soccer 2021 Season Update) is that this approach has long been presented by gamers as a suggestion for sport title developer’s perceived annual repackaging of games with minor tweaks and a major price tag.
However, the work done on the 2021 version of PES could be likened more to a fine polishing than a spit shine.
In its defence, Konami has been down the line about this year’s PES release. In a July statement, it was referred to as a “season update” being released at an “affordable” anniversary price point. The £25 (US$30) price tag was a dead giveaway that we shouldn’t expect an overhaul.