The new version of PES is here. For its initial release, however, eFootball 2022 is still plagued by a lot of problems. In our initial assessment, we show why the game should actually be a demo and how many construction sites Konami still has to work on.
Since the announcement of eFootball, the new version of Konami’s iconic football series PES, there have been many question marks. After the release of the first version, the debut season of the free eFootball platform, the impression of a mysterious product remains.
Now that we have been able to play the new football simulation ourselves, one thing above all is clear: Konami still has a lot of work to do. Although the gameplay is fun thanks to the new engine, it is still overshadowed by many problems.
The game is free-to-play, i.e. completely accessible for free, but what is currently offered is meagre: friendly matches with nine licensed teams, including FC Bayern Munich or Manchester United. In addition, players can also duel online in 1-gg-1 matches.
Skimmed demo with little content
The latter mode also contains a significantly higher number of teams, whereby you have to commit to one. So if you want to play with the newly licensed clubs Atalanta Bergamo and SC Napoli, you can only do so online.
In the games themselves, a lot has changed at first glance. The presentation has become more stylish, new cutscenes and animations provide a stronger atmosphere than in PES times.
However, eFootball 2022 also shows in the gameplay that the game is probably far from finished. The settings are severely limited, so only two difficulty levels are available and the game time is limited to five minutes.
On a tactical level, eFootball’s austerity is particularly noticeable. There are practically no tactical options, except that you can choose from half a dozen presets. Those who like to fine-tune their strategy will be mightily disappointed here for the time being.
Solid gameplay foundation – with cutbacks
With the change to the Unreal Engine, not only the graphics and presentation have changed, but also the gameplay. On the virtual pitch, eFootball can therefore continue the strong tradition of PES – but with cutbacks. The gameplay does not seem fully developed. Although the new physical defence is a great innovation (duels look more powerful) and the reduced tempo makes the game even more realistic and enables more precision in the gameplay, all too often passes end up with the opponents, teammates simply stop, the player with the ball loses the ball or the footballers react strangely and unnaturally to collisions.
It is true that even in this early version of eFootball 2022 a lot of potential for action on the pitch shines through. At the same time, however, there are still too many construction sites, so that unrestricted gaming fun does not really arise. eFootball 2022 gives the impression of a test version, which hints in a very slimmed-down form at what kind of game could be created from it in the future.
Technical problems stand in the way of fun
This impression hardens especially on a technical level. The PS4 and Xbox One versions in particular have been badly hit. On the old-gen versions, the game doesn’t run smoothly, which limits the gameplay even more. The constant jerks make these versions barely playable at the moment, so you should leave them alone and wait for upcoming patches.
On the PC, the whole thing looks a little better, but this version is also not at the top level. Only the next-gen variants of the game for PS5 and Xbox Series show the potential of the game and how it could best appear in the future.
Conclusion
Like its predecessor PES, eFootball 2022 can also become a strong football simulation. However, it is not yet that. At the moment, the game is at most a demo that can give players a first impression. And this is problematic. Too many problems plague the game at the moment.
But: If you get into the gameplay and keep the technical problems to a minimum, the ball action is already fun.
However, there is still a lot of work to be done before eFootball 2022 becomes a full-fledged and really strong gaming experience that can be a serious competitor to FIFA 22. Patches and content updates must continue to improve and complete the free game over the coming months.
Update already in the pipeline
The first major update is expected to be released as early as November, which will, among other things, add the “Creative Team” mode and a large number of available teams. Hopefully, the technical problems will also be addressed by then.
Kicker eSport will continue to take a close look at eFootball 2022 with the upcoming updates and report on the current state of the game. eFootball 2022 is available now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series and PC via Steam. Versions for mobile devices will be released later in the year.