With the release of "Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) 2018" just days ahead, fans of both video games and soccer are torn between it and "FIFA 18," with both sharing a September release date, albeit "PES 2018" gets unveiled earlier.
Konami, the developer of "PES 2018," has just officially revealed its soccer player ratings ahead of the game's release date. The top five players for each position are being slowly disclosed on PES' Twitter page at the time of writing. According to the reports of Express UK, the best goalkeepers for the game are Neuer with a rating of 91, and Buffon with a rating of 89, the rest are De Gea, Oblak, and Curtois — all with a rating of 88.
The defender position has Ramos, Bonucci, Marcelo, Silva, and Boateng, with everyone having a rating of 88. As for the free kick (FK) takers, the best ones are Pjanic with a rating of 92, Calhanoglu with 91, Messi with 90, Payet with 89, and Neymar with 87. Lastly, for the speedsters, the best are Aubameyang with a rating of 97, Bale, Sane, and Bellerin all with 95, and Walcott with 94.
As for the game's improvements over last year's version, the Master League upgrade, enhanced visual reality, and an improved online co-op mode will all provide welcome changes for the players.
One thing that is also inevitable besides the game's release is the comparison between Konami's "PES 2018" and Electronic Arts' (EA) "FIFA 18" since both games are about professional football/soccer. According to a comparison made by Mirror UK, "PES" having an earlier release date gives it an advantage over "FIFA," especially for players just wanting to have a competitive football game.
When it comes to features, "PES" also seems to take the lead, introducing more substantial changes over its predecessor compared to "FIFA." The latter however wins in its "Career" mode; "FIFA" simply has a more interesting "Career" mode than its counterpart, even featuring Cristiano Ronaldo's journey. "FIFA" also takes the lead when it comes to online gameplay between the two games with EA's successful "Ultimate Team" online feature being one of the selling points of "FIFA 18."
It is a close call, but regardless, either game is a great choice for the players. "PES 2018" is set for release on Sept. 14, while "FIFA 18" will be released on Sept. 29. Both are available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Microsoft Windows.
