PES 2012 is revealed

Konami has announced the first details of PES 2012, which is due out on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PC and PS2 this autumn.

Key words in this year’s pre-release hype are "instinct" and "teamwork". The AI engine has undergone a major overhaul, with attacking emphasised as the cornerstone of play affording a more open approach to play.

AI players will now make dummy runs off the ball. In fact, the whole team now reacts far more dynamically to the actions of the player.

Defence has had some changes too, however, with zonal marking and positional defending both enhanced. A new player switching system allows users to change to any player on the field using the right analogue stick.

And when it comes to free kicks, players will have far more control with lots more scope for pulling defenders out of position. The jostling system introduced in the last game has also been extended, making for a far more physical experience

For me, the ultimate aim in the ongoing PES series is to match what people see when they go to a match or watch a big game on TV with what they experience on their console,” creative producer Shingo ‘Seabass’ Takatsuka stated.

As such, in consultation with football fans across the globe, we have been working non-stop to isolate and determine how to make our game marry in with how real football is played. This is key to PES 2012, and key to providing the ultimate football experience within a console title.”

Team work is what separates the world’s greatest teams from their peers, and is the hub of everything within PES 2012. PES 2012 focuses on the core elements of top-level football: attacking play, freedom of movement, the creation of space, and working together as a unit both up field and in defence.

"These elements combine to create a game that flows and ebbs like a real match, with individual shows of brilliance changing a game, and more control over every aspect of play within a wide-ranging yet instinctive control system. PES 2012 will turn the heads of fans everywhere.”