PES 2018 will be giving FIFA 18 a run for its money this year – especially when it comes to graphics.
A video has emerged on YouTube that shows just how realistic player facial expressions are in Konami’s new game.
And it’s utterly breathtaking.
Players boast an insane amount of detail – with Fox Engine capturing every grimace, smile and wince.
They even boast their own specific mannerisms.
Fox Engine is the same powerhouse behind the recent Metal Gear Solid games.
In the last game, lighting was flat and lifeless compared with FIFA, while player models ranged from the hyper-realistic to the comically bad.
However, Konami has re-jigged it for PES 2018 – and has totally overhauled player animation to make movements much closer to real life.
Excited yet?
The good news is that Konami is staging an online multiplayer beta for PES 2018 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One – and kicks off this week.
It runs from 4 a.m. ET on Thursday, July 20 until midnight, July 30.
And the best part? It’s completely free.
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Quickmatch and 3-vs.-3 online co-operative play will be available to play.
You’ll have the choice of the Brazilian or French national teams, playing at the Neu Sonne Arena.
You’ll also be able to play games in day or night and in good or rainy weather.
PlayStation 4 users will not need PlayStation Plus to participate, but Xbox One gamers will need a Xbox Live Gold subscription.
Adam Bhatti, global product manager for Pro Evolution Soccer, confirmed there will be a demo closer to PES 2018’s launch.
PES 2018 hits shelves on September 12, 2017 on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows PC, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
So, who’s the cover star?
Luis Suárez will grace the cover of PES 2018 – not Lionel Messi, as many would have expected.
But Messi fans shouldn’t be too disappointed.
The Argentine, 30, will feature on a more expensive ‘Legendary edition’ of the game – along with Neymar, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Roberto.
“I’m a big fan of PES, so it’s a real honour for me to be on this year’s cover,” said Suárez.
“Every year this game gets better and better and the work put into making PES 2018 really shows. I can’t believe how real, and lifelike I look in this year’s game. It’s simply amazing.”
The 30-year-old heads up PES 2018 after scoring more than 100 goals for Barcelona, helping the club secure a spot in the upcoming UEFA Champions League competition.
“Luis Suárez is to us the best and most complete striker in the world with a history that speaks for itself – we expect to see him break top scoring records in the upcoming season,” said Konami’s Jonas Lygaard.
“We’re really excited to be working with him and have invested a lot of resources to properly recreate his skills and movements in PES 2018.
“We’re going to debut a new build of the game at this year’s Gamescom and can’t wait for gamers to get a chance to see a new benchmark of gameplay and the realism of Suarez!”
PES 2018 promises more insights into life behind the scenes
It’s released on September 14 for PS 4, Xbox One, PS3 and Xbox 360.
Notably, there will be no Nintendo Switch version this year.
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