As we have reported and as many of you will surely know, from 2:00 AM on 30/09/2021 the new version of the football simulation game from home Konami, which after years has abandoned the PES (Pro Evolution Soccer) brand to move to the new title eFootball™ 2022, symbol of a new video game era, is available.
The game, as long announced, arrives on all platforms in free-to-play and has a size of about 25 Gb on Steam.
A few hours after its release, however, the title holds an incredible negative record, as already reported in the previous news.
Fan of football and everything surrounding it, gamer by passion, I’ve also jumped on the download like many others and been able to experience the title in depth. Now I’ll share my impressions.
Tested with maximum graphics on a PC with i7 7700 processor, GeForce 1070 ZOTAC AMP graphics card, installed on an SSD drive.
The game immediately showed some optimisation issues, resulting in it being practically incompatible with my dual-screen setup. After several attempts, I had to disable the second screen, launch the game in full-screen mode, re-enable the second screen, and then play in windowed mode.
On first launch after a tutorial video of dubious usefulness, you're offered a friendly PVE match between Argentina and Portugal. Here, I had the chance to experience for the first time the new gameplay of the title. Following the friendly match, the game lets you create your own account and redirects you to the main menu.
The new graphical skin, in my opinion a bit clichéd, this year will feature a bright electric blue interspersed with intense yellow symbols, stripes, and text. The game currently allows only two modes. In the menu, we’ll find the option "Match - Authentic", which lets you switch between the PVE and the PVP. The PVE mode "Match" is simply a friendly match against the computer using one of the following teams: Manchester United, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Barcelona, Flamengo, São Paulo, Corinthians, and River Plate.
The PVP online mode called "Events" currently features an event named "Worldwide Clubs", which includes two challenges. The first challenge consists of winning one match out of three, and the second two matches out of three, with a reward of 10,000 GP per challenge. This time, we can choose any team among those from the most important leagues currently available, and use it to face opponents in order to achieve the objectives of the two proposed challenges. (The chosen team cannot be changed)
This event will end in about 10 days, suggesting that a different event will be announced upon its expiration. The inclusion of GP as a reward for the event also makes us think that the "GP currency" will still be valid regarding the mode that will replace the old My Club mode in the future.
Ok, here’s all that info... but what’s the game actually like?
The gameplay of eFootball™ 2022 presents several differences compared to Konami's previous year's title. The feeling is that the game mechanics are entirely different, in my view much more realistic, and that the final product has significant potential. I wrote potential because it currently seems overly crude, a fact which, as already mentioned, has made many people grimace.
In some moments it seems too mechanical, but in others it offers interesting technical performances and movements very similar to reality. The tactical approach, insertions, and role interpretations also seem to have improved. The adaptive sprint, controlled via the RT or R2 trigger to adjust speed based on pressure applied, opens up many new gameplay scenarios — but in my opinion, it will be a major hurdle for those accustomed to the old system. At maximum speed, everything feels harder to execute. The shooting and passing mechanics are significantly more complex than before; the vast corridors in the filters no longer open, and it immediately becomes apparent that this time the player’s individual skill truly makes the difference. In about 10 matches played, I’ve never encountered anyone who clearly outplayed me, which makes me think that perhaps at least in this initial phase, the gameplay difficulty has narrowed the gap between players.
The fact that no training mode was included from day one — allowing players to try everything — is perhaps the biggest omission in a game that introduces numerous new techniques. The camera is one of the few innovations that didn’t convince me. I can’t find a shot angle that resembles the old titles, except for the Duel camera, which sometimes performs auto-zooms on action, limiting the player’s field of view. Certainly, from a simulation standpoint, it’s an innovation, as these auto-zooms usually coincide with pressing or marked duels — aiming to emulate the real football player’s loss of vision during those 1v1 confrontations. The match feels less segmented, as all stationary ball situations are handled without camera stops, offering a smoother, more continuous experience.
The graphics, at least on PC, appear to be of good quality. Be wary of screenshots of Messi and Ronaldo circulating online; the level is noticeably higher, and in many shots, the resemblance to reality is truly incredible.
The audio department leaves a bit to be desired, with customisations regarding the various stadiums, featuring original-language speaker voices. The telecommentary uses the same phrases from last year, which leaves me a bit perplexed, although I understand how it’s one of the things that takes the most time to develop.
More broadly, I’m in complete disagreement with most of the disastrous opinions I’ve read on social media and Steam. The game certainly needs a overhaul, but Konami itself has admitted that it’s little more than a demo at the moment.
So stop moaning and get training... because this year the challenge is going to be interesting!
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