According to a press release sent out by Konami regarding the FIFA competitor Pro Evolution Soccer, the latest installment in the series, PES 2017, is going to be releases September 13, 2016 in North America. PES 2017 will be released in the UK September 15, 2016. This new game will retail at the industry standard $59.99 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The last generation versions of the game made available for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 will retail at 20 dollars cheaper, costing only $39.99 at launch. The press release however did not indicate if and when the game would be released in other parts of the world.
Choosing September 13th as a release date is an interesting move by PES, as it puts their release ahead of FIFA 17, their main competition in the world of soccer simulation games. FIFA 17 had announced their release for September 27th and they had announced this date some time ago with PES remaining silent on specifies regarding their broad 2016 release date until now.
PES 2017 is going to run on the Fox Engine, the same engine that powered visually stunning games like Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain and the incredibly hyped up teaser for the scraped Silent Hills game, PT. According to PES’s website, PES 2017 promises to improve upon the previous installments in the series through its core gameplay. These improvements essentially amounting to improved goal tending techniques as well as improved passing mechanics. For the goaltending this means the AI for the goalies reacting more accurately and realistically to different situations, such as the ball going directly at their feet, last minute reactions to kicks, and being able to deflect the ball of their fingertips. For the passing. These improvements mean accuracy being based in a player’s actual stats and skill. The passing also promises to be closer to the angles used in real life, giving the player what they promise to be a more satisfying trajectory and overall pass mechanic. PES 2017 is also adding “Real Touch” to the game, allowing real life ball physics to dictate the trajectory and movement of the ball, as well as the flow of the game. Below the E3 2016 trailer for Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 can be viewed below.