Was fun of PES for over a decade only for one reason: Become A Legend.
So, i' m gonna write only based on my experience playing BAL, as player.
A PES edition was always installed in my PC.
Sometimes was very good, some others wasn't that good but: WAS ALWAYS FUN TO PLAY.
I never compared it to FIFA or other football games. I worked the tools around the web to patch it, modify it, add custom-made graphics and sounds, apply correct leagues and i can say that in maximum 2 days from installation date, was the most solid and fully-featured football game around.
But this year's edition, 2014, is simply awful.
Yes, they use a new engine, the FOX and graphics are bit better.
But the game lacks the most crucial thing: Game-play LOGIC.
KONAMI had a very good project and probably decided to give it to developers who have no idea of football. This is the only conclusion i can reach...
A.I. is simply non-existent. If you decide to start a career in BAL, bare in mind one thing: You will always play with a bunch of monkeys. Your teammates are complete idiots and your opponents are (at best) morons. Everybody in the field is playing like he's a part of a herd. Forget the simple an effective passes through the defenders, forget the simple passing game to free space and players. If i start writing what i saw playing a single match, i 'll need an hour, so... just couple generic examples:
- Doesn't matter if you smash the button calling for ball because you are completely free to score a goal. Your teammate will try dribble 3 opponents or give the ball back to defenders. Sometimes he just starts running ... to the corner... And some other times he makes a lob pass to... nowhere --- let's say towards 2 opponents standing and watch him from 20 meters distance...
- Defenders... a very sad story. You can witness the phenomenon of an opponent (not Messi, just an unknown player of a small team) getting the ball in the middle, almost walking among the defenders who stare him in wow, passing EVERYBODY because no one goes near him, entering the field and score a goal like he is in practice.
- Coach. A brilliant mind... Let's say you are among the best players of your team. And your team is 3 pts behind the 1st in the league. And next game, is that team. He doesn't include you in the squad... Why? Well, i don't know. If you know , please tell me.
I could go on and on pointing countless examples of dreadful A.I. and gameplay. But i' m gonna stop and give an advice to KONAMI:
Either you change the A.I. similar to previous years, or you add a button so the player can curse and punch his teammates....
Sorry but this is a very, VERY bad game.