PES 2017 test: Few licenses and still great

To put it in the football jargon: With regard to licenses, PES 2017 is at most third-class. While we are able to compete in FIFA 17 with all kinds of licensed teams, we have to settle for PES 2017 with a handful of licenses. Above all the European leagues are badly fragmented. For example, we are only in the Spanish league with FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid with the real teams.


PES 2017 test: Graphic


The Bundesliga does not exist as a competition and in terms of teams, the United States can score points with only three clubs (BVB, Schalke 04, Bayer Leverkusen) - FC Bayern is not one of them. This is particularly noticeable when you play the - actually licensed - Champions League. Too bad.


PES 2017 test: Gameplay


The only bright spot: The PS4 version can be modified. With the aid of a USB stick, the corresponding Bundesliga patch and a little patience, all clubs including names, jerseys and logos can be imported. While the players still do not look true to the original, but a community patch of this kind improves the atmosphere.


PES 2017 test: Conclusion


Graphically, PES 2017 has grown properly. Both the stadiums and the enema scenes are spectacularly staged. Especially the lighting makes a great job here and you have to look twice to make sure that you actually have a game in front of you. The viewers look great, rejoice, jump up, react and act authentically. At least: PES 2017 does not have to hide from FIFA 17. Really great.


The PES 2017 graphic also leaves nothing to be desired in the tele-view, ie the "top-drauf camera". The moves of the players are excellently intercepted, two fights seem credible, the dribbling and shots are more varied than ever and the whole game physics seems to have made a leap to the top. That's the way it is.


With the modes, compared with PES 2017 has done surprisingly little. Still, the "Become a Legend" mode is a nice turn-around, but still suffers from massive traceability problems. We are supposed to accompany our kicker during his career, but after playing games we hardly get any feedback on our performance. The NBA 2k17 in the test can clearly, significantly better. The Champions League mode has always been good, so PES 2017 has only been supplemented by details that are reflected, for example, in the budgets for salaries and wages.


What counts is on the pitch. And here, PES 2017 plays its strengths completely. Not for nothing does it often sound out of the community: "Ui, a FIFA with all licenses, the great atmosphere and with the gameplay from PES, that would be it." And that's true. Because the game mechanics of PES 2017 is indeed first class. Passes are great, the gameplay is pleasant and the running play seems credible. The goalkeepers have also been improved in a meaningful area and are now much safer.


PES 2017 does a lot of things right, but suffers - as always - under the thin license package. The Argentine and Brazilian league are on board, but in Europe, thanks to EA's FIFA 17, it will be very thin in the area of ​​licenses. This is a pity, because playful PES 2017 is a real force. So: Download, install, and get ready to download the Bundesliga patch - it's really atmospheric in PES 2017.