Konami’s long-running soccer franchise has played second fiddle to EA’s FIFA in recent years, but that doesn’t mean it’s without its fans. From the full release on two generations of consoles to PC and iOS, there are plenty of footie fans that still find something to love in Pro Evolution Soccer. Now they may find a little bit more, as the mobile version of PES 2018 has received a massive upgrade, transforming it into PES 2019.
Most noticeably, Konami has upgraded PES to Unreal Engine 4, the most modern edition of Epic’s game engine. PES 2018 ran on Unreal Engine 3, the engine most associated with the aging Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. With the recent iPhone upgrades, PES players should see a leap in quality that befits the generational upgrade.
On the gameplay side, the PES 2019 patch adds in myClub, which is Konami’s rendition of EA’s popular Ultimate Team. This sees players opening card packs to procure players and build fantasy teams that can take on online opponents. Adding to the “fantasy football” aspect of the mode, Konami stated that real life players who perform well could see upgraded cards on sale for a week after their games.
Considering the card-based nature of myClub, it’s surprising it didn’t originate in the mobile version of the game, but it’s found its home on the go. Card packs are procured primarily through microtransactions, which can range from $1 to $35. Players can also grind out currency to get packs and top picks if they want to avoid microtransactions, but these modes are generally centered around spending money to progress.
Finally, PES 2019 players of all modes will be able to take control of 12 more worldly soccer organizations. While FIFA still holds the advantage with the sheer number of leagues, PES makes great strides with the additions of teams from Russia, China, and South America.
