Pes 2012 - Pro Evolution Soccer Page
PES 2012: Pro Evolution Soccer is a sports simulation video game developed and published by
. Released in late 2011, it served as the eleventh installment in the Pro Evolution Soccer
series and was a direct refinement of its predecessor, PES 2011. Core Features and Gameplay Innovations
The primary focus of PES 2012 was improving team dynamics and user control through several key systems:
: This overhaul ensured that teammates reacted more intelligently, making diagonal runs, overlapping on the wings, and supporting attacks by finding open space. Teammate Control
: A standout innovation that allowed users to control a secondary player simultaneously using the right analog stick. This was applicable during active play, goal kicks, corners, and throw-ins. Off the Ball Control
: This system gave players the ability to switch focus away from the ball-carrier to manual control of another player to create scoring opportunities. Refined Defense
: Improved communication between defensive and midfield lines helped the team maintain its shape better than in previous iterations. Game Modes and Licensing
PES 2012 continued its partnership with major football organizations to include exclusive licensed competitions: Official Tournaments : The game featured the UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Super Cup Copa Santander Libertadores Career Modes : Standard modes like Master League Become a Legend
returned, allowing players to manage clubs or guide a single player’s career. Online Integration
: Konami introduced a Facebook app for the first time, allowing users to track scores and set up leagues within the social platform. Technical Specifications PES 2012 - Pro Evolution Soccer
The game was released across a wide variety of platforms, including PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP, PS2, and mobile OS like iOS and Android. For PC players, the recommended system requirements included:
Conclusion: The Cult Classic
Is Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 worth playing today? If you can find a modded PC version with updated kits and squads, absolutely. It offers a tactical, rewarding, and challenging brand of football that modern games—with their gambling mechanics and automated defending—have lost.
PES 2012 is the football equivalent of a cult classic movie: unfairly maligned at release for what it lacked, only to be celebrated years later for what it had. It had soul. It had risk. It allowed you to score a 30-yard dipping volley and feel like you—the player—had earned it, not a script.
In the end, PES 2012 stands as the final roar of the old guard. It is the last true Pro Evolution Soccer before the name became a zombie, stumbling through the PS4 generation. For those who endured the frustrating AI keepers, the laggy online, and the "Man Red" kits, it remains a beloved masterpiece. And in the quiet corners of Reddit and YouTube, the faithful still load up their old PS3s, turn the difficulty to Super Star, and remember a time when football games were about passion, not packs.
Final Score (Retrospective): 8.5/10 Brilliant but flawed. A masterpiece of offline, single-player football doomed by technical limitations and licensing apathy.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2012: A Legacy of Control Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 (PES 2012), developed by
, remains a hallmark in the long-running soccer simulation series. Released as the eleventh installment in the franchise, it introduced several gameplay refinements designed to offer players more direct influence over the action on the pitch. New Gameplay Mechanics
The core of PES 2012's appeal lies in its "Teammate Control" and "Off the Ball Control" systems: Teammate Control
: This allows you to take command of a second player during active play, set pieces, or throw-ins, enabling more complex tactical maneuvers. Off the Ball Control
: Gamers can use a cursor to quickly highlight and select any teammate at any time, moving them into better positions to receive passes. Adjustable Pass Support PES 2012: Pro Evolution Soccer is a sports
: The game features five different settings for computer-assisted passing, ranging from full assistance to complete manual control over direction and power. Enhanced AI and Realism
Konami focused heavily on improving the artificial intelligence (AI) of both teammates and opponents: Anticipation
: AI players are better at anticipating passes and accounting for movement further down the field. Physics and Animation
: The game refined player collisions and "jostles," adding new animations to highlight the physical battle for the ball. Bespoke Player Models
: Over 1,000 players were recreated with unique animations and playing styles, with teams adopting real-life strategies like counter-attacking or defensive setups. Featured Modes and Licenses
PES 2012 continued the series' tradition of securing major tournament licenses: European Competitions : It features the fully licensed UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. Master League & Become a Legend
: These staple career modes return, allowing you to manage a team to glory or guide a single player from a rookie to a global superstar. Football Life
: This umbrella mode combines Master League, Become a Legend, and the Club Boss mode for a comprehensive career experience. Platform Availability
The game was released across a wide variety of platforms, ensuring accessibility for different types of gamers: : PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii. : Sony PSP, Nintendo 3DS, and mobile devices (iOS/Android). Legacy Systems : It notably received a version for the PlayStation 2.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 (PES 2012) is a significant entry in Konami's long-running football simulation series, released in late 2011. It is often remembered as a turning point where the franchise moved away from pure simulation toward a faster, more attack-oriented style of play. Core Gameplay & Innovation Conclusion: The Cult Classic Is Pro Evolution Soccer
The defining feature of PES 2012 was its focus on "Active AI," which significantly improved off-the-ball movement. Teammates became much more intelligent, making overlapping runs and dragging defenders out of position to create space.
Teammate Control: A new system allowed players to manually control a second player during set pieces or active play using the right analog stick.
Fluidity and Speed: Reviewers at GameSpot noted that the game felt faster and less rigid than its predecessor, prioritizing fluid transitions and exciting counter-attacks.
Refined Mechanics: Goalkeepers received new animations, and the "catch-up bug"—where slow defenders could easily catch fast attackers—was largely addressed. Key Game Modes
PES 2012 introduced the "Football Life" umbrella, which consolidated several career-focused modes: Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 Review - Champions League
4. Master League Deep Dive
This was the heart of PES 2012. The menus were slower than FIFA, but the depth was superior:
- Realistic Transfers: You couldn't buy Neymar for $5 million.
- Morale System: A player’s arrow form (Red up to Purple down) drastically affected their touch.
- Classic Players: Unlocking Beckham, Zidane, and Batistuta via the shop felt like a true reward.
Graphics and Presentation: The "PES Face"
By 2011, FIFA had overtaken PES in raw graphical fidelity. FIFA 12 had better lighting and more convincing grass. But PES 2012 had something unique: character.
- Faces: When Konami got a face right, it was uncanny. The scans for players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, and Neymar (who was a rising star in the game) were superb. The eyes looked alive, something FIFA struggled with.
- Animations: This was the weak point. While FIFA used motion capture for hundreds of fluid animations, PES still used a hybrid of motion capture and procedural animation. This led to "stiff" shoulders and robotic turning circles. Players looked like they were ice skating during sharp cuts.
- Menus: Say what you will, the iconic piano-driven menu music and the sleek black and orange UI of PES 2012 was a vibe. It felt professional, European, and sophisticated.
Defending: The Dreaded "Curse of the AI Dribble"
This is where many veterans hold their heads in their hands. In an attempt to make attacking more fluid, Konami gave AI dribblers—even average ones—the ability to glide past your defenders like prime Lionel Messi. On higher difficulties (Super Star and Legend), the AI would perform an endless series of feints, step-overs, and sudden direction changes that your manual tackling simply couldn’t keep up with.
The result? Matches often ended 5-4 or 4-3. Pressing the tackle button was a liability; "X" (contain) became your best friend. It forced you to jockey, predict, and defend as a unit, not as an individual. Frustrating? Absolutely. Realistic? In a chaotic, end-to-end La Liga kind of way, yes.