Konami's new soccer simulation, eFootball 2022 is finally here. The free-to-play platform is meant to inherit PES. However, with its first release, the Japanese publisher is further away from being a serious FIFA competitor than Tottenham is from the Champions League.
In our eFootball 2022 review, we explainwhy the game is a bit of a disaster so far - and why you should still keep an eye on it for the future.
eFootball 2022 Review - What Is Available In The Game?
We've already covered this several times, but once again: there is very little in the current version of eFootball 2022. You can play friendly matches with nine teams, including FC Bayern Munich, Manchester United or Juventus Turin. Apart from that, you can play online 1-vs-1 duels. In the latter, you can even pick, for some inexplicable reason, a lot more teams that.... are not available in the offline mode? WTF Konami?!
And... that's it. There is not even a training mode, not to mention any real modes (at least Creative Team is supposed to come in November). eFootball a little too skinny for us. Here it already becomes clear that eFootball 2022 should have been a demo. When you actually get into the game, it even looks more like an unfinished alpha version...
eFootball 2022 Review - How Is The Gameplay?
Well... the gameplay is not that good. And that really hurts. PES has always (ok, almost always) been a great game in terms of pure gameplay. And I'm talking since PS1 times. But also, in this regard, eFootball 2022 just seems... unfinished. How could Konami release the game in this state?!
Ok, we don't want to be completely unfair. The game can be fun! Konami have switched from the Fox to the Unreal Engine for eFootball 2022 and with this change comes a new gameplay dynamic. The game is a bit slower and more deliberate, but above all, more forceful: the new physical defending is fantastic and gives the game a lot more punch in duels.
However, there are problems here as well. Many problems. Too often, passes end up with the opponents. Teammates simply stop moving, the player with the ball loses it, or the footballers react strangely and unnaturally to collisions. In addition, and this is really unbelievable, there are no tactics settings. And you practically can't play pressing because certain features have been removed. I repeat myself: WTF Konami?!
eFootball 2022 Review - Horrible Performance On Old Consoles
If you think there's a fire in the gameplay and content departments, you'll have to brace yourself for the performance. It's a bad joke, to say the least, and Konami needs to get the fire extinguishers out ASAP. On PS4 and Xbox One, eFootball 2022 is practically unplayable. It's hard to imagine: one of the biggest sports games in the world comes out, and it performs whack on PlayStation and Xbox? Again, WTF KONAMI?! At least the next-gen versions run well and don't look bad, either. But that's too little, way too little.
And it's all just sad, too. It's a real shame that this is the current state of PES - eFootball 2022 can't even begin to hold a candle to its iconic predecessor. And even I, as a PES nerd, can't even dare to dream of a serious competitor for FIFA here.
But: the game is free and is supposed to be regularly expanded and improved with updates and patches. And it has potential: the gameplay just needs to be refined a bit and removed settings/gameplay elements need to be added back. Then it could be really, really good. But eFootball 2022 has to become a much better game by the time the big autumn update in November rolls around. Otherwise, I'm going to get ready for the funeral of my favorite game series....
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