News

PES 2013 coming to 3DS and PSP... but not PS Vita

Lack of Vita version a worrying sign from a major publisher

PES 2013 coming to 3DS and PSP... but not PS Vita
|
| PES 2013

The next instalment of Pro Evolution Soccer has been announced, and it's heading to handheld consoles - but, perhaps not the ones you were thinking of.

The Nintendo 3DS will receive a version of PES 2013, yet the PS Vita won't - or at least, not straight away. Rather oddly, the latest edition of Konami's long-running footballing franchise will be sprinting out of the tunnel on day one and onto the Vita's predecessor, the PSP, though.

A Konami spokesperson told us that a Vita version "could just be coming later", although the rep didn't sound too sure. Not exactly a great advertisement for the future of the Vita if top dogs like Konami are forgetting about it!

In control

Konami claims that PES 2013 will offer a level of control "never before" seen in a football game, thanks to the FullControl gameplay mechanics.

While the PES series has always focused on giving the player as much control as possible, PES 2013 will allow players to fully control the shots on goal for the first time, with full manual shooting.

There are plenty of other control-oriented features in PES 2013, too, such as the full manual one-two, full manual passing, and dynamic first touch.

AI, AI!

The AI system has also been completely revamped, with new Player ID and ProActive AI systems in place.

Each individual player will have animations and styles that match their real-life counterparts, including the goalkeepers.

Konami says it has worked closely with the PES fanbase "to eradicate any illogical elements to the way players move and run", so hopefully this should result in a more realistic game of two halves.

Finally, a myPES application on Facebook will connect to the console game, allowing players to extend their playtime outside of the main game with communication features.

PES 2013 is due for release in autumn 2012 on 3DS and PSP, as well as on all the main home consoles and PC. Check out the trailer below.

yt
Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on

Mike Rose
Mike Rose
An expert in the indie games scene, Mike comes to Pocket Gamer as our handheld gaming correspondent. He is the author of 250 Indie Games You Must Play.