Hardest footie game

Topaz

Topaz

Programmer/TheAwesomeGem
21 October 2011
United States
Chelsea, Spain
What's the most difficult and hardest footie game against CPU? I am tired of playing FIFA 18/17 where I win with 105 points every season and PES 2018/2017 where I win some matches 5-0 and lose some matches 4-0 due to scripting and other handicap mode. PES 3 is a hard game that I do enjoy however it lacks patches. Any ideas?
 
PES 3 is definitely the hardest IMO. I played a few PES 2012 games yesterday, and it was also quite hard. I wonder if the scripting is blatant in ML, i was playing FIFA at that time, so i didn't play much of it when it was released.
 
My first football games were in the arcades. These always seemed to have a way to score like if you got your player where the d connected with the penalty area, That point and shot straight to the bottom corner you scored. I didnt get a console until 99. Parents got the sega megadrive for my younger brother but convinced them to take it back and get a ps1 as my mate had one and we could swap games.

Over Christmas I got a bag of games and demos my mate had and was playing them one evening. Some good, some not so good. One of the demos was for a football game called IIS Pro 98. It was a first half, I think 5 min demo where you could choose Brazil or France. Now I had Actua Soccer at the time and was really enjoying it. Put the demo on played as Brazil. I was expecting to play 1 or two matches, started at around 10 pm. Next thing I know its 7 or 8 the next morning and I've finally only managed a draw. I absolutely loved it. I wasn't losing because I was being or feeling cheated it was because the opposing team out played me. To get the draw or a win I had to get my tactics and players right. I had to think and plan. I was hooked. I masted it (The 5 min demo) and the next football game I bought was IIS Pro Evolution thinking ok i got this but no I didn't. I had being playing as Brazil or France. Playing with the default masterleague players against Leeds was my first match, no chance. I think IIS Pro Evolution was the hardest game I ever played at first once I had it for a few weeks and bought more players it was easier but still a good game. I think PES 4 was kinda hard at first. I remember playing Arsenal and it was close in the first half but then they destroyed me. Then I think 12 or 13 were hard but in more of an scripted overpowered way. It didn't feel fair. The difference with the hardness in the older games compared to the newer ones I think is you always felt outplayed more than cheated like in the newer ones. I think they probably always had scripting but I think they hid it better in the old ones
 
Pes 3, Pes 5, Pes 12-13 are the hardest of the old gen Pes in my experience, even if for different reasons each; I've also heard extremely good things about Pes 2008 (absolutely only on PS2), but I haven't played it enough to give a direct opinion. However, I think it ultimately comes a point in which you have to make your own limitations to challenge yourself even in those titles, or relay on shitty cpu cheating on others like most of the new gen. An all round good and human cpu that stays competitive with some plausibility unfortunately isn't out there (I wish too).

Even if you pick a Fifa you can always handicap yourself with sliders if it's the pure challenge you are after, but in the end realism would suffer.
 
Hmm... it would be interesting to see what games would be named if the title of the thread was “Hardest footie game with the least scripting”

I would say PES2017 as the hardest. If the CPU decided you are going to lose, then lose you will.

For hardest with the least scripting i would say PES5 :)
 
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Madmac79 said:
Pes 3, Pes 5, Pes 12-13 are the hardest of the old gen Pes in my experience, even if for different reasons each; I've also heard extremely good things about Pes 2008 (absolutely only on PS2), but I haven't played it enough to give a direct opinion. However, I think it ultimately comes a point in which you have to make your own limitations to challenge yourself even in those titles, or relay on shitty cpu cheating on others like most of the new gen. An all round good and human cpu that stays competitive with some plausibility unfortunately isn't out there (I wish too).

Even if you pick a Fifa you can always handicap yourself with sliders if it's the pure challenge you are after, but in the end realism would suffer.
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Yep certainly giving yourself a handicap helps. On PES5 when it eventually became too easy after over 10 years. I would only allow myself to do ‘small headers’ (X) out of my penalty box and not ‘long headers’ (SQUARE). Also i would not do any secondry pressing.
 
geeeeee said:
Yep certainly giving yourself a handicap helps. On PES5 when it eventually became too easy after over 10 years. I would only allow myself to do ‘small headers’ (X) out of my penalty box and not ‘long headers’ (SQUARE). Also i would not do any secondry pressing.
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Well this seems a bit extreme to me :D, but to each his own I guess ;). I just limit myself to adhere to a particular module/tactic or to not fill my team with superstars, and I find Pes 5 or others to still stay competitive enough through this.
After all, if your goal is in first place to pursue victory by imitating real football (so not exploit unrealistic tactics or plays to an extent) it's hard, at least in my opinion, for a good game to become completely obsolete like, ever.
 
Madmac79 said:
Well this seems a bit extreme to me :D, but to each his own I guess ;). I just limit myself to adhere to a particular module/tactic or to not fill my team with superstars, and I find Pes 5 or others to still stay competitive enough through this.
After all, if your goal is in first place to pursue victory by imitating real football (so not exploit unrealistic tactics or plays to an extent) it's hard, at least in my opinion, for a good game to become completely obsolete like, ever.
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I agree i always like to play ‘real’ football but after so long playing the game i noticed i would be playing subconsciously while thinking about other things. Just going through the motions and still winning.

Another handicap i used was not bring the GK out. Just let him come himself.

Topaz said:
I will give PES 4 a try. On both PES 5 and PES 6 on the hardest difficulty, I finished the season with only 1 loss. The attacking AI really lacks in PES 5.
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Not sure if you tried any of my stat adjustments from about 5 years ago. It helped me to get another few years out of PES5 because their attacking was far better.

Adjustments are in the 2nd post https://www.evo-web.co.uk/threads/gees-pes5-we9le-2014-15-option-file-0-1.74815/ :)
 
geeeeee said:
I agree i always like to play ‘real’ football but after so long playing the game i noticed i would be playing subconsciously while thinking about other things. Just going through the motions and still winning.

Another handicap i used was not bring the GK out. Just let him come himself.



Not sure if you tried any of my stat adjustments from about 5 years ago. It helped me to get another few years out of PES5 because their attacking was far better.

Adjustments are in the 2nd post https://www.evo-web.co.uk/threads/gees-pes5-we9le-2014-15-option-file-0-1.74815/ :)
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Which do you personally think is harder? WE9LE or PES 5? I could probably try stat adjusting again.
 
I have always found PES5 PS2 version harder. Simply because i thought there was a slight delay using the PS2 controller. On PC i was playing tika taka too much because the controller response was slightly quicker.
 
I haven't done this but another thing you could do is not use the 'auto close down' button when defending.
 
Wow PES 4 is much more harder and rewarding than PES 5 or PES 6. Thanks for the suggestion!
 
In my experience in every PES you can "break" the AI sooner or later. The only ones where it didn't for me were pes 5, pes 2012 and pes 2018 (the last one for the wrong reasons and poorly executed). All others I've found pretty easy overall. My first pes was pes 5 though.
 
Topaz said:
Wow PES 4 is much more harder and rewarding than PES 5 or PES 6. Thanks for the suggestion!
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Agreed, PES 4 was definitely a tough one. Wish there were more patches for PES 3 as well. Back to PES 4 though, I remember how much time I spent on that game. Absolutely loved it. Any newest updates/patches on it out there?
 
I'm deffo gonna say Pes 2012 for me,not playing as the sharpest team (Real Betis) but I'm struggling here.
Toughest Pes game ive played.
Manual on Professional/top player 20 Min.
I've never had this much trouble getting s result on the 2nd hardest level.
I've gone through games were I had less than 5 shots taken.
And not being Vs Barca/RM/AM either
 
Matt10 said:
Agreed, PES 4 was definitely a tough one. Wish there were more patches for PES 3 as well. Back to PES 4 though, I remember how much time I spent on that game. Absolutely loved it. Any newest updates/patches on it out there?
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I have found patches for PES 4 but not PES 3. Having a blast with PES 4 though. Player stats, movement, positioning, etc is so perfect. Defending is also much more harder compared to PES 5 which was just holding the tackle button. Lots of shots by the CPU and varied attacking that always surprises me. I wish there was a graphics patch but I am really enjoying it so far.
 
Topaz said:
I have found patches for PES 4 but not PES 3. Having a blast with PES 4 though. Player stats, movement, positioning, etc is so perfect. Defending is also much more harder compared to PES 5 which was just holding the tackle button. Lots of shots by the CPU and varied attacking that always surprises me. I wish there was a graphics patch but I am really enjoying it so far.
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Is PES 4 harder than PES 3 ? Can't remember the CPU. I thought it was a bit like PES 6's CPU.
 
@Topaz I think there is an internal graphics resolution fix for pes4 in kingsley's thread only that you have to run it every time you start up pes4 (have to change resolution in game to make it stick or something - can't recall exactly now)
 
I think PES 3 is still the toughest as the CPU can score in an instant from set piece or blast one in from long range and their defense is hard as nails, lots of scoreless draws between the big teams is common. PES 6 is tough just because it is so damn full of bugs and errors.
 
Topaz said:
No not really. PES 4 have better attacking CPU than PES 5. But it's so easy to score in PES 4. PES 3 had the perfect balance between attacking and defending AI.
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Yep, that is what I always find about PES 3, the game is very dynamic and unpredictable, one game will finish with a crazy 5 - 4 scoreline and the likes of Adriano or Vieri have scored with thirty yard thunderbolt shots and the next four ML games could be 0 - 0s with hardly a clear chance created. Totally random and just like real football. :TU:
 
Tackling could be so difficult. It's the only game in the series where I've received a second yellow card without using a sliding tackle. You know the ones where you are only pressing X and it brings their player down. I think there was something in the other games that didn't allow for your players to receive a second yellow in this way. At least in my experience anyway.
Scoring in PES3 seemed more of an achievement too.
 
geeeeee said:
..
I would say PES2017 as the hardest. If the CPU decided you are going to lose, then lose you will.
..
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remember when you played against your designated rival teams?
they would MURDER your players, always resulting in cards and injuries
 
Winning Eleven 6, although it was not free from scripting like every other WE/PES.
 
I always felt any kind of competition mode or Master League usually brought out the toughest in the AI. Sometimes it would be scripting and sometimes it would be actual competitiveness but ultimately, Exhibition matches only make up for a slightly diluted experience, across the entire series.

Also, if you really do find it too easy, could always use weaker teams and on the games that allow it, reduce the Passing and shooting assistance or even drop to manual!
 
MafiaMurderBag said:
I always felt any kind of competition mode or Master League usually brought out the toughest in the AI. Sometimes it would be scripting and sometimes it would be actual competitiveness but ultimately, Exhibition matches only make up for a slightly diluted experience, across the entire series.

Also, if you really do find it too easy, could always use weaker teams and on the games that allow it, reduce the Passing and shooting assistance or even drop to manual!
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This is something i only noticed a few years ago while editing stuff in PES 6. I always tested new players/formations/tactics/stadiums in exhibition mode, and it was always a walk in the park compared to Master League/Cup/League.
 
Hardest one for me was pes 3 but i used to play it very well with a keyboard not even a controller, i used to play this game on a geforce 2 mx440 64mb ram
 
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