When facing insurmountable odds in any situation, there are two approaches one can take: the "I'm going to give it my all even if I can't possibly win" train of thought, or the "well, it's impossible, so it doesn't matter how hard I try… let's just give 50%" idea.

Beautiful presentation; Well-paced soccer action

Deceptively difficult to control; Level of realism not nearly as high as competition

In the battle between dueling sports franchises, soccer games have been rather one-sided throughout this console generation. Pro Evolution Soccer, once the dominant sim of the PlayStation 2 era, faltered with some huge missteps, while EA's FIFA franchise has nearly widened the gap into a chasm with...

Great balance between arcade and sim play; Improved AI and tactical moves; Deep; nuanced play

Feature rot from other elements; Steep learning curve; Awful tutorial doesn't help learning curve

Ultimately, it's the manual passing system that has elevated PES 2013 to the next level, but across the board the improvements are clear to see, from the improvement in graphics to what really matters, the gameplay.

On the fly manual passing adds an unprecedented amount of freedom; Slicker animations and smoother player movements makes for a more realistic game of footy; Improved A.I.

Doesn't offer the same wealth of game modes and online features as its rival FIFA

To celebrate the start of the NBA season TotalPlayStation is taking a close look at three of this year's premiere soccer simulations. That's right, we reviewed both juggernaut, at times besting the goliath but lately finding its dominance on the wane.

One of the biggest rivalries between franchises has always been the Pro Evolution Soccer aka Winning Eleven vs FIFA debate. While back in the PlayStation 2 era, the FIFA games were always known for their arcadey gameplay and the PES games for their simulation, the tables turned in the current-gen...

The problem with reviewing a football simulation game like FIFA or PES is that the one will always be compared with the other and there will be just as many apologists for one as there are foes of the other.

Although I don't keep up with either of the leading soccer games, PES 2013 seems competent and capable of challenging FIFA 13 for a spot in your collection.

Concept: PES 2013 is mainly about refinements, but the new equipment system is a cool step forward Graphics: The running animations are still a bit stiff, and the graphics are solid but don't wow Sound: The crowd does a nice job of responding to the flow of play Playability: From new manual controls...

A look at this year's crop of soccersims. How they stack up, and which one is right for you?

Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 is returning to its roots, with emphasis on the individual skills of the world's best players, giving the player total freedom to play any style of ball, to any teammate, anywhere on the pitch, including full control over shots, for the first time ever.