Pro Evolution Soccer used to be the game for 'proper' football fans, the one with a sense of nuance and flow, the one that placed fluid gameplay over trifling things like official licenses, the one where playing as London FC instead of Chelsea didn't matter thanks to an understanding of what gives...

We head back to the changing rooms for the latest Pro Evolution. Is this the game to give EA a serious run..

Tweaked in all the right places, 2013 is the finest PES of the generation, delightfully recreating the ebb and flow of the modern game.

The best PES on this generation of consoles; Complex; but beautifully rewarding; Sprawling package of modes and options

Terrible commentary; as per usual; Not as technically slick as FIFA

PES 2013 is tackling FIFA head-on this year, but does it have what it takes to topple EA's game? Find out, right here.

Konami finally get it right on the pitch, with focussed tactics and a new-found desire making PES 2013 the best entry in the series for years.

Mark Walton discovers PES 2013 plays a mean game of football in this video review.

Slower pace gives you more control; Much improved ball physics; New defending system is more natural to use; Plays a great; classically scrappy game of football

New moves are tricky to master; Untouched single- and multiplayer modes beginning to show their age; Dreary and dated presentation; Terrible commentary

At first glance the changes made to Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 might seem like a bunch of slight, almost superficial tweaks; you'd be hard pressed to find one standout feature from its long list of AI improvements, new tactical moves, or graphical revamps.

Slower pace gives you more control; Much improved ball physics; New defending system is more natural to use; Plays a great; classically scrappy game of football

New moves are tricky to master; Untouched single- and multiplayer modes beginning to show their age; Dreary and dated presentation; Terrible commentary

Is that pal

In its heyday, the Pro Evolution Soccer / Winning Eleven series was the best in the genre because it had the best gameplay, not because it had the most licenses or longest feature list.

The PES series has been making steady progress since the serious dip in quality of PES 2008, 2009, 2010. With PES 2013, Konami has finally pulled off the excellent game it's been threatening to release for the last couple of years.