PES 2020 is the gaming equivalent of Tottenham Hotspur under Pochettino: hugely impressive, despite operating on a tighter budget than its rivals, but just not quite good enough to take the next step. The same old licensing gripes remain but, for those that can be bothered to dabble with option files, they’re easily rectified. If they matter to you that much you won’t be considering anything other than FIFA anyway. Even without that editing, eFootball PES 2020 is an absorbing game that requires you to prod and probe at opposition defences until you work out the best way of breaking them down, even if that does turn out to be a long ball to your big number nine. Just try not to get into a position where you need to make a slide tackle.
Feels like real football; Stadiums are lively; Player likenesses are spot-on (if not exhaustive);
Same old licensing issues; AI is occasionally lazy; Quirky online matchmaking;