FIFA 13 or PES 2013. Don’t know which to get?  Let’s put these two games side by side and see how they compare.

Licensing

EA has almost every professional team in existence in the game. MLS fans can play it and now some of the Saudi fans can play their own leagues as well.  While PES does have limited licensing, it does have a one up with a very robust modding community and if the time is taken and the necessary files are installed, PES will have all of the real world teams. Plus, its aces in the hole are that PES 2013 has the fully licensed UEFA Champions and Europa League, Copa Santander Libertadores and a few others. And with the mod, which is FREE, you can play the World Cup and Euro 2012 without having to make a separate purchase (unlike EA).  Winner:  PES 2013

Graphics

This one is a tough call. Whereas FIFA is a much ‘cleaner’ and ‘sharper’ looking game, EA still misses a lot on the game faces. PES 2013 graphics engine is starting to show a bit but the animations in some places are a lot more realistic. Both though can sometimes be a miss in celebrations.  Winner: Draw

Game Mechanics and Control

This category is another very tough call as both have improved in some areas of actual game play. However, I feel that EA has done a lot to improve on the mechanics with the First Touch Control feature. And playing defense is slightly more solid and realistic. Also in offense, there’s a noticeable difference in how the AI plays on the ball when passed or shot.  PES 2013 still has issues with AI’s sticking to each other like glue during corner kicks. Plus you may wind up doing some button mashing while tackling when playing defense. Winner: FIFA 13

Overall Gameplay

This is slightly different from game mechanics. As far as speed of the game is concerned, PES 2013 still feels more like a real world game. At times, some games seem to go really fast while the pace is more measured with others. Overall, you won’t have a game that’s a shootout because you have to be precise where you want to put the ball, which makes scoring a much more satisfying experience.  On FIFA 13, it feels like it’s catching up to PES in this regard but there are still far too many times where the game feels a bit arcade-like. However, with a few adjustments to the sliders, you can find your right pace and change the gameplay to your style.  Winner: PES 2013

Career Modes

With PES 2013, Konami has released another iteration of Master League and Be A Legend. Unfortunately, both feel slightly flat this year. The one step back is that neither really immerses you into what is going on around the league.  While Be A Legend does feature a few minor changes to help you develop your player, you still don’t get feedback from your coach. This is another area where EA has stepped up in both departments. In manager mode you now have the opportunity to manage international squads and as a player you have the opportunity to play on one. Also at key times, you will get news from around the league about job openings, upcoming fixtures and so on and it’s done very well for an EA sports game.  Most of all, whatever mode you choose, you are given clearly defined objectives which gives you a direction to where you want to go. Winner: FIFA 13

‘The Extra Bells and Whistles’

Straight out of the package, PES 2013 doesn’t have much to stand on as it only brings back a lot of the modes that made last year’s (and previous years) games a joy to play. But again, EA has come out swinging with FIFA 13. Improvements to the previously mentioned Career modes as well as the new Match Day experience gives FIFA 13 a more realistic approach. But not only that, it’s the small things that count in FIFA 13 such as in-game updates of scores from around the league and injury reports, which really separate FIFA 13 from FIFA 12 and FIFA 11.  Winner: FIFA 13

Fans will agree and disagree on which game is the better but it’s undeniable that both games in their own way are marvelous games to play. The competition between both game companies will ensure that the fans will benefit from new features and enhanced functionality in future years.