FIFA 19: 10 Things EA Should Steal From PES

3. The Tactics System

There's a template feel to FIFA 18's tactics. If you're 1-0 up with 20 minutes to go, switch to Counter Attack and watch as the opposition fail to react whatsoever. Guaranteed, you'll get a few clear-cut chances on goal because of poor CPU defending. It's predictable and boring.

PES adopts a much more reactive method to tactical play. It's arguably not as easy to switch on the fly, which is annoying, but there's a sense of pride that comes from knowing your decisions can change the way the game plays out. That's football.

Konami punish players for being negligent too. Set up against Man City with just two or three players in midfield and expect to be overrun by powerful wizards like Kevin De Bruyne and Fernandinho. At the same time, their creativity and influence can be stifled by setting your side up sensibly.

Tactics matter in PES, and it takes more than simply sending a group of superstars out onto the pitch, especially on the higher difficulty levels. In FIFA, things play out in formulaic fashion. Tactics are only useful for exploiting poor AI.