Much like the dramatic Real Madrid vs. Barcelona clash of styles or the battle newly engaged on the streets of Manchester one thing is for certain; competition breeds, without question, improvements galore (Van Persies big move to the Red Devils is a case in point). In terms of football games there is no greater rivalry than between PES, the seemingly fallen giant, and FIFA, the incumbent wearer of the crown over the last few installments. This year, however, may not follow the now familiar victory dance by the cohorts at EA sports HQ. It seems finally that the PES franchise has embraced the notion of simulation ahead of fun, arcade-like gameplay. For years FIFA have established themselves as the ultimate architect of the beautiful game in digital form. The ability to blend lifelike player models and accurate animations has FIFA at the pinnacle of realism. Add to that the wonderful match presentation, in particular the fluid commentary and you have a combination that is hard to beat. So how can the PES franchise compete against such a worthy and superior adversary? More importantly where does it fall short of this high watermark? First, lets look at what the problems were last time around. The most glaring misstep was the AI intelligence of the keepers and to a wider extent the general defending mechanics. It has been a constant groan machine in recent permutations whenever a simple shot would result in butterfingers style animations. Such small inconsistencies added up to an almost infuriating experience. Another issue, which FIFA got so right in 2012, was the subtle differences in player motions. Be it Rooney stomping toward goal or Messi foxing through the defense, players were notably unique. Again, resulting in an element of realism unsurpassed in the world of gaming. It looks as if Konami have been glancing at their rivals with more than envy as they have a slew of new features of FIFAs ilk for PES 2013 and it looks astounding. Thanks to the new PlayerID each of the worlds best players are painstakingly rendered to mimic their playing style. It adds an extra layer to the aesthetics and really highlights the gifts bestowed upon the largest characters in world football. Add to this the revamped control system, known as PESFull Control. However, the real quiver in Konamis bow is the new Active AI system that breathes realistic off the ball movement to your AI controlled teammates. This is such a big improvement as it banishes the hapless defensive lapses of yesteryear, while seemingly making the overall play more fluid and fast-paced. PES 2013 looks set to give FIFA 13 a run for its money. The only thing stopping it is that FIFA 13 has also taken strides to improve. Theyve upped the graphics and the gameplay has been tweaked to near perfection, especially the dynamic physics engine. The only contrivance being that the opposition plays the beautiful game too well, a la Barcelona, even if youre playing against the likes of Stoke City. So, even though, PES is edging closer and closer FIFA continues to raise the bar year on year (all be it with greater pressure), which is only good news for football lovers out there. Bring on the competition. It really doesnt matter who wins.