A new year, a new PES. Finally, a soccer game for Street Fighter fans.

For many years the undisputed global champion of the football gaming world, Pro Evolution Soccer slumped somewhat in 2007 and has scrambled to catch bitter rival FIFA ever since. The story plays out the same way every year, with a serious-minded PES receiving a critical nod with a few (or in the case of PES 2011, many) qualifications, and the pick-up-and-play FIFA welcomed by a parade of unadulterated adulation.

In a bid to reverse this trend, PES Productions has apparently decided that the only thing left to do is require players to learn numerous tricky ball control button combinations should they wish to simply compete on the game’s normal difficulty, but unlike many schemes borne of madness and desperation, this one actually pays off in the long run. After nearly half a dozen hours of being the most frustrating soccer title yet released, PES 2013 switches from sadistic master to purveyor of glee, a title that provides players with unparalleled control and captures the nuance of the beautiful game better than anything yet seen.

The bewildering array of new moves falls under the umbrella term of PES Full Control, which also incorporates a number of new and refined features. The new Dynamic First Touch system has the biggest impact, and allows many subtle variations of feints, traps, and flicks to be executed just as the ball reaches the player. Everything from insta-juggles, pinpoint-accurate redirects, momentum-killing traps, and even shot fakes are possible. The animations are great, but these moves are not just for show – if timed correctly they can quickly open holes in the defence and put attackers in the clear.

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Upcoming football game PES 2013 will feature 150 licensed teams, Konami has announced.

The entire Spanish football league will be included, alongside all the clubs from Italian league Serie A.

The UEFA Champions League and Europa League will appear exclusively in the game.

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PES 2013 sees the series returning to its roots, with the emphasis on the individual skills of the world's best players, and giving the player the freedom to play any style of ball.

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