PES 2012 : Pro Evolution Soccer

PES 2012: Pro Evolution Soccer for PlayStation 2 brings Konami's long-running football series to Sony's console in its 2011 season. Developed by PES Productions and published by Konami, this PS2 edition is a match-focused sports game built around direct control of a club or national side. It arrived in Europe in late October 2011, with the North American release following in November, and represents the series' continued support for the established PlayStation 2 audience alongside versions for newer systems and handhelds.

A match begins with the usual choice of teams, tactics and line-ups, then puts passing, movement, shooting and defending in the player's hands. The PlayStation 2 controller's analogue sticks and face buttons are used to guide players, carry the ball, distribute passes, attempt tackles and strike at goal. PES 2012 places particular emphasis on creating space away from the ball: its Teammate Control feature lets the player direct a second teammate during open play and certain restarts, making it possible to set up runs or pull markers out of position before delivering a pass.

Passing support can be adjusted through five levels, allowing players to choose how much assistance they receive when aiming and weighting the ball. That flexibility suits both quick, accessible matches and a more deliberate approach in which timing and direction matter more. Konami also promoted changes to teammate and opponent decision-making for this instalment. Defensive players are intended to hold their shape more thoughtfully, while attackers make runs that can be used with the new off-the-ball control. Refereeing incorporates the advantage rule, so a foul need not immediately halt an attacking move.

The game offers exhibition football and tournament play alongside longer-form career options. In Master League, players guide a club through seasons while balancing on-pitch results with squad and management decisions. Become a Legend shifts the focus to one footballer and follows that player's career, while Club Boss adds an executive-style role. Football Life groups these career-oriented experiences together. Local multiplayer lets friends share the competition on the same console; the PS2 release supports two players as standard and can accommodate larger local groups with compatible multitap hardware.

PES 2012 includes licensed UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Super Cup competitions, plus the Copa Santander Libertadores through Konami's CONMEBOL agreement. These licences give the game recognizable tournament presentation and a route from ordinary matches to continental competition. It also retains editable PES League and D2 League structures filled with fictional clubs, useful for players who want to build custom competitions. The broader team selection combines licensed leagues, independent clubs and national teams, though licensing varies by competition and territory rather than making every real-world club available under its official name.

Outside Japan, the game is known as PES 2012: Pro Evolution Soccer; the related Japanese branding uses World Soccer: Winning Eleven 2012. It follows PES 2011 and was succeeded by PES 2013, placing it in the annual era of Konami's football series. For PlayStation 2 owners, this version packages the season's teams, competitions and career play around the series' defining contest between patient passing, positional movement and the search for an opening in the opposition defence.