Konami kicks off Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 demo for PS3, Xbox 360

If you’re not feeling FIFA 14 this year for whatever reason, there will be an alternative soccer game worth checking out in the near future. Konami has released a PS3 and Xbox 360 demo for Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 in advance of the game’s September 24th release.

It’s a good opportunity for those looking to compare it to EA Sports’ latest release and take the game out for a spin. The game is running on Kojima Productions’ FOX Engine, so it may be worth downloading just to check that out.

Announcement with more details below.

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced the free playable demo for Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 is available for download, starting today on Xbox 360 via Xbox LIVE and for PlayStation 3 via PlayStation Network.

PES 2014 marks major advancements for the popular soccer game, with the inclusion of Konami’s proprietary developed by Kojima Productions, FOX Engine in their overhauled soccer-specific production system. Utilizing this new technology allowed the PES Production team to focus on recreating many of the tangible skills of your favorite players and teams, such as ball movements (TrueBall Tech), and sophisticated AI (TeamPlay). Fans will also see personalized animations and celebrations (PES ID) to bring their highlights to life. Finally, the Heart system will bring intangible elements, such as stadium crowds and player energy in to the game dynamic. This will play a larger impact on the momentum of the match, allowing anything to happen over the course of a match.

The first demo allows users to experience these key additions first hand with match play modes. The demo features eleven fully licensed teams, including Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Germany and Italy from the European region, while Santos FC (BRZ), Boca Juniors (ARG), Colo Colo and four other teams are available in the South American region.

In order to experience the full range of controls PES 2014 offers, the demo allows any difficulty setting to be used, and boasts localized language settings. The users may also enjoy a part of the tutorial to learn the basics of the overhauled controls.

PES 2014 is rated ‘E’ for Everyone by the ESRB and will be available in retail stores nationwide beginning September 24th. The demo for PES 2014 is available now through XBOX Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.