Critics generally praised PES 2012 for its fast-paced, "attack-oriented" gameplay, though opinions on its realism were mixed.
To call PES 2012 "good" is too simple. It was deeply, fundamentally flawed. The AI on the highest difficulty cheated with comedic obviousness—your players would slow down, passes would go astray, and the opposition goalkeeper would turn into Lev Yashin. The online mode was a laggy, through-ball-spamming wasteland. The presentation was a decade behind its rival. PES 2012 - Pro Evolution Soccer
: One of the game's most ambitious—and polarizing—features was the ability to manually control a second player using the right analog stick. This allowed players to trigger specific runs during open play or set pieces, adding a layer of tactical depth that required significant practice to master. Physics and Animation Critics generally praised PES 2012 for its fast-paced,
: Konami overhauled the artificial intelligence to ensure teammates made more intelligent runs into space, rather than just being drawn to the ball. The AI on the highest difficulty cheated with