Guide
PES 2013 vs FIFA 13: How the Great 2012 Rivalry Played Out
In 2012 the football game war was Ronaldo against Messi on two different covers. A fair history of PES 2013 and FIFA 13, and what each did best.
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September 2012 was peak football game rivalry. PES 2013 put Cristiano Ronaldo on the cover, FIFA 13 answered with Lionel Messi, and for one autumn the two greatest players alive fronted two genuinely different ideas of football. This is a fair account of that fight, from the PES side of the fence.
Two philosophies of football
FIFA 13 chased scale and spectacle: licences everywhere, commentary polish, and a fast, flowing game built for highlights. PES 2013 chased control: FullControl's manual passing and shooting, Player ID's hand studied stars, and matches that rewarded patience. Choosing between them in 2012 was choosing what you believed football was.
Where PES 2013 won
On the pitch's smallest details, PES felt hand made. First touches had weight and consequence, stars moved like themselves, and a manual through ball into space you spotted yourself carried a satisfaction assisted games could not print. Master League, for all its quirks, remained the deeper single player obsession for its devotees. For the complete picture of the game, start from our full PES 2013 fan guide and work outwards from there.
Where FIFA 13 won
Licensing breadth, presentation and online infrastructure belonged to FIFA, and it was not close. Full league licences, slick menus and a formidable Ultimate Team machine made FIFA 13 the easier game to live in week after week. Many households owned both, and played them for different moods, which tells the truth about the rivalry better than any score.
The cover war
Ronaldo versus Messi was marketing genius on both sides because it was also the real football argument of the age. PES even doubled down in South America with Neymar beside Ronaldo. The covers announced the games' personalities: PES backing power and expression, FIFA backing the era's defining genius.
The magic boots own goal
PES 2013's strangest wound was self inflicted. Master League's attribute boosting boots, handed to new signings, annoyed the faithful precisely because they undermined the honest simulation the game stood for. It became the edition's famous controversy and a lesson in knowing your audience: PES players wanted difficulty they could trust. We go deeper on the connected topic in our explainer on the PES 2013 mobile version and its data files, which pairs well with this one.
What reviewers said at the time
Critics generally scored the two games close, praising PES 2013 as a return to form for Konami's gameplay while noting its presentation and licensing gaps. The consensus that survives is fair: FIFA 13 was the bigger product, PES 2013 was, for many, the better football.
Why PES fans stayed
Communities are built on feel, and PES 2013's feel was distinctive: heavier touches, deliberate dribbling, manual freedom. Its editing community patched its licensing gaps with famous dedication, turning a weakness into a culture. Players did not just play PES 2013; they maintained it. We go deeper on the connected topic in our shooting and finishing guide, which pairs well with this one.
The rivalry's legacy
Both series changed after this era, but 2012 remains the last season the contest felt truly even in the public imagination. Returning to PES 2013 today is returning to that balance point, when the underdog's gameplay was good enough to argue with a giant, and often, on the pitch, to win.
Quick Answers
Which was better, PES 2013 or FIFA 13?
It depends on taste. FIFA 13 led on licences, presentation and online play. PES 2013 led on manual control, Player ID individuality and Master League depth for its fans. Many players owned both.
Who was on the cover of PES 2013 and FIFA 13?
Cristiano Ronaldo fronted PES 2013, with Neymar joining him on the South American edition. Lionel Messi fronted FIFA 13, mirroring the era's great real football rivalry.
What were the magic boots in PES 2013?
In Master League, newly signed players could arrive wearing boots that boosted their attributes. Many fans disliked the feature for undermining the mode's realism, and it became the edition's famous debate.