Become a Legend – The Forgotten Mode in Recent Years

One, if not my favourite mode in PES has to be Become a Legend. The ability to turn yourself into a Superstar and really put a stamp on the football world really appeals to me. However, it is quite apparent that Konami seem to have forgotten about the mode in recent years. I hope that by reading this article, Konami can revitalise the mode in future PES titles.

I think what really stands out for me is how much longevity Become a Legend could have if Konami get it right. Of course, Master League and myClub are huge modes in their own right and Konami have to look after the masses. However, Become a Legend is a more personal experience and with that, I’d like the mode to really make me feel like I am achieving something with my Virtual Footballer.

How can that happen? One of my suggestions would be to really have to earn a spot at the club in the beginning. When you create a character at the moment, it’s all too simple in my opinion. Create a player, go to a club. In real life, it simply doesn’t just happen like that. I’d like the chance to go on trial with a selection of clubs. In this trial, it would be good to have a few mini games for you to complete (similar to what FIFA does). Depending on what happens in those mini games and your trial overall, clubs can then decide whether to offer you a contract or not. It would definitely make me want to strive to do better in these trials and then get a contract with one of the clubs on offer.

Another one of my suggestions would be to have a much bigger focus on the media side of things, as well as interaction with your manager. In PES 2016 and past iterations, there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of support and direction from your manager.  I’d like to see this drastically improved in future games in terms of mid-game instructions from your manager or coach. With this Adaptive AI system, if defenders are doubling up on you at all times, it would be great to see a little notification come up on the side from your manager telling you to come deeper and link up play more. Substitutions feel far too random for me; I’ve had instances where I have scored 2 goals and still been subbed off… If I was the best player, surely the game should recognise that more?

I also mentioned having a much bigger media presence would also improve the mode a lot I feel. If I’m doing well, I’d like to see stories come up regarding bigger clubs wanting to sign me. On the flip side, If I’m not doing quite as well, I would much like to see rumours of the club I am with wanting to loan me out or get rid of me all together. Things like this I am sure wouldn’t require too much development work, and would really add to the mode’s longevity, as well as giving it that freshness it craves after a few years of the same.

Going even further, I think Become a Legend could also be a mode that could go online, and have the potential so be so much better and bigger than Pro Clubs is for FIFA. Teams could have 11 full players in a club, managed by a real player who would give these players instructions and aims to achieve throughout the season. Clubs could be separated into divisions, much like the set up in Master League, only in different servers (A server list much like friendly lobby works). These teams could have a wage and transfer budget, allowing managers to bid for other real players from their rival teams. The limitations for Become a Legend, both offline and online,  are endless and I hope that Konami see the same vision that I do with the mode.

Become a Legend is a fantastic mode already, but these changes and a lot more in the future, I think Konami could be on to a winner, something that could eventually become even bigger than Master League. Adaptive AI could be a game changer in the way that managers give instructions depending on how you are playing and if you are being marked out of the game.

Of course, these are only my suggestions for the future. Do you like Become a Legend as much as me? Maybe you have an even better idea or way that Konami can improve the mode in the coming years? I’d love to hear your feedback and suggestions in the comment section below.