Category: Games

EA’s FIFA 20 is just a few days from its global September 27 launch on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. As tree leaves begin to fall, so too do the reviews for FIFA 20. While our own review is still in-progress as we test out a few more features like Pro Clubs and Ultimate Team, several outlets have published reviews for EA’s annual sports title. Check below for a roundup of what some critics thought of the game and its new Volta mode, and head over to GameSpot’s sister site Metacritic for even more FIFA 20 reviews as they funnel in.

FIFA 20 marks the 27th entry in EA’s long-running football simulation franchise, which first launched in 1993 with FIFA International Soccer on a plethora of systems including the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. FIFA 20 sees the addition of Volta Football, a new mode that has a lot in common with FIFA Street. FIFA’s popular Pro Clubs has seen some changes for this year’s iteration as well, adding greater customization options and increasing the impact player weight and height.

If you’re eager to try out FIFA 20, a demo went live earlier this month for PS4 and Xbox One. The demo includes six playable teams–with Liverpool and Real Madrid among them–and the option to play matches between them in regular game modes or FIFA 20’s new Volta Football.

• Game: FIFA 20
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One
• Developer: EA Romania, Vancouver
• Release date: September 27
• Price: $60 USD / £48 GBP / $87 AUD

See FIFA 20 on Amazon

GameSpot — 8/10, In-Progress

“Flawed and iterative, but comforting, complete, and compelling, FIFA 20 is as frustrating and as essential as ever. The Journey and FIFA Street will continue to be missed, but Volta offers a genuinely different option for those who want to dip in and out across FIFA’s smorgasbord of game types, while Ultimate Team continues its route to world domination. It’s just a shame Career Mode continues to stagnate–even if EA has finally remembered it exists.” — Oscar Dayus [Full review]

Eurogamer — UnScored

“FIFA 20 is all these things but it’s also better than FIFA 19. I’ve already played loads of games against Eurogamer’s second-best FIFA player, Chris Tapsell, and I’ve had a great laugh. I’ve scored some screamers. I’ve lost to added time goals. We’ve leapt off the sofa at shocking refereeing decisions, missed open goals by Marcus Rashford and magic from Mason Mount. We’ve picked apart the game, worked out what’s changed, what’s better and what’s worse. We’ve had bloody good fun. And it’s all undermined by corporate greed and a stubborn refusal to do what’s right. A bit like real football, then.” — Wesley Yin-Poole [Full review]

GamesRadar+ — In-Progress

“Even so, we’ve reached the stage of this generation where I don’t believe EA can win over the FIFA community’s more vocal contingent. Battle lines are too entrenched and the more the series promotes itself as an eSports contest, the more its audience wants the RNG element–Sergio Aguero missing an open goal, AFC Wimbledon overcoming Arsenal–done away with. Ultimate Team remains a supremely moreish fantasy offering: when on song, the best mode in the entire sports genre. But it still isn’t one where the superior player always wins, and the likelihood of that changing anytime soon feels infinitesimal.” — Ben Wilson [Full review]

IGN — 7.8/10

“Volta is a significant addition to FIFA and while it doesn’t all hit the right notes, it’s a largely enjoyable way to play a wealth of content, including a story mode that’s more concise and engaging than The Journey. Elsewhere, improvements have been made to the core FIFA 20 experience, especially when it comes to defending, but overall controlling the ball feels less consistently fluid. For someone not attracted by the allure of Volta, the stilted pace, coupled with a neglect of offline modes such as Career, make it FIFA 20 an adequate but underwhelming entry into the series.” — Simon Cardy [Full review]

USGamer — 4/5

“FIFA 20 revives the old Street series with a new mode featuring futsal and outdoor soccer, but it’s the core gameplay that shines brightest this year, bringing down the pace in a way that feels nuanced and enjoyable. With additional updates to Career Mode and FIFA Ultimate Team, this year’s version is easy to recommend to lapsed fans and newcomers alike.” — Kat Bailey [Full review]

VG24/7 — 4/5

“Without much cosmetic polish to fall back on, FIFA 20 needed to bring something new to the table. Although the core gameplay isn’t mind-blowingly different, it’s still the best football game, and the addition of Volta is a whole new way to play.” — James Billcliffe [Full review]

VideoGamesChronicle — 4/5

“With the addition of Volta to the already numerous modes on offer, FIFA 20 may finally be the FIFA game where it’s impossible to play everything. Volta offers a fresh new way of playing the game, but the new reward-based Seasons in Ultimate Team means players invested in that will find it difficult to justify spending time playing Volta that could be spent in FUT earning more XP for their next reward. As long as you aren’t the type who needs to see and do everything, and are content with the idea of picking one or two modes and focusing most of your attention on those, FIFA 20 remains as high quality as ever.” — Chris Scullion [Full review]

A new Shift Code has been revealed for Borderlands 3, be sure to claim it before tomorrow night for the chance to score epic loot with a free Golden Key.

Sequels are a tricky business. The best of them not only manage to recapture what people enjoyed about the original, but also find ways to enhance them while effectively introducing new ideas. On the flip-side, there are plenty of instances where, despite a few new good ideas and generally high quality, the sequel doesn’t create quite as much of an impression. The Surge 2 fits snugly into the latter category: this return to the sci-fi Souls-like action game realm hacks and slashes just as hard – harder, in some cases – but falls just short of recapturing the same dismembering joy.

On paper, The Surge 2 does exactly what it should in order to achieve the goals of a sequel: it’s retained a lot of what worked in the first game, and throws in a few solid system updates and quality-of-life improvements aimed at making a better version of the original. However, there are some environmental design and storytelling decisions that eliminate some of the original’s charm and cause the story to trip over its own feet.

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With Sony’s State of Play presentation coming tomorrow, all minds are wondering what hotly anticipated games we’ll see. While we already know that Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part 2 will be there, and that we definitely aren’t getting any PlayStation 5 news, there’s still lots to wonder about. We asked IGN fans what they most hoped would show up at State of Play, and 17,134 of you answered.

So what game beat out the rest? Let’s break it down.

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If you’ve been a 4K holdout, now may be time to jump on board the ultra high definition train. Right now Walmart is offering a stellar Samsung 65-inch 4K UHD HDR TV for less than $550. Take advantage of this great deal, then sit back and be amazed at how good Minecraft and old Mr. Rodgers reruns look on it.

TV Deal: Samsung 4K HDR TV for $548

• Get it at Walmart for $548

Right now you can grab this 65-inch Samsung, which supports Smart TV functionality, 2010p resolution, and 802.11N Wi-Fi. It enables pure 4K viewing and upscales non-4K content, to give you the best viewing experience. This TV normally goes for $797.99, but now you can enter the 4K arena for less than $550.

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Altered Forme Giratina has returned once again in Pokemon Go. Following Mewtwo’s departure from the game, the Legendary Renegade Pokemon is making an encore appearance around the world in five-star Raid Battles, giving you another opportunity to add one to your collection. That’s not all; this time around, you’ll also have a chance of encountering a Shiny Giratina for the first time.

As is generally the case with Legendaries, Giratina will only be around in Pokemon Go for a few weeks, so you’ll need to make the most of your time if you’re hoping to catch one. To help you out, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know to challenge Giratina below, from battle tips to how to catch a Shiny one and more.

What’s The Difference Between Altered Forme And Origin Forme Giratina?

In the mainline Pokemon games, Giratina is able to assume two different forms. When players first encounter the Legendary in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, it is in its Altered Forme–the variant returning to Raid Battles right now. This form has six legends, black wings, and emphasizes defensive stats.

Giratina’s Origin Forme, meanwhile, is the appearance it takes when in the Distortion World–the parallel realm from which the Legendary monster hails in Pokemon lore. Origin Forme Giratina has a serpentine body and more offense-oriented stats. In the mainline series, players are able to manually change Giratina’s form by equipping it with an item called the Griseous Orb; in Pokemon Go, however, Altered and Origin Forme Giratina are treated as two distinct Pokemon, so you’ll need to catch them separately.

How To Catch Giratina

As is the case with most other Legendary Pokemon, before you can catch Giratina, you’ll first need to defeat it in a Raid Battle. If you’re near a Gym where a Giratina Raid is taking place, you’ll need to physically head to that location and team up with several other players to battle it–Legendary Pokemon have too high a CP for you to challenge them solo. You’ll also need to have a Raid Pass to challenge Giratina, but you can receive one for free by spinning the Photo Disc at a Gym.

Once you’ve joined a Raid, you and your teammates will have a limited amount of time to defeat Giratina. It’s the only Pokemon so far that’s a Dragon- and Ghost-type, both of which are susceptible to their own types. Giratina is also weak to Ice, Dark, and Fairy Pokemon, so you should considering bringing along monsters like Mamoswine, Weavile, Tyranitar, Gardevoir, and Granbull to have the best chance.

If you can successfully beat Giratina, everyone who participated in the Raid will receive a handful of Premier Balls, along with several other prizes. You can only use the Premier Balls to capture the Legendary, so you’ll need to make every throw count. Feeding it a Golden Razz Berry before each throw will make Giratina a little easier to catch. Study its movement pattern before throwing and with a little luck, Giratina will be yours.

How To Find Shiny Giratina

Shiny Pokemon are rare in Pokemon Go, and unfortunately, there’s no sure-fire way to ensure you encounter a Shiny Giratina. You won’t be able to tell whether the Legendary is Shiny or not until you get to the catching phase, so your best chance to find one is to participate in as many Giratina Raids as you can. Fortunately, you’ll be able to tell right away if you’ve encountered a Shiny one; it’ll have silver horns, blue tips on its wings, and a peach-colored body.

How Long Will Giratina Be Available?

Altered Forme Giratina will appear in Raids for just under a month, from September 23 – October 17. You’ll have until 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET / 9 PM BST on that day to encounter it. Your best chance of finding a Giratina Raid, however, will be on September 25, when Niantic holds a Legendary Raid Hour featuring the Renegade Pokemon from 6-7 PM local time. During that hour, there will be more Giratina Raids occurring at Gyms.

Kit Harington told the press at the Emmy Awards on Sunday that he hasn’t seen the final season of Game of Thrones.

The actor was asked about the controversy surrounding the show’s season that aired in April and May this year. His denial that he even watched it got some laughs from both the press and the Game of Thrones crew members that were with him.

“I still haven’t seen the show. So that’s how I dealt with that controversy. I haven’t seen the final season,” Harington said. “But I know what it took to shoot it and it was hard and everyone put all of their love and effort into it. And controversy I think for us…we knew what we were doing was right, story-wise, and we knew it was right for the characters because we lived with them for 10 years. And I think that…controversy for us didn’t really affect it.”

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