Month: September 2019

Every WWE championship is on the line at the next PPV, Clash of Champions. Coming to the WWE Network on Sunday, September 15. It’s going to be a wild evening, the majority of the matches on the card will be for titles.

This year’s Clash of Champions will be taking place at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Make sure you mark down the time, depending on where you live, as the show starts at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET / 12 AM BST (September 16)/ 9 AM AET (September 16). The Kickoff Show starts one hour prior to the main card, and usually, there’s at least one match in the first hour.

If you want to watch the PPV, head over to the WWE Network. First time subscribers can get one month for free, and you can cancel anytime. So you can watch Clash of Champions for free, and if you like the WWE Network, it costs $10 a month. Check out the full match card below.

WWE Clash of Champions Match Card:

• Drew Gulak (c) vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. Lince Dorado (Cruiserweight Championship)
• AJ Styles (c) vs. Cedric Alexander (United States Championship)
• Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. The Miz (Intercontinental Championship)
• Big E & Xavier Woods (c) vs. The Revival (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
• Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross (c) vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville (Women’s Tag Team Championship)
• Seth Rollins & Braun Strowman vs. (c) Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode (Raw Tag Team Championship)
• Bayley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair (Smackdown Women’s Championship)
• Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan (No DQ Match)
• Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Randy Orton (WWE Championship)
• Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sasha Banks (Raw Women’s Championship)
• Seth Rollins (c) vs. Braun Strowman (Universal Championship)

Like every other wrestling fan on the internet, GameSpot’s Wrestle Buddies–Mat Elfring and Chris E. Hayner–have some opinions about the upcoming PPV, and we’re here to predict the winners and losers for every bout taking place during the evening. Check out our predictions below.

Make sure to come back to GameSpot on Sunday, September 15 for live coverage of the show.

Drew Gulak (c) vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. Lince Dorado (Cruiserweight Championship)

Mat: This will be a great match and seeing the Cruiserweight Championship be a triple threat is a nice change up from previous matches. Per usual, I don’t watch 205 Live, so I have no horse in this race. But I do think it’s time for a title change, so I’m giving the win to Humberto Carrillo.

Chris: Wait, 205 Live is still happening? I thought it was wrapped into NXT or canceled or became, like, an Instagram TV thing? Honestly, I don’t keep up on 205 Live, and I know that’s bad. I read all the time about how it’s one of the best things going on WWE programming, but there is only so much wrestling time in the week and the landscape is about to get even more crowded. It’s time to change things up with 205 Live. Make it part of NXT and, just for kicks, let’s say Lince Dorado wins the title.

AJ Styles (c) vs. Cedric Alexander (United States Championship)

Mat: Can Cedric Alexander finally overcome the odds and beat AJ Styles for the US Championship? I’m going to say no. Styles has Bullet Club Orange County The O.C. on his side, so it’s going to be in his favor, and it’s way too early in the stable’s journey to have a moment where Gallows and Anderson cost Styles the title. This feud has been going for a bit, and I want it to continue, so Styles wins.

Chris: I am so confused by everything happening with The OC, B****. At first, it seemed like they were primed to be a true force. AJ has the US Championship, the Good Brothers were tag champs. And the possibility of AJ getting a Universal Championship shot was teased. Then they lost the tag titles and didn’t get a rematch, AJ never got added to the Universal Championship picture, and he’s now defending against Cedric Alexander–while Gallows and Anderson aren’t even on the show. Do something, literally anything with these guys. Styles wins, I guess.

Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. The Miz (Intercontinental Championship)

Mat: Heel Nakamura is amazing and face Miz is not my cup of tea. Right now, I’m really digging on the team of Sami Zayn and Nakamura. This is a really interesting wrestler/manager dynamic that will not only put Nakamura back in the spotlight, but elevate him as a really strong midcard. As for The Miz, I don’t buy the Hollywood A-Lister gimmick–which has been softened–on a babyface. Nakamura wins and Zayn does some great dances.

Chris: I’m torn about this one. I want Nakamura and Zayn to both be elevated so badly. Both are severely misused on a regular basis but this new tandem doesn’t really do anything for me. What’s the purpose of it? Why is Zayn fine just being a mouthpiece after spending months mocking everyone for undervaluing him? We know he can wrestle. Also, the heel run of Shinsuke has been a disaster, so why not pivot back to where he shines as a hero? Then there’s Miz. At a certain point, the ship will sail on Miz as a believable contender to any championship. He never wins the big one, which is a shame. I say Nakamura wins, but please give all three of these men something better to do soon.

Intermission: The 24/7 Championship

Mat: Now, the 24/7 Championship is not mentioned in any official capacity for this card, but there will be at least one time during the evening where it changes hands, right? I’m hoping this is a repeating thing throughout the evening, where the title quickly changes hands. However, what I need is Drake Maverick to win the title once again, so he can consummate his marriage. Well, I don’t need that last part. He does.

Chris: Something something R-Truth, dash of Carmella and Drake Maverick, cut to promo for WWE Network shows.

Big E & Xavier Woods (c) vs. The Revival (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)

Mat: This all feels like this match is being built as a passing of the torch from one tag team to another. The Revival have teamed up with Randy Orton, and Kofi Kingston is the leader of the New Day, and it seems like the tag titles are moving over to Revival as these two teams go to war with each other. Something will change with the New Day. They all won’t be champions after this PPV, and for that reason, I’m giving to the RAW tag team, The Revival.

Chris: The Revival isn’t even a Smackdown team. That’s how much the brand split doesn’t mean anything at this point. However, the Revival is also dull as something that is incredibly boring. Putting them with human paste Randy Orton certainly hasn’t helped. I say let New Day retain and drop the belt to an exciting new team. Or Breezango. Let them float between all brands.

Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross (c) vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville (Women’s Tag Team Championship)

Mat: I love both Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss, but I’m still a little unsure how I feel about them as a team. I don’t hate it, but I really want Cross and Bliss out on their own, doing their own thing. I’m just being picky at this point. Rose and Deville feel like a real tag team, much like The IIconics. Yes, Cross and Bliss are still relatively new champions, but it’s time to give Rose and Deville a bit of a push.

Chris: I find the team of Alixa and Nikki to be very fun to watch, and I love that this has essentially turned Little Miss Bliss face. She’s a great villain, and her eventual turn on Nikki will be amazing. However, I’m so enjoying these two together now. Mandy and Sonya have come a long way in the last few months, and I think they’ll be tag champs one day, but this isn’t the time. Alexa and Nikki will retain.

Seth Rollins & Braun Strowman vs. (c) Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode (Raw Tag Team Championship)

Mat: The most exciting thing about this match is knowing both Seth and Braun have a match coming later in the evening. That’s pretty cool. As for Ziggler and Roode, these are two folks I really enjoy as singles competitors. Then again, I don’t like Rollins and Strowman much as a team either. Where are The Usos at? I have no idea which way to go for this… Ziggler and Roode win so it feels like there is more on the line for the Universal Championship later on.

Chris: I’m going to keep this short. I have to assume Seth and Braun are going to retain, otherwise why make up a non-tag team for them to face in this utterly pointless match?

Bayley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair (Smackdown Women’s Championship)

Mat: Is Bayley a full-blown heel now or a character teetering between those worlds? Regardless, I’m enjoying it very much. Bayley is riding a wave of awesomeness right now, and I haven’t been this into the character since her NXT days. And when it comes to this feud between she and Charlotte, I am not feeling the heat. I would rather see Bayley grow as champion for a bit more before the title changes hands, so Bayley will win.

Chris: Whatever is happening with Bayley is the best thing she’s done since getting to the main roster. It’s nice to see her with an edge and this is the Bayley I want to see run with the title. I know WWE is constantly high on Charlotte and with Smackdown moving to Fox, they may want her as the face of the brand. Still, Bayley is connecting in a way now that she never had and I want to see Smackdown take that even further. Bayley for the win.

Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan (No DQ Match)

Mat: It’s weird to see Erick Rowan in a high-profile singles match. I like it. As for the story itself, it’s over-tread ground that’s not appealing. But I really do like that Erick Rowan is being used. I don’t have much to say about this bout or story because it’s a journey that’s led us to the most plausible, dry conclusion in storytelling. Rowan will win because I want him to, and he’ll be powered by cosmic radiation or something that makes him immune to Big Dogs.

Chris: This entire storyline is bad. If this is what Eric Bischoff’s Smackdown is, I’m afraid. The whole thing has been a mess since the jump and it also seems like a strange time to break Rowan off from Daniel Bryan. Then again, WWE can’t seem to figure out what to do with any of these guys at this point. I’m fine with Rowan attempting to go it alone, but he doesn’t have the mic skills to match Bryan or Reigns, so those encounters will be strange. That said, I think Rowan will get the win here due to interference by Daniel Bryan, whether he intends to help his former partner or not.

Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Randy Orton (WWE Championship)

Mat: Remember that time Randy Orton called Kofi Kingston “stupid?” And remember at the last PPV when WWE really dug into that, and we were all like, “this is pretty cool!” Then remember how they kept this feud going, even when it felt like it had zero legs? Well, the no-legs part is happening right now. While he’s great in the ring, I don’t find Orton appealing and I think putting the title around him is a bad move. Kofi is a ton of fun, a great champion, and a good representation of a WWE superstar. Let’s get him in a feud that’s exciting. Kofi wins.

Chris: Like a lot of WWE of late, Kofi’s title reign has been dull. I don’t know that it’s his fault, though, as much as he’s been put up against dull opponents. Why didn’t his feud with Daniel Bryan stretch out longer? Why isn’t AJ over on Smackdown going after the WWE Championship? Why is Shinsuke stuck in the midcard with a title that means very little these days, rather than going after the big belt? Why, oh why, was Kevin Owens not a serious contender? Instead we’re stuck in what seems like month 500 of this Randy Orton feud. Randy Orton should not be a world champion anymore. He just doesn’t make for an exciting name at the top of the card. I’m going to say Kofi ends up winning here but drops it to his next challenger–a newly-heel Miz.

Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sasha Banks (Raw Women’s Championship)

Mat: You know the drill. Becky wins.

Chris: But what if she doesn’t? The Man’s gimmick hasn’t been as strong in the last month. What if she drops the title to Sasha, who reigns supreme for a while? Then Becky can go to Smackdown to feud with Bayley and everything in the world will be right. Take that, Mat. I’m calling Sasha as the winner.

Mat: Chris… Picking Becky to win is my thing. I can’t stop now, even if I truly believe Sasha will win.

Chris: Mat, you don’t get to have BOTH as your answer. That’s not how this works. Otherwise, I guess everyone will win and now I am a king.

Mat: I already said Becky would win. I’m just saying, even if I thought Sasha COULD win, I couldn’t pick her because Becky Lynch is the best thing ever and I will always predict her to win. New prediction: Becky Lynch also wins the 24/7 Championship during this match.

Chris: I agree with that prediction. Becky 24/7.

Seth Rollins (c) vs. Braun Strowman (Universal Championship)

Mat: Now is the time. The time is now. The Monster Among Men will become Universal Champion, about a year too late. But better late than never, right? Much like you’re about to read with Chris’ prediction, I think the future for the Universal Championship #1 contender is clear: The Fiend. But what story could be better than the former Black Sheep of the Wyatt Family, Braun Strowman, taking on his mentor who has become a twisted, demented version of his former self? That’s the story I want, and frankly, we all deserve it. Braun Strowman wins.

Chris: Like with Kofi, I think Seth Rollins’ championship run(s) have been rather stale. It’s less about his opponents, though. Instead, I am just not as drawn to his character as I’d like to be. He’s not bad, he’s just sort of there. Still, as much as I’d like to see Braun win here, I’m predicting Seth to take the victory and go on to feud with The Fiend. Then Bray can have the fancy red belt.

Despite the numerous issues Anthem has run into, developer BioWare remains committed to the project, now confirming that the open-world looter-shooter has joined EA and Origin Access’ vaults on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Publisher EA shared the news in a blog post, stating that Anthem’s standard edition is accessible to all EA Access and Origin Access Basic members. The game’s Legion of Dawn edition is available only to those with an Origin Access Premier membership. The news comes as Anthem is undergoing its Cataclysm event, which is scheduled to wrap up later this month and open to everyone regardless of level.

BioWare revealed its post-launch plans following Anthem’s release earlier this year. These include several freeplay events, cosmetics, missions, and quality-of-life improvements. Some of these additions, however, have been delayed as the studio addresses more pressing concerns. “The reality is there are more things to fix and improve than we planned for. While this is the best thing to do for the game, it means some items from the calendar will be delayed,” BioWare said in May.

Anthem has had a rough go since its February 22 launch. After receiving a necessary loot update in March, BioWare general manager Casey Hudson confirmed that Anthem’s launch was rougher than anticipated. It all culminated in a lengthy report by Kotaku, summarizing the troubled development cycle BioWare went through to get Anthem out the door. Still, the open-world looter-shooter saw a strong first month of sales in the US.

Capcom officially pulled back the curtain on its next Resident Evil venture, tentatively known as Project Resistance, during this year’s Tokyo Game Show. Earlier this week, the company revealed the first gameplay trailer, and now it has shared some more details on what players can expect from the upcoming title.

Unlike a traditional Resident Evil game, Project Resistance is a 4v1 asymmetrical multiplayer experience. Four players must work together to overcome the traps and other deadly hazards set by the lone Mastermind, who is capable of manipulating the environment and even controlling enemies. As Capcom describes:

“In each 4v1 match, one Mastermind player tracks the four Survivors through a network of security cameras, staying one step ahead at every turn to prevent their escape. The Mastermind plots a deadly course by wielding a strategic deck of cards to create dangerous obstacles for the Survivors, such as summoning vicious creatures, setting traps, manipulating the environment, and weaponizing security cameras. He or she can also directly control zombies in play. In addition, Mastermind players can even step into the trench coat of the towering, deadly Tyrant for the first time in franchise history.”

The four survivor players aren’t completely helpless in the face of these horrors. Each character has their own unique skills, which players will need to use to overcome the Mastermind’s traps. Teamwork will also be vital to surviving, as players will need to work together to solve “puzzle style mission objectives” and escape before the time expires.

Project Resistance is in development for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Capcom hasn’t yet announced a release date for the game, but certain players will soon have an opportunity to try it out. The publisher is hosting a closed beta test from October 4-7 for Resident Evil Ambassador members (PS4) and Xbox Insiders (Xbox One). Registration for the beta is open until September 18. You can read more details on how to sign up on the official Project Resistance website.

We recently got a chance to go hands-on with Project Resistance and came away hopeful. You can hear what we thought about the game in the video above.

Super Nintendo World, the Nintendo-themed attraction coming to Universal theme parks, will reportedly open with two rides and an interactive element. Universal Parks CEO and chairman Tom Williams talked about the park plans at a Comcast Media, Communications, And Entertainment conference.

Attractions Magazine reports that the first such attraction is slated to open in spring 2020 at Universal Studios Japan, putting it just in time for the summer Olympic games in Tokyo. That opening will include two rides–one themed after Super Mario Kart, and another omni-mover ride called Yoshi’s Adventures.

Super Nintendo World will also feature magnetic bracelets that will let guests interact with the park itself, which will span three levels. Park attendees can track scores gained on the attractions and rides. Williams also suggested that the score interface will be supported on your game console, suggesting possible interoperability with the Nintendo Switch. But that functionality hasn’t been detailed.

Williams didn’t indicate when we might see these attractions come to the West at the Universal parks located in Orlando and Hollywood, but he did indicate that creating a new land takes 5-6 years. That means if you want to see Super Nintendo World anytime in the near future, Japan may be your only option.

Gwent: The Witcher Card Game is finally primed and ready to make its iOS debut. The collectible card game will launch on iOS on October 29, with pre-orders being available now for the free-to-download title.

All progress from the PC version of the game–such as card collections–will carry over to iOS, with the only requirement being logging in to a GOG account. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One progress cannot be transferred over to iOS. Developer CD Projekt Red unveiled a list of supported devices, including the iPhone 6S and newer, iPad Mini 4 and newer, iPad 5th generation and newer, iPad Air 2 and newer, and all iPad Pros. Of course, the newly-announced iPhone 11 models will also be supported. The more powerful devices will feature built-in 4K textures.

CD Projekt Red confirmed on Twitter that more details about Gwent’s iOS version will be shared this weekend. A livestream is planned for both Saturday and Sunday at 2 PM PT / 4 PM CST / 5 PM ET / 10 PM BST, viewable on the studio’s official Mixer, Twitch, and YouTube channels.

In our Gwent review, we said, “It’s one that requires some investment, and hard decisions on which Faction you’d like to invest in, but Gwent also respects your time by rewarding you for nearly every action in a match, tempting you to play just one more. Its matches could use some fine-tuning in their pacing and presentation, but Gwent is otherwise a refreshingly new take on card games that establishes itself firmly outside of the simple side activity it was in The Witcher 3.”

We’re already halfway through September, which means Halloween season is officially ramping up. It’s the perfect time to get in the spooky mood by binging some horror movies and TV, collecting some disturbing toys, and, of course, heading to some haunted houses. Continuing their nearly decade long tradition, Universal Studios Hollywood will be throwing their annual Halloween Horror Nights celebration, complete with a whopping ten haunted mazes to terrify you, including attractions based on Stranger Things, Killer Klowns from Outerspace, Creepshow, and House of 1000 Corpses.

GameSpot took a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood to get a behind the scenes look at two of the lineup’s most highly anticipated mazes, one based on the classic horror-comedy Ghostbusters and the other based on Jordan Peele’s brand new feature, Us. So sit back, relax, and get ready to feel absolutely terrified as we peel back the movie maze magic and give you a sneak peek at what are sure to be two of the most popular attractions in the park.

Don’t be fooled by the comedy

While Ghostbusters may be as funny as it is terrifying, don’t expect the maze to be a laugh-a-minute walk in the park. The key to its design came from balancing the playful winks and nods to the more comedic elements while still packing on the scares. Horror Nights executive producer John Murdy explained, “You don’t want to ignore what the property is, Ghostbusters is a comedy with a lot of horror elements. That’s why we have characters that are like Janine Melnitz, Louis Tully, they’re purely dedicated to pay off the comedic elements of those scenes but then the trick is, how do you scare them on top of it?”

So where does that balance come from?

“[Fans] just want to relive all those moments from the film, so it is a bit of a balance trying to balance the scare effect, it’s like you’re almost checking boxes, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, have to have him! Terror dogs, got to have that!” Murdy explained. “Library ghost, so it’s just trying to hit everything that the fans would want to experience in a live representation of Ghostbusters.”

Authenticity is key

To make sure the look and feel of Ghostbusters was maintained throughout the maze, Murdy and his team went right to the source, working closely with original director Ivan Reitman and his son, Jason. “They know their property, inside and out, and they’re really in touch with the fan base. They had just done the big 45th anniversary, obviously, Jason is making a new movie right now. So I think it’s a really exciting time for them. It’s really cool to follow,” Murdy said.

How does a movie like Us translate into a maze?

Jordan Peele had direct involvement in the conversion process for Us–right down to how the make up teams used blood on their scare actors. “He had a lot of things that were really specific,” Murdy said. “The use of blood is very, very specific in his films, and that was something that was important. It has to be artistically applied, pretty much. But the good thing is we’ve got all these pictures, so I could literally give my prop guys, ‘Okay, that’s exactly the amount of blood.’ For my makeup artist, for Kitty, the way the blood splattered on her face when she’s the doppelgänger, Dahlia. It’s all very specific.”

Expect some plush rabbits, of course

One of the most iconic images in Us, aside from the red jumpsuits and the giant scissors, would have to be the rabbits–so naturally, they’re getting the maze treatment as well–but they won’t be locked in their classroom cages. We’re going to be entering the scene after they’ve been released, just like the big finale of the movie.

“In that scene, the bunnies will have been released from the cage. You see the bunnies in the big hallway right before it. We’ve got tons of [stuffed] bunnies that are all waiting to [put into the maze.] It’s like, one of the last things we’ll do is blood and bunnies. Blood and bunnies, basically. Those are like the last two details, because people are dragging ladders through there, and we try to save those types of things to the very, very end so they don’t get messed up,” Murdy laughed.

Music matters

The score of Us will also play a role in the maze. “Michael Abels’ score–which is the theatrical score for the film–all of those tracks are in the maze. They’re used where they make sense in the scenes where they were in the context in the movie.” Murdy said. ” And then, ‘I Got Five On It,’ the … what they call the Tethered Mix, [that will be part of the maze as well].”

Back in September 2015, the production of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter was marred by a serious accident involving stunt performer Olivia Jackson. The accident left Jackson in a medically-induced coma, and ultimately led to her arm being amputated. It has now been reported that Jackson is suing the producers of the movie.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jackson is suing on the grounds that the producers put “financial considerations over safety.” Her complaints states that the accident occurred during a motorcycle scene that she was asked to perform at very short notice. Jackson describes it as a “dangerous and technically complex motorcycle scene in adverse weather,” and explains that she collided with a camera crane that was not lifted out of her way in time.

Jackson’s complaint states that the collision resulted in the camera “slicing through the bone of her forearm and tearing the flesh off her cheek, leaving her teeth exposed.” It goes on to detail further injuries that resulted in the amputation of her left arm.

Jackson alleges that the producers misled her about her insurance coverage for performing in the movie, which she believed would cover any accidents. She now says that she subsequently discovered that there was no liability for her claim and producers only paid out $33,000 in damages. In addition, she states that while she was in a coma, her husband was told that producers would pay for all medical care and rehabilitation, but that offer was subsequently withdrawn.

THR states that Jackson is suing Bolt Pictures, Tannhauser Gate, Jeremy Bolt and Paul WS Anderson, who was also the movie’s director, for breach of contract and misrepresentation, and is seeking unspecified damages. The defendants have not commented on the issue.

In October 2015, Jackson made a Facebook post that detailed the extent of her injuries, which included “brain bleed[ing], brain swelling, severed main artery in the neck, crushed and degloved face, several broken ribs, paralyzed arm, shattered scapula, broken clavicle, broken humerus, broken radius and ulna, with an open wound and a 7.5 piece of bone missing, [and an] amputated thumb.” In an interview she stated: “My facial scarring is horrible and I wish I had my old face. But I’m truly grateful to be alive.”

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter was released in January 2017, and was the most successful movie in the series to date, making $312.2 million worldwide. In total the series, which kicked off in 2002, has made more than $1.2 billion worldwide.

Paying attention to the lead-up to eFootball PES 2020‘s release has sometimes felt a bit like following football’s real-life transfer market. Having lost the official license of current Champions League holders Liverpool, Konami responded by replacing the Liverpudlian club with their archrivals, Manchester United. PES 2020 even got a leg up on the powerhouse of FIFA by nabbing the exclusive license to Italian giants Juventus, forcing FIFA 20 to settle for a facsimile called Piemonte Calcio. And while the inelegant esports-flavoured name change might be bad, the scrappy underdog has been wheeling and dealing in an attempt to make PES 2020 a more attractive proposition for those beholden to the church of FIFA. It’s commendable and clearly important, but PES should attract people because of its on-pitch excellence.

PES 2020 feels surprisingly different to last year’s game once you emerge from the tunnel. The pace has been slowed down once again, delivering a realistic brand of football that’s more methodical and less about ping-ponging the ball up the pitch in a matter of seconds. A palpable sense of weight to each and every player–not to mention the ball–can make the whole thing feel a tad sluggish at first, but it doesn’t take long to adapt to this more considered style of play, and your input is as responsive as ever. Part of this is down to how smoothly the action flows. PES 2020 stitches each animation together with much more clarity than in previous years, effectively capturing natural movements that shift the simulation closer to reality. The new default camera angle helps with this, too, presenting the action at a slight curve that mimics what you see on TV every match day while giving you a broader view of the pitch.

This increased visibility is important because there’s a greater emphasis on space and positioning in PES 2020. The pace of play might be slower than in previous entries, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t moments in almost every match where an explosive injection of speed is introduced. The blistering acceleration of the fastest players in the game is immediately discernible without it ever feeling like an overpowered and one-dimensional crux. This is due to the fact that these players need space in order to utilize their game-changing speed. Most matches in PES 2020 tend to be fairly tight affairs depending on the tactics deployed by both teams, but a goal can significantly alter the outlook of a match in a hurry. Suddenly, acres of space open up for one team to exploit as the other pushes forward looking for an equalizer. And it’s on the counter-attack where fleet-footed players really shine, able to burst forward into open grass and cause havoc for defenders.

On the flip side, when there’s limited space to work with player positioning comes to the forefront. The AI is intelligent enough to seek out pockets of space off the ball, and they’ll helpfully offer an outlet pass if you ever find yourself wandering into a cul-de-sac. You’ll also frequently see wide players such as Messi and Mbappe come deep to pick up possession of the ball, looking for a way to impact the match away from the isolation and tight coverage of the defense. Players will make smart runs in behind, too, though it’s much harder to thread that inch-perfect pass behind the defense in PES 2020. You can still pull it off occasionally, especially if you have an adept playmaker on the ball and space to work with, but playing through ball after ball doesn’t work with as much frequency as it has done in the past. This encourages a greater variety of goals, both by real players and the AI. You might see tidy one-touch passes splitting open a defense for a striker to wrap it up with an easy finish; a bullet header that’s smashed in from a mouth-watering cross; or a 30-yard hit-and-hope that takes a wicked deflection off the back of a defender, rendering the goalkeeper helpless. Speaking of which, there’s a lot more zip to long shots this year, making them a viable source of goals even if you might only score one in 15 attempts.

The long-overdue addition of context-sensitive kick accuracy factors into all of the above as well. Now, a player’s posture, position on the pitch, and the amount of defensive pressure they’re under will impact the accuracy of both passes and shots. If a defender can’t get a clean foot on the ball when a player is barrelling through the box, their presence might still be enough to put off the opposing attacker and send his shot wayward. Once again, this margin for error amplifies the importance of spacing and your ability to gain a yard of separation for a clear-cut opportunity. Sometimes a player’s first touch is enough to escape the clutches of an aggressive defender, with PES 2020’s litany of new animations and techniques allowing players to exhibit more intelligence when interacting with an approaching ball.

This is another element that adds to the realism and inherent satisfaction of PES’ football, providing you with an added degree of control that encompasses numerous variables such as the incoming ball’s speed, the receiving player’s body position, their skill level, and their playstyle. This aspect of PES 2020 grants certain players a sense of personality and individualism, with some utilizing recognizable skills and techniques to trap the ball. Along those same lines, AI teammates will even spread out to give skilled dribblers more room to work with, or make aggressive runs when a proficient passer has the ball at his feet. You’ll only really notice some of this behavior with superstars like Ronaldo and Neymar, but there are other, smaller details that lend each player a tangible slice of humanity, too. For instance, the whole team has a tendency to remonstrate with the referee after the award of a free kick on the edge of their box, while a striker might wag his finger at the linesmen after a tight offside call. You may even notice the goalkeeper urging his defense to push up out of the corner of your eye, or see a defender crumple to the floor in pain after taking a shot to the midriff. Again, these are minute details, but they contribute to a sense of authenticity that elevates how enjoyable PES 2020 is to play.

The latter example is also part of PES 2020’s improvements to defending and an increased physicality across the pitch. Players aren’t afraid to put their bodies on the line, blocking shots and crosses with reckless abandon to prevent the opposition from scoring. Sometimes this can lead to moments like the aforementioned deflected goal, and the ensuing goalmouth scrambles after some fortuitously blocked shots are also fantastically chaotic. Ideally, you’ll put a stop to most attacks before they reach this point, which is helped by defending being genuinely enjoyable this year. There’s a real wince-inducing crunch to some fouls, and a plethora of new tackling and clearing animations gives you more ways to win the ball back. There are no force fields around attacking players either, but they can use their bodies to get between man and ball, with physically stronger players able to hold off defenders more effectively than most. Referees are still maddeningly inconsistent, however–much like in real life. They’re too whistle-happy at times and waste no time digging into their pocket to book players for innocuous fouls. Other times they’ll ignore blatant penalties for no earthly reason.

Fortunately, opposing team AI fares much better. The days of playing teams with a single-minded pursuit of drilling low crosses into the box are gone. There’s a delightful variety of ways the AI will now approach each game, scoring all types of goals with a number of different tactics, whether they’re bombarding you with long balls or passing between the lines. This makes the long-standing Master League mode a lot more enjoyable to play in PES 2020. The basic makeup of the mode hasn’t really changed, but there are some new superficial additions. Instead of building a manager at the offset using a limited character creator, Master League now asks you to pick from numerous players and managers from the past and present of football, including Diego Maradona, Roberto Carlos, and the late Johan Cruyff. Throughout the season there are dynamic cutscenes that regularly present you with dialogue choices to help shape your manager’s personality and allow you to set numerous objectives for your team. In truth, none of these scenes impact the game in any meaningful way. Your dialogue choices will affect how fans and the media perceive you, but this is entirely inconsequential.

A more significant change in Master League revolves around transfers and how they’re not quite as ridiculous as in the past. You’ll still see teams pay exorbitant amounts of money for players they don’t particularly need, but at least the fees are somewhat in the realms of reality. It’s highly unlikely a team will splash out on a 33-year-old, for example, but that won’t stop PSG spending triple digits to sign Sadio Mane. Beyond this, however, Master League is still stuck in the same holding pattern it has been for a few years now. Taking the default group of mediocre players up through the leagues–and eventually falling in love with them–is still engaging, especially now that the AI is a lot more fun to play against. But Master League still feels like a case of been-here-done-that.

MyClub, the Ultimate Team-style fantasy team builder, is in a similar position, yet remains PES’ best game mode. Constructing a team of legends and current players is still appealing, and the ability to play against the AI, other human players, and in co-op games gives you plenty of options to play PES however you prefer. Microtransactions are still present, but quickly assembling a competitive team doesn’t rely on parting with real-world money unless you’re impatient. PES 2020 also changes the way player ratings work, with every player you acquire starting with their default rating at a minimum. From there you can continue to upgrade them and exceed this rating or acquire special team-of-the-week players that are already rated higher, but you’ll no longer have to worry about getting a lowly 82 rated Raheem Sterling that needs extra training.

The licensing issue revolving around PES will likely never going go away, and people are still going to download option files to get all of the official kits and badges anyway. Like its predecessors, eFootball PES 2020 continues to do its talking on the pitch, refining and improving on last year’s game to present what might be the greatest football game ever made. Sure, it’s disappointing that you still can’t play as Borussia Dortmund and the majority of the Bundesliga and a few other leagues, and its single-player offering is almost identical to what was included three years ago. But all of this effortlessly drifts to the back of your mind once you step between those white lines and simply start playing the beautiful game.