Push Rewind

Before you throw rotten eggs at us, we know that this month’s PlayStation Plus lineup hasn’t exactly “mesmerised” everyone – but finding words that sort of rhyme with Fez isn’t easy. Feel free to do better in the comments section. Assuming that your wordplay is stronger than our own, we have an excuse, as we’ve been busy this weekend checking out the hottest indie games at EGX Rezzed. You can look forward to plenty of coverage from the show floor over the coming days, but in the meantime, here’s everything that mattered in PlayStation this week.

Fez

Reviews

Fez - 9/10

Fez is one of the most meticulously crafted games in recent memory. Its puzzles are a perfect blend of ingenious trickery and mind boggling mayhem, while its gorgeous visuals and sublime music are absolutely dripping with atmosphere. The result is a lush world that is both awe inspiring and completely intoxicating. While the map is an unmitigated mess, and traversal can sometimes be a pain, this transcendental trip is definitely deserving of your time.

Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD Remaster - 8/10

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is a superb collection that's a sight to behold on Sony's portable system. Final Fantasy X remains an utterly enthralling journey that boasts endearing characters, an addictive battle system, and a brilliantly paced story. This makes the first game worth the asking price alone, but its sequel complements it nicely nonetheless, despite its shortcomings. Veterans will absolutely adore this trip down memory lane, while newcomers get to enjoy one of the most important JRPGs ever crafted in its very best form.

Other Reviews

PlayStation Plus

Features

Talking Point: Are We Starting to Expect Too Much from PlayStation Plus?

You can have too much of a good thing. Way back in 2010 when PlayStation Plus first launched, this editor greedily gobbled up the single free PlayStation Mini that was given away as part of the premium service every month. It was a real novelty when you got a full game – a selection of SEGA Mega Drive ports fleshed out the subscription’s first year – as the idea of giving away complete titles was unheard of at the time. As the platform evolved, so too did its offerings, with the likes of Burnout Paradise and Shift 2: Unleashed included in the complimentary roster. However, it wasn’t until the unveiling of the Instant Game Collection in 2012 that the format really started to catch people’s attention.

Talking Point: PlayStation's Big Employment Perception Issue

Sony’s Worldwide Studios got a lot lighter this month. There’s been more hiring and firing within the platform holder’s pool of first-party developers than an episode of The Apprentice of late, with departures seemingly occurring every day. The end of SCEA president Jack Tretton’s colossal tenure was sad enough news at the beginning of March, but the PlayStation employment plague also claimed Uncharted overlord Amy Hennig, God of War III director Stig Asmussen, and more lower level grunts than we have the resources to name. That’s got some pundits pondering whether all is hunky-dory behind closed doors – but are we just worrying over nothing?

Other Features

Uncharted PS4

News

Uncharted PS4's Director Justin Richmond Departs Naughty Dog

Whip out your Sony studio boss bingo sheet, as yet another high-profile developer has bit the dust. The latest in the long line of executives to exit the manufacturer is Justin Richmond, who was acting as Uncharted PS4’s game director. His departure follows in the footsteps of Amy Hennig, who worked as the creative director on all of Nathan Drake’s escapades.

Batman: Arkham City and Mercenary Kings Lead the Charge for PlayStation Plus in April

As predicted, crazy blast-'em-up Mercenary Kings will be blitzing its way onto the PlayStation 4 courtesy of April's PlayStation Plus update. Along with the bullet bonanza, you lucky North Americans can expect to be swooping around Gotham as the caped crusader in Batman: Arkham City on PS3, along with copies of Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark, and Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse thrown in for good measure. As if that wasn't enough, PS Vitas in the land of the free will be nabbing Velocity Ultra and Pixeljunk Monsters Ultimate HD.

Yes, The Last of Us Is Set to Stumble onto PS4 This Year

Stock up on Kleenex tissues, as The Last of Us is coming to the PlayStation 4. In news more predictable than a successful Katy Perry single, PlayStation Turkey's vice president Sercan Sulun supposedly confirmed the re-release during an interview on local television. We're going off NeoGAF translations here, so reserve an element of doubt – but the quote has been corroborated by numerous members. Our understanding of the foreign language begins and ends B*Witched's brilliant 'C'est La Vie', so unfortunately we can't confirm.

PS4 Firmware Update 1.70 Will Be on Your System Soon

With inFAMOUS: Second Son now readily available on both digital and physical store shelves, the next major release set to arrive on the PlayStation 4 is firmware update v1.70. Hastily announced last week after yet another software stability upgrade, the download promises to yank out HDCP encryption, as well as incorporate new share features and offer the ability to dim your DualShock 4’s contentious light bar. The big question is: when’s it due out?

Weirdness: Sucker Punch Hid a Sneaky Zelda Reference in inFAMOUS: Second Son

While the blindness of fandom can sometimes foolishly take hold, most of us here at Push Square love a good Nintendo game. And it seems that first-party Sony developer Sucker Punch is much the same, as the Washington-based studio has hidden an Easter egg in the recently released inFAMOUS: Second Son that gives a shout out to one of the other Japanese giant's most iconic franchises.

Other Noteworthy News

Video of the Week

Dark Souls II - A Gentleman's Guide to Co-Operative Etiquette

The Push Square Corporation, an upstanding broadcaster based in London, England, has today announced its latest programme: ‘A Gentleman’s Guide to Co-Operative Etiquette’. This entertaining and informative media aims to provide viewers with a crash course on the required level of decorum expected in From Software’s bleak fantasy sequel Dark Souls II.