Push Rewind

If we’re honest, it’s been a pretty slow week for news – but the wealth of fresh releases has more than made up for things. We’ve been busy working our way through dozens of big titles for review this week, and while we’ve still got our final verdict on Grand Theft Auto V to come, we’re going to give ourselves a pat on the back for keeping on top of things all the same. Well done, everyone!

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Reviews

Dragon Age: Inquisition - 9/10

Set aside a good few weeks of your life, because the Inquisition takes no prisoners when it comes to your free time. An RPG that manages to successfully tie an engrossing, engaging narrative to a vast, explorable world, BioWare's fantasy epic is one of the studio's greatest achievements. With superb writing and rewarding gameplay, Dragon Age: Inquisition offers just about everything that you could want from a genre that's been sorely missed on the PS4.

Far Cry 4 - 9/10

While Far Cry 4 doesn’t feel like a major upgrade over its predecessor – except on the graphical front – the series still manages to retain its crown as the finest open world first-person shooter. The introduction of player choice to the narrative is great, but the lack of an interesting story makes this addition feel like a step forward followed by a step back. It’s fortunate, then, that the game's negatives are eclipsed by its sublime sandbox gameplay.

Other Reviews

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Features

Feature: 15 Awesome PS4, Vita Indie Games That We Haven't Had Time to Tell You About Yet

Not every indie game is amazing, but we very much appreciate the existence of the space. While this week has proven that blockbuster titles are not going anywhere – Grand Theft Auto V! Far Cry 4! LittleBigPlanet 3! Dragon Age: Inquisition! – we like to think of the smaller content as the palette cleansers that prepare you for your next big feast. The problem is that there are so many of them coming to the PlayStation 4 and Vita these days that we’re finding it difficult to keep up – especially with Sony dropping multiple announcements on the PlayStation Blog every single day.

Interview: LittleBigPlanet 3's Stellar Soundtrack Is Already Winning Awards

Sony’s last major release of the year, LittleBigPlanet 3, is a real gem, dragging Media Molecule’s do-it-yourself series into the future with a laundry list of tweaks and improvements. It’s already winning awards as well, as composer Winifred Phillips has received a Hollywood Music in Media Award for one of her contributions to the title’s soundtrack. The song, ‘Ziggurat Theme’, is described as a complex classical fugue, incorporating an organic, world-music arrangement in support of an 18-voice women’s choir. It also happens to be awesome, if we do say so ourselves.

Other Features

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News

You Can Poop on People in Grand Theft Auto V on PS4

Rockstar Games, you wily bunch. We thought that we knew everything that there was to know about Grand Theft Auto V on the PlayStation 4, but the developer couldn’t resist cramming in one last secret feature. Throughout the city of Los Santos, you’ll now encounter peyote plants, which cause the cast to hallucinate when eaten – and, er, turn into animals.

Wait, There's a New PlayStation 3 Firmware Update?

Sony’s pledged its ongoing support to the ageing PlayStation 3 by releasing a new firmware update for the machine. The operating system overhaul – dubbed v4.66 – is available now, and improves software stability. Well, you weren’t expecting anything especially interesting, were you?

Sony Looking into PaRappa the Rapper Release on PSN

Vib Ribbon’s recent release on the PlayStation Network has proven that new SCEA boss Shawn Layden has his heart in the right place. While he may not yet have a commanding stage presence like his predecessor Jack Tretton, the suit certainly knows PlayStation through and through, having previously worked with the firm in both London and Japan.

What Does PS4 Racer DriveClub's v1.07 Patch Do?

Doesn’t time fly when your game’s broken? Evolution Studios is already onto patch v1.07 for its PlayStation 4 exclusive racer DriveClub, but this does more than tweak the title’s busted online connectivity. The first new feature included as part of this update is Photo Mode, which will allow you to take snaps of your automobiles in all of their high definition glory. You can access the utility by tapping the right-side of the touchpad at any point while you’re playing.

Will PS4 Exclusive Bloodborne Feature Randomly Generated Dungeons?

As promised last week, PlayStation 4 exclusive Bloodborne has recently received a slew of new screenshots. Obviously, if you're planning on tackling the game without taking in a single spoiler, we suggest that you stop reading right now. The images themselves include several juicy new details, including a gentlemanly invention known as the 'Swordstick'.

Other Noteworthy News

Video of the Week

Weirdness: Ooh Matron! This PS4 Remote Play Ad Is All a Bit Saucy

Don’t take your temperature after watching this bizarre Belgian commercial for the PlayStation 4 and Vita, as there may be some inaccuracies in the results that you record. It would appear that Sony hasn't forgotten about its portable platform in Europe – and is quite literally, ahem, bringing out the big guns to help sell the device. This clip shows an innuendo-laden doctor discussing a very personal problem in a not-so professional manner.