Latest Previews
January2023
Preview Why Horizon Call of the Mountain Is a PSVR2 Showpiece
We demo the flagship launch title
Cast your mind back to October 2016 when everyone was showing off that shark tank encounter in PlayStation VR Worlds to try and justify why they've suddenly started strapping a piece of plastic to their face. While there wasn't really much to it, the demo did a fantastic job of showcasing the sort of experience you...
Hands On PSVR2 Represents the Next Big Step for VR
Our first impressions having played it
For the time, Sony's PSVR headset was competent and functional. It didn't push the boat out compared to other devices, but by making itself at least somewhat affordable, Sony struck gold with the best-selling VR headset to date. The firm is now looking to beat the sales of the device with PSVR2, except it's...
Preview Forspoken on PS5 Feels Like a Weird Tech Demo
But it does have potential
As you may have already read, we were not sent early review code for Forspoken. This means that we won't have a full review for you to read in time for the game's launch on the 24th January. However, having spent most of the day with the PS5 action RPG, we wanted to write up some first impressions, which will hopefully...
Preview EA Sports PGA Tour Makes a Promising Swing at a Familiar Golf Sim
Hole in one?
It's been seven long years since a golf game had the EA Sports logo on the box. Dominating the genre since 1990, the publisher took a step back after Rory McIlroy PGA Tour in 2015, letting 2K Sports shoulder its way to the front of the pack. Now, the licence switches hands again on PS5 with the simply named EA Sports PGA Tour, boasting...
December2022
Preview Forspoken PS5 Feels Like a More Magical inFAMOUS
Our impressions after four hours of play
Please note: This preview is not based on the recently released Forspoken PS5 demo. It’s based on a much bigger build played at a recent event. Sucker Punch Productions might not be interested in making a newinFAMOUS game any time soon, but Square Enix has you covered: its upcoming PS5 title Forspoken...
Preview 20 Hours of Diablo 4 on PS5 Has Us Believing in Blizzard's Latest Trip to Hell
Heating up
Over the last week or so, we've spent around 20 hours with a preview build of Diablo 4 on PS5, with near full access to a generous (and mostly snowy) chunk of the game's open world map. Complete with a series of main story missions and a range of side quests, it's fair to say that we've developed a decent idea of what the upcoming action...
Hands On Is Marvel's Midnight Suns Any Good on PS5?
Strategic superheroes
In the aftermath of Cyberpunk 2077, any game that leads solely with PC reviews is right to arouse suspicion. We only received PS5 review code for Marvel’s Midnight Suns today, and have been eager to put the release through its paces in order to bring you some early hands-on impressions. The good news is, so far, we’ve had...
November2022
Preview Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion Is a Great Remaster of an Awkward 2007 Spinoff
Zack in action
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is a really good remaster. We've played through the game's first three chapters on PS5 for the purposes of this preview, and we're confident in saying that Square Enix has done a fantastic job of bringing the PSP title up to speed. Character models and environmental assets are a massive step up,...
October2022
Hands On Crunchy Combat Shines in PS5, PS4's Wildly Impressive The Callisto Protocol
Prison break
You’ve got to feel a semblance of sympathy for Striking Distance Studios. Fronted by Dead Space’s executive producer Glen Schofield, the team has clearly designed The Callisto Protocol in direct response to the clamours for a return to EA’s iconic sci-fi horror. But on the eve of the gruesome debut’s release, Motive has started...
Hands On God of War Ragnarok on PS5, PS4 Is PlayStation At Its Pomp
Impressive, boy
After several hours with God of War Ragnarok there are some things we can tell you and much, much more we cannot, but we’ll begin with our overriding sentiment so far: this is why we love PlayStation. The reality is, biased as we may be, no one does it quite like PS Studios. Nintendo may be the kings of gameplay – and, to be...
Hands On Resident Evil 4 PS5 Makes a Masterpiece Even Better
We played the remake's first 30 minutes
In 2023, there won't be a safer full-price purchase than the Resident Evil 4 remake. With the 2005 original still judged to be one of the best games of all time, it's extremely difficult to see how a PS5, PS4 modernisation could go pear-shaped. A recent Hands On session at Capcom's UK headquarters revealed to...
And the community is playing a huge part
We shouldn’t forget that Media Molecule makes amazing games. The likes of Tearaway and LittleBigPlanet were award-winners, but Dreams’ post-release discussion has centred squarely on its community. This will please the modest Guildford-based first-party, of course: it has one of the most collaborative...
First Impressions Wild Hearts Has Big Potential as a Deep and Engaging Action RPG on PS5
The bigger they are
This partnership between EA and Koei Tecmo is a fairly surprising one, but during a recent preview event for upcoming action RPG Wild Hearts, we were told that the collaboration is all in service of realising the game's potential. Koei Tecmo, the Japanese publisher best known for the likes of Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive, and...
September2022
Hands On Side-Scrolling Multiplayer Shooter SquadBlast Is Like 2D Overwatch
And it has potential
It's difficult to stand out in today's overcrowded games market, especially in the highly competitive, make-or-break multiplayer landscape. We don't envy any developer currently crafting a game that needs thousands of players logging in each and every day. However, the right combination of interesting concept and good execution...
Hands On You Know What? Sonic Frontiers Might Actually Be Okay
Maybe
We played Sonic Frontiers at EGX not once, but twice. Normally, we wouldn't put ourselves through a Sonic demo more than necessary, and the queue was, as you'd expect, constantly lengthy. The trouble is, after playing the 15-minute slice of the "open zone" experience for the first time, we realised something rather shocking. Had we really just...
Hands On Goat Simulator 3 Doubles Down on the Dumb on PS5
Goated
As the playable demo for Goat Simulator 3 got started, we had to ask: what's the real reason Coffee Stain North labelled this as the third game in the series, when it is, in fact, the second? Stuart Docherty, sound designer and composer, provided a simple, honest answer. It turns out the team just thought it would be really funny. This would...
Hands On Modern Warfare 2 Scraps Red Dots, But This Is a Great Beta
Mini-map mysteries
"Welcome to the new era of Call of Duty," the Modern Warfare 2 beta very proudly proclaims on the PS5 home screen. Is it, though? Infinity Ward's latest looks a lot like the other 18 mainline instalments before it, but with Warzone 2 alongside the main game, we could be about to enter another generation of Call of Duty dominance...
Hands On Shadows of Rose Turns Resident Evil Village into Magic
Return to Castle Dimitrescu
If Resident Evil Village was proof Capcom isn't afraid to change the sort of enemies its survival horror franchise has to offer, then DLC Shadows of Rose is evidence the developer can do the very same for its main character. Ethan Winters' daughter Rose may use the same weapons her father became accustomed to, but she has...
First Impressions Cartoonish RTS Warpaws Pits Dogs vs Cats on PS5
Modern War-fur
We don't want to generalise too much here, but real-time strategy games tend to be pretty straight-faced. They're usually attempting to emulate reality, or lean into hard sci-fi. While there's obviously nothing wrong with that, it's always great to have some variety. Warpaws, a brand new game from 3D Realms and Slipgate Ironworks...
Hands On Street Fighter 6 Makes It Fun for Newcomers
Quick Step to victory
Every game genre comes with some level of complexity, but fighters perhaps struggle the most with their onboarding process. With more complex controls to master and a hardcore community to get up to speed with, it's no surprise many newcomers fall at the first hurdle. Street Fighter 6 attempts to streamline those first few...
Hands On Star Ocean: The Divine Force Needs Work, Serious Work
Charge my AP Gauge
You've always been able to tell when Square Enix has decided not to give one of its upcoming RPGs a suitable budget, but the Star Ocean series feels like an IP devoted entirely to the lower echelons of its monetary commitments. Not since the PS2 generation has the franchise had a quality instalment, and The Divine Force looks set...
Hands On Valkyrie Elysium May Well Be a Pleasant Surprise
Goddess of war
Announced in the same State of Play showcase as Star Ocean: The Divine Force, the return of the Valkyrie series with Valkyrie Elysium isn't getting quite as much fanfare as it perhaps deserves. With a PS5, PS4 release just weeks away, a demo quietly released on the PS Store
Hands On Crisis Core Is a Welcome Reunion with Final Fantasy VII
We're on a Digital Mind Wave
It's already been almost two and a half years since Square Enix reinvented the story of its 1997 JRPG classic Final Fantasy VII, and we're itching to see what the Japanese publisher has in store next. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will provide those answers next winter, but to tide us over until then, Crisis Core: Final...
Hands On Train Sim World 3 PS5, PS4 Is on Track to Be Dovetail's Best Railway Sim Yet
Rollin', rollin'
Train Sim World 3 chugs to PS5 and PS4 today, and while we need to spend several more hours in the driver’s seat before we bring you a verdict, we thought we’d engage the throttle on our first impressions. TL;DR: it’s a revelation compared to Train Sim World 2 in some ways, thanks to the tidier user interface and vastly...
August2022
Hands On Sonic Frontiers Is a Positive Step Forward That Needs Further Work
Welcome to the Starfall Islands
Sonic Frontiers didn't leave the strongest impression when SEGA first revealed it. Despite positive first previews, concerns were raised regarding combat and the game's visual design, amplified by the publisher's
First Impressions SEGA's Multiplayer FPS Hyenas Is Baffling, But Maybe in a Good Way
Merch-obsessed shooter is an odd one
Having seen a behind closed doors presentation of SEGA's and Creative Assembly’s upcoming PvPvE shooter, Hyenas, the first thing we couldn’t help but think was, “This does not feel like a SEGA game”. Our second thought was “This really doesn't feel like a Creative Assembly game”. SEGA hasn't released...
First Impressions The Devil in Me Is a Bigger and Better Dark Pictures Title
Out for PS5, PS4 on 18th November 2022
After three increasingly better entries in The Dark Pictures Anthology from Until Dawn team Supermassive Games, The Devil in Me looks like a properly bigger and expanded sequel. While Man of Medan, Little Hope, and
First Impressions Sandbox Survival Takes Centre Stage in The Walking Dead Sequel for PSVR2, PSVR
Saints and sinners
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is widely regarded as one of the best virtual reality games on the market. As a horror game with an emphasis on survival, the release tasked you with exploring an apocalyptic New Orleans, scavenging for supplies and crafting useful tools to help you stay alive. Skydance Interactive’s...
Hands On Turning Back Time with Train Sim World 2's Spirit of Steam on PS5, PS4
Steamy stuff
In the aftermath of the Train Sim World 3 announcement this week, this rail head couldn’t resist returning to Train Sim World 2 for one last relaxing trip on the tracks – and Spirit of Steam was always going to be our destination. In truth, readers, Dovetail Games was kind enough to hook yours truly up with a code when it released...
Hands On The DioField Chronicle Is a Bit Dull, But It Could Still Be a Special Strategy RPG
Fredret and the dreamers
When The DioField Chronicle was first announced, we must admit that its debut trailer didn't leave us impressed. Believe it or not, out-of-context dialogue slapped over janky-looking gameplay cuts isn't the best way to sell a project. Thankfully, Square Enix has made the right move in giving the game a lengthy playable demo...
July2022
Hands On Digimon Survive Has Potential, But It Feels Padded So Far
Visual novel RPG is slow to start
Digimon Survive is out right now for PS4, but you may have noticed that we don't have a review here on Push Square yet. This is unfortunately due to issues outside of our control, but having sunk roughly six hours into the game, we thought that it would be best to bring you some hands on impressions ahead of the...
Hands On Rollerdrome Feels Utterly Phenomenal to Play
We preview the first six levels
There's a real sense of speed, motion, and style fuelling Rollerdrome that can only be matched by the early Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games of the PS1 era. The second game in the space of six months from British team Roll7 feels sublime to play, asking you to kill enemies with a touch of swagger in between performing...
Hands On Saints Row Is That Same Dumb Fun, But Better
Like a boss
It almost feels like the initial, divided reaction to the new Saints Row title was for an entirely different game considering how similarly it plays to past entries. We recently had the chance to play the latest open worlder for a whole four hours, and we can report this is the same Saints Row you know and — quite possibly — love...
First Impressions Resident Evil Netflix Deviates from the Games But Still Entertains
Umbrella Balinska
There’s not a lot of connective tissue between Netflix’s deceptively named 2022 television adaptation of Resident Evil and Capcom’s games. A shady pharmaceutical company named Umbrella takes centre stage, and part of the action is staged in a dystopian South African town named New Raccoon City – but so far, that’s where...
Hands On The Crew 2's PS5 Patch Feels Better at 60fps, But There's a Catch
It's stinging our eyes
The Crew 2, due in part to outstanding ongoing support from publisher Ubisoft and developer Ivory Tower, remains relevant four years on from its original release. In fact, you could argue the game is getting better, with the latest season adding events inspired by Formula Drift World Champion Chris Forsberg – it’s...
June2022
Hands On Destruction AllStars' Improvements Tease PS5's Live Service Future
Glimpses of a new era
We’ll let you in on a secret: we had a wager running at Push Square Towers regarding when Sony would pull the plug on Destruction AllStars. This may prove difficult reading for the team at Lucid Games, so it’s important to stress that our internal book was entirely tongue-in-cheek – after all, we’d never purposefully...
First Impressions More Cuphead May Well Be a Tasty Final Dish
We preview The Delicious Last Course
The wonderfully vibrant art style of Cuphead is so timeless that returning to the brutal run and gunner almost five years after its release (two years for PS4 players) doesn't feel anywhere close to a step back in time. It's still a looker, and still hard as ever. It's that difficulty that fans will need to...
First Impressions Stray Is Shaping Up to Be a Supurrbly Detailed PS5, PS4 Adventure
Cat's more like it
We recently got to see a surprisingly large chunk of Stray during a preview event, and it's safe to say that this cat sim is shaping up really well. The demo that we witnessed was being played live, and was split across several different sections of the game — all of which had something new to show. This was the most we've seen...
Hands On Assassin's Creed Origins PS5 Patch Reminds Us That It's One of the Series' Best Games
A cut above Odyssey and Valhalla
It might be cool to hate on Assassin's Creed these days, but there's no getting away from the fact that the series is more successful than ever before, raking in absurd amounts of dosh for Ubisoft. What was once a stealth-focused sandbox franchise is now a proper open world RPG property, with Assassin's Creed Odyssey...
May2022
Hands On Roller Champions Has a Strong Core, But Struggles to Maintain Momentum
Dropped the ball?
Roller Champions is the newly released free-to-play multiplayer game from Ubisoft, presenting players with a brand new digital sport to master. On a surface level, it combines roller derby with basketball, though it folds in its own rules to make for a fresh experience. It's a perfectly good idea, and there are most definitely...
Hands On Two Point Campus on PS5, PS4 Is a Tycoon Title That's Too Cool for School
School's out for summer
What a time to be alive! This author grew up on the Bullfrog era of tycoon titles, meticulously managing theme parks and hospitals on a 14” CRT from the edge of his bed. That spirit is very much alive with the Aardman-inspired Two Point series; the excellent Two Point Hospital already reminded patients not to die in the...
Hands On MultiVersus Leans on Fantastic Cast of Characters in Entertaining Smash Clone
Nostalgiaverse
MultiVersus, as its name implies, is a game in which characters from disparate worlds come together to duke it out. To what end, we're not sure, but it makes for a wildly entertaining platform fighter nonetheless. If you grew up watching Tom & Jerry, for example, hearing the cat's iconic scream as he's flung from the arena is...
Preview New Saints Row Looks Like Fantastic Fun, But It's Also Distinctly Last-Gen
In with the old
The new Saints Row has looked better and better every time that it's been shown — and recently we got to see a whole chunk of the sandbox title in action. Volition's latest is still unapologetically Saints Row (and by that we mean Saints Row: The Third), right down to the ridiculous character customisation and mental side...
First Impressions F1 22 Skips Story Mode for More Authentic, Flexible Racing
Fit for porpoise
Much like the real life motorsport, the official Formula One game will undergo a number of changes this year. F1 22, like every iteration before it, aims to capture the sport as accurately as possible, and for this season, that means all new vehicles, rules, and tyre regulations, not to mention the debut of the Miami Grand Prix. All...
First Impressions Trails from Zero Is Going to Be a Must-Play for JRPG Fans
From Zero to hero
Originally a 2010 PSP title, Trails from Zero was never officially released in the West, despite its incredibly positive reputation amongst hardcore Trails fans. Indeed, many would tell you that this is one of the best entries in Falcom's long, long running The Legend of Heroes franchise — and that's saying a lot. Thankfully, NIS...
Hands On Sifu's New Difficulty Settings are a Superb Addition
Something for everyone
When Sifu first launched back in February, its steep difficulty curve wasn't necessarily criticised, but it was enough to put a lot of potential players off. Indeed, even if you go take a look at our review — which dropped prior to release — the comments section is full of people questioning whether they'd be willing to...
Hands On Matchpoint: Tennis Championships Could Be the Ace We've Been Waiting For
We 15-love it so far
When you really stop and think about it, tennis and video games will forever be tied. Pong, one of the earliest arcade success stories, may be simplistic – but it’s effectively tennis in everything but name. Ever since this author got Anna Kournikova’s Smash Court Tennis on the PS1 (remember her?!), we’ve been huge fans...
April2022
Hands On Sniper Elite 5's PS5, PS4 Sandbox Design Has Us Hyped
Lone ranger
With open worlds larger than ever, we appreciate the developers designing denser sandbox levels. Ever since the excellent GoldenEye on Nintendo 64, we’ve been a fan of the sandbox format: the idea that a single stage can be approached in a dozen different ways, whether it’s stealth, full-on combat, or a combination of both. Hitman...
Hands On eFootball PS5, PS4 Feels Better Than FIFA 22 After Major Update
But is still a glorified demo
You’re not going to believe this but eFootball feels better than FIFA 22 after its latest update. Konami’s disastrous soccer sim was the butt of all jokes when it launched last year, with turgid gameplay and some hilarious graphical glitches. But the publisher released its long overdue v1.0 patch thi
First Impressions Bugsnax: The Isle of Bigsnax Serves a Delicious Second Helping on PS5, PS4
One more bite
For a game that revolves around yummy snack foods that come to life, Bugsnax is somewhat of an acquired taste. When this unusual adventure game launched in 2020 on both the brand new PlayStation 5 and PS4, many had it down as a meme game to be played ironically, if at all. As it turns out, the game is a highly enjoyable, if quirky,...
March2022
Hands On Returnal's New Co-Op and Endless Modes Reinvigorate a PS5 Great
Back in the loop
It's no secret we're big fans of Returnal here at Push Square. Its rogue-like elements certainly aren't to everyone's tastes, but we thoroughly enjoyed every minute of Selene's time-looping escapades on Atropos. It's an extremely compelling adventure, not to mention satisfying when you overcome some serious challenges along the way...
Hands On LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Massively Builds on Predecessors
The Force is strong with this one
The last LEGO Star Wars game to grace PlayStation was The Force Awakens, and that feels like a long time ago. Like most of its predecessors, and even later entries from TT Games, it's a very safe platformer that sticks to the established blueprint. As fun as they can be, the LEGO games have been making almost no...
Hands On Is GTA 5 PS5 Worth It?
One night in Los Santos
Aw sh*t, here we go again! Grand Theft Auto 5 is one of the greatest selling games of all time, shifting over 160 million copies in the decade or so since it debuted. First released on the PlayStation 3 in 2013, the game was a mainstay on software sales charts throughout the entire PS4 generation, and now it’s launched on...
February2022
Hands On Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Feels Like the Tightest, Most Polished Borderlands Yet
A familiar fantasy, but still magic
It’s been almost a decade now since the release of Borderlands 2’s Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep DLC, which reframed the looter shooter as a Dungeons and Dragons-style tabletop campaign DM’d by the titular Tiny Tina. Acclaimed as that mini-campaign was, it’s a little unusual to see Tiny Tina’s...
Hands On Don't Sleep on Machine Strike, Horizon Forbidden West's Chess-Like Board Game
Putting all the pieces together
While Horizon Zero Dawn was a wonderful debut entry from Guerrilla Games — a studio that was entering all-new territory with an open world action RPG — it did have its flaws. Built up towns were one of them; they looked cool from a distance, but had little to do once you got inside. Horizon Forbidden West goes to...
Hands On Cyberpunk 2077's PS5 Version Actually Feels Like a Finished Game
It only took 14 months
When CD Projekt Red announced that it was going to host a Cyberpunk 2077 livestream following months of silence on the game's future, we felt a small jolt of hope. But when the developer kicked said livestream off with a hugely underwhelming 'next-gen' demo, we knew that we'd have to play the newly released PlayStation 5...
First Impressions Ghostwire: Tokyo Goes Heavy on Supernatural Action
Tango Gameworks demos first 30 minutes
It's safe to say Ghostwire: Tokyo is absolutely nothing like The Evil Within. The first game out of Japanese studio Tango Gameworks was a masterclass in horror design (the same can be said of its underrated sequel), and there has not been anything quite like it since. We'd consider that a shame, but what the...
First Impressions Gran Turismo 7 on PS5, PS4 Looks Like the Biggest and Best Yet
The posh coffee of sim racers
Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi doesn’t just love cars – he worships them. Addressing media as part of a virtual presentation earlier this week, the industry veteran appeared to express sadness that younger generations may not share the same level of passion that he has for the automotive industry. His...
January2022
Hands On They Made Destruction AllStars on PS5 Good
Like, for real
When it released last year, Destruction AllStars ultimately disappointed. Lucid Games’ chaotic crash-‘em-up was not a dud – in fact, between its diverse cast of well-animated characters and compelling use of the DualSense controller, there was much to like – but it just didn’t feel quite right. It was hard to put into words,...
Hands On Atelier Sophie 2 Seems Like a Very Promising JRPG Sequel
The story continues
Atelier’s Mysterious Trilogy was recently re-released on the PlayStation 4 but Gust has obviously decided that it isn’t quite finished with that story. Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream takes place in between the first and second games, and we were recently given access to the opening couple of hours on...
Hands On OlliOlli World Is a Bold and Brilliant New Spin on the Skateboarding Series
JollyOlli good
Before getting our hands on the PlayStation 5 version of OlliOlli World for this preview, we refreshed ourselves on the basics in OlliOlli 2: Welcome to Olliwood. We quickly remembered the challenging but intuitive controls, the ridiculously addictive allure of besting your scores on each level, and the clean, understated...
Hands On God of War PC Is a Great Way to Play a PS4 Classic
RT-Axe on
In 2018 Sony Santa Monica shipped God of War, a soft reboot of the fan-favourite action-adventure trilogy that traded the Greek pantheon for Norse mythology. Featuring an emotional narrative that focused on the relationship between the rough-edged Kratos and his young son Atreus, God of War reinvigorated the series without straying too far...
December2021
Hands On The Matrix Awakens Is an Unreal Demonstration of PS5's Power
The truth, nothing more
There are some who would argue that the PlayStation 5 has yet to have its true next-gen moment. Exclusives like Demon’s Souls and even Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart look phenomenal, of course, but are they really a significant step-up from the PS4? Sony, in many ways, made a rod for its own back with its generational...
November2021
Hands On Kid A Mnesia: Exhibition Is a Truly Haunting Tribute to Everything Radiohead
You won't forget it
It’s almost quaint to think that Radiohead’s Kid A and Amnesiac albums were considered such esoteric, difficult listening twenty years ago. With the benefit of hindsight they are simply part of the natural progression in sound from The Bends to the beloved OK Computer, doubling down on that album’s themes of alienation and...
Hands On FromSoftware Puts Its All into Elden Ring
Rise, Tarnished
Elden Ring feels like everything FromSoftware has been doing for the past 12 years all at once. Sure, you could probably describe its latest title as open world Dark Souls and be more than halfway there, but to do so would ignore the obvious undertones of Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice that help make this new title stand...
Hands On Is the GTA Trilogy Really That Bad on PS5, PS4?
A number six with extra dip
In response to the headline: honestly, no. As is so often the case when there’s an online backlash, the reality isn’t quite as bad as the memes would lead you to believe – but make no mistake, the GTA Trilogy deserves better, and Rockstar has its work cut out rectifying this sorry state of affairs. This is a...
October2021
Hands On All Hallows' Dreams: Ghost Train Is a Frightfully Fun Halloween Event on PS4
Dreams' latest community collab is a treat
Dreams provides players with a toolset with which to make more or less anything they please, but as with any creative medium, a blank canvas can be the most daunting thing of all. It's why one of the game's best ongoing features is the community jam, which provides everyone with a theme, and a deadline to...
Hands On FIFA 22's Underrated VOLTA Arcade Is Football Fall Guys
Minigame madness
Hated, adored, never ignored. The motto may predominantly be used by Man United fans who argue that, win or lose, the club is rarely out of the headlines – but it also applies to FIFA Ultimate Team. Look, here’s a mode that draws the angst of hardcore gamers all around the world – and yet franchise fans absolutely adore it...
Hands On Conquering the Capital in Train Sim World 2's Latest London DLC on PS5
London's calling
After almost two years of pandemic enforced solitude, this author was practically pining for the hustle and bustle of London last weekend: the rising heat of the London Underground, the oft-ignored ‘Stand to the Right’ signs next to the rubber staircase banisters, and the shrill sound of the train’s brakes pulling into Euston...
Hands On Tales of Arise Sword Art Online DLC Is Pricey but Pretty Cool
Is it worth buying?
It's a crossover that we didn't see coming: Tales of Arise recently got a premium DLC pack that lets you fight against Kirito and Asuna from Sword Art Online. The unimaginatively titled 'Sword Art Online Collaboration Pack' is currently available to buy from the PlayStation Store — but is it actually worth the rather steep...
September2021
Hands On It'll Take More Than Sam Allardyce to Save eFootball on PS5, PS4
Own goal
Of all the years for Konami to cock up Pro Evolution Soccer, now renamed eFootball, this is arguably the worst one. FIFA 22, for all of the franchise’s overarching flaws, feels fantastic: the ball physics are greatly improved, the heavily advertised HyperMotion Technology makes for a much more fluid experience, and even goalkeepers have...
Hands On Don't Sleep on Voice of Cards - It Could Be a Special RPG
No, it's not really a card game
The awkwardly titled Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars was revealed during the latest Nintendo Direct, and if you're anything like us, you quickly realised that it was some kind of card game (it's in the name!) and then stopped paying attention. Look, we want our role-playing games to whisk us away to gorgeous...
Hands On FIFA 22 Feels Like Real Football for Once
Balled over
As far as this author is concerned, FIFA has never felt quite right. For a franchise sold as a soccer simulator, there’s a case for EA Sports getting done under the trade descriptions act – it’s never really resembled real football, more an analogue of the sport like the distinctly arcade Rocket League. But based on over six hours...
Hands On Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Is Mass Effect in Comic Book Clothing
Kree whiz
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy doesn’t just wear its Mass Effect influences on its sleeve: it prances them about like Chris Pratt in the opening exchanges of the franchise’s first movie. The similarities to BioWare’s space-faring soap opera are so plentiful that they’re almost impossible to ignore, but following the success of...
August2021
First Impressions Farming Simulator 22 Is AAA Agriculture on PS5, PS4
Old MacDonald would be impressed
Farming Simulator has exploded in popularity since the latter PlayStation 3 days. Once a scrappy, niche line of agricultural releases, this series now commands its very own convention and competitive esports tournament. Giants Software’s latest instalment, Farming Simulator 22, reflects that influx in interest: it...
