Latest Features - Page 17
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 541
A kinda rush
The Olympics are slowly drawing to a close, the summer is heading towards its premature conclusion, and – guess what! – video games will start releasing again soon. Here’s what we’re playing this weekend. Aaron Bayne: I think it's time to finally go back to Helldivers 2, since the new Escalation of Freedom update just dropped...
Poll Have You Pre-Ordered an Astro Bot PS5 DualSense Controller?
You wish
In case you didn't know, the anticipated Astro Bot PS5 DualSense controller went up for pre-order today, resulting in a surprising amount of hubbub. Indeed, the special edition pad ended up selling out across a number of websites, and even Sony's own PlayStation Direct store had to bring back its dreaded queueing system in a bid to quell...
Interview Wild Bastards Dev on Why You Should Be Gunning for This Slick Sci-Fi Shooter on PS5
You bastards
Following up on 2020's Void Bastards — a moreish first-person shooter with a distinctly tactical edge — the talented team at Blue Manchu is back with more, er, bastards. Its new title, Wild Bastards, should be a hoot if the studio's previous work is anything to go by, and so we caught up with game designer Jonathan Chey to learn all...
Movie Review Borderlands - As Bland As the Brand It's Based On
Craptrap
Borderlands isn’t an especially funny franchise, so it’s perhaps fitting this Eli Roth (Hostel) adaptation lacks laughs. The most puzzling thing about this picture is how it managed to assemble such an all-star cast: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Jamie Lee Curtis all unite to attempt to bring character to some of the most...
Reaction PS5 Needs a Price Cut
Sticker shock
Don’t let the discourse tell you otherwise: the PS5 is doing very well. Tagging another 2.4 million units to its total in the quarter concluding 30th June, the system now sits at 61.7 million units sold. That’s a phenomenal feat when you consider all the chaos Sony has had to circumnavigate: the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent...
Preview Space Marine 2 Is a PS5 Blockbuster That's Worth the Hype
I crave a bloodbath... or a blood shower
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is easily one of the best co-op shooters we’ve played in years. If you had fun slaying Terminids with friends in Helldivers 2, then you’ll likely enjoy the bloodier and arguably more epic battles against Tyranids here. Where Space Marine 2 differentiates itself from...
Poll Are You Playing Helldivers 2: Escalation of Freedom?
Time to dive
The first big update for Helldivers 2 has dropped, with the hope being that it generates some renewed hype around the highly rated co-op shooter. Titled Escalation of Freedom, the update is jam-packed with new game modes, objectives, and enemy types. There's even a new difficulty setting to tackle, and just about every aspect of...
Catching the wind
The Cat Quest series has long impressed us with its all-ages take on the action RPG formula, and with Cat Quest 3 fast approaching, we wanted to check in with developer The Gentlebros. Luckily for us, studio CEO, artist, and designer Desmond Wong was willing to answer our questions, telling us all about the new game's additions,...
Quiz Test Your PlayStation General Knowledge - Issue 24
It's time to PlayStation
How much do you know about PlayStation and the gaming industry that surrounds it? If you fancy yourself a walking PlayStation encyclopaedia, then why not put your brain to the test with our PlayStation General Knowledge Quiz? This is Issue 24 of our PlayStation General Knowledge Quiz. You can have a crack at our previous...
Poll Are You Happy with Your PS Plus Essential Games for August 2024?
Plus or minus?
The PS Plus Essential games lineup for August has been announced, and as always, subscribers to Sony's base tier are getting access to three additional titles starting from next week. The question, though, is whether this month's trio will be better received than last month's rather disastrous combination. Over 50% of Push Square...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 540
Trialling Trails
With the Olympics in full swing and the sun shining there's not much time for gaming these days. Still, it's the weekend, and it wouldn't feel right without some regularly scheduled WAYP. Jaimie Ditchfield: I've been craving that Soulslike itch and have decided to go back and play some more Lies of P, which is excellent. Also, I'm...
Guide Upcoming PS5 Games for August and September 2024
Astro Bot! Concord! EA Sports FC!
Things are starting to heat up as we enter the busy end of the year for game releases, with August and September serving up some delectable treats on PS5. As always, we've been busy putting together a list of some particularly noteworthy physical releases headed to PS5 over the next few weeks, as well as a larger...
Poll Are You Playing Tomba! Special Edition?
Piggin' it
Tomba! Special Edition is out now on PS5, reviving what some consider to be a classic (and underappreciated) PS1 platformer. If you've never heard of Tomba! (or Tombi!, as it was known in Europe), then honestly, you're in for a bit of a treat. In our humble opinion, it still stands as a deeply charming and unique adventure — and if...
Preview Evidence Suggests Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Will Be a Good Time on PS4
But the jury is still out
We've played the first couple of cases in the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection on PS4 and we've walked away pretty impressed. The collection comprises two games originally released on Nintendo DS — Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor's Gambit — now playable on...
Reaction Sony's Billion Dollar Bungie Buyout Is Looking More and More Like a Blunder
Destiny's wild
Back when Sony announced its $3.6 billion acquisition of Bungie, we didn’t quite understand it. Sony was under intense pressure at the time, as Microsoft was still in the midst of its corporate consolidation storm, and didn’t look likely to stop until it owned most of the industry. Acquiring the legendary Halo creator always...
Hands On Visions of Mana Is Far From Revolutionary, But It Should Still Be a Rock Solid Action RPG
That's class
2020's Trials of Mana remake showed us that the series' classic formula can be adapted into a full 3D adventure — and Visions of Mana clearly intends to push things forward. A brand new instalment in Square Enix's longstanding franchise, Visions seems to retain the fantastical charm of its predecessors, while also expanding the...
Talking Point Is It Finally the Right Time to Buy PSVR2?
As sales explode
Sony has dramatically dropped the price of its PSVR2 headset, which has had an unfathomable impact on the peripheral’s commercial fortunes. Cynics may point to non-existent numbers to begin with, but a 2,350 per cent increase in sales is not to be sniffed at, regardless of the baseline. It shows that there is still life l
Preview Star Wars Outlaws Thrives in Its Rewarding Open World
PS5 heavyweight comes together nicely
As part of last month's Summer Game Fest season, Ubisoft allowed press to play Star Wars Outlaws for the first time in a demo made up of three different parts, each designed to justify the game's core pillars. Reactions were quite mixed — unfavourable comparisons to PS Vita game Uncharted: Golden Abyss were...
Poll Is the Astro Bot PS5 Controller the Best DualSense Yet?
Astronomical
It could be argued that Sony's been too passive with the PS5's DualSense controller. Outside of a... reasonable number of single-colour pads, unique or limited edition controllers have been very few and far between over the course of the PS5's near four-year life. But over the last week, PlayStation has announced two special DualSense...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 539
Va va voom
The Olympics are underway, which means you can expect a festival of sporting action on your television pretty much, well, 14 or so hours a day. Of course, if you’re not into archery or badminton, then you may still be looking to power up your PS5 this weekend. Here’s what we’re playing. Aaron Bayne: This weekend I'll be grinding...
Video Our Most Anticipated PS5 Games Of Late 2024
Plenty to look forward to
We’re on the cusp of 2024’s latter gaming season, with everything from IP tie-ins to unexpected sequels. So our video producer Aaron is here to break down his most anticipated releases for the remainder of 2024. You can watch our full discussion on the biggest and most exciting games of 2024 over on the Push Square...
Poll Are You Sick of Soulslike Games?
Got soul
FromSoftware's got a lot to answer for. Through its increasingly successful crafting of dark fantasy action games, the Japanese developer has spawned an entire subgenre that most people refer to as 'Soulslike'. Typically, Soulslike titles adopt specific elements introduced through Demon's Souls and its descendants, ranging from high levels...
Preview There's Nothing Super About Marvel Rivals on PS5
It's so over(watch)
Marvel Rivals isn’t quite what we were hoping for. In a time when hero shooters are questioned and criticised, we can’t deny that the Marvel meets Overwatch pitch is intriguing. Taking your favourite heroes like Spider-Man and Doctor Strange and then pitting them against each other in 6v6 modes is a slam dunk on paper. Yet...
Poll What Are Your Summer Gaming Habits?
Don't touch grass
Chances are, if you're a regular reader of Push Square, you tend to do a lot of gaming. But as the seasons come and go, our gaming habits can change quite dramatically — and this is especially true of the summer months. For countless people here in Europe and in North America, the summer is often defined by the fact that...
Quiz Test Your PlayStation General Knowledge - Issue 23
It's time to PlayStation
How much do you know about PlayStation and the gaming industry that surrounds it? If you fancy yourself a walking PlayStation encyclopaedia, then why not put your brain to the test with our PlayStation General Knowledge Quiz? This is Issue 23 of our PlayStation General Knowledge Quiz. You can have a crack at our previous...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 538
Infinite wealth
There was no week of Gareth Southgate thumbnails, because football is sadly not coming home. Alas, the Olympics await, so more sporting disappointments beckon. In the meantime, let’s WAYP. Aaron Bayne: It's a mixture of the Concord open beta, No Man's Sky, and maybe some Diablo IV for me this weekend. Issy van der Velde: I'm...
Poll Are You Playing Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess?
Oni time will tell
Capcom's rather unorthodox action game, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, is out now on PS5 and PS4. In it, you essentially play as a shrine maiden's bodyguard, as she attempts a pilgrimage across the land. Structurally, the title's broken up between levels, and gameplay revolves around having to protect your elegant ally against...
Poll Are You Playing the Concord Open Beta?
Take aim
The Concord beta is now open to everyone over the weekend, across both PS5 and PC. And, if you jumped into the early access beta last weekend, you can dive straight back into this open period, with your previous progress intact. But will you be taking Concord for a spin over the next few days? We quite enjoyed our time with the...
Interview Learning All About The Precinct, PS5's Super Promising Sandbox Cop Game
Have a seat
We've been keeping an eye on The Precinct for a while now. It's an indie game where you play as a cop, fighting crime on the streets of a sandbox city. It's always sounded like a really cool concept to us, and so we caught up with Lewis Boadle — the title's art director and co-founder of developer Fallen Tree Games. We asked Lewis...
Preview EA Sports FC 25 Promises a Different Kind of Rush on PS5, PS4
Here we go
EA Sports FC 24’s transition away from FIFA did no harm to the Redwood juggernaut’s flagship football franchise, and you could argue the rebranding itself actually helped re-engage former fans who had previously fallen off. However, while the on-pitch action itself was fine, it wasn’t the revolution we were hoping for, delivering a...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Zenless Zone Zero?
Zero/10
It's only a couple of weeks old, but Zenless Zone Zero can already be classed as yet another slam dunk for HoYoverse. The free-to-play action RPG is the third game that the Chinese developer has released on PlayStation, alongside Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail — and both of those titles are still attracting a huge number of players...
Feature The 10 Best PS5 Games of 2024 So Far
As voted by you
The votes are in, and the results are here. Just over a week ago, we asked the Push Square community to vote for their PS5 Game of the Year for 2024 so far. Indeed, we've had over six months of highly rated releases, and 40 of those titles were included in the poll. Readers could vote for just one game, and a total of 3,361 votes...
Interview Outlast Developer on Making the Switch to Live Service
Going live to outlast the rest
Live service is a triggering word amidst gaming communities, but that didn’t sway Red Barrels. The Montreal-based developer has made a name for itself by crafting up the iconic Outlast series, an intensely linear single-player horror franchise that has to date surpassed 37 million sales. However, earlier this year...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give The First Descendant?
First of all
Free-to-play PS5 shooter The First Descendant is a couple of weeks old now, and we want to know what you think of it. Granted, it can be difficult to judge live service titles like this just weeks into its full release, but divided opinions have already made for interesting reading in this case. Prime example: we really weren't keen on...
Preview Ignore The Haters, Concord Is a Good PS5 Shooter We Can't Wait to Play More Of
This one struck a Concord
Ahead of its 23rd August launch, we finally got our hands on Concord, the live service hero shooter from Firewalk Studios. Sony’s big multiplayer gamble was not met with the best of first impressions when it debuted at State of Play, but now that we’ve had some time with the game, is this shaping up to be the next live...
Poll Are You Happy with Your PS Plus Extra, Premium Games for July 2024?
Plus or minus?
13 more PS5, PS4, and Classic games will be making their way to PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium on Tuesday, with much of the reaction from the official announcement focusing on the strong line-up of retro titles Sony has put together for the drop. General highlights include Remnant 2, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, and some...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 537
It's coming home?
It's a big weekend of sport, as the Wimbledon final nears and England vie to maybe, hopefully, potentially bring it home. We'll be watching from behind the sofa. Aaron Bayne: I've been gagging to give it a go, so it'll be the Concord beta for me this weekend. Issy van der Velde: This weekend I'm getting stuck into Cyberpunk...
Talking Point What Are Your Thoughts on the Concord PS5, PC Beta?
Fight or flight?
Sony's online multiplayer shooter, Concord, is currently going through an open beta, allowing the public to check out the game prior to launch in August. Playable on both PS5 and PC, the team-based, 5v5 FPS is giving players the opportunity to put it through its paces. We're super curious to know, then — what do you think?...
Preview The Outlast Trials Proves It's a Live Service Gem in First Content Update
Going bonkers with Bambino
Four months since its release, The Outlast Trials is getting its first dose of post-launch content in the form of Project Lupara. This co-op take on the traditionally single-player horror series is a surprisingly fun time with friends but with its first seasonal update since its launch, is it doing enough to keep players...
Talking Point Was Sony Right to Resist Adding PS5 Exclusives to PS Plus Day One?
As Microsoft makes huge changes
One of the major plot points from the opening exchanges of this generation was Sony’s resistance to adding first-party PS5 titles to PS Plus on day one. Whatever your personal opinion of the strategy, the Japanese giant was heckled and harried by both media and fans, repeatedly accused of ripping off its consumers...
Feature Serving Up Aloy of Food with the Official Horizon Cookbook
Making a meal of it
There's a surprising number of cookbooks based on popular video games. Drawing inspiration from some of the biggest and best series in the medium, these instructional tomes extend their world-building into reality. These 4D experiences can transport your tastebuds to the frosty Norse landscapes of God of War, Stardew Valley's...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 536
Rest period
The video game release schedule continues to slow while the sun just about hangs in the sky for some acceptable UK temperatures this weekend, so it should come as little surprise that we don't have much going on in the industry right now. Our own pre-season, if you will. Still, we've managed to find one or two games to pass the time...
Live Watch the Bandai Namco Summer Showcase 2024 Right Here
Live from Anime Expo 2024
Want to watch the Bandai Namco Summer Showcase 2024? Well, you've come to the right place. The Japanese publisher's event will be livestreamed straight from Anime Expo 2024, which is happening this weekend in Los Angeles. As such, you can expect announcements and news surrounding anime-based titles from Bandai Namco, such...
Poll Are You Playing Zenless Zone Zero?
Zzz or ZZZ?
Yet another gacha-based craze is currently sweeping PlayStation in the form of Zenless Zone Zero — an action RPG with a quirky futuristic setting. This is the latest release from ridiculously prolific developer HoYoverse, and we'd bet on it making the company a whole lotta money. HoYoverse is the Chinese outfit behind fellow...
Poll Are You Playing The First Descendant?
First!
After what feels like an age of alpha and beta testing periods, The First Descendant has finally arrived on PS5. This free-to-play looter shooter is a little bit like a third-person Destiny, but instead of creating your own protagonist, you select playable heroes from a roster. Each of them is equipped with their own specialisations and...
Star Wars! Madden! Concord!
Things are starting to get pretty busy on the old games front, with lots of new releases headed our way over the next couple of months. As always, we've been busy putting together a list of some particularly noteworthy physical releases headed to PlayStation 5 over the next few weeks, as well as a larger selection of...
Feature Push Square Readers' 20 Most Anticipated PS5 Games for the Second Half of 2024
As voted by you
The second half of 2024 is fit to burst with new PS5 games. This is something that dawned on us after Summer Game Fest came to an end, and a slew of titles were granted release dates for later in the year. And so last week, we published a Talking Point in order to discuss our most anticipated PS5 games. In it, we asked the Push...
Live Watch the Capcom Next 2024 Livestream Right Here
Dead Rising! Kunitsu-Gami! RE7 on iOS!
Looking for the Capcom Next 2024 Livestream? The Japanese firm revealed last week it's putting on its own showcase to talk about three upcoming titles: the recently revealed Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, this July's Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, and an iOS port of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. No other games...
Poll Are You Happy with Your PS Plus Essential Games for July 2024?
Plus or minus?
July 2024's PS Plus Essential games have been officially revealed, with another three PS5 and PS4 games up for grabs starting from the 2nd July. Now, we don't want to try and colour your perception right out of the gate, but we do think this is a somewhat shaky selection. The headline act is Borderlands 3, and we're just left...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 535
Peanuts
Another week has come to a conclusion, and things are hotting up weather-wise. All the more reason to close the curtains and play some games, then. Here's what's keeping us occupied. Echo Apsey: I'm currently planning to continually get destroyed in Elden Ring's DLC as I get to the second half of it. But, I'm gonna break up the deaths by...
