Latest Features
Feature Thinking of Throwing Out Your PS3? These Upcoming Titles Should Change Your Mind
Three's a charm
You may have snuggled up to the PlayStation 3’s younger more powerful counterpart over Christmas, but that doesn’t mean that there’s not still life coursing through Sony’s former flagship format’s mechanical parts. With its successor readily available on store shelves, the all-seeing eye of the media spotlight has been...
Matters of Import Battling with Beautiful PSone Brawler Panzer Bandit
A distinct lack of panzers and bandits
There’s no getting away from it: Panzer Bandit is obviously “inspired” by Treasure’s seminal SEGA Saturn classic Guardian Heroes. Fortunately, there’s far more to Fill-in-Cafe’s beat-‘em-up than merely imitation for imitation’s sake, as what we have here is a stunning game that not only serves...
Poll How Much Would You Pay for PlayStation Now?
The cost of the cloud
Sony’s cloud streaming service PlayStation Now is real. As is becoming customary for the company, the platform holder made the shock announcement without any real build-up during overlord Kaz Hirai’s enthralling CES keynote earlier
Reaction PlayStation Now Clears the Cloud on Sony's Vision of the Future
Positive outlook
Sony has a vision. The embattled manufacturer has gone through a torrid time of late, and has found itself muscled out of the markets that it helped to pioneer as a result – but it’s clear that under the leadership of former PlayStation president Kaz Hirai, it’s found (to use an old cliché) a man with a plan. There was a...
Game of the Month December 2013 - Gran Turismo 6
That's just gran-d
For a month consisting of only a couple of big-name releases, we were certainly busy in December. Here at Push Square, we reviewed a rather staggering 32 games in all, but as always, only one can walk away with our prestigious Game of the Month accolade. So which title was awarded a stocking full of festive treats? Why, it was...
Talking Point Will Someone Please Frag Online Exclusive Trophies
Trophy locked
We had hoped that the backlash to Tomb Raider’s undercooked (and unnecessary) multiplayer mode would have strong-armed adamant creator Crystal Dynamics into reconsidering the upcoming PlayStation 4 port’s Trophy roster, but a leaked list detailed late last week has confirm
Guide Building Blocks for Beginners in Minecraft: PS3 Edition
What's mine is yours
Minecraft was a rather vague, strange game when it first launched on the PC. To learn about most of it, you had to jump onto the web and research a particular topic, especially when it came to creating tools and weapons. Thankfully for those new to the release, the super popular title is much more accessible now than it ever...
Poll What Was Your Favourite PlayStation Game of 2013?
Your vote counts
We wrapped up our Game of the Year countdown earlier this week, announcing that Naughty Dog’s magnificent post-apocalyptic escapade The Last of Us had taken our overall Gold Trophy. This was the culmination of several days behind-the-scenes planning, as we worked through our review backlog to prepare a shortlist of cont
Matters of Import Cute Witches Blow Things Up in Cotton 100%
May contain less cotton than advertised
Märchen Adventure Cotton 100%, to give it its full and unwieldy title, first allowed us to summon magical death on baseball bat toting snowmen and boggle eyed trees back in 1994 on the Super Famicon, before finding itself ported to the PlayStation almost a decade later under the budget ‘SuperLite 1500’...
Talking Point What New Year's Resolutions Should Sony Make in 2014?
Changing for the better
We’ve somehow lurched into 2014 without a nuclear disaster or some other life-ending apocalyptic event, so that means that it’s time to make resolutions for the future. While the majority of the planet ponders whether it should finally stump up for an expensive gym membership, the arrival of a New Year can also provide...
Soapbox Assassin's Creed's Modern Day Component Is Holding the Series Back
Robert Ramsey's sick of stepping out of the Animus
After testing my sailing skills in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag at the Eurogamer Expo all the way back in September, I knew that Ubisoft had a great game in production. From the rolling waves of the sea to the swashbuckling adrenaline rush of combat, it all immediately felt like a solid step...
Game of the Year Watch Us Recap the Top Three PlayStation Games of 2013
Like a Channel 4 countdown in a fraction of the time
Game of the Year ain’t over until video editor Ben Potter renders one final YouTube wrap-up – and that’s exactly what the straight-talking movie man’s gone and done. That’s right, with our fictional Gold Trophy predictably presented to tear jerking undead-‘em-up
Game of the Year Gold Trophy - The Last of Us
It can't be for nothing
We’d love for this article to come as a pleasant surprise, but we suspect that it’s more obvious than a brick to the face. The Last of Us felt like a Game of the Year winner when it lurched onto the PlayStation 3 all the way back in early June, and nothing has really topped it in our eyes in the six or so months since...
Game of the Year Silver Trophy - Resogun
Save the last humans
Not just the best PlayStation 4 game currently available, but also one of the best releases published on a Sony platform in 2013, the brilliant Resogun rocketed to the top of our internal poll like a firework doused in gasoline. Finnish outfit Housemarque once again proved that it’s the master of the humble shmup, repurposing...
Matters of Import Escaping the Winter Weather in Boku no Natsuyasumi 4
We're all going on a summer holiday
There’s been nothing but grey skies and rain all day for weeks now, and tomorrow the forecast says that it’ll be even colder. Fortunately, there’s one place where the sun’s always shining... Boku no Natsuyasumi 4 (‘My Summer Holiday 4’) is the most recent entry in Sony’s popular retro holiday...
Game of the Year Bronze Trophy - BioShock Infinite
God only knows
Bold, brash, and brimming with more out-of-place Beach Boys records than a music store aimed at industrial rock fans [Bleurgh – Ed], it’s hardly surprising that BioShock Infinite soared to the summit of our Game of the Year poll speedier than protagonist Booker DeWitt when strapped into a bizarre lighthouse contraption. Irrational...
Game of the Year Best PlayStation 4 Games of 2013
Playing with power
It seems a bit strange to be selecting the best annual software for a system that's only been available for around a month, but consistency means that our Game of the Year countdown demands a PlayStation 4 category. This time last year the platform was little more than a pipedream, but the hot new hardware has bullied the...
Feature Five Vita Games That Will Keep You Occupied on the Go in 2014
Pocket rockets
Sony may be betting the PlayStation Vita’s future commercial fortunes on the Remote Play functionality that it shares with its home console counterpart, but that doesn’t mean that the miniscule machine is without its own roster of tailor made software. With a sizeable chunk of the manufacturer’s own network of internal...
Game of the Year Best PlayStation Vita Games of 2013
Viva la Vita
The past twelve months have proved mixed for Sony's miniscule machine. While the platform holder managed to put an end to the disappointing software droughts that plagued the PlayStation Vita in 2012, the portable powerhouse failed to really realise its sales potential yet again – despite a sizeable price drop and some stellar...
Game of the Year Best PlayStation 3 Games of 2013
This is living
It may be ending the year as the tired old video game veteran, but the PlayStation 3 can humbly hold its disc slot aloft, as this has been an outstanding year for the former flagship format. We know it's a countdown cliché to claim that it was a challenge to cut our list of Game of the Year candidates down to a manageable integer,...
Feature Five Hotly Anticipated PS4 Games That Should Be on Your Radar in 2014
Give me four (or more)
There are a lot of games coming out next year. A lot. What’s more, a chunk of those titles look incredible, as many developers turn their attention towards that sweet, sweet next generation hardware. In order to get you in the mood for the next 12 months of delicious PlayStation 4 gaming, we’ve compiled a list of five...
Talking Point Has Father Christmas Added to Your PlayStation Backlog?
Tell us about your gaming gifts
Christmas may be about a lot of different things, but we’d be lying if we said that we didn’t predominantly enjoy the gifts. In addition to gigantic roast dinners and terrible television shows, sharing presents has become a pivotal part of the festive experience – and we want to know whether you received any new...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This... Christmas?
One more sleep
We’ve all been forced to endure an avalanche of hype over the past couple of weeks, but as we frantically tap out this last-minute message, Christmas has virtually arrived. To be honest, we’re not overly fond of Brussels sprouts, charged family disputes, and terrible terrestrial television – but we are thrilled at the fact that...
Feature Feel All Festive with These Unforgettable PlayStation Snowscapes
Ice weather for it
The weather outside is dreary, but your consoles can be so cheery. And since there’s nowhere you’d rather be, turn on your PSone, PS2, and PS3. Alright, it doesn’t quite fit, but you get the idea. Over the years, the various PlayStation platforms have played host to a veritable wonderland of snowy scenes, so to celebrate the...
Soapbox Why There's No Real Rush to Upgrade to the PS4
Sammy Barker's struggling to break the chain
Somewhere around the world, someone is panicking over the fact that they can’t find a PlayStation 4 right now. Sony’s next generation system has been playing hide-and-seek with store shelves since its release on 15th November, with the platform holder’s
Feature 2013's Most Powerful PlayStation Soundtracks
Don't look back in anger
More often than not, too much effort is spent pondering the visuals of a game. Or its gameplay. Or its set pieces. However, there’s one pivotal area that tends to get overlooked time and time again: the soundtrack. If you’re on the fence about a particular piece of software, an emotional piece of music can set you on the...
Talking Point Should Sony Mirror Steam's Discount Strategy for PSN?
Door busters
Sales can actually be a pretty cunning strategy. Supermarkets are particularly good at them, lowering the cost of sought after goods in order to obtain publicity and drive foot traffic through their stores. It only takes one heavily discounted item to coerce thrifty shoppers into a cash splashing frenzy, and that allows retailers to...
Guide How to Save the Humans and Stave Off the Keepers in Resogun on PS4
Tips 'n' tricks
It’s fair to say that Resogun has left our lives in complete and utter tatters. We’ve been unable to eat, sleep, or even communicate properly in the wake of our November Game of the Month winner, and who can blame us? Housemarque’s gorgeous shmup is an outstanding release – and it’s a free one to boot. However, if you have...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 18
Snow isn't falling, all around us
The holidays are coming, and that can only mean one thing – it's time to grab your favourite Christmas sweater (you know, the one that your Nan knitted for you), hold a yummy mince pie in one hand, and pick up your DualShock with the other. This weekend, here at Push Square towers, we'll be busy Trophy hunting and...
Talking Point Is PlayStation Plus Helping or Hindering the PS Vita?
Playing the waiting game
Speculation seeping out of this week’s NPD sales report suggests that Media Molecule’s universally acclaimed PlayStation Vita exclusive Tearaway sold around 14,000 copies in North America during its release window. That number is heartbreaking for a title that not only came close to a 10/10 on this site, but also secured...
Talking Point Do the PS4 Controller's Gimmicks Add Anything Worthwhile?
Bright like a touch light
You’ve (hopefully) had the PlayStation 4 in your home for a few weeks now, meaning that you’ve had ample opportunity to test out all of the devices features and functions. We’ve already polled you on your overall impressions of the device, its
Feature For the Buyers - Push Square's PlayStation Christmas Shopping Guide
Gift ideas for the gamer in your life
The awful celebrity autobiographies filling every square inch of advertising space and tinny, outdated tunes on the radio can only mean one thing: Christmas is coming. It’s now just over two weeks until the big day, and you’re no doubt panicking over the fact that you haven’t picked up any presents yet...
Game of the Month November 2013 - Resogun
Gunned down
November was yet another busy month for Push Square's reviewers, as we critiqued a hefty 23 games in total. Last month also saw the release of a certain console that you may have heard about: the PlayStation 4. With Sony's new hardware flying off the shelves, the race to get our next-gen write-ups published was on, and so we brought you...
Feature The Road to Gran Turismo 6
The evolution of the real driving simulator
Even when Polyphony Digital president Kazunori Yamauchi was working on slapstick PSone racer Motor Toon Grand Prix, the luminary had driving simulators in mind. The internally developed title, which was undeniably inspired by the success of Mario Kart, was built with a casual audience in mind, but the...
First Impressions Shining a Spotlight on Free PS4 Shooter Blacklight: Retribution
No cost CoD
Blacklight: Retribution has never been subtle about its similarities to Call of Duty. The popular Kill Confirmed mode, which first appeared in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, took only a short time to appear in the Zombie Studios developed shooter, and supposed leaked screenshots of Call of Duty: Black Ops II tu
Talking Point Why the PS4 Is Well Set for Success
Perfect position
It’s amazing the difference that a generation makes. Sony sauntered into the PlayStation 3 era with an industry leading brand, lofty ambitions, and its eye off the ball. An embarrassing price tag, awkward architecture, and out-of-touch board of directors consigned the platf
Feature Is The Playroom on PS4 an Entertaining Attraction?
Connect your camera
The new PlayStation Camera for the PlayStation 4 is a peripheral that brings a higher-quality optical recognition interface to Sony’s latest system than any options before it. Boasting both voice control support and facial recognition software, it augments an exciting new way to play on the next generation console. But while...
Talking Point PS4 Proves That Consoles Are Alive and Kicking
On the pulse
We relish bad news like a kitten does catnip. As a species, it’s deep coded into our genetic makeup to pay utmost attention to the darkest parts of life and brush the positives under the carpet. Newspapers lead with murders rather than acts of bravery, television bulletins push cheerful clips to the tail-end of their schedules, and...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - PS4 Special Part 2
Greatness revived
The time has come. The next-generation of PlayStation gaming has arrived, and its already busy consuming our weekends. In the last edition of 'What Are You Playing This Weekend', a few of our North American team members shared their exciting first steps into the world of the PlayStation 4, while the rest of the world moaned in the...
Poll How Would You Rate the PS4’s Present and Future Prospects?
Worth the wait
It’s a relief to be able to write about the PlayStation 4 from a global perspective at last. While the unfortunate folks in Japan and some smaller territories around the world are still waiting for greatness to arrive, there’s a sizeable chance that the system is now available in the region that you’re reading this from. That...
Talking Point Share Your European PS4 Launch Stories Here
Greatness comes to those that wait
The wait for the PlayStation 4 has been especially difficult for Europe. Those of you living in North America were able to snatch the next generation system two weeks ago, meaning that folks in the UK, France, and Germany have been left twiddling their thumbs for almost 14 days. No more, though, as the console...
Hardware Review PlayStation 4 - For the Players
Greatness arrives
How do you review a games console in this day and age? Our expectations for new systems have changed, and while Sony's messaging with the PlayStation 4 may have centred on the hearts of the players with iron sight precision, it's impossible to escape the idea that beneath the expensive marketing campaigns and Antonio Banderas...
Hardware Review DualShock 4 - The Best Way to Play
XOXO
A console without a controller is like a car without a steering wheel: useless. While a vehicle’s helm provides the pivotal interaction between the wheels and the road, video game systems have forever been defined by the device’s that drive them. Sony evidenced this earlier in the year when it opted to unveil its overhauled DualShock 4...
Feature Five PS4 Features That Future Firmware Updates Must Include
Improving on greatness
At the time of writing, the PlayStation 4 is an exceptional system – but it’s not perfect. While the next generation console represents a significant step forward from the PlayStation 3, augmenting key features such as cross-game chat, background updates, and multitasking, it lacks the maturity that future firmware updates...
Talking Point Is the PS4's Controller Pushing Your Buttons?
Perfect peripheral
There’s no doubt that the PlayStation 4 comes with a number of improvements over its current generation counterpart. The system’s user interface, for starters, is much slicker than its predecessor’s – despite the implementation of multiple new features such as game profiles and live streaming. Furthermore,
Talking Point Share Your Greatest PS4 Moments So Far
Show boat
Arguably the PlayStation 4’s neatest new feature is the ability to capture screenshots and video clips of whatever you’re playing at any time. While the lack of YouTube support makes it slightly more difficult to share gameplay footage at the moment, it’s significantly easier to post screenshots dem
Talking Point Is the PS4's Limited Launch Lineup a Problem?
Day none
Subtract resolution from the equation and the hottest topic of the past few days has pertained to launch lineups. With new consoles from both Sony and Microsoft prompting platform warriors to froth at the mouth, the weeks leading up to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One’s respective launches have been
Opinion Sony Has Executed Impeccably on PS4's Gamer-Centric Approach
This is for the players
Sony couldn’t have been more in tune with gamers’ demands this year if it invited the entire population of the NeoGAF forums to participate in its daily meetings regarding the PlayStation 4. Ever since it teased the system at the tail-end of January, the Japanese giant has launch
Poll How Would You Rate Your First Weekend with the PS4?
Snap judgement
There’s always a sense of deflation when you anticipate a moment for so long that it passes in the blink of an eye. We’ve spent the past nine months or so building up to the PlayStation 4’s launch, and now it’s already gone in North America. While there’s still the excitement of the European release to come, we hope that the...
Talking Point Are You a Fan of the PS4's Social Features?
Broadcast yourself
Game sharing is nothing new. While it’s never been this particular author’s cup of tea, numerous YouTube personalities have made a living out of uploading commentated footage of games, and the rise of social streaming services such as Twitch and Ustream have only increased the prestige of these online pundits. On the...
