Latest Features
Talking Point Should All PSN Games Include a Platinum Trophy?
Bright pots
“Does it have a Platinum Trophy?” is probably the most asked question on the PlayStation Blog. Studios taking to the official publication to promote their wares are frequently forced to field the asinine query, which perhaps detracts from the content in question. We’re sure that developers would rather discuss the mechanics behind...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue Ten
Bring us back together
Our bi-weekly weekend gaming discussion may be hitting the airwaves a little later than expected, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t time for us to disclose all of our delicious gaming plans. As always, this isn’t a one-way affair – we want to know what you’re playing, too. Don’t forget to let us know what’s...
Reaction Why You Should Stop Bleating About the PS4's RAM
Everyone's gone baa-rmy
While the topic has quietened down a little over the past couple of years, cross-game chat was just one of the many failings of the PlayStation 3. For years it was touted as a reason to purchase the Xbox 360 over Sony’s flagship machine, and even used as a justification for the premium price attached to Microsoft’s online...
Interview BreakQuest: Extra Evolution Developer on Braving the Free-to-Play Frontier
Breaking barriers
We loved BreakQuest: Extra Evolution in its initial guise. The colourful Arkanoid-esque excursion earned a respectable 9/10 in our PlayStation Minis review, and now it’s smashing back into the spotlight courtesy of a spangly new PlayStation Vita port. But rather than adopt the same model as its predecessor, Ukrainian developer...
First Impressions Stepping into the Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
Use your illusion
Disney has been investing a significant amount of effort in recent years to put the quality back into its video game franchises and reach out to more adult gamers. With the Epic Mickey series adopting a somewhat darker tone, and the forthcoming classic remake of DuckTales: Remastered, it’s obvious that the media giant has been...
Reaction Microsoft's Stopped the Xbox One Rot, But PS4 Is a Step Ahead
Manufacturer is still clutching at straws
Vision is a word that Microsoft likes to use a lot. "Our vision is that every person can be a creator," said corporate vice president Marc Whitten earlier today, following the platform holder’s second massive Xbox One-Eighty in as many months. After a unanimous panning from pretty much the entirety of the...
Talking Point Are We Neglecting the Strength of the Vita's Lineup?
There's plenty to smile about
When the PlayStation 3 was at its lowest, you couldn’t move for criticism. Every announcement, news story, and trailer was accompanied by a heated discussion; each unfortunate exclusive was forced to carry the weight of the entire machine. As the flagship format settled – its commercial fortunes reversed and...
First Impressions Killzone: Mercenary Is the Vita Shooter That You've Been Waiting For
Pride and Pyrrhus
Ever since we first nestled our thumbs on the PlayStation Vita’s petite but precise analogue sticks, we’ve been gunning for a good first-person shooter. Nihilistic Software did the best that it could with a bad hand, deploying Resistance: Burning Skies and Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified into a regrettable crossfire of...
Talking Point What Does the Future Hold for HD Re-Releases on PS4?
Bringing clarity to the classics
The humble high-definition remaster proved a popular revenue stream for publishers on the PlayStation 3. Starting with the excellent God of War Collection, and spawning several retail compilations thereafter – including Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Solid, and more – the
Opinion The Problem with Knack, the PS4 Title That's Punching Above Its Weight
Monster problems
After somewhat slipping into irrelevancy throughout much of the PlayStation 3 era, Sony’s own Japan Studio is enjoying something of a renaissance at the minute. The first-party workshop – previously responsible for classics such as Ape Escape and Shadow of the Colossus – is
Talking Point Is Free-to-Play the Future for PlayStation 4?
Thinking different
In theory, you won’t need to spend a penny on software when you pick up your shiny new PlayStation 4 on launch day. While there will be boxed blockbusters vying for your attention, all flaunting familiar price stickers – unless the executives at EA get their way – the console will also be complemented by a handful of...
Talking Point When Will the PlayStation 4 Release?
Speed dating
Sony has few battles left to win in the build-up to the PlayStation 4’s launch. It’s already outmanoeuvred Microsoft on price and policies, and it’s reaping the rewards in pre-order numbers as a result. However, while the platform holder is riding high on
Interview Checking in with Liege's John Rhee, the Mind Behind PS4 and Vita's Next Best Adventure
Once u-pawn a time
Few could argue that Liege looks the part. The fantasy excursion – inspired by classics such as Final Fantasy Tactics, Suikoden, and, er, chess – is the product of one-man development shop Coda Games, and could yet be spreading its vibr
Preview Hopping Away from The Evil Within, the Scariest Game on PS4
Lopped legs
Despite what the developers may tell you, survival horror is as dead as the butchered corpses that once tormented the genre. Franchises that founded the format – the likes of Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and, to a lesser extent, Alone in the Dark – have gradually shed their endurance aspects, favouring rote supernatural shootouts in...
First Impressions Brash Is Back in Wolfenstein: The New Order on PS4
Reich for the stars
Wolfenstein: The New Order is unashamedly old-school. The product of Swedish upstart Machine Games – a new outfit comprised of Starbreeze veterans – the revamp endeavours to ditch the conventions that have consumed the first-person genre over the course of the current generation, evangelising classic staples such as medkits,...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue Nine
Hot in here
The sun may be shining for what feels like the first time in months, but that shouldn’t stop you from shutting the curtains and settling down with some good old video games. We’re definitely in a bit of a summer lull right now, which means that there’s plenty of opportunity to catch up on the hits that you may have missed. The...
Preview Sending Smoke Signals in inFAMOUS: Second Son, the Hottest Exclusive on PS4
Turning up the temperature
Despite a stellar track record, there’s still an air of scepticism surrounding Sucker Punch. The small Seattle-based studio – which was officially inaugurated into the Sony Worldwide Studios family in 2011 – has fashioned some stellar software over the years, but it’s yet to land a smash hit on the scale of...
Feature How a Jaded Child Set the Stage for PS3 Exclusive Puppeteer
Curtain call
Children are honest souls, augmented with an innocence that evaporates with the steady infiltration of adulthood. It was a sharp bite of sincerity from the son of creative director Gavin Moore that gave birth to Puppeteer, a twisted platformer with a co-operative focus from Sony’s very own Japan Studio, the home of hits such as Ape...
First Impressions Killzone: Shadow Fall May Be the Most Strategic Shooter on PS4
Helgasp
Killzone: Shadow Fall is the release that will make you believe in the benefits of next generation hardware. Guerrilla Games’ first-person launch title shoots down any questions regarding the PlayStation 4’s ability to impress visually, responding emphatically with elegant dappled lighting and richer textures than a mercenary’s bank...
First Impressions Behind the Wheel with DriveClub, the PS4 Racer That Wants to Keep You on the Road
Team pursuit
Evolution Studios does not consider PlayStation 4 launch title DriveClub to be just another racing game. The talented Runcorn-based outfit sees its latest vehicular outing as more of a social service – a hub that will keep you hooked by allowing you to interact with friends, recruit your own personal team, and sit in the cockpit of...
First Impressions The Playroom May Be the Most Impressive Use of PS4 Yet
Minigame compilation makes us believers
Expectations can be curious things. If you’re already extremely excited for something, it can be hard for that unfortunate entity to live up to the standards that you’ve assigned to it. As a consequence, it’s easier to be surprised when your anticipation at rock bottom. And that’s exactly what happened...
First Impressions Could the PS4 Controller Be Gaming's Greatest Ever Input Device?
We wrap our eager fingers around the DualShock 4
It’s been almost 16 years since the PlayStation’s primary input device last demanded real scrutiny. The introduction of the DualShock in late 1997 ushered a new standard for video game control that hasn’t changed a whole lot over the past decade and a half. Sure, the peripheral has been host to...
Talking Point Sony's Slow and Steady PS4 Reveal Strategy Will Pay Off
Stockpiling ammunition
There’s a perception that Sony’s on top in the next generation race. The company’s adopting a humble approach in interviews, but it must be buzzing behind closed doors. Retailer charts place the PlayStation 4 in the driver's seat – even in the wake of Microsoft’
Interview Jenova Chen Outlines the Challenges of Life After Journey
Company is still in pre-production on next game
It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a year since PlayStation Network exclusive Journey launched to overwhelming critical acclaim. The spiritual adventure – which scooped our Game of the Year gong – fulfilled an exclusivity contract between developer thatgamecompany and platform holder...
Interview Soul Saga's Mike Gale on Realising a Real Fantasy on PS4 and Vita
Cloud and strife
It would have been a real injustice if Soul Saga didn’t make it onto a PlayStation platform. The brainchild of former Microsoft employee Mike Gale is pitched as a love letter to the PSone JRPG era, but was originally only confirmed for the PC, Mac, and Linux. Fortunately, the success of the title’s Kickstarte
Game of the Month June 2013 - The Last of Us
It wasn't for nothing
Who wants to know a little secret? Ordinarily we run an internal poll for these Game of the Month posts, but on this occasion we didn’t bother. Anyone that dared to vote against Naughty Dog’s incredible opus The Last of Us was going to be forced to spend the week shamefully sat on the step outside of our big cheese’s...
Interview Straight Talking with Curve Studios
The team that's got its finger in a lot of pies
Ever since bursting onto the PlayStation Network podium with its volatile platformer Explodemon in 2011, talented London-based outfit Curve Studios has been taking a break from Sony’s systems. The developer – which cut its teeth creating Buzz! spin-offs for the PlayStation Portable – filled the...
First Impressions Stomping Around with Knack on PS4
Hands-on gameplay reveals PS4 processing power
With the number of games slated for the PS4 launch Knack may have slipped under the radar somewhat. However, PS4 System Architect Mark Cerny saw fit to take on the role of game designer and we think for good reason. The main character in the game is a Robot that attracts and controls a variety of relic...
Guide How To Manually Unbrick Your PS3 Using Software Update v4.46
v4.45, begone!
A short time ago, Sony issued PS3 software update v4.45, which was supposed to offer minor software upgrades and the ability to turn off Trophy notifications. However, for some users, it came with a hidden catch — the update rendered many consoles totally useless. Sony promised an update to solve the issue for those users impacted...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue Eight
Born to try
The pomp and circumstance of last week’s E3 2013 may have rained on our usual ‘What Are You Playing?’ parade, but now that the Los Angeles Convention Centre has been packed up, we’re back with our traditional weekend gaming schedule. Below you’ll find the PlayStation plans of several Push Square staff members, but don’t...
First Impressions Dancing with Cat Ears in Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F
Big in Asia
Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F is a very unique rhythm-based game. Inspired by the dominant Japanese Vocaloid craze – a piece of software that allows users to create songs – Hatsune Miku is a virtual anime-style Japanese idol and digital singer, with a vocaloid sound sampled from the voice of Japanese voice actress Fujita Saki. At a...
First Impressions Turning the Pages of Wonderbook: Book of Potions
Brewing up a storm
Wonderbook may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for families, and those of an inquisitive nature, it offers a totally new way to play games. The only problem, up until recently, was that there was only one title that used the novel peripheral, Wonderbook: Book of Spells. Fortunately, last month saw the release of
Reaction Microsoft May Have Reacted, But PS4 Is in Control
Follow the leader
Sony has been heavily criticised for being reactionary throughout the course of this generation. The platform holder that so confidently set the tone of the gaming landscape with the PSone and the PlayStation 2 was caught off guard by the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii, an oversight that prompted it to play catch-up in almost every...
Reaction E3 2013 Uncovers the Trends That Are Poised to Define PS4
Onwards and upwards
E3 2013 has come and gone, and while the stage has been once again dominated by the usual corporate chest puffing, there were also a number of new gaming trends on display. Accelerated by the introduction of new hardware, this year's show played host to a slew of fresh technological advancements, all of which look poised to...
Talking Point What Does Microsoft's Massive Xbox One-Eighty Mean for PS4?
Round like a record
We didn’t expect Microsoft to stick with its digital rights management policies after the mauling that it faced from consumers and the media at E3 2013 last week, but even we’re a little stunned by the swiftness and scale of its turnaround. If you’ve been living under a rock, the Redmond-based firm has just revealed that...
Interview Painting the Town Red with OMG HD Zombies Developer Laughing Jackal
Redfield City's never been so dead
The original OMG-Z was a poorly named slice of corpse shuffling chaos; a masochistically moreish arcade puzzler that combined Chillingo’s cult mobile classic Sneezies with Silent Hill. Endowed with less ammo than a Survival run in The Last of Us, the title challenged you to dismantle as many of the undead as you...
Reaction PS4 Price Advantage Will Prove Pivotal in the Battle Against Xbox One
Every little helps
While much of the next generation narrative has been pointed purposefully at digital rights management and used games, arguably the biggest discussion thus far has been left untouched like the awful pizza at a Chinese buffet. SCEA executive Jack Tretton may have revelled in revealing the PlayStation 4’s pro-consumer plans during...
Feature Push Square's E3 2013 PlayStation Game of the Show - Final Fantasy XV
Fabulous supernova
E3 is always a hotbed of ardently anticipated software, but this year had the added enthusiasm of new hardware in its favour. With the PlayStation 4 set to arrive on store shelves in less than six months’ time, 2013’s showing was awash with visual spectacles running on Sony’s supercharged machine. Alas, the winner of our...
Feature Vote for Push Square's E3 2013 PlayStation Game of the Show
Difficult decision
Now that the sun has set on E3 2013, we figured that it would be fun to grill you on your game of the show. Embedded below you’ll find a shortlist of 20 of the biggest PS4, PS3, and Vita titles present at this year’s convention. These may not have all been playable on the showfloor, but they all contributed to the event in...
Feature Sony's E3 2013 Showcase - Did It Meet Our Expectations?
Chewing over the PS4, PS3, and Vita's offerings
And in the blink of an eye, that’s E3 done and dusted. Much like any big annual event, the build-up to this year’s show far outweighed the actual proceedings, with the event long over before we could even utter the words ‘Digital Rights Management’. Still, the common reaction seems to suggest...
Feature What Was Your Favourite PS4 Game Reveal at E3 2013?
Decisions, decisions
While the PlayStation 4 was undoubtedly one of the biggest stories at this year’s E3, there wasn’t really much in the way of new software announcements for the next generation console. A lot of the content on offer had been revealed previously, be it at Sony’s lengthy PlayStation Meeting earlier in the year, or in the...
Reaction There Is One Thing That Sony Could Learn from Microsoft at E3 2013
Taking notes
This year’s E3 was very special for PlayStation. Despite dominating the industry with the PSone and the PlayStation 2, the company has assumed the role of an underdog at times during this generation. While the PlayStation 3 has played host to some phenomenal games – and posted some impressive sales figures in the process –...
Feature Eight New PS4 Indie Games That Should Be On Your Radar
Shrunken down to size
The big moments at E3 may be reserved for hardware reveals and blockbuster exclusives, but the indie sector is undeniably becoming increasingly important for platform holder Sony. The Japanese giant has made a huge push in this area over the past few years, and as its press conference evidenced earlier in the week, it’s not...
E3 2013 Watch the Highlights from the Sony PlayStation Press Conference
Magic moments
If you were anywhere but the United States last night, you’d have either had a hard time staying awake – or just given up altogether and slept right through Sony’s most important press conference in years. And what a show you missed. For those of you who were sleeping – and even those who managed to brave the night – point...
Talking Point Did Sony Do Enough to Win the Battle of the E3 2013 Press Conferences?
Presentation punch-out
The LA Convention Centre may have only just opened its doors for E3 2013, but the primary press conferences are now over for another year. After a long day of media briefings from Microsoft, Ubisoft, and EA, Sony finally
Reaction Sony Has Outwitted Microsoft at Every Opportunity with PS4
Playing its cards right
Let’s be honest, today’s PlayStation press conference wasn’t the best that Sony’s ever put together. The pacing was lethargic after Microsoft’s high-octane offering of trailers and live gameplay demonstrations, and it all took a while to hit top gear.
Talking Point What Do You Think of the PS4's Hardware Design?
Spill your thoughts on Sony's latest console
Sony laid out the design of the PlayStation 4 like an open book at its press conference earlier this evening – a fitting metaphor, considering the console kind of resembles a hard-back tome. The hardware has an angled surface to it, and has a pronounced split across the spine. There’s a splash of blue...
Talking Point Has Microsoft's E3 2013 Showing Lessened Your Interest in the PS4?
Xbox One steps out of the shadows
It was imperative that the Xbox One had a strong showing at E3 2013. Last month, the backlash to the platform’s initial unveiling was undeniably negative, with a whopping 84 per cent of you noting that the system had done nothing to quell your anticipation for the PlayStation 4. But today’s press conference was...
Feature The Highs and Lows of PlayStation 3 at E3
Third time lucky
With the PlayStation 4 set to dominate the industry's attention over the coming week, we thought that this would be a perfect opportunity to look back on some of the highest highs and cringe-inducing lows from the PlayStation 3's time at E3. We’ve been astounded by gameplay demonstrations, shocked by surprise announcements, and...
Talking Point What Are Your Hopes and Fears for the PS4, PS3, and Vita at E3 2013?
Nervous expectations
We’re on the home straight. The world’s gaming media is descending on Los Angeles as we type, a city that’s slowly being transformed into a haven for interactive entertainment. Posters are being erected, laptops are being charged, and publishers are transporting secretive packages containing builds of unannounced games...
