Latest Features
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue Seven
Breakfast at midnight
While next week promises to offer a glimpse of the future of gaming, let’s not forget about the present. The release calendar may be starting to slow down for the summer, but that just means that this is the perfect opportunity to work through your backlog. As always, we’ve gathered together a handful of Push Square staff...
Talking Point Will You Still Buy the PS4 If It Treats Game Ownership Like the Xbox One?
Going through changes
For a company that’s made copious communication blunders over the course of the current generation, Sony’s handled the subject of used games in an unexpectedly cunning manner – primarily by shutting its mouth. While its closest competitor Microsoft has been hung, drawn, and quartered since the Xbox One’s unveiling, the...
Feature 15 Things You Should Expect During Sony's E3 2013 Press Conference
The likeliest PS4, PS3, and Vita announcements
The countdown may still be ticking, but E3 2013 has already more or less arrived. How do we know? Well, because we have a checklist of tasks to complete, an inbox absolutely overflowing with press releases, and a splitting headache. But the pounding in our skull is only partially fuelled by stress –...
Feature Three Reasons Why You Simply Must Play The Last of Us
Plant strife
We may need to replace the office carpet at some point. The Last of Us, the latest opus from Uncharted developer Naughty Dog, prompted this particular author to pace up and down more times than the average game. It wasn’t that we struggled with our opinion on the title – we loved it from the jaw dropping opening to the energy...
First Impressions Is The Last of Us' Multiplayer Mode Worth Surviving?
Twelve weeks later
Those still lamenting the shock execution of Zipper Interactive last March will find a lot to like about The Last of Us’ closely guarded multiplayer mode. Unlike the single player campaign’s strictly personal tale, the competitive component sees you cultivating a stronghold of survivors, fighting against enemy factions to...
Feature Five Things That Sony Should and Shouldn't Do at E3 2013
Press conference commandments
In a little over ten days, the gaming industry will descend on Los Angeles for this year’s E3 – the most important exposition in interactive entertainment. While the convention itself is undeniably the hottest attraction – quite literally, or so we’re told – it’s the pre-show press conferences that...
Talking Point Why PS4's Remote Play Requirements Represent a Lesson Learned
Feature diva
You should always be cautious when Sony reveals an exciting new feature. While the platform holder is never short on ideas, it regularly drops the ball on interesting initiatives. Take the Eye Toy: the PlayStation 2 peripheral could be seen as a precursor to the phenomenal success of both the Nintendo Wii and the Xbox 360 Kinect, but...
Talking Point The Increasingly Complex Issue of Used Games on PS4
#PS4NoDRM
The significance of Sony’s stance on used games is spiralling by the day. While the platform holder has categorically stated that the PlayStation 4 will support pre-owned content, the comments made by the likes of Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida seem a bit vague in the wake of last week’s Xbox One gate. But just how complex...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue Six
New week revelations
The sun may be shining, but you won’t find us spending our weekend outside – we can absorb all of the Vitamin D that we need from the glow of the television screen. In keeping with tradition, we’ve gathered together a number of Push Square team members in order to find out what’s on their gaming agenda over the coming...
Talking Point Sony's Aggressive Approach to PS4 Is Working Wonders
Hunger games
A leopard may not be able to change its spots, but that’s not stopped Sony from behaving like a brand new company over the past few months. Freed from the shackles of the PlayStation 3’s biggest blunders, the organisation appears refreshed and ready to reclaim its console crown. The hubris of its current generation endeavours have...
Guide How to Hit the Ground Running in Terraria
2D world problems
From getting mauled by zombies to falling awkwardly to your death, there are plenty of ways to bite the dust if you’re a delicate newcomer to the world of Terraria. With the game’s recent arrival on the PlayStation Network, we thought it might be a good idea to jot down some tips that may help if you’re fresh to this...
Feature Three Lessons PS4 Can Learn from Xbox One's Unveiling
Star student
We don’t think that it’s entirely unfair to say that Microsoft’s big Xbox One unveiling didn’t quite go to plan. While the Redmond-based manufacturer clearly had the mainstream market in its sights, we’d like to assume that it wasn’t planning on completely alienating its core audience in the process. It’s still too early...
Reaction PS4 vs. Xbox One - Moving in Different Directions
Apples and oranges
Thirty minutes. That’s the length of time it took Microsoft to actually bring out a game developer to discuss games during its Xbox One games console reveal. Prior to that point, the manufacturer had gabbled on about television, music, and more. It wasn’t necessarily out of character – the Redmond-based company has been...
Talking Point How Has Xbox One's Reveal Affected Your Anticipation for PS4?
Snap response
Microsoft’s just tied a big green bow around its Xbox Reveal event. As expected, the press conference raised the curtain on Xbox One, the next generation console from the Redmond-based manufacturer. Throughout the conference, the company touched upon many topics, including television, music, movies, and, well, a few games. But how...
Talking Point The Brilliant Build Up to Sony's PlayStation Meeting
Shock and awe
Sony’s marketing team often bears the brunt of the entire industry’s ire. Forum posters lament the company’s inability to successfully build excitement around its products, journalists and bloggers ridicule the department’s shortcomings, and developers no doubt privately ponder why their titles aren’t receiving the attention...
Feature Five Movies That Would Make Great PlayStation Games
Pull out the popcorn
Films and games are two incredibly similar mediums that often overlap. Sometimes, this results in incredibly lacklustre movie adaptations, such as the Hitman flick, or rushed releases like Transformers: Dark of the Moon. However, that's not to say that some properties don't have the potential to make excellent PlayStation games...
Preview Combating Death and Depression in The Last of Us' Bleak New World
Just the two of us
We hope that you cope well in a crisis, because you’re going to need nerves of steel in order to navigate The Last of Us’ nightmarish vision of the future. A near-final build of the hotly anticipated PlayStation 3 exclusive demonstrates just how developer Naughty Dog intends to masterfully turn up the tension, as a slow jaunt...
Talking Point PS4 Must Provide a More Palatable Shopping Experience
Add to basket
We desperately want to love the new PlayStation Store on the PlayStation 3. The redesign – which was introduced in customary calamitous fashion late last year – promised a prompter, prettier shopping experience. There’s no doubt that it delivered on the latter, with large ic
Reaction PS4 May Play Second Fiddle to PS3 This Year, But It Makes Sense
Ongoing appeal
The sarcastic ‘Year of the PlayStation 3’ meme has existed as long as the console itself. Lacking software and struggling commercially next to the more affordable Xbox 360 and innovative Nintendo Wii, forum posters and bloggers adopted the scornful slogan in order to mock the manufacturer’s initial missteps with its current...
Feature What to Expect from Sony's Gran Turismo Event
Exhaust fumes of expectation
Sony’s set to shine its headlights on the future of the Gran Turismo franchise tomorrow. The platform holder, tailed by a procession of high-profile automotive manufacturers, will descend on the legendary British race course Silverstone in order to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the simulation series. The event...
Talking Point Sony Must Solve the PlayStation Vita's Memory Woes
Storage insanity
The announcement of the PlayStation Vita’s price sent rapturous applause throughout the industry. At the time, many pundits had predicted that the handheld would cost upwards of $350 – a figure not unreasonable for a company that’s famous for the extortionate price of its consoles. The firm eventually disappointed its critics,...
Game of the Month April 2013 - Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
Breath of fire
Where’s the fun in honesty? We could be transparent and reveal that we totally forgot to push the publish button on our latest Game of the Month article, but let’s run with a more ambitious narrative instead. So, in actual fact, the whole Push Square team has spent the past eleven days locked in an underground basement,...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue Five
Smiles like sunshine
The sun has set on another work week, and like many of you, our attention is firmly focused on another weekend of gaming gluttony. To maintain tradition, we’ve caught up with a number of team members in order to learn what’s on their agenda over the next couple of days, but we’d love to know what’s keeping your consoles...
Feature Five PS4 Announcements That Could Steal the Next Xbox's Thunder
Future combat
Sony knows that it’s got a battle on its hands. It may have hogged the limelight ever since its surprise PlayStation 4 announcement earlier in the year, but Microsoft will not allow that to persist. When the next Xbox is finally revealed on 21st May, the companies will at last lock horns – and it’s the outcome of that tussle that...
Reaction PlayStation Vita's Prospects Look Poor, But We're Still Smiling
It's not all bad
Sony’s financial report more or less put a nail in the coffin of the PlayStation Vita earlier today. The company revealed that it only expects to sell 5 million handheld consoles over the next twelve months, a reduction of 2 million units compared to the fiscal year that’s just concluded. While the platform holder will pin much...
Talking Point Are Cross-Generation Releases Affecting Your Enthusiasm for the PS4?
Upgrade incentives
With the PlayStation 4 now mere months away, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that its predecessor is not simply going to step aside. Sony has always done a stellar job of supporting its systems throughout the entirety of their ten year lifecycles, bu
Feature Eight Exciting Indie Titles to Anticipate on PS3, Vita, and PS4
Small teams, big ideas
Sony is doubling down on indie game development. While the platform holder has no intention of shunning the multi-million dollar blockbusters that sit atop the sales charts every year, the company is eager to bring some diversity to its software catalogue. As such, the firm has partnered with a number of svelter studios in...
Talking Point Are Cross Platform Games a Help or a Hindrance to the Vita?
Devil in disguise
The mere suggestion of Soul Sacrifice selling its spirit to the PlayStation 4 in yesterday’s Talking Point pushed some posters into a Black Rite-esque fury. Their argument: the PlayStation Vita needs exclusive games if it is to reverse its current retail predicament. It’s a fair response – Sony’s flags
Talking Point What Does the Next Chapter Entail for Soul Sacrifice?
Death and demons
Sony learned a lesson or two from Demon’s Souls. The platform holder actually helped From Software construct the cult title, publishing the release as an exclusive in Japan. However, the company passed on a western version, a decision that Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida rues to this very day. Following a successful...
Reaction PS4 Looks Poised to Play Second Fiddle in the Call of Duty War
Console combat
Love it or loathe it, Call of Duty is an important cog in any console’s catalogue. The series may have peaked in popularity with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, but last year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 still managed to rake in a cool $1 billion in just 15 days on the market – an impressive sum for a series that’
Guide How to Succeed As a Sorcerer in Soul Sacrifice
Break a leg
Soul Sacrifice is a very good game, but there’s a learning curve that every budding magician must navigate if they are to succeed in the twisted adventure. With the morally dense title now ripping up store shelves, we’ve wrapped ourselves in our favourite raiment in order to bring you some beginner’s tips for the PlayStation Vita...
Opinion Next Xbox Development Woes Could Spell Trouble for the PS4
Modern warfare
Microsoft is supposedly struggling. According to reports coming out of Kotaku overnight, the platform holder is as much as six months behind on producing content for its next generation console. The site’s sources claim that the company recently canned a number of internally developed titles for its impending machine because they...
Talking Point Could Heavenly Sword Cut a Pose on the PS4?
Next generation sequel unsheathed?
Among the excitement for Ratchet & Clank’s big screen debut, the announcement of Heavenly Sword’s cinematic adaption sort of got lost in the shuffle. The flick was backhandedly referenced in a
Guide Surviving the First Few Hours of Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
Slow and steady wins the race
As you may already know, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is actually a re-release of last year's Dragon's Dogma. While there’s no doubt that veteran players will be returning to Gransys in order to tackle the daunting expansion from which the re-release gets its name, we thought we’d take the time to jot down a few...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue Four
Fresh to death
The heavens have opened where we are, which should give us the perfect excuse to spend the weekend inside. But regardless of whether the sun’s shining in your neck of the woods, we want to know what’s keeping your consoles busy over the next couple of days. We’ll go first, but don’t forget to leave your gaming agenda in the...
Talking Point Do DLC Deals Influence Your Purchasing Habits?
Early access and bonus maps
With third-party exclusives slipstreaming the saola on the rotten road to extinction, platform holders are putting a much greater emphasis on exclusive DLC deals. Typically, these arrangements ensure that content remains restricted to a particular system for a set period of time (sometimes indefinitely), with financial...
Feature Xbox Reveal - Microsoft's Biggest Threats to the PS4
Weapons and weaknesses
Microsoft has finally acknowledged its next generation console. After months of silence, rumours, and bad news, Sony’s closest competitor has confirmed that it will reveal a “new generation of games, TV, and entertainment” on 21st May. While some feel that the Redmond-based manufacturer may struggle to usurp the
Preview Thawing Lost Planet 3's Winter Wonderland
Peyton the ice
It’s a good thing that Lost Planet 3’s set to release at the tail end of the summer, because you won’t want to play the Spark Unlimited-developed prequel when it’s cold outside. The third-person shooter takes place a long time prior to the events of the first game, with the snowy setting of E.D.N. III still trapped in the...
Reaction Ratchet & Clank's Movie Debut Could Breathe New Life into the Franchise
Galactic appeal
Ratchet & Clank hasn’t quite been the same since 2009’s outstanding A Crack in Time. While we applaud series creator Insomniac Games for experimenting with different approaches, both All 4 One and Full Frontal Assault struggled to live up to the admittedly lofty expectations set by the series’ sensational predecessors. With
Talking Point Will the PlayStation Move Really Have a Place on the PS4?
Move aside?
Contrary to what Sony initially promised, the PlayStation Move didn’t really change anything at all. You’ll struggle to find a bigger fan of the two Sports Champions games than this particular author, but the motion device seems to have fizzled out swifter than a budget sparkler on a stormy Bonfire Night. Despite this,
Preview Doing Business with the Spirits in Sony's Twisted Soul Sacrifice
An arm and a leg
Soul Sacrifice, the nightmarish action title dreamed up by Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune, has already gained one stellar review in Japan, giving the PlayStation Vita a prolonged shot in the arm in the process. With the imminent Western release just a few weeks away, Sony’s released a gigantic playable demo for the title in both...
Opinion Sony Must Manage the Transition to the PS4 Perfectly
Moving on
Sony’s commitment to the oft-discussed ten year life cycle is generally a positive thing. As a consumer, you can be fairly confident when you buy a new PlayStation product on launch day that it will be supported for a full decade at the very least. That’s reassuring – gaming is an expensive hobby, and no one wants to be lumbered with...
Talking Point How Does Exclusivity Affect Your Anticipation for a Game?
Increased attention
For as few exclusives as there are these days, the word still gets a lot of mileage on message boards. Lists have become a profound form of ammunition among system soldiers, with elite titles compared and contrasted in increasingly heated wars of attrition. But how important is exclusivity to you? And does the aging concept have...
Talking Point Why PS4's Social Features Probably Won't Be Free
Pay, create, share
The current goodwill surrounding the PlayStation 4 will almost certainly come to an end at some point. There comes a moment in every system’s build-up where the early enthusiasm is replaced by a wave of negativity. This onset of scepticism typically stems from the hardware in question’s price – or, in the PlayStation...
Interview Mass Creation on Turning Your Finger into a Ninja with Draw Slasher
Daring digits
While the PlayStation Vita may feature its fair share of physical inputs, it would be a shame to let the system’s gigantic touch screen remain free of smudges. Fortunately, Mass Creation’s upcoming title Draw Slasher should give you enough of an excuse to coat the delicious display with your dirty little digits. The title – which...
Talking Point Why Sony Must Release the PS4 in the West This Year
Breaking tradition
Sony’s been frighteningly non-committal regarding the launch timing of the PlayStation 4. While the platform holder flashed up the words ‘Holiday 2013’ during its big PlayStation Meeting press conference earlier in the year, it’s failed to really elaborate on the window since. “The precise details, as I say, for exact...
Interview Talking TxK, Vita, and PS4 with Tempest 2000's Jeff Minter
Llamasoft’s founder bleats on about the future of games
The word ‘legendary’ gets tossed around a little too much these days, but Jeff Minter is a British icon whose portfolio is more than deserving of the clichéd term. Since founding Llamasoft in 1982, the Reading-born developer has worked on a laundry list of noteworthy games, including...
Interview Delving into the Dungeons of Dragon Fantasy on PS3 and Vita
Muteki Corporation opens the book on old-school adventures
While we appreciate the strides that take place in interactive entertainment every year, sometimes we long for the simplicity of the past. Muteki Corporation is a small studio that shares a similar sentiment, having dedicated its output to recapturing the magic of the Final Fantasy and...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue Three
All of the day, all of the night
With the curtains closed on another week of work, it’s time to put away your pens and focus on some good old gaming. Once again, we’ve managed to coax several Push Square team members into sharing their plans for the weekend, but we want to know what’s filling your itinerary, too. Feel free to submit your...
Talking Point Is Sony Racing into Trouble with DriveClub on the PS4?
Head-on collision
A console launch wouldn’t be complete without a racer to highlight the hardware’s technical strides. DriveClub, a new team-based vehicular experiment from MotorStorm developer Evolution Studios, represents the PlayStation 4’s first foray into the high-octane arena of next generation motorsport. But while the social endeavour...
