Latest Features
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...
Feature How Killzone: Shadow Fall Can Finally Fulfil the Franchise's Potential
Heaven or Helghast
For a franchise once dubbed a ‘Halo killer’, Guerrilla Games’ solid-if-unspectacular Killzone series has frequently fallen short of its lofty ambitions. It’s unfortunate, because the Dutch developer has always possessed the ingredients to make a smash hit, but there’s always been a flaw in the recipe; a misstep mostly...
Talking Point Why Sony Should Hold a Second PS4 Event Before E3
Chugging along
Buzz is an important thing in this industry. Publishers invest millions of dollars into marketing teams, community managers, and press events to ensure that their games launch with the maximum amount of excitement surrounding them. New hardware releases tend to manufacture that anticipation all on their own, but just because the...
Preview Finding Our Sea Legs with Resident Evil: Revelations on PS3
High and dry
Handheld to console ports are a common symptom of the end of a generation; an opportunity for publishers to squeeze a few final pennies out of an established install base while the bulk of its workforce quietly turns its attention to impending hardware. Much like MotorStorm: Arctic Edge and Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier before it,...
Talking Point How the PS4 Will Put an End to Some of the PS3's Biggest Issues
Better, faster, stronger
We love our good old pal the PlayStation 3, but even we can acknowledge that the console is not without fault. Its complex architecture has proved a headache for developers ever since its release almost seven years ago – and it's resulted in some less than desirable ports being published for our favourite machine. But with...
Interview Dipping into Guacamelee! with Drinkbox Studios
Having a good taco 'bout the Canadian developer's latest project
There’s less than a week to wait until Drinkbox Studios’ Mexican-themed adventure Guacamelee! spices up the PlayStation 3 and Vita with its fusion of fiery delicacies and Metroidvania-inspired action. In order to celebrate, we recently sought out our shocking pink luchador mask and...
Opinion Microsoft's Always-Online Debacle Is Playing into the PS4's Hands
Xbox manufacturer is in a pickle
No publicity is bad publicity, or so the old adage goes – but Microsoft executives must find themselves staring into a window of brutal GIFs wondering what to do next. The press surrounding the company’s next generation platform has not been rosy for some time, but things escalated overnight when Adam Orth, the...
Feature Mass Effect - The Evolution of an Epic Trilogy
Massive effect
With the recently released Citadel add-on officially bringing an end to the Mass Effect trilogy, we felt it was good opportunity to look back on one of the most engaging, personal experiences to grace this generation. We’ll be talking about everything from the characters, the gameplay, and the aesthetics, to the fictional universe...
Feature Five Dormant Franchises That Deserve a Comeback on PS4
Daydream believer
The industry may be fixated on reboots at the moment, but not every dormant series demands a full stylistic overhaul. Indeed, there are plenty of brands that have been sitting quietly on the sidelines for several years, waiting patiently in the wings to prove their worth once again. With the impending PlayStation 4 currently making...
Game of the Month March 2013 - BioShock Infinite
Sky high
March was awash with high-profile releases, but few managed to delight us to quite the same degree as Irrational Games’ stunning BioShock Infinite. Ken Levine’s creative opus captivated us from start to finish, hooking us with an Elizabeth-shaped bait, and refusing to relinquish our attention until we’d explored every last tear. God...
Interview Saving the Pilgrims on PlayStation Vita with Dakko Dakko
Rotating octopi in Cardiff
A lot of the best PlayStation Minis are gradually finding their way onto the PlayStation Vita. FuturLab made a big splash out of announcing its upgraded version of Velocity earlier in the year, and since then we’ve also seen Hungry Giraffe chomp its way onto the futuristic handheld. Never one to miss out on a party,...
Talking Point Do We Really Need So Much Gunplay in Games?
Bang, bang
Brilliant as it undeniably is, there’s a moment in BioShock Infinite where you realise that it’s turned a corner. Booker DeWitt’s exciting excursion to Columbia opens with very little action at all; the game’s perfectly content to let you explore the skyward archipelago at your own pace. But as you sprint towards the adventure’s...
Interview Sharing Horror Stories with Zombie Tycoon 2's Frima Studio
Dead walking
There’s a little less than a month to wait until Professor Brainhov and his protégé Orville Tycoon do battle on PlayStation 3 and Vita. Canadian outfit Frima Studio – who you may remember from popular PlayStation Minis such as Widgets Odyssey and A Space Shooter for Two Bucks – is carefully applying the finishing touches to...
Feature Twelve of the Best PlayStation Easter Eggs
Hidden treats cracked open
Video game Easter Eggs may not be made of chocolate like their real world counterparts, but there are still plenty of tasty treats concealed within the world of PlayStation. In order to celebrate the impending spring weather (oh, please let it arrive), we’ve hopped through our archives like a new born bunny to bring you...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Easter Edition
Eggstremely eggciting
With another two weeks lost to the ever moving hands of time, we’ve grudgingly put our chocolate eggs to the side in order to bring you a sneak peak at our gaming itinerary for the extended Easter weekend. But, as you should already be aware, this isn’t all about us – we want to know what will be drawing your attention...
Talking Point Should Sony Double Down with a PS4 and Vita Bundle?
Costly combo
With the PlayStation 4's capabilities discussed and reinforced during GDC, the company's handheld is shaping up to be an increasingly integral part of the next generation console's ecosystem. But with the platform holder eager to reiterate the importance of Remote Play, and with buzzwords such as cross-buy and cross-save certain to grow...
Feature Five Things You May Not Know About the PS4's Controller
Evolved input
While we still haven’t got a proper look at the actual PlayStation 4 itself yet, Sony has been pretty forthcoming about the controller. The input device – dubbed the DualShock 4 – maintains the rough shape of its predecessor, but packs a wealth of improvements beneath the plastic. While we detailed a lot of these tidbits directly...
Talking Point Are Indie Games Enough to Save the PlayStation Vita?
Little wonders
Sony has spent the past couple of months really pushing the PlayStation Vita as a haven for cult games. In the last few days alone, we’ve seen Limbo, The Walking Dead, and Divekick added to the platform’s release schedule, while Thomas Was Alone,
Reaction PlayStation 4 Catches Second Wind at GDC
Next generation platform pushed back into the spotlight
Sony’s decision to announce the PlayStation 4 early is looking smarter all of the time. While its competitors prompt ire from parts of the media and the development community for locking their next generation endeavours behind closed doors, the PlayStation manufacturer is currently strutting...
Talking Point Why inFAMOUS: Second Son Shouldn't Be a PS4 Launch Game
Put those superpowers on hold
Sucker Punch is supposedly planning to cough up inFAMOUS: Second Son in time for the PlayStation 4’s launch later this year. While the Bellevue-based studio failed to cite a timeline during its dramatic portion of last month’s PlayStation Meeting press conference, a couple of
Talking Point Should Beyond: Two Souls Be a PlayStation 4 Game?
Thinking beyond the current generation
Quantic Dream sure knows how to get our attention. The Parisian developer famous for its work on Fahrenheit and Heavy Rain rewarded our extended patience with a brief glimpse behind the curtain at PlayStation 3 swansong Beyond: Two Souls this week, revealing enough narrative tidbits to leave our taste buds...
Talking Point Is Time Gaming's Greatest Handicap?
Tick tock
Look at your game collection, and then back at this article. Hidden in that bad Old Spice parody is an opportunity for you to make an observation – how many titles do you have sealed, wrapped, or placed in a separate pile tagged with the imaginary label ‘backlog’? If you’re anything like us, you’d probably struggle to count the...
Talking Point Has the PS4's Lack of Backward Compatibility Affected Your PS3 Purchases?
Lingering doubt
Sony was fairly clear about the state of PlayStation 4 backward compatibility during last month’s PlayStation Meeting. While revered Gaikai gaffer David Perry had already alluded to the lack of native PlayStation 3 support during his portion of the press conference, Worldwide Studios president
Guide How to Beat Royal Jelly, Porco Grosso, and Cerboreas in Ni No Kuni
On with it Ollie-boy
Welcome back to our guide to defeating those pesky baddies in Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. This guide will take us from that "rotter of a squid" Royal Jelly right through to the vilest of all anatomical parts, Vileheart. The majority of these boss battles can be challenged consecutively without the need for a great deal...
Talking Point Why Sony Was Smart to Announce the PS4 First
Playing its cards right
Current Sony CEO, former PlayStation president, and lifelong Ridge Racer superfan Kaz Hirai is a smart man. In an interview with British newspaper The Times in late January, the executive offered a tidbit regarding the PlayStation 4 that threw everyone – including ourselves – off the scent. "Why go first when your...
Talking Point Will PlayStation Home Survive the Transition to PS4?
Dancing into the next generation
The word ‘social’ cropped up a lot during Sony’s big PlayStation 4 coming out party late last month, but we’re still yet to learn how PlayStation Home will be integrated into the next generation platform – if, indeed, it will be incorporated at all. The virtual world was Sony’s big bet on casual gaming...
Talking Point Will You Use the PlayStation 4's Video Sharing Features?
Next generation gimmick
Sony went out of its way to sell the PlayStation 4 as a social platform during last month’s PlayStation Meeting press conference. It described in painstaking detail the manner in which you’ll be able to save screenshots to the PlayStation Network, watch videos recorded by your friends, and even share your own personal...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue Two
Saturday (and Sunday) night
Has it been two weeks already? It certainly doesn’t feel like it, but the calendar never lies. As promised earlier in the month, we’re back to recap all of the games that are vying for our attention this weekend. But this isn’t all about us – we want to know what’s going to be flirting with your console’s disc...
Talking Point Are 'Game Over' Screens a Relic Best Left in the Past?
Try again
The threat of failure in games is a foundation that’s existed as long as the industry itself. Ever since the days of Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and more, the idea that you can ‘lose’ at a title is something that we’ve come to expect. But while this mechanic was originally conceived as a means to conclude sessions and ultimately...
Feature How inFAMOUS: Second Son's Smoke Powers Will Make You a Smouldering Superhero
Coughing up theories on Sucker Punch’s upcoming PlayStation 4 sequel
Smoke doesn’t necessarily sound like the most effective superpower. Poor old Delsin Rowe – the protagonist of upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive inFAMOUS: Second Son – was probably the last conduit in line when elemental abilities were being dished out. But while his smoggy...
Talking Point Should God of War Follow in the Footsteps of Assassin's Creed?
Mixing up mythologies
God of War finds itself in a challenging spot. The savage series remains one of Sony’s most popular first-party products, but it’s starting to suffer from franchise fatigue. The reception to the recently released God of War: Ascension evidences as much – it’s far from a bad game, but the review sc
Guide How to Beat the 'Trial of Archimedes' in God of War: Ascension
Throwing down the gauntlet
God of War: Ascension is one of the more manageable entries in Sony’s savage Spartan series, but it does have one particular difficulty spike. The rage-worthy 'Trial of Archimedes' located at the start of Chapter 28 is perhaps one of the most punishing sections in the series, prompting the ire of many reviewers...
Reaction Urban Trial Freestyle's Success Shows the Demand for Trials Evolution on PS3 and Vita
Down the dirt track
You’ve got to give Polish developer Tate Interactive credit. The studio’s recently released Urban Trial Freestyle may not boast the polished chassis of its physics-focused motorcycle compatriot Trials Evolution, but it’s parked itself slap-bang in the centre of a commercial black hole that’s been growing in significance...
Interview Giving Our Gobs a Workout with the Developers of Runner 2
Running rings around Gaijin Games
When the sequel to the brilliant Nintendo WiiWare title BIT.TRIP Runner was announced for the PlayStation 3 and Vita, we knew that we had to catch up with developer Gaijin Games to find out more – if only to shut up our counterparts over at Nintendo Life who have been banging on about the release at office parties...
Talking Point Do We Pay Too Much Attention to Review Scores?
Magic numbers
The review embargo for God of War: Ascension lifted yesterday, prompting a cavalcade of forum posts regarding the status of Sony Santa Monica’s savage Spartan series. The title scored lower than previous entries, resulting in a Metacritic rating of 79 at the time of writing. According to the aggregate’s scale, that number suggests...
Interview Unchaining God of War: Ascension's Jason McDonald and Mark Simon
Blood brothers
As the impending God of War: Ascension continues its march towards store shelves, we were lucky enough to catch up with lead combat designer Jason McDonald and lead game designer Mark Simon to discuss Kratos’ softer side, online sceptics and, very briefly, PlayStation 4. Push Square: Hi, thanks so much for taking time out of your...
Talking Point Is Sony Putting Too Much Faith in the Killzone Franchise?
Hopes and Helghast
Let’s be brutally honest: Killzone has never quite reached its true potential. Despite the media pegging the original sci-fi shooter as Sony’s answer to Master Chief, the Guerrilla Games developed first-person franchise has struggled to appeal outside of its core community, garnering a vocal fanbase sans the mainstream appeal...
Talking Point How Important Is 'Plug and Play' to the PlayStation 4?
Working in perfect harmony
Consoles are getting more and more complex. There was a time when we expected our favourite system to play games and little else – but now we demand video streaming, direct communication with our friends, network-wide achievements, and more. Sony’s current flagship console, the PlayStation 3, wasn’t designed with...
Feature PlayStation All-Stars Fans Campaigning for Crash Bandicoot and Spyro DLC
Community launches online assault at Activision and Sony Santa Monica
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is a fine game, but there are some major omissions in its roster. The loveable Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon are both considered PlayStation icons, but unfortunately they belong to Activision. That clearly prompted some serious...
Preview Sailing the Seven Seas in the Seamless Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
We brave seasickness for an in-depth look at Ubisoft's upcoming sequel
Cities are a thing of the past. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, the next annual entry in Ubisoft's stealth-heavy series, will switch firm ground for the rumble of the ocean, as the franchise embraces pirate lore with a stumble and a swig of rum. Evolving the naval mechanics from...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue One
Games, games, games
In a move that’s absolutely not inspired by our friends over at Nintendo Life, we’ve decided to run a bi-weekly feature dedicated to what we’re playing over the weekend. In the acres of white space beneath this hastily penned introduction, you’ll find recaps of what we're doing over the next two days. But this isn’t all...
Game of the Month February 2013 - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Taste the rainbow
Justin Timberlake may have made his name by bringing sexy back, but his sassy reappearance can't hold a candle to the return of Push Square’s coveted Game of the Month award. Alright, so it may have been seven months since we last named a winner, but we’d appreciate it if you just pretended that we’d been announcing these...
Feature Analysing the Features and Functionality of PlayStation 4's User Interface
Taking a tour of Sony's brave new world
As console feature sets grow in complexity, quality interfaces are becoming increasingly important. While the PlayStation 4’s promise of a socially connected device may sound tantalising, its biggest challenge will be communicating all of that information in a cohesive manner. During last week’s...
Guide How to Beat Moltaan, Al-Khemi, and Shadar in Ni No Kuni
Jeepers! We're under attack!
Welcome to the first part of our Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch boss battle guide. By now you should have had a chance to grab yourself of a copy of the game, and started your epic adventure with your new best friend Drippy into lands and dungeons unknown. If you haven't purchased a copy already, check out our...
Feature Five Forgotten First-Party Franchises That Should Be Resurrected for PS4
Trawling through the archives
Reboots are all the rage right now. With development budgets rising, publishers are opting to browse through their back catalogues in pursuit of bankable brand names that are ripe for re-imagination. However, short of Eat Sleep Play’s recent Twisted Metal revisit, Sony’s not been particularly accommodating of the...
Feature Sony's PlayStation 4 Reveal - Did It Meet Our Expectations?
Mulling things over
Just moments before Wednesday’s big PlayStation 4 press conference, we rounded up as many Push Square staff members as we could get our hands on, in order to discuss our hopes, dreams, and fears for Sony’s next generation platform. Now, with the console blown wide open, we’ve repeated the more-challenging-than-it-sounds...
Feature PlayStation Vita Is One Year Old, Here Are Five Games You Must Play
Happy birthday to you
Much like those people forced to celebrate their birthday on Christmas Eve, the PlayStation Vita’s first anniversary on the market has been somewhat overshadowed by the impending PlayStation 4. But we couldn’t let the handheld’s big day pass without a commemoration of some sort, so we’ve compiled a list of five of the...
Talking Point Does It Really Matter That Sony Didn't Reveal the PS4's Hardware This Week?
Keeping secrets
It’s been dubbed the ‘invisible’ console. Technology enthusiasts expecting an Apple-esque presentation during Sony’s widely publicised PlayStation Meeting left this week’s event disappointed when the PlayStation 4 – the actual console, to be precise – failed to materialise, and demonstrate
Reaction Practicality and Power Paves Positive Start for PS4
The importance of being earnest
Sony has changed. The ungainly arrogance of the Ken Kutaragi era was quashed within minutes of the humbled hardware manufacturer’s practical pageantry overnight, as recently appointed SCE president Andrew House and system architect Mark Cerny relayed the advantages of a developer-driven future. The irresponsible...
