Latest Features
Feature Should Games Find Inspiration in Television?
Suitable for broadcast
The video game industry has been infatuated with cinema for years. The obsession stretches back to the late 1980s, if not earlier. Titles like Prince of Persia scattered cinematic setpieces throughout: leaps of faith into nothingness, climactic battles upon crumbling bridges. There was delight when SEGA's Mega CD allowed the...
Preview Double Dragon Neon (PSN)
Blast from the past or best left unearthed?
If anyone stands a chance at a Double Dragon revival, the 2D maestros over at WayForward are the most likely to pull it off in a convincing way. Between beloved revivals of Contra and A Boy and His Blob under their belt, new takes on BloodRayne and Batman and side-scrolling classics like
Preview Sniper Elite V2 May Have PS3's Most Satisfying Kills
Bang, you're dead
As far as we’re concerned, sniper rifles have always been the most satisfying weapons in games. There’s something rewarding and morally profound about picking off an unsuspecting target from long-range distance, and the original Sniper Elite on PS2 captured that sentiment spectacularly. Since Rebellion’s original stealth...
Store Update 18th April 2012 (Europe)
Undead houses and toasted sandwiches
The wide variety of experiences on PSN continues this week: shooters, puzzle games and chess all appear for download. Here's what's vying for your money. PlayStation Plus: House of the Dead 4: Extended Cut – 30% DiscountHouse of the Dead 4 Dynamic Theme – 100% DiscountHouse of the Dead 4 James, Kate and...
Store Update 17th April 2012 (North America)
The House of the Dead opens its doors again
Two games and a new app for Vita and a Move-enabled shooter are the highlights of this week's PS update for North America. Let's dive right in. PlayStation Plus: Free Downloads: Frogger ReturnsFull Game Trials: Dead Rising 2: Off the RecordNHL 12Free Avatars and Themes: THE
Preview DiRT Showdown - Destruction Derby Returns
Write off
Given the affection PlayStation fans still have for Destruction Derby, it’s surprising no one’s attempted to recreate the smash-heavy vehicular formula on PS3. It may be late to the party, but DiRT Showdown is exactly that: a game that can’t be pitched without referencing Psygnosis’ 1995 hit, like its inspiration it’s hard to put...
Preview Dragon's Dogma - The Sleeper Hit of 2012?
It's got scale
You'd think there'd be more excitement for Dragon's Dogma. Headed by staff responsible for Devil May Cry and Resident Evil, and with interest in RPGs at an all-time high thanks to Skyrim, the upcoming action RPG has generated very little heat in the past year: the game's official Twitter account has around 700 followers, and if not...
First Impressions Spec Ops: The Line
End of the line
Spec Ops: The Line owes a lot to the Uncharted series — and not just because Nolan North lends his voice to the game’s gruff protagonist Captain Martin Walker. The combat – which takes place from a third-person perspective – is hugely derivative of Nathan Drake’s series, as you meander between conveniently placed vehicles...
Interview Gaijin Games - RUNNER 2
Future of rhythm gameplay
Gaijin Games' BIT.TRIP series started life on WiiWare, spread onto Steam and then got the compilation treatment for Wii and 3DS, hitting retail in 2011. BIT.TRIP Presents Runner2 is the series' first step onto PS3, so we cornered Gaijin Games co-founders Alex Neuse and Mike Roush at PAX East to get the scoop on BIT.TRIP's...
Interview Beatshapers - StarDrone Extreme
"My God, it's full of stars!"
StarDrone was one of last year’s better PlayStation Network titles. The game’s furious blend of disparate game mechanics culminated in one of the most memorable puzzle titles of 2011, earning it a convincing 7/10 score in our StarDrone review. Today’s European PlayStation Store update sees the pinball-hybrid find...
Store Update 11th April 2012 (Europe)
Your move, StarDrone
Here's what's up this week in Europe. PlayStation Network New Content: PlayStation Plus: Silent Hill (PSone) – 100% discount, Until May 9thPure Chess — 20% discount, 2 weeks onlyPure Chess – Park Pack – 100% discount, 2 weeks only PS3 Games:
Store Update 10th April 2012 (North America)
Skullgirls, Pinball and more
Much-anticipated PSN title Skullgirls hits the North American store alongside a true PS2 classic and more. Here's what's on for you North American shoppers this week. PlayStation Plus: Exclusives: The House of the Dead 4 Demo Minis: Canabalt Defenders Of The Mystic Garden Full Game Trials
Interview Goichi Suda - Grasshopper Manufacture
Suda51 talks Lollipop Chainsaw, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and what "punk" means to his studio
There's crazy, and then there's Japanese studio Grasshopper Manufacture's particular brand of bonkers, which positively oozes from its upcoming title Lollipop Chainsaw. As the developer braces itself for the June release of its over-the-top teenage bubblegum...
First Impressions Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2
Cycle shattered
Well, it looks like SEGA got the abysmal message about Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 and actually did something about it. We're happy to report that, based on our time with two zones of the game at PAX East, the long-awaited Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 plays a lot closer to how our nostalgic hearts remember the series before...
Game of the Month March 2012 - Journey
Of course
There's only one game we could possibly choose as the best of March: thatgamecompany's superlative Journey. In fact, not only is it the best game on PlayStation in the last calendar month, we named it the Best PlayStation 3 game in our recent staff poll. As our Journey review put it: Journey is a seminal release; the kind of title that...
Round Table Let's Talk About PlayStation 3
It's never been dull
With PlayStation 3 now the ripe old age of five years old in Europe, a small group of the Push Square team decided to get together and chat about the system. We talk about difficult beginnings, its recovery and emergence, and contemplate its future legacy. Joining features editor Thomas Whitehead are associate editor Sammy...
Interview Canabalt (PlayStation Minis)
Don't stop moving
What do you do when aliens invade your planet? Run. Canabalt is the simple tale of one man's escape from destruction and world domination, a dash across roof tops as a city crumbles around him. Obstacles pepper his path, and with well-timed button presses you must avoid them so as to gather speed and get as far away as possible...
Feature PlayStation 3 Retrospective - Part Two
Onwards and upwards
We’ll take any excuse to scoff copious amounts of cake here at Push Square towers, so naturally we were all on board to extend our celebrations for the PS3’s fifth anniversary. Just a few days ago we shared our PlayStation 3 retrospective: part one, and now we’re back to continue our journey through time. In this part we...
First Impressions Assassin's Creed III
Back on the killing fields
The assassins return for one more stab at the open-world adventure crown, as Ubisoft readies Assassin’s Creed III, a brand new chapter of its time-travelling silent-killing franchise. Eschewing the medieval and Renaissance settings of its predecessors, the game takes place in Colonial America on the brink of the...
Feature PlayStation 3 Retrospective - Part One
The third place
As our celebrations for the PlayStation 3’s fifth anniversary continue to march on, we’ve taken a moment to reflect on some of the key events from the system’s life so far. It’s been a turbulent half-decade for Sony’s black behemoth, with more drama packed into its formative years than the entire series of a police...
Feature PlayStation 3's Best Games
The best of the best
PlayStation 3 reaches its fifth birthday in Europe this week, where it finally released on 23rd March 2007 after a lengthy delay. In that time the system has been through highs and lows, but ultimately has proven to be a dominant beast in the living room, embracing multimedia such as TV and film streaming services, Blu-rays and...
Feature Kara and Sony's Creative Risks
Breaking the mould
Quantic Dream’s Kara may not represent a real development project, but it speaks volumes about Sony’s current position in the video game industry: few other manufacturers are willing to take such creative risks, and that gives the platform an overarching ethos in which innovation can thrive. It’s certainly no coincidence...
Round Table Let's Talk About PlayStation Vita
Pushing square on the go
Sony's latest gaming gizmo, Vita, has now been in the hands of enthusiastic PlayStation gamers for over a week. Naturally, quite a few of the Push Square staff are early adopters and have been spending an unhealthy amount of time enjoying the delights of the shiniest handheld on the market. With that in mind, some of the...
Interview Drinkbox Studios - Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack
The good, the bad, and the blob
After enjoying success on PlayStation Network with the release of Tales from Space: About a Blob, developer Drinkbox Studios has now brought its unique brand of blob-rolling plaformer to Vita. With Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack just recently released on Vita's own download service, we thought now might be a...
Guide How to Get US Netflix on Your UK PS3
It's easy!
Netflix came to the UK PlayStation 3 recently but if you've been jealously eyeing up the selection enjoyed by your friends over the pond, salvation is at hand. Connecting your PS3 to the US Netflix library is unbelievably easy, and we're here to tell you how. First things first: this only works if you're connecting wirelessly through a...
Interview thatgamecompany - Journey
An emotional trip
The long-awaited release date of thatgamecompany's Journey was finally announced recently. Before the follow up to flower trots onto PlayStation Network next month — 13th March for North America, 14th March for Europe and 15th March for Japan — Push Square spoke to Jenova Chen, co-founder and creative director of...
Feature The Reaction to PlayStation Vita
Hit or miss?
You need to hold the PlayStation Vita to understand why it matters. “Game changer” might be the term attached to Sony’s questionable US marketing campaign, but it’s an apt phrase. Staring down at Nathan Drake’s latest adventure on a device not much bigger than a pastry is a watershed moment: this is handheld gaming freed from...
Talking Point What Has Sony Learnt for Vita's Launch?
Alright on launch night?
The last time Sony launched a console, it didn’t quite go as swimmingly as desired. Now more than ever, with overall company losses of €2.2bn predicted for the latest financial year and a recent downgrading of its credit rating from financial agency Standards & Poor to BBB+, the Tokyo-based company needs to pull...
Talking Point Do We Need PlayStation 4 Yet?
The future is... when?
Recently we looked at The Future of PlayStation, and if there's one topic constantly hammering itself to the top of news sites it's which new home consoles might appear at the 2012 E3 Expo. We know that a new console from Microsoft is a possibility and Nintendo’s Wii U is a definite, but Sony has previously stated many times...
Talking Point Your PlayStation Vita First Edition Bundles
Welcome to the family!
PlayStation Vita's First Edition Bundle just hit North America yesterday, and loads of you have been out getting your hands on them early and telling us about it. Followers of the Push Square Twitter have been sending us photos of their purchases, and we wanted to show off some of your day one swag. Without further ado, here's...
Talking Point Sony's Bold Move with Vita First Edition Bundle
Genius or madness?
Today's a big day: Sony’s latest plunge into handheld gaming, the technologically brilliant Vita, is out now. Well, sort of. It’s available in the U.S. and Canada for those who pre-ordered the First Edition Bundle, only available from selected retailers. For gamers who are keen enough, and willing to pay a premium price, they...
Feature PlayStation Vita Launch Guide and FAQ
Everything you need to know
The PlayStation Vita is finally upon us. We've put together an enormous guide to Sony's new console — what it can do, what you need to know and much, much more. We'll update this guide regularly so be sure to check back for new information over the coming days and weeks. Still on the fence about Vita? You might want to...
Feature The Future of PlayStation
What's next?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” joked Sony Worldwide Studios’ jovial executive, Shuhei Yoshida, when quizzed about the PlayStation 4 earlier in the year. Yoshida was, of course, lying: we’d be both amazed and worried if the likeable executive – who’s responsible for the entirety of Sony’s first-party software...
Feature Must-Have PlayStation 3 Games - Darren's Picks
Monster trucks and caped crusaders
To introduce you to the team we've put together here at Push Square, we asked each team member for two PS3 games they considered absolutely essential. Here, operations director Darren Calvert reveals two of his favourites. MotorStorm: Pacific Rift: MotorStorm: Pacific Rift picks up the adrenaline-fuelled racing...
Feature Must-Have PlayStation 3 Games - Patrick's Picks
Snake's in the garden of Eden
To introduce you to the team we've put together here at Push Square, we asked each team member for two PS3 games they considered absolutely essential. Here, Patrick Elliot from our US review team waxes lyrical about minimalistic platformers and enormous spectacles. PixelJunk Eden: While the release of the...
Feature The Positives and Negatives of PS Vita
Good news, bad news
PS Vita is nearly upon us, and we couldn’t be more excited. Here at Push Square we've decided to pick our most anticipated elements of Sony’s new handheld baby before it hits stores, from new online approaches to all those control methods, plus more. We've also bashed out a few of our quibbles and concerns, too. Which parts...
Feature Must-Have PlayStation 3 Games - Chris's Picks
Ryan and Ryu
To introduce you to the team we've put together here at Push Square, we asked each team member for two PS3 games they considered absolutely essential. Here, Chris Ingram from our US review team tackles the big moral questions: save or slaughter? And can too hard ever be hard enough? Ninja Gaiden Sigma: When Ninja Gaiden Sigma sliced...
Feature Must-Have PlayStation 3 Games - Mark's Picks
Et tu, Ezio?
To introduce you to the team we've put together here at Push Square, we asked each team member for two PS3 games they considered absolutely essential. Here, Mark Reece from our European review team tackles murder in Rome and the streets of City 17. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood: Love it or loathe them, the Assassin’s Creed games...
Feature Must-Have PlayStation 3 Games - Joe's Picks
East meets West
To introduce you to the team we've put together here at Push Square, we asked each team member for two PS3 games they considered absolutely essential. Here, Joe Walker from our US review team tackles quirky blocks and irrepressible spirits. 3D Dot Game Heroes: 3D Dot Game Heroes is an “homage” to the original
First Impressions Twisted Metal
Carnage
Twisted Metal is an important brand for PlayStation veterans. Many will have fond memories of weekends spent with turbo-charged cars and homing missiles, settling disputes between friends and family. It’s a franchise that, like WipEout and Gran Turismo, is an important part of PlayStation’s iconography. And if a short hands-on with Eat...
Feature Must-Have PlayStation 3 Games - Nathan's Picks
Electrifying knights
To introduce you to the team we've put together here at Push Square, we asked each team member for two PS3 games they considered absolutely essential. Here, Nathan Michalik from our US review team tackles Cole McGrath and a two-for-one RPG epic. inFAMOUS: inFAMOUS was one of the first PS3 games to flex this generation’s...
Feature Must-Have PlayStation 3 Games - Mike's Picks
Flowers with portals
To introduce you to the team we've put together here at Push Square, we asked each team member for two PS3 games they considered absolutely essential. Here, assistant editor Mike Mason tackles interdimensional portals and an indescribable PSN classic. Portal 2: Portal 2 takes the innovative puzzle mechanic from the first...
Feature The Push Square Launch Party
Rockin' in the free world
To celebrate the triumphant relaunch of Push Square last week, our team got together in Nottingham's swanky Broadway Cinema lounge to play lots of games and share a few well-earned beers. Our UK team whiled away the night revisiting classic games. Virtua Tennis and Power Stone 2 on Dreamcast got a lot of love, with...
Feature Must-Have PlayStation 3 Games - Damien's Picks
Masochists only
To introduce you to the team we've put together here at Push Square, we asked each team member for two PS3 games they considered absolutely essential. Here, editorial director Damien McFerran talks about two of the console's finest RPGs. Demon's Souls: The sequel Dark Souls may have gone multi-format, but the original game was...
Feature Must-Have PlayStation 3 Games - Jon's Picks
Looking good
To introduce you to the team we've put together here at Push Square, we asked each team member for two PS3 games they considered absolutely essential. Here, editor at large Jon Wahlgren argues against gravity and in favour of killer robots. Vanquish: When you think of third-person shooter developers, Japanese studios aren’t...
Feature Unforgettable PlayStation Firsts
How many do you remember?
The PlayStation brand has been around for over 15 years, and during that time Sony has cemented itself as a powerhouse in the world of video games. From its humble 32-bit beginnings to 1080p HD and stereoscopic 3D graphics, PlayStation is synonymous with progress. In the spirit of new beginnings here at Push Square, join us...
Feature Must-Have PlayStation 3 Games - Sammy's Picks
Bringing out the big guns
To introduce you to the team we've put together here at Push Square, we asked each team member for two PS3 games they considered absolutely essential. Here, associate editor and Push Square founder Sammy Barker discusses arguably two of this generation's biggest games. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves: There’s a moment in...
Feature Must-Have PlayStation 3 Games - James's Picks
Prepare to be surprised
To introduce you to the team we've put together here at Push Square, we asked each team member for two PS3 games they considered absolutely essential. Here, editor James Newton heads to the opposite ends of the PS3 spectrum. Everybody's Golf: World Tour: Also known as Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds, this first HD...
Feature Welcome to the New Push Square!
Power up!
We’re going to go out on a limb and bet that you didn’t expect to find an exciting overhaul like this on your daily video game website rounds. But hey, we aim to surprise. Take a moment to soak up your new surroundings, click a few links and gaze at the sparkly new page design: we’ll wait. Just make sure you come back, so we can tell...
First Impressions Escape Plan on PlayStation Vita
When Sony debuted Escape Plan at GamesCom last year, we were so infatuated with the game's Tim Burton-esque artstyle that we failed to pay attention to its actual gameplay
It was only when we attended a PlayStation Vita preview event at the tail-end of last year, that we really got a feel for the mechanics behind the Fun Bits Interactive developed...
