News - 2013, Week 04

Sunday27th Jan 2013

  • Review The Cave (PlayStation 3)

    Cavern club

    The first adventure game ever to be released was a text title created by computer programmer and caver enthusiast, William Crowther. It's fitting, then, that Double Fine’s latest bid to revive the forgotten genre is also set in a cave. But this is not Crowther’s 1976 exploration game – it's a modern experience, complete with Ron...

  • News PS Mobile Promotion Refreshes with Free Cubixx Next Week

    Cut down to size

    Laughing Jackal’s devilishly addictive Cubixx will be the next title to join Sony’s ongoing PlayStation Mobile giveaway next week. The three-dimensional reimagining of arcade classic Qix will replace Beats Slider on Wednesday, and will be available for free for the duration of a week. The puzzler has seen a number of iterations...

Friday25th Jan 2013

  • News Sony's Latest PlayStation Vita Promotion Pays in Spades

    Flex your marketing muscle

    Sony’s latest PlayStation Vita promotion is prompting a bit of a backlash in certain corners of the web. The initiative – which launched in North America earlier today – encourages you to “convince your friends to buy” one of the consoles in return for $20 PlayStation Network credit and 1,000 Sony Rewards points...

Saturday26th Jan 2013

  • News Namco Summons Strategy Guides for Cancelled Ni No Kuni Orders

    Consolation prize

    The past few days have proved a distinctly unmagical time for many of those that ordered Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch’s gorgeous Wizard’s Edition. Due to an administration error, the premium bundle was oversold, forcing a number of orders to be cancelled earlier in the week. Namco Bandai has since responded to the...

  • News Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time Demo Sneaks onto PS Plus

    Not a sound

    Living up to its namesake with perfect precision, a demo for Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time has sneaked onto the North American PlayStation Store. It’s actually been there for much of the week, but in true ninja fashion, we’ve only just spotted it. You’ll need to be a PlayStation Plus subscriber to download the sampler, though we’re...

  • News Hook Up with Persona 4 Golden Next Month in Europe

    Let it shine

    Get ready to rediscover your teenage angst, because Persona 4 Golden is set to brighten up the PlayStation Vita’s barren release schedule in Europe next month. Publisher Atlus has confirmed that the critically acclaimed RPG – which scored a perfect 10/10 on this very site – will hit store shelves on 22nd February. If that’s too...

Friday25th Jan 2013

  • Talking Point What if the PS4 Is Not Backward Compatible?

    Legacy support

    It’s ironic that Sony has had such a tumultuous time with backward compatibility of late. In the transition from the PSone to the PlayStation 2, the platform holder essentially set the expectation for the feature moving forwards – but it hasn’t always managed to uphold that standard in recent years. Initial models of the...

  • News Resident Evil: Revelations' Collector's Edition Tells the Time

    Also breaks the bank

    If you’re in need of a suitable timepiece to accompany your overpriced Leon S. Kennedy themed jacket, then look no further than Resident Evil: Revelations’ Japanese collector’s edition. The premium bundle includes a US Agency watch sporting the BSAA logo. It’s based on the same design worn by protagoni

  • News PlayStation 3 Super Slim Flashes Red and Blue in UK

    Just like the police (minus Sting)

    Those recently announced ‘Garnet Red’ and ‘Azurite Blue’ PlayStation 3 Super Slim consoles are set to light up UK store shelves on 15th February, platform holder Sony has announced. The systems will be available as part of a temporary run, and will come bundled with two matching DualShock 3 controllers and...

  • News Here's What Killzone Would Look Like If It Was Made of LEGO

    Toys at war

    Forget about all of the excellent LEGO crossovers that have come before – this is the one that we’ve been waiting for. 18-year-old model designer Joris Blok has constructed an army of Helghast soldiers out of LEGO, providing a sneak peak at Guerrilla Games’ blockbuster Killzone franchise in plastic form. Despite their somewhat...

  • News Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX's Box Art Is Pretty Goofy

    A kind of magic

    With the re-master’s Japanese release imminent, publisher Square Enix has revealed the box art for the wordy Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX. The pack shot leads with Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy, while Riku and Mickey are relegated to the upper corners. Rumours of a Western release of the PlayStation 3 exclusive hit fever pitch...

  • News Splinter Cell: Blacklist's Huge Collector's Edition Takes Flight

    Cloud nine

    The battle for the most preposterous video game collector’s edition rages on with Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Ubisoft has announced that the upcoming stealth action title will deploy alongside an enormous premium bundle that includes a remote controlled plane. Let’s do that again: a freakin’ remote controlled plane. The brilliantly...

  • Rumour PlayStation All-Stars Developer Thumped by Layoffs

    Heavy haymaker

    PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale developer SuperBot Entertainment has apparently been struck by a round of layoffs. According to Insomniac Games designer Mike Birkhead, around 20 employees were released earlier today. “When it rains, it pours,” he said, presumably in reference to the recent slew of job losses at defunct...

Thursday24th Jan 2013

  • News Assassin's Creed III Crowns King Washington Next Month

    Behold the Lord High Executioner

    Assassin’s Creed III’s intriguing alternate history add-on pack The Tyranny of King Washington will receive its first instalment on 19th February in North America and 20th February in Europe, publisher Ubisoft has announced. The debut episode – dubbed ‘The Infamy’ – will depict the events directly after...

  • News Sony Cuts the Ribbon on North American PlayStation Webstore

    Form an orderly queue

    After a string of promises, Sony has cut the ribbon on the browser-based version of the North American PlayStation Store. The online plaza allows you to peruse and purchase PlayStation Network content without having to wait for the new console application to load. Just think what you could do with those extra 30 seconds – the...

Friday25th Jan 2013

  • News LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Video Constructs Stark Tower

    Rich man's mansion

    Traveller’s Tales is still hard at work slotting all of the bricks together for the upcoming LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, but the developer has been kind enough to show a partially constructed version of the title’s Stark Tower stage. The video comes courtesy of Game Informer magazine, and includes plenty of commentary from...

  • News Terraria Digs onto PlayStation Network with New Content

    It's off to work we go

    PC indie smash hit Terraria will up sticks and arrive on the PlayStation Network in February, publisher 505 Games has announced. The creative side-scroller will come with a wealth of new content, including a full tutorial, enhanced controls, and a fresh boss battle. The re-release will also feature a throng of original...

Thursday24th Jan 2013

  • Review Beats Slider (PlayStation Mobile)

    A new riff on an old classic

    We don’t know about you, but we’ve always been hopeless at those pesky slider puzzles. Rather than try to solve our alphabetical one as a child, we decided to rearrange our understanding of the order of letters. It’s proved a nightmare in later life, we have to admit. Still, trust FuturLab – the developers of...

  • News Why Isn't Resident Evil: Revelations Stumbling onto the Vita?

    Hot air

    Given the title’s origins on the Nintendo 3DS, it always seemed likely that Resident Evil: Revelations would infect the PlayStation Vita at some point in the future. But despite announcing the eerie adventure for a slew of home consoles earlier this week, publisher Capcom failed to even acknowledge Sony’s struggling handheld. Why is...

  • News Bayonetta Swaggers onto the PlayStation Network Next Week

    Girl power

    She may not be on quite the same plane as Sabrina the Teenage Witch, but Bayonetta is still pretty bad ass – and she’s strutting onto the PlayStation Network next week, publisher SEGA has announced. The first title in Hideki Kamiya’s critically acclaimed series will launch as a digital download on 29th January in North America and...

Wednesday23rd Jan 2013

  • Store Update 23rd January 2013 (Europe)

    Too hot to handle

    After a couple of slow weeks, the European PlayStation Store is back on form with an overload of content. Highlights include Zombie Driver HD, The Cave, and DUST 514, but there’s plenty more worth getting excited about. It’s also worth mentioning that PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to grab The Pinball Arcade for free...

Thursday24th Jan 2013

  • News Sony Fined £250,000 Over PlayStation Network Hack

    Chunk of change

    If you thought (or wished) that you’d heard the last of 2011’s infamous PlayStation Network outage, then think again. A UK government body responsible for investigating the hack has issued the platform holder with a £250,000 ($395k) fine, describing the attack as a “serious breach of the Data Protection Act”. The...

  • News God of War: Ascension Gifts Early Access to The Last of Us' Demo

    Let the bodies hit the floor

    Sony’s dialling up the death count to absurd proportions this March, by including early admission to The Last of Us’ gameplay demo with copies of the upcoming God of War: Ascension. Those of you with strong enough stomachs will be able to access the bloodshed courtesy of an icon included on the prequel’s main menu...

  • News PlayStation Mobile Braces Itself for Chimpact

    Cheeky monkey

    Those of you searching for something to ape around with in your spare time need look no further than Chimpact, an upcoming PlayStation Mobile title that sees you propelling primates around increasingly complex jungle mazes in order to score points. The title promises addictive one-touch gameplay that’s “easy to play, but fun to...

  • News Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Turns Back Time on PSN

    Acceptable in the 80s

    Whip out your shoulder pads, eyeliner, and Blondie records, because Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is set to invade the PlayStation Network in a blaze of bad synthpop and fluorescent colours next week. The barebones PS2 Classic will set you back £7.99/$9.99 when it launches on 29th November in North America and 30th November in...

Wednesday23rd Jan 2013

  • Store Update 22nd January 2013 (North America)

    Ice queen

    Namco Bandai’s gorgeous Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is the natural standout in this week’s North American PlayStation Store update, but there’s still plenty of other content worth getting excited about. Notable additions include The Cave, Mad Dog McCree, and escapeVektor. Let’s forget about the formalities, and get down to...

Thursday24th Jan 2013

  • Rumour Take Two Wrestles the WWE License from THQ

    Blood, sweat, and tiny pants

    While the majority of THQ’s franchises found new homes yesterday, there’s still been no official word on the future of the WWE license. Early rumours suggested that EA had picked up the lucrative contract, but that’s been countered by an IGN report which claims that Take Two made a last minute bid for the series...

  • News Crysis 3 Multiplayer Beta Uncloaks on 29th January

    Creeping through the chaos

    The game’s less than a month away from release, but that’s not stopping Crytek from deploying a Crysis 3 multiplayer beta next week. The online test will run for a period of two weeks, and will give you a chance to experience two modes and maps ahead of the title’s 19th February release. Crash Site, the first of the...

Wednesday23rd Jan 2013

Tuesday22nd Jan 2013

  • News Could Singularity Be Quantic Dream's First PS4 Game?

    We're already drooling

    Heavy Rain developer Quantic Dream is currently applying the finishing touches to its upcoming PlayStation 3 exclusive Beyond: Two Souls – but the studio may also be working on a PlayStation 4 title. Seasoned online snoop Superannuation has uncovered a domain name for

  • News Quench Your Thirst with The Last of Us' Special Edition

    Survival kit

    You too can be prepared for the end of the world by purchasing The Last of Us’ collector's edition. The premium bundle – spotted on the Italian arm of online retailer Amazon – features a handy metal water bottle, a 30-day subscription to PlayStation Plus, and a sticker skin for your PlayStation 3 and DualShock controller. The...

  • News Joel and Ellie Headline The Last of Us' Special Editions

    Who will you choose?

    Hot on the heels of this morning’s leaked The Last of Us collector’s edition, Sony has announced a couple of premium bundles for the UK. The packages – available in Joel and Ellie guises – will include a mini art book, a collectable poster, and a DualShock sticker. You’ll also get an exclusive cover specific to the set...

  • News Retro FPS Gun Commando Targets PlayStation Mobile

    All outta gum

    Fans of DOOM and Wolfenstein 3D will no doubt feel right at home with Gun Commando, an intriguing 8-bit first-person shooter heading to PlayStation Mobile this week. The title – developed by Green Hill Studios and Abstraction Games – is described as an “old-school, new-cool” adventure, which sees you assume the role of Jack...

  • News PlayStation Vita Firmware Update v2.05 on the Way

    Don't get too excited

    Your PlayStation Vita experience is about to get significantly more stable, as there is a new firmware update on the horizon. Spotted on the official PlayStation website, version 2.05 promises enhanced software stability “during the use of some features”. We suppose there may always be hidden additions, but don’t hold...

Monday21st Jan 2013

  • News Sony Is Happy to Let Microsoft Reveal Its Next Console First

    Anything you can do, we can do better

    In between heated sessions of Ridge Racer (probably), Sony president Kaz Hirai has hinted that he’s happy for Microsoft to announce its next generation console first. Speaking with British newspaper The Times, the former SCE overlord said: "Why go first when your competitors can look at your specifications and...

Tuesday22nd Jan 2013

  • News Japan's Most Desired Console Is the PlayStation Vita

    Moral victory

    The system may be locked in a constant conflict with the bottom half of the Japanese hardware charts, but it turns out that local consumers want to love the PlayStation Vita after all. A recent Famitsu magazine survey discovered that more than 64 per cent of readers are eager to snap up the struggling hardware, a sample greater than...

  • News North American PS Plus Members Net Huge Discounts

    Free copies of Foosball 2012, too

    Forget about central heating, Sony’s impressive “13 for ’13” promotion is the real winter warmer this week. The excellent initiative – set to launch later today in North America – will see a slew of PlayStation Network titles discounted for the New Year, with PlayStation Plus subscribers securing savings...

  • News Dead Space 3 Will Let You Buy Better Weapons with Real Money

    Nickel and dime

    No one can hear you scream in space – unless you’ve got a big enough bank balance, of course. Reporting from a recent hands-on session, Eurogamer.net has revealed that Dead Space 3 will allow you to upgrade your weapons via voluntary microtransactions. You'll be given the option to pay your way out of trouble when you don't have...

  • News Capcom Revives Resident Evil: Revelations for PlayStation 3

    Blowing up on the big screen

    As expected, Capcom has announced that Resident Evil: Revelations will shuffle onto the PlayStation 3 later this year. The former Nintendo 3DS exclusive will launch as both a boxed title and a digital download on 21st May in North America and 24th May in Europe. It will set you back the slightly reduced sum of...

Monday21st Jan 2013

  • Review Haunt the House: Terrortown (PlayStation Mobile)

    Phantom menace

    The latest in Sony’s PlayStation Mobile initiative, Haunt the House: Terrortown sees you adopt the role of an ethereal being named Ghost and challenges you with the task of scaring people for, well, no apparent reason really. Ghost’s story begins in a clock tower that serves as the game's central hub. With the mysterious music,...

  • News Meet the 85-Year-Old Who's Addicted to PlayStation 3

    Old school

    While most pensioners keep their minds active with Sudoku and Countdown, Hilda Knott is a touch more adventurous. The 85-year-old is a keen PlayStation 3 gamer, with an enormous library spanning mainstream favourites such as Grand Theft Auto IV and more hardcore hits like Disgaea 4: A Promise Forgotten. She’s even a PlayStation

  • Review escapeVektor (PlayStation Vita)

    The great escape

    Part of what makes escapeVektor so charming is how wonderfully simplistic it is. The title's Pac-Man-esque gameplay sees you navigating minimalistic mazes in order to open up an exit, all the while avoiding deadly traps that threaten to thwart your progress. It's a really basic idea, but despite its lack of complex mechanics, the...

  • News New PS3 Super Slim Colours Strut Their Stuff in Japan

    And maybe overseas, too

    A couple of custom PlayStation 3 Super Slim colours will hit the console catwalk in Japan next month, platform holder Sony has announced. The newly unveiled 250GB Garnet Red and Azurite Blue systems will launch on 28th February in the land of the rising sun, and will set you back ¥24,980 ($279). Interestingly, the consoles...

  • News UK Sales Charts: Devil May Cry Ascends to the Heavens

    God of war

    Dante’s new haircut didn’t prove a hindrance on DmC: Devil May Cry’s ability to conquer the UK sales charts, as the controversial (but excellent) demon slayer shot straight to the summit of the region’s best sellers list, knocking FIFA 13 off the championship spot. Perhaps potential buyers were swayed by the patriotic Union Jack...

  • News Dead Space's Isaac Clarke Is a Closet Mass Effect Cosplayer

    Fancy distress

    Like most people, we spend the majority of our evenings prancing around in N7 gear, pretending to save the galaxy from imminent Reaper attacks – but we never suspected that Dead Space protagonist Isaac Clarke was a part of our fantasy circle. However, the below trailer provides irrefutable proof that, even when faced with an undead...

  • News Let's Fish Hooks a Reely Big One from 30th January

    Making a splash

    You’ll be able to get your fingers all over the cast of Let’s Fish: Hooked On’s rods later this month, when the fishing simulator swims to the PlayStation Vita on 30th January in Europe. Those of you in North America will have to wait a little while longer to get wet, as the title is not set to wash up on international shores...

  • News Starbreeze Starts a Storm with New Co-Op Shooter

    Stockholm syndrome

    Starbreeze, the Swedish studio behind the solid Syndicate, has revealed a few scant details about its upcoming co-op shooter, Storm. The sci-fi title – which doesn’t have any platforms attached to it – is currently in development, and is described as "our future". It's unclear whether that's a tagline, or the company being...