Push Rewind

As the sun sets on another busy week at Push Square towers, we’re taking this opportunity to recap all of the biggest stories from the past seven days. There’s never a dull moment in the so-called PlayStation Nation, but the last few days have been especially action packed, with the PlayStation 4 launching in Japan and The Order: 1886 securing its very first gameplay footage. Don’t worry if you’ve been busy, though, because we’ve handily compiled everything that you need to know below.

Strider

Reviews

Strider - 7/10

At its blistering best, Strider is a joy to play – its silky smooth controls making it difficult to not feel like the unstoppable agent himself. It's a welcome return to a beloved franchise, but it falls just short of maintaining the momentum that's expected of it, and instead opts to slice its way into a new generation with some less than exhilarating gameplay additions.

Earth Defense Force 2025 - 6/10

Like a cheesy 80s pop record, Earth Defense Force 2025 is so bad that it’s almost quite good. There are more flaws here than a second-hand clothes shop, but there are worse ways to wile away your time than by blasting supersized insects in the antennae. However, while this big bug buster certainly won’t make your skin crawl, don’t anticipate a whole lot more than a really silly third-person shooter with even stupider ants.

Other Reviews

Dark Souls II

Features

Hands On: A Fresh Spawn's Journey Through the First Few Hours of Dark Souls II

The Souls series is not for the faint-hearted. Constant deaths, insane difficulty spikes, and an ever present sense of doom are just a handful of reasons behind the brand’s success among a growing niche of brave gamers. Somehow, developer From Software has managed to make its once masochistic franchise a bit of a blockbuster, and with Dark Souls II now just mere weeks away, we were fortunate enough to get some hands-on time with the release. Spoilers: it’s still hard.

Soapbox: How a Niche PS Vita Exclusive Made Me Feel Wanted

This sort of topic tends to get emotions running high and insults flying faster than you can shout “Burn the witch”, so I thought that it would be a good idea to lay a few points on the table first. To begin, this is not an anti-male article or even a pro-feminist one; this is just a collection of my own personal thoughts based on my own personal gaming experiences. Secondly, this is not a rallying call for people to go out and burn copies of Leisure Suit Larry or whatever the heck it is that we’re supposed to be upset about this week, so can we please put the torches down before somebody singes their eyebrows.

Other Features

PlayStation 4

News

Wow, the PlayStation 4 Has Sold Over 5 Million Units

We probably don't need to tell you that the PlayStation 4 is doing an absolutely roaring trade all over the world. The Japanese giant initially expected to sell five million mega machines by the end of March, but this projection will need to be revised, as SCE executive Andrew House has recently confirmed that approximately 5.3 million PS4s have sold worldwide since the system's launch in November. Whoa.

PS4 Firmware Update 1.61 Stabilises Your System

Sony may have made it easier than ever to download and install incremental updates with the PlayStation 4, but that hasn’t prevented it from pushing out seemingly meaningless patches. SCEE community manager Chris Owen confirmed earlier this morning that firmware update v1.61 is available now, stating that it adds “general enhancements to the system’s stability”.

Rumour: Sony Will Strap on Its Virtual Reality Headset Next Month

Sony’s worst kept secret will be officially unveiled during the Game Developers Conference next month, a secret tipster speaking with electronics publication Tech Radar has claimed. Rumours regarding an Oculus Rift-esque headset for the PlayStation 4 have been rife since late last year, and it looks like the company is finally ready to confirm the speculation. It had previously planned announcements at both GamesCom and the Tokyo Game Show, but opted to refine the product a little further before showing it to the world.

You'll Use the PS4 Controller's Touchpad for Morse Code in The Order: 1886

Given the wealth of technological riches at the fingertips of the Victorian heroes in The Order: 1886, it’s a surprise that protagonist Galahad and crew don’t whip out iPhones in order to communicate in battle. Alas, a slew of previews for the upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive have pointed out that you’ll instead use Morse code, which you’ll operate using the next generation system’s touchpad.

Ken Levine Closes the Booker on Irrational Games

Irrational Games, the legendary developer best known for the BioShock franchise, is no more. Writing on the company’s official website, founder Ken Levine has confirmed that the studio is shutting down after an incredible 17 years of development. The outfit’s last ever release will be the second episode of its Burial at Sea add-on for BioShock Infinite, which is due out on 25th March in North America.

Other Noteworthy News

Video of the Week

Want to Know What Your PS4 Can Do? The Order: 1886 Will Show You

Sony has lifted the embargo on The Order: 1886 a little earlier than expected, giving us our first proper glimpse at the Ready at Dawn developed epic since E3 last year. The coverage starts with this cinematic trailer, showing the formation of the titular faction and how the Industrial Revolution has changed the balance in London’s battle against an ancient foe.