Push Rewind: inFAMOUS: Second Son, PS4 Virtual Reality, and Pricey Espionage

Not too shabby

by Sammy Barker Sun 23rd Mar 2014

If this is what’s considered a content drought these days, then feel free to take us out the back like Polygon Man and put a bullet in our pixelated head. As far as we’re concerned, the PlayStation 4 has been in at least third gear since launch – and it definitely hit fourth this week. Not only did we get the official confirmation of virtual reality headset Project Morpheus, but we also received two major titles in inFAMOUS: Second Son and Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. Oh, and a dozen more indie releases were announced at GDC.

Reviews

inFAMOUS: Second Son - 8/10

There’s an unparalleled sense of empowerment in inFAMOUS: Second Son that makes it a release to be reckoned with. Bursting with more attitude than a high school hardcore band, this out-of-control excursion effortlessly nails the sensation of possessing superpowers. It may put its plot forward a little too forcefully at first, but persevere and you’ll be richly rewarded with an appetising roster of outlandish abilities. While it does little to push the open world format forward, this is still a series that’s very much in bloom.

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes - 6/10

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes would undoubtedly make a powerful introductory mission to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, so it seems a little insidious of Konami to hold it to ransom. That being said, we really can’t fault what little we played – as far as the mechanics and design are concerned – but although the additional content does go some way towards sweetening the pot, we find it difficult to recommend this on those merits alone. Although long-time fans of the series are likely to pick it up regardless, we believe that this single mission should never have been released on its own.

Other Reviews

Features

Feature: 11 Games We Want to Play with PS4's Virtual Reality Headset

Project Morpheus has been officially unveiled, and judging by the first batch of hands-on impressions, it’s better than anyone really imagined. The prototype PlayStation 4 headset uses a combination of PlayStation Move motion tracking technology and fancy face mounted displays in order to immerse you inside game worlds in a way that you’ve never really experienced before. With the hardware already showing signs of serious promise, then, we’ve gathered together eleven Push Square editors in order to discuss our dream virtual reality lineup. This list consists of existing franchises that aren’t currently announced for the futuristic format, but ones that we reckon would make fantastic fits.

Reaction: Price Is the Reality That Threatens to Pull Project Morpheus Out of the Matrix

Sony was in a jubilant mood at the Game Developers Conference once again last night. The platform holder is starting to really enjoy the industry focused convention, having spent the previous show flaunting its newfound indie focus. This year’s event was always going to be all about virtual reality, though, and Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida couldn’t resist cracking a joke about the trail of leaks that led to last night’s Project Morpheus unveiling. “Thank you for coming to this cryptic Sony presentation,” he jokingly prefaced the presentation. “You have no idea what we’re going to talk about.”

Other Features

News

PS4's Virtual Reality Headset Project Morpheus Officially Unveiled

As anticipated, Sony has announced its rumoured PlayStation 4 virtual reality headset. Elaborately dubbed Project Morpheus, the wearable peripheral is the culmination of years of research, which dates all the way back to the origins of the PlayStation Move project. As a consequence, the device — pictured above — takes advantage of both the PlayStation Camera and the platform holder's popular motion tracking technology in order to transport you to different worlds, which you'll be able to examine in real-time by simply moving your head.

PS4 Firmware Update 1.62 Will Improve Your Console's Operation Quality

If you were hoping that the days of frequent and annoyingly vague firmware updates would be a thing of the past now that we've entered the next generation, you'd unfortunately be wrong, as Sony has just announced the release of PlayStation 4 firmware update v1.62. The platform holder describes the benefits of the patch as follows: "Operation quality during use of some PS4 software has been improved."

Rumour: Is the PS4 About to Become the Primary Platform for Call of Duty?

Ever since it became a household name, the Call of Duty franchise has been associated with the Xbox brand. In lieu of true third-party exclusives, co-marketing partnerships have become increasingly important for platform holders, with Microsoft traditionally taking the lead in this area. The past couple of years have seen Sony fight back, though, with 2014 dominated by Watch Dogs and Destiny – two multiformat titles that are already being advertised as PlayStation 4 properties. Could the Japanese giant add the most popular first-person franchise on the planet to its portfolio, though?

Rumour: Titanfall 2 Takes One Robotic Stride Closer to PS4

The relationship between Titanfall developer Respawn Entertainment and mega company EA Games is more confounding than a magic eye puzzle. While the latter technically published the former’s brand new first-person franchise, it supposedly did so through the EA Partners programme, which was most recently responsible for failed Insomniac Games shooter Fuse.

Wait, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes Has Had Another Price Cut?

The price of the PlayStation 4 version of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes has been reduced on the European PlayStation Store, representing the title's second official price cut. To be clear, the boxed copy is still £29.99, however the digital version will now set you back £24.99. On first glance, it may seem that this change has come from Konami, but it's actually been put in place by Sony. Orders directly from the top, then.

Other Noteworthy News

Video of the Week

This Is Why You Should Play Watch Dogs on PS4

Watch Dogs is coming to a slew of different systems, but Sony really wants you to play it on the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 3. Not content with spotlighting the sandbox title in its various next-gen commercials, the platform holder has also collaborated with publisher Ubisoft to create a bunch of exclusive content that you’ll only find in the PlayStation versions of the game.