PS4 Game Reviews
Review Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - Banned Footage Vol. 1 (PS4)
Don't let the bed bugs bite
Much like the core campaign, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard's first DLC drop is a pleasant surprise. Comprising of a mismatch of modes and bonus content, Banned Footage Vol. 1 isn't the most consistent expansion that you'll ever encounter, but it is one of the better ones – even if its proximity to the main game will leave...
Review Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers (PS4)
The search continues
The Dynasty Warriors series is no stranger to spin-offs, what with its library of Empires titles and its catalogue of somewhat lacking offshoots like Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce. The property has a spotty record when it comes to swapping out its tried and tested hack and slash formula for something different, so it's safe to...
Exit stage left
Knee Deep is an odd game. Its particular brand of narrative-driven gameplay is hard to categorise: it's not quite a point-and-click adventure and not quite a walking simulator. If anything, it sits clumsily on the outskirts of the former, not really offering much in the way of pointing or clicking. Originally an episodic PC game, it...
Review Earthlock: Festival of Magic (PS4)
A kind of magic
Looking back on our adventure through the fantasy world of Umbra, we can't help but be reminded of a quote from John Carmack, co-founder of id Software. Speaking about DOOM, Carmack said: "Story in a game is like a story in a porn movie. It's expected to be there, but it's not that important." While we don't necessarily agree in...
Review Tales of Berseria (PS4)
Velvet not cut from the same cloth
You can always count on the Tales series to keep to its roots. While the latest Final Fantasy might have divided opinion with its more Westernised open world direction, Tales of Berseria is a far more typical Japanese role-playing game that continues – and develops, in some meaningful ways – the genre's...
Review Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue (PS4)
A sight for Sora eyes
It's baffling to consider that a new Kingdom Hearts hasn't been released on consoles in over a decade. The series' sappy emotion, bizarre juxtaposition of characters, and overly convoluted story may drive many away, but there's a stirring magic and innocence to it all that has never waned on us. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final...
Turing point
Most of us use a computer at least once a day. If we want to know the weather, we ask our phone. If we want to check our schedule, we scroll through our tablet. If we want to know what the traffic is like, we search it on our laptop. The Turing Test asks us to think about the implications of that ecosystem. It wants us to examine the...
Review Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (PS4)
Bayou hazard
Ever since BSAA beefcake Chris Redfield exacted grievous bodily harm on a boulder, the Resident Evil franchise has been on a bit of a downward spiral. Sure, the Revelations side-stories delivered disposable enough entertainment, but numbered entry Resident Evil 6 was a rotter through and through. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard aims to drag...
Star wars
As far as "classic video game genres" go, top-down space shooters are a bread-and-butter staple of the medium. While gems of the genre once ruled arcades and home-consoles alike, in modern times they've become dime-a-dozen, mostly relegated to portable devices and mobile phones. Within that landscape, any game of that type will have to do...
Review 2064: Read Only Memories (PS4)
Beds are Turing
2064: Read Only Memories is a game about artificial intelligence. Indeed, it's a game about both the interpersonal intricacies of machine sapience, and its broader societal implications. It's also a game about gentrification, and the way capitalism chews up and spits out disadvantaged people. It's a game about all of these things,...
Subscribe to Push Square on YouTube152k Watch on YouTube Review The Flame in the Flood: Complete Edition (PS4)
Rolling on a river
The Flame in the Flood is a procedurally generated, rogue-like survival game that takes you on a journey down a river in a forgotten, post-societal America. You take on the role of a female protagonist, Scout, who has to fight for survival against the harsh conditions of the flooded wasteland beyond. Your only company is a pet...
Review Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star (PS4)
History repeats
At its core, Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star is Dynasty Warriors set in cyber space. Three factions battle it out to decide who rules the brightly coloured digital world, and each army is spearheaded by anime-style representations of mythical and historical figures. You'll see legendary Chinese general Lu Bu clashing with Joan of Arc...
Review Siegecraft Commander (PS4)
Under siege
The first casualty of war is potentially your mental health if you fire up Siegecraft Commander, which takes the novel idea of crossing a real-time strategy (RTS) game with the tactical control of a tower defence title. Sounds good and Blowfish Studios has a good track record of making compelling games, so let's slip the dogs of war and...
Oh dearoid
Spheroids is a 2D platformer made up of pixel-art environments. We understand that that's about as off-putting as an opening line of a review can be, but that's what Spheroids is – and it doesn't do very much else. Set in a world in which circular aliens called – get ready – spheroids have invaded Earth, it's up to our protagonist...
Fur the players
The corest of core PlayStation fans caterwauled for more of Kat and crew, and Japan Studio has delivered in abundance: Gravity Rush 2 is a much, much bigger iteration of Keiichirō Toyama's physics defying favourite – and while it's still far from purr-fect, it's hard to deny that its heart is in the right place. This stylish...
Review Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Future Tone (PS4)
Tone stop believin'
2015's Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X was a little bit of a departure for the long-running rhythm game series. Rather than adhering to the traditional, gameplay-focused framework of the franchise set up in earlier instalments, X thrust players into a sugary sweet narrative starring the popular virtual popstar and her equally...
Review Momonga Pinball Adventures (PS4)
Flippin’ squirrels!
Momonga Pinball Adventures is a story-based pinball game with a twist: instead of using a ball you are flipping a squirrel. You take on the role of Momo, a flying squirrel who escaped his village when it was attacked and destroyed by owl bandits. Now with your help, he sets out on a quest to find his "kidnapped" friends and...
Review Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (PS4)
I whip my hair back and forth
The Shantae series is an odd one, isn't it? It's been around for quite some time, but never made a huge impact. The Metroidvania style gameplay and quirky writing are adored by fans, but despite being quietly very good, the games remain ignored by most. Funnily enough, you can play three of the four titles right now on...
Review Battle Garegga Rev.2016 (PS4)
Rank up
It might seem odd to begin a review with a short history lesson, but in the case of Battle Garegga, it's certainly warranted. Originally released in arcades in 1996 and developed by Japanese firm Raizing (also known as Eighting / 8ing and now primarily responsible for creating games based on the Kamen Rider TV show), this...
Review Bridge Constructor (PS4)
Bridging the gap
We've all travelled across a bridge at some point in our lives, and we've stopped on more than one occasion to marvel at their impressive structural designs. But while crossing these bridges, have you ever wondered what it takes to design and construct perfectly balanced bridges like Isambard Kingdom Brunel's suspension bridges?...
Null and void
Dungeon crawlers are a popular genre of games these days and there are plenty to experience on the PlayStation 4: The Binding of Isaac, Rogue Legacy, and Spelunky to name a few. However, none of these are as unique in style as Crystal Rift, which takes a very old-school approach to the experience. You control your adventurer from a...
Go download this game
In an industry so focused on creating ever larger and more expansive experiences, there's something to be said about the power of focus. Lara Croft Go is a title that's not focused on wowing the player with a billion different features that create the illusion of depth, instead opting for a simplified, handcrafted feel that...
Review The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - Episode 2: Ties That Bind (Part Two) (PS4)
Oh, brother
Alright, the "twist" at the end of this episode is about as subtle as a meat cleaver to a Muertos' face, but The Walking Dead: A New Frontier is really moving at a breakneck pace. Having established a new cast of characters in the first half of this two-part premiere, Ties That Bind (Part Two) ratchets up the tension by plotting the fall...
Review The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - Episode 1: Ties That Bind (Part One) (PS4)
Family splatters
The first season of Telltale Games' comic book adaptation The Walking Dead propelled the episodic developer to superstardom; Lee's poignant tale of life after the apocalypse was lavished with end-of-year awards, and is looked upon fondly some four or so years after its original release – despite a laundry list of mechanical and...
Little indeed
Surprisingly, this new point and click adventure title from Irish indie, Pewter Games, is up against some stiff competition. The genre, long lost and relatively rare on consoles, has made a small comeback over the last few years, with titles such as Broken Age, King's Quest, and Armikrog all attempting to capture the interest of fans...
Shut up and drive
Final Fantasy XV is mostly a game about four guys driving around in a car. Sometimes, they get out and kill monsters. Other times, they don't want to drive at night and seek shelter around a nearby campfire, where they look over photographs and recall their journey so far. Lead character Noctis can be stubborn, moody, and lazy...
Flipping out for real
You could never accuse developer Zen Studios of being particularly selective about which platforms its pinball titles appear on. Thus, the number of people who'll be surprised to hear Pinball FX2 has arrived on PlayStation VR will probably be close to zero, especially since it provides a rare opportunity to do something a bit...
Will.i.am disappointed
Admittedly, we haven't watched The Voice much – all we know is that Tom Jones used to be on it and swivelly chairs are involved. The series, which has been going strong in many different countries, has finally decided to capitalise on the fact that there's only one other karaoke game releasing every year. But does it give...
Review The Last Guardian (PS4)
Animal magic
The Last Guardian doesn't much care for convention. Fumito Ueda's fantasy adventure may have taken the best part of a decade to deploy, but Team ICO's creative vision was never to blame. This bewilderingly brilliant yarn about a boy and a bird sticks so rigidly to a singular ideal that it's almost detrimental at times. And yet, it's...
Bark or bite?
This is what you wanted, people – this is what you voted for. No, not Trump or Brexit, but a city run by the Blume Corporation where absolutely everyone is constantly under the gaze of an advanced Big Brother surveillance system. This near future society is a Black Mirror-esque teched-up metropolis where ctOS2.0 connects everyone...
