PS5 Game Reviews
Review Fort Solis (PS5) - Glitzy Walking Sim Disappoints
In space no one can here you snooze
There is something calming about a clichéd sci-fi horror, isn’t there? Abandoned space stations, eerie corridors, and the endless possibilities of danger make up a genre that has successfully infiltrated just about every format of entertainment. Fort Solis is just the latest, bringing with it a subdued sci-fi...
Mini Review Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew (PS5) - Pirate Strategy Will Shiver Your Timbers
Y'arrrrrr 8'y
What really elevates Mimimi's Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew compared to its previous titles, like Desperados III, is the complete abandonment of reality. Functionally, it's pretty much the same as those spiritual predecessors; you control a team from a top-down view, and stealthily make your way across a map disposing of guards on...
Review Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon (PS5) - Great Mecha Action at Times Feels Stunted
Earth to Raven
Swapping swords and spells for mechs and missiles probably wasn't the first thing a FromSoftware accountant suggested following the absurd success of Elden Ring, but then the Japanese developer doesn't do things by the books. Having sold more than 20 million copies of the open world masterpiece, the studio has returned to a series it...
Review Immortals of Aveum (PS5) - Fantasy FPS Lacks the Magic Touch
Jak of all fades
You have to admire Ascendant Studios for confidently diving head first with its debut game, Immortals of Aveum. The fantasy flavoured, magic-based first-person shooter has the appearance of a big summer blockbuster, and in some ways it backs that up, but unfortunately it doesn't quite hold true when you examine it more closely. It's...
Mini Review Quake II (PS5) - A Remastered Classic with Real Bang for Your Buck
Quaking in our boots
The updated re-release of Quake was a rousing success, so there was no shortage of excitement when an updated version of Quake II suddenly dropped during QuakeCon 2023. And much like the first title, it's quite an impressive package. The first thing to note is the sheer amount of content you get. You get the base game of Quake...
Review Blasphemous 2 (PS5) - A Marvellously Macabre Metroidvania
The bigger the better
Since Elden Ring secured its position as one of 2022's best games, Soulslikes have seen another huge spike in popularity, with a plethora of titles already released or in the pipeline for this year. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Remnant 2, Lies of P, The Lords of the Fallen, Hollow Knight: Silksong, The Last Faith — the list goes...
Mini Review Moving Out 2 (PS5) - Chaotic Co-Op Capers in Safe But Solid Sequel
F.A.R.T.ing around
Moving Out 2 is your typical sequel — a bit bigger, a bit better, but ultimately quite familiar. Taking the act of moving belongings in and out of buildings and turning that into a chaotic co-op game, this is largely the same as the original Moving Out, but mixes things up in some fun ways. The gameplay is super approachable...
Mini Review Marble It Up! Ultra (PS5) - Colourful Arcade Game Is a Marble Blast
It’s marblin’ time
Marble It Up! Ultra can trace its lineage all the way to the classic Marble Blast titles from the turn of the century. A sequel to Marble It Up!, this new entry follows the old adage of "bigger is better" by expanding the amount of content on offer. Marble games normally offer a fairly standard mix of momentum and...
Review Atlas Fallen (PS5) - The Surge Dev's Best Game Yet
Arrakis uprising
While it was The Surge that put Deck13 Interactive's name on the map, it's Atlas Fallen that will henceforth be considered the studio's best game to date. Switching the Souls-like structure of its past titles for a more traditional open world adventure with difficulty options, it boasts of excellent traversal and a fun combat system...
Mini Review VR Skater (PSVR2) - Practice Makes Perfect in Challenging Skateboard Sim
Virtually a superman
VR Skater is tough. This PSVR2 skateboarding game's unique controls produce some seriously cool first-person action, but in our experience, it takes some time and effort to find the fun. While patience and practice is required, the result is a super satisfying skateboarding experience. Essentially, you skate with your arms...
Subscribe to Push Square on YouTube150k Watch on YouTube Mini Review The Room VR: A Dark Matter (PSVR2) - Exquisite VR Escape Room Beckons You to the Past
Pricey but nice
Escape rooms are a great fit for VR. You can craft fantastical scenarios and achieve more convincing environments, all while allowing the experience to take place at home. And this is an idea developer Fireproof Games has taken to heart, as the fifth title in The Room series is VR-only. The Room VR: A Dark Matter was previously...
Mini Review Venba (PS5) - A Moving Tale of Love, Loss, Family, and Food
The Venba bus is coming
Venba is a delightful video game. What it accomplishes in a little over an hour is impressive, both in terms of introducing and authentically portraying a culture that most Western gamers will have limited familiarity with, and in presenting a moving story of love, loss, family, and the important role that food plays in tying...
Mini Review LISA: Definitive Edition (PS5) - Joyful and Painful in Equal Measure
It’s the end of the world as we know it
LISA: Definitive Edition is the updated collection of LISA: The Painful, originally released in 2014 via RPG Maker, and its sequel, LISA: The Joyful. These new releases are extended with new quests, bosses, and secrets. There’s even a new difficulty mode alongside Normal and Painful; Painless, for those...
More than token replaya-Billy-ty
Speaking to Push Square during Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons' July 2023 release, developer Secret Base's Raymond Teo described adding highly replayable roguelite elements to create a brawler with an ingenious way of counteracting the beat-'em-up genre's innate repetitiveness. It takes just under two...
Review Remnant II (PS5) - Dark Souls with Guns Still Has Room to Grow
Ashes tests
For every sequel that manages to pull an Assassin's Creed II, there are many more that almost make it. Whether it's a result of not quite realising a project's full potential or introducing issues the original never had, these games are just as enjoyable as they are disappointing. Remnant II, a follow-up to the unexpectedly good Remnant:...
Review Exoprimal (PS5) - One of the Most Promising Online Co-Op Shooters in Eons
Jurassic spark
Capcom has been searching for a successful online shooter of its own for quite some time, and its catalogue is littered with misfires like Umbrella Corps and Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City as a result. Exoprimal is the closest it’s come yet, delivering a breathless blend of hero shooter and horde mode that’s underlined by...
Mini Review Viewfinder (PS5) - Unique Puzzler Is a Snapshot of Great Puzzling Potential
Let's see how this develops
Viewfinder is a first-person puzzle game that challenges your perception with a brilliant core mechanic. Essentially, you can apply a z-axis to two-dimensional images, stamping them into 3D space and letting you walk into them. Initially you only have particular pictures with which to reach the goal of each stage, but...
Review Oxenfree II: Lost Signals (PS5) - Solid Sequel Feels Finely Tuned
Stranger pings
Generally put on a pedestal and welcomed by all, new IPs are what keep the gaming industry fresh. While other publishers create sequel after sequel, it's those new experiences — particularly in the indie space — that start to live longer in the memory. Night School Studio managed something memorable with 2016's Oxenfree, but what...
Review Trails into Reverie (PS5) - Action-Packed Epilogue Is a Brilliantly In-Depth RPG
Everybody's here
Trails into Reverie is essentially an epilogue to the Trails of Cold Steel series. It brings every character — and we mean every character — back for one last hurrah as yet another threat casts a shadow over the continent of Zemuria. Just to get it out of the way: if you haven't played through the four Cold Steel games, as well...
Mini Review Gylt (PS5) - Ex-Google Stadia Exclusive Is Serviceable Survival Horror
Innocent until proven Gylty
Finally freed from the purgatory of Google Stadia exclusivity, Gylt is a title from RiME developer Tequila Works. While that previous adventure takes the brunt of its influence from titles like Zelda, Gylt veers in a decidedly scarier direction. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Silent Hill, Gylt is a solid title...
Review Rogue Legacy 2 (PS5) - A Worthy Heir to the Rogue-Lite Throne
Following footsteps
For many, Rogue Legacy's more tangible sense of progression elevated it above other titles in the rogue-like indie boom. Pioneering the rogue-lite some 10 years ago, the first game was a very stern challenge, but one that you'd eventually overcome thanks to meaningful, permanent upgrades. The loop of running through the game,...
Review Aliens: Dark Descent (PS5) - An Express Elevator to Hell Fans Won't Want to Miss
This time it's war
Aliens: Dark Descent captures the sense of terror and claustrophobia made famous by the legendary horror franchise to which it belongs, despite being a tactical strategy game played from an isometric perspective. It alternates between intense tension, explosive action, and contemplative strategy, occasionally undercut by a...
Mini Review Synapse (PSVR2) - Some Incredible Gameplay But Not Enough Content
Make it Synapsey
While Fracked, the last title from nDreams, wasn’t flawless, it had great gameplay and a lot of style. And that’s largely what you’re going to get from Synapse, a rogue-lite shooter where you have to break into a mind to steal memories. Rogue-lites are all about incremental improvement. You have to walk, so that eventually...
Mini Review Sonic Origins Plus (PS5) - The Wrong Library of Games to Bring Back
The Game Gear should be remembered, not celebrated
As much as it's good to have access to older games on current platforms, the new content that Sonic Origins Plus brings only reminds us how poor quality the SEGA handheld library was compared to its home console offerings. The original Sonic the Hedgehog games are great, and Sonic Origins is worth...
Review AEW: Fight Forever (PS5) - A Superkick Party Pooper Fit for Elite Fans Only
Meh-EW
It’s been close to three years since All Elite Wrestling’s first video game was officially announced. Many performers within the company itself have long extolled the virtues of 90’s wrestling video game royalty – and in particular, WWF No Mercy – even going so far as to position AEW: Fight Forever as something of a homage. But with...
Review C-Smash VRS (PSVR2) - Squashed Potential
Get ready to serve... if you've got the space
In a comeback that no one really saw coming, SEGA’s arcade Cosmic Smash series has made the jump to the modern age, with a fully reworked and rebranded PSVR2 title. C-Smash VRS will thrust players into a minimalistic world to play games of squash in virtual reality. On paper it might not sound like it...
It's Life Is Strange, Jim, but not as we know it
On paper, Life Is Strange developer Don't Nod pivoting to the visual novel genre makes sense given its penchant for twisting, choice-based narratives. In practice, Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is an underwhelming first foray into the space, lacking the world-building necessary to truly sell a story...
Review Crash Team Rumble (PS5) - A Pleasant Surprise That Might Not Last Very Long
It's about time... limited rewards
When Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time fans were daydreaming of what would follow the former PlayStation mascot's platforming return, we can't imagine an online multiplayer game with a Battle Pass ranked very high on their wishlist. Fast forward almost three years, though, and Crash Team Rumble makes emotes and...
Mini Review Dr Fetus' Mean Meat Machine (PS5) - A Brutal Match-Four Puzzler Lacking in Meaty Content
All skin and bones
Dr Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine is a Super Meat Boy spin-off title from Team Meat, taking a well-known match-four mobile puzzler, similar to the likes of Puyo Puyo, Tetris, and Dr Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine and adding it’s own saw-blade spin to the genre. You’ll be aiding the titular Dr Fetus in his mission to recreate the...
Review Final Fantasy 16 (PS5) - Final Fantasy's Triumphant Return to the Top
Flames of Rebirth
Final Fantasy 16 is the furthest the mainline series has ever strayed from its traditional RPG roots. It's more of an action game with RPG elements bolted on than it is an RPG with action combat, but at the same time, it boasts all of the ingredients that we associate with the greatest Final Fantasy titles. Its character-driven...
