Latest Soapbox

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  • Soapbox PS5's Pad Has Made All Other Controllers Feel Ancient

    Haptic feedback

    At the time of writing this, I’m playing Cyberpunk 2077, and besides all its other issues – and there are lots of them – one thing that’s bothering me is its lack of DualSense support. Obviously this is a PlayStation 4 game so I never expected it to take advantage of the PlayStation 5 pad, but here me out here: it’s hard to...

  • Soapbox I Can't Keep Up with Service Games

    Let it go

    The way we play games is changing – or, at least, the way I play games is changing. Historically, I’ve always been a one-and-done player; from my collection of favourites, it’s only really the Shenmue saga that I’ve revisited multiple times. And, strangely, GUN – I’ve beaten the PlayStation 2 Western at least half-a-dozen times...

  • Soapbox Did You Enjoy Astro's Playroom? Don't Skip Astro Bot Rescue Mission

    PSVR platformer is top-notch

    I remember, vividly, the review process for Astro Bot’s Rescue Mission. There were certain segments of the media, bound by embargo, who were bursting to talk about the PlayStation VR game. I actually recall one critic – I apologise, I can’t remember who – comparing the title on Twitter to Super Mario 64, in terms...

  • Soapbox Rainbow Six: Siege Is My Favorite Shooter of All Time and I Hate It

    A wretched hive of scum and villainy

    The Push Square PlayStation 5 review of Rainbow Six: Siege went through quite a few changes. Originally a monstrously large article, the word count was trimmed by scaling back the amount of time I spent focusing on the game’s problems with cheating and toxicity. But I still have more to say on the subject. And...

  • Soapbox I'm Really Enjoying Cyberpunk 2077

    Sammy wants to acknowledge the game's merits

    Potentially controversial counterpoint: Cyberpunk 2077 is a very good game that’s been almost entirely undone by CD Projekt RED’s decision to push it out of the door prematurely. Seeing the game delisted from the PS Store overnight – after a sh*tstorm that somehow stinks more than Fallout 76 and...

  • Soapbox PS5 Pricing Is Setting Releases Like Returnal Up to Fail

    Sammy thinks Housemarque is being done dirty

    I’m really looking forward to playing Returnal. I, like everyone at Push Square Towers, have been a long-time admirer of Housemarque and the kind of games it makes. Super Stardust HD was one of my favourite PlayStation 3 games, and I’d rate both Resogun and Nex Machina as must-play titles on the...

  • Soapbox Help! I Spent Money on Ultimate Team, and I'm Afraid I'll Do It Again

    Player power

    Confession: I play a lot of sports games, and I like Ultimate Team. There, I said it. Whether it’s building a roster of sluggers in MLB The Show 20’s devilishly addictive Diamond Dynasty or developing a dream team in NBA 2K21’s massive MyTeam, the card collecting modes remind me of my childhood, when I spent most of my time on the...

  • Soapbox The Conversation About Games Moves Too Quickly

    Do you find it hard to keep up?

    Let's start this feature on a positive note: for the last decade or so, video game fans have had an embarrassment of riches. If you were to name a year, it will almost certainly have seen the release of at least a couple of fantastic games. That's true on PlayStation platforms, but it's even more so if you consider...

  • Soapbox I've Missed the Feeling of Having a Backlog

    Liam's overwhelmed and loving it

    I'm in a rather unique and extremely lucky position where it's my full-time job to cover and play games. As such, rarely does a day go by where I have don't have a handful of hours to invest in the latest PlayStation game each evening, and even into the early hours of the morning on the odd occasion. That's a...

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  • Soapbox Cyberpunk 2077 and the Question of Fast Travel

    It's all about the journey

    In the lead-up to Cyberpunk 2077, I've been revisiting The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt during a quiet period in-between PlayStation 4 releases. I already played the game upon its 2015 launch, but five years later, my appreciation for CD Projekt Red's mammoth RPG has only strengthened thanks to some truly incredible quest design...

  • Soapbox PS5 Will Be Sold on the Strength of Its Sequels

    And that's a good thing

    This industry craves new intellectual property at every opportunity, but I believe the PlayStation 5 will be sold on the strength of its sequels. Sony has been excellent at re-imagining its roster of franchises every generation: Naughty Dog famously ditched Jak & Daxter in favour of Uncharted; Sucker Punch moved away from...

  • Soapbox Sony Needs to Share a PS5 Roadmap

    Worst timeline

    I really don’t think the communication surrounding the PlayStation 5 has been as bad as some enthusiast forums would lead you to believe, but it’s obvious there’s a lot we still need to learn about Sony’s next-gen system. Coronavirus has, in my opinion, turned the industry upside-down – but the manufacturer’s had a few...

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