Timeline
Wednesday1st Jan 2025
Game of the Year #1 - Astro Bot
Astro-nomical
Since we began running Game of the Year awards on Push Square, we've rarely, if ever, had such a clear-cut winner as Astro Bot. With about two thirds more votes than second place in our top 10, PS5's delightful exclusive platformer has won the hearts of fans and critics alike to come out comfortably on top. It's easy to understand...
Feature Happy New Year from the Push Square Team
Our mission statement for the months ahead
And just like that, it’s 2025! Wait, what? Wasn’t it, like, 2009 a couple of weeks ago? Where does the time go, eh? Firstly, on this newest of new years we’d like to wish you and your loved ones a prosperous 2025 and beyond. It feels like we’re replaying an old record, but we indeed live in...
Tuesday31st Dec 2024
Feature Our PS5 Predictions for 2024 - Results Revealed
Can you predict who did best?
We've made it to the end of 2024, so now is a perfect time to reflect on the last 12 months. As always, we made some predictions way back in January, and so now we must look to see which of them came true, and which were a load of rubbish. Editor Sammy Barker and assistant editor Liam Croft came joint first for 2023,...
Game of the Year Best PS5 Developer of 2024
Industry leaders
Alongside our Game of the Year top 10 list and personal picks from the Push Square editorial team, we are recognising the best PS5 games of 2024 in select categories. Today is the turn of the best PS5 developer of 2024. Bronze Trophy: Team Asobi (Astro Bot): After honing its already magnificent platforming craft in Astro Bot...
Game of the Year #2 - Metaphor: ReFantazio
From the heart
Making a game that feels genuinely unique only gets harder as time goes on. And while Metaphor: ReFantazio borrows a lot of ideas from Atlus' other properties, it provides a brilliantly unique fantasy adventure through its intriguing world, colorful characters, stellar art direction, and booming orchestral soundtrack. This is an...
The grift that keeps on giving
Naughty Dog has, for some reason, become an enemy of the Internet – or at least a vocal contingent of social media users. Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet has been attacked unprecedently, despite us knowing very little about the project. And now Stellar Blade developer Shift Up has had to speak out in support of...
News GTA 6 Fans Are Obsessed with a Better Version of the PS5 Game's First Trailer
As the wait for more info rumbles on
Unsurprisingly, there was no new GTA 6 trailer on 27th December as some fans had convinced themselves would be the case. Officially, the title’s still on course for a 2025 release date, however, so enthusiasts are driving themselves wild trying to find as much information as possible. One discovery that’s...
Game of the Year Sammy's Top 5 PS5 Games of 2024
Would you Adam and Eve it
Our individual Game of the Year articles allow our lovely team of writers and editors to share their own personal PS5 picks for 2024. Today, it's the turn of editor Sammy Barker. 5: Astro Bot: I was an extremely early advocate for Astro Bot, and I’m never going to let that lie. Regular readers will know I campaigned...
News Squid Game Reaches Critical Mass with Playful Call of Duty Crossover
"The game will not end unless the world changes"
You know something has truly entered the mainstream when it arrives as a limited-time Call of Duty event. Such is the case with Squid Game, the Korean smash-hit on Netflix released in 2021. With Season 2 now streaming, it was only a matter of time before the survival dystopian thriller would come to
News Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Just Keeps on Getting Bigger
"The volume increased by itself"
We've been noting with increasing alarm the leviathan developer RGG Studios appears to have on its hands with the upcoming Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, out 21st February on PS5. In October, the developer suggested that the game would be quite a bit longer than the recent Kiryu spinoff, The Man Who Erased...
News Unfazed by Concord, Sony Doubles Down on Exploring Service Games
One of these bets has to pay off
Of all the wild stories that crossed our desk in 2024, Concord's chaotic launch and subsequent removal from history after just two weeks stand out. We may never know how much money Firewalk Studios and Sony ultimately sunk into the project (certainly far too much). Still, the days of a first-party multiplayer release...
News Expect PS Portal's Glacial Rollout of New Features to Continue
Sony will "make incremental steps based on community reception"
The PlayStation Portal is perhaps Sony's most unlikely success in recent memory. Since one joined the family, we can certainly attest to spending even more time playing games. A year after launch,
News Conspiratorial Marvel Rivals Report Suggests Bots in Quickplay Always Part of the Plan
Add bots, ???, profit
Marvel Rivals is just about the hottest free-to-play game short of the eternal Fortnite right now, drawing over 20 million players in just two weeks, and developer NetEase must move quickly to retain them. According to a fairly conspiratorial report, bots are allegedly being added to Quickplay matches, on the down low, to make...
Monday30th Dec 2024
Game of the Year Best PS5 DLC of 2024
More, more, more
Alongside our Game of the Year top 10 list and personal picks from the Push Square editorial team, we are recognising the best PS5 games of 2024 in select categories. Today is the turn of the best PS5 DLC of 2024. Bronze Trophy: Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred: Particularly on the live-service side of the games industry, expansions...
Game of the Year #3 - Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Double dragon
It’s no secret we’ve always had a soft spot for the Yakuza franchise here at Push Square; it’s a perennial favourite across our entire editorial team, with some of us even campaigning for the localisation of Yakuza 5 during that low-period, where SEGA relied on Sony to bring the PS3 game overseas. Fortunately, the franchise has...
News Slice of Life Rhythm Romance Afterlove EP Presses Play on Valentine's Day for PS5
Live from Jakarta
The final project from the late Coffee Talk creator Mohammad Fahmi has made a date with Valentine’s Day, as slice of life rhythm adventure game Afterlove EP will launch for PS5 on 14th February. The game – set in Jakarta, Indonesia – will depict the difficulties of a young musician, struggling to move on with his life after...
News SNK's New KOF Studio Will Revolutionise the Legacy of Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown, More
"The dream match never ends"
SNK has named an internal development unit KOF Studio, and tasked it with “revolutionising” the legacy of its storied fighting game franchises. Said series include the likes of King of Fighters (of course), Samurai Shodown, and Fatal Fury. “SNK fighting games have thrilled and delighted fans worldwide ever since...
News Sony Says The Last of Us 2 Can Be Considered a Holiday Season Classic
Move over, Die Hard
While Naughty Dog's incredible follow-up, The Last of Us Part II, mostly stands out in our minds for the intensely violent nature of some of its more fraught scenes, PlayStation (and, by extension, Sony) thinks it could make for a pretty decent holiday season IP, provided you squint hard enough. On X, the official PlayStation...
News Nomura Known as 'Demon King of Retakes' During Final Fantasy 7 Dev
"I stuck my nose into everyone's work there"
Considered one of the best games ever made, 1997's seminal Final Fantasy VII wouldn't be nearly the legendary title it's considered today if not for the exacting standards of director Tetsuya Nomura. Nomura even earned himself the sobriquet "Demon King of retakes" during development, so notorious was he...
News EA Shot Down Creators' Dead Space 4 Pitch in 2024
Sequel to established franchise considered too risky
Dead Space is undoubtedly one of the best horror franchises in gaming, with an excellent remake of the original reminding us of that fact in 2023. In a highly telling reveal, however, original creators Christopher Stone, Bret Robbins, and Glen Schofield (recently of Striking
News Final Fantasy Devs React to Clive's Revealing Tekken Crossover Outfit
Final Fantasy XVI star strips down
In a fun meeting of the minds, Final Fantasy XVI developers have reacted to a surprisingly stripped-down Tekken 8 skin for protagonist Clive, with the RPG star having now joined the roster of the latest entry in the legendary fighting franchise. In a short clip posted to X by streamer Aitaikimochi, Final Fantasy...
News NieR: Automata Just Keeps Winning, Passes 9 Million Copies Sold Mark
Conventional wisdom: defied
PlatinumGame's once cult-hit NieR: Automata has, since releasing in 2017, become a commercial success, in any way you cut it. Still fondly remembered and with no sequel or successor in sight, publisher Square Enix has revealed that the philosophical action game has passed the impressive 9 million copies sold mark...
Sunday29th Dec 2024
Game of the Year Best PS5 Remake or Remaster of 2024
Nostalgia play
Alongside our Game of the Year top 10 list and personal picks from the Push Square editorial team, we are recognising the best PS5 games of 2024 in select categories. Today is the turn of the best PS5 remake or remaster of 2024. Bronze Trophy: Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered: Nobody wanted it when the project was rumoured, but the...
Game of the Year #4 - Stellar Blade
Make bel-Eve
Those familiar with Shift Up’s work on the titillating but ultimately top-notch smartphone shooter NIKKE: Goddess of Victory would never have doubted Stellar Blade. The mobile game has sharp arcade gameplay, an earworm soundtrack, and an abundance of style – many of the qualities replicated in the Korean dev’s debut console...
Game of the Year Aaron's Top 5 PS5 Games of 2024
Spreading democracy with friends
Our individual Game of the Year articles allow our lovely team of writers and editors to share their own personal PS5 picks for 2024. Today, it's the turn of video producer Aaron Bayne. 5: Metro Awakening: After forging some colourful zombie mayhem, VR developer Vertigo Games upped the ante with Metro Awakening,...
News PS Portal Owners Spend More Time Playing PS5, Says Sony
Play has no limits
PS Portal was roundly panned by the enthusiast PlayStation fanbase when it was announced, but it’s clear that as the peripheral has established itself, it’s turned out to be an enormous success. The streaming device has dominated Circana’s accessory sales charts all year long, beating out similarly priced hardware like the...
News Sony Promises It Hasn't Abandoned the Famous Franchises from Its Past
"We are continually looking at opportunities"
While the history of PlayStation has always been about its continuous reinvention from generation to generation, some enthusiasts have taken umbridge with the platform holder’s apparent reluctance to revisit franchises from its past. This discourse peaked during around the release of Astro Bot; while...
But future entries probably won't be exclusives
For some reason, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has been painted as a spectacular sales failure by both the media and fans. As far as we can tell, a chunk of this narrative stems from Square Enix’s reluctance to provide sales updates on the title, but we suspect there’s also bitterness from those who feel...
Saturday28th Dec 2024
Game of the Year Best PS5 Story Game of 2024
Proper page-turners
Alongside our Game of the Year top 10 list and personal picks from the Push Square editorial team, we are recognising the best PS5 games of 2024 in select categories. Today is the turn of the best PS5 story game of 2024. Bronze Trophy: Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden: The original Life Is Strange developer DON'T NOD i
Aced it
Against all odds, a roguelike card game from a solo developer has made it into this year's Game of the Year conversation. Even securing a nomination for the top gong at The Game Awards, Balatro is holding its own among much larger scale projects, and for the millions who've played it, this will come as little surprise. At a base level,...
The eternal land awaits
Need sobering up after a late night of New Year festivities? HoYoverse should have the goods, as it reveals Honkai: Star Rail’s next major destination, Amphoreus. A livestream, named Paean of Nova Era, will air on 1st January. The life of a gacha game is filled with regular updates, but every year or so, titles receive...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 561
Saturday, Sunday, funday
Christmas is over but the New Year is upon us, and we're crossing everything hoping 2025 is a much better one! Here's what we're playing on this final weekend of 2024. Echo Apsey: I'm currently wrapping up my backlog of games before I decide on my top 10 games of the year, specifically finishing the fascinating Ultros and...
Friday27th Dec 2024
Game of the Year Best PS5 RPG of 2024
Critical success
Alongside our Game of the Year top 10 list and personal picks from the Push Square editorial team, we are recognising the best PS5 games of 2024 in select categories. Today is the turn of the best PS5 RPG of 2024. Bronze Trophy: Unicorn Overlord: Unicorn Overlord is another banger from the supremely talented developer that is...
News Viral Horror Hit The Exit 8 Is Being Adapted into a Movie, and It Looks Spot On
Watch the teaser trailer
The Exit 8, an eerie, cult hit, indie walking sim, is being turned into a film. In the works at Japanese movie studio Toho, the film is due to arrive in theatres in 2025. The teaser trailer, which we've embedded above, gives you a taster of how the adaptation is looking, and it's pitch perfect in terms of the aesthetic and...
Game of the Year #6 - Silent Hill 2
In my restless dream, I see that remake
The idea of a remake of PS2 all-timer Silent Hill 2 is one that we were admittedly a little nervous about. Bloober Team hadn’t quite managed to prove itself with its previous outings, so tackling a remake for what is widely regarded as one of the best horror games ever made wasn’t exactly a safe bet...
News STALKER 2 Dev Says There's No Current Plans for PS5
STALK this way
We know STALKER 2 is a timed console exclusive for Xbox Series X|S, and leaked documents confirmed the duration of that deal was just three months. With the title having officially launched on 20th November, that means a PS5 version could technically emerge as early as 20th February – but it doesn’t sound like GSC Game World will...
Game of the Year Robert's Top 5 PS5 Games of 2024
Life is just a ReFantasy
Our individual Game of the Year articles allow our lovely team of writers and editors to share their own personal PS5 picks for 2024. Today, it's the turn of assistant editor Robert Ramsey. 5. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth: Look, I wasn't totally sold on Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The series' pivot to turn-based RPG-ing...
News Lovely Live Service Infinity Nikki's First Major PS5 Update Approaches
Wish upon a shooting star
If Infinity Nikki is your first live service gacha game, then welcome, the work never ends. While you may still be making your way through the initial eight chapters of the main storyline, the release’s first major update is close, and scheduled to release on 30th December. There’s a ton to get through here, so let’s...
Thursday26th Dec 2024
Game of the Year Best PSVR2 Game of 2024
Headset highlights
Alongside our Game of the Year top 10 list and personal picks from the Push Square editorial team, we are recognising the best PS5 games of 2024 in select categories. Today is the turn of the best PSVR2 game of 2024. Bronze Trophy: Trombone Champ: Unflattened: For anyone who didn't quite realise their ambitions of becoming a...
Game of the Year #7 - Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
VII Heaven
While we're still not massively keen on Square Enix's decision to split a once 40-hour classic into three relatively huge releases, we simply can't ignore how much effort was poured into Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Final Fantasy 7 Remake felt like it set the stage for a bigger and better sequel — and that's pretty much what we got. Away...
Game of the Year Khayl's Top 5 PS5 Games of 2024
Every Cloud
Our individual Game of the Year articles allow our lovely team of writers and editors to share their own personal PS5 picks for 2024. Today, it's the turn of news reporter Khayl Adam. 5: Dragon's Dogma 2: I wanted to like the first Dragon's Dogma, but I came to it too late and struggled with its technical performance. With Dragon's...
Wednesday25th Dec 2024
Review Infinity Nikki (PS5) - Impeccably Presented Fashion Sim Is an Open World Essential
Breath of the styles
The long-running Nikki series – not to be confused with Stellar Blade dev Shift Up’s saucy mobile shooter NIKKE: Goddess of Victory – has been styling smartphones across various iterations for several years. This version, available on console for the first time and introducing an enormous whimsical open world, is by far...
Quiz Push Square's PlayStation Quiz of the Year 2024
Test yourself on 2024's biggest and weirdest stories
Right, come on, you've had your Christmas Day fun, now it's time for a real test of knowledge. Pop some headphones on to block out Aunty Margaret's carolling, force another mince pie into your overstuffed belly, and put down that fortune-telling red fish thing you got in your cracker — it's quiz...
Feature We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Compliments of the season to you
It’s been a difficult year for the games industry, but the software has been flowing as strongly as ever. At times, we’ve all struggled to keep up with the veritable array of titles available for the PS5, and we’re sure many of you feel much the same. The thing that makes running Push Square such a pleasure is...
Tuesday24th Dec 2024
Game of the Year Best PS5 Indie Game of 2024
Independent leaders
Alongside our Game of the Year top 10 list and personal picks from the Push Square editorial team, we are recognising the best PS5 games of 2024 in select categories. Today is the turn of the best PS5 indie game of 2024. Bronze Trophy: Crypt Custodian: What if instead of going to heaven when you die, you're instead instructed...
Opinion Thank Goodness You're Here! Is Easily 2024's Funniest Game
Barnstormer
Amid all the Game of the Year conversations, we wanted to highlight a title that really managed to stand out in 2024 — a release so different to basically everything else that launched over the last 12 months. Thank Goodness You're Here! resonated with two of Push Square's editorial team in particular: assistant editors Robert Ramsey...
Game of the Year #8 - Dragon's Dogma 2
Top Dogma
When you think of adventure in video games — the immersion that comes with exploring unknown lands and locations — there are plenty of open world games that fit the bill. But we'd argue that very few of those games nail that sense of journey and subsequent discovery quite like Dragon's Dogma 2. This sequel was a long time coming, and...
News It's Choo-Choo-True! Thomas the Tank Engine Is Coming to Train Sim World 5 on PS5, PS4
Narrative-based experience on the way
What good is a railway sim without Thomas and Friends? Well, to be fair, we’d never actually considered the Mattel franchise coming to Train Sim World 5, but that’s exactly what developer Dovetail is plotting for the new year. This slightly different add-on pack will be a narrative-based experience...
News Wuthering Waves Is Releasing on PS5 At the Perfect Moment
Huge content drop to coincide with console launch
Wuthering Waves may look and sound a lot like Genshin Impact, but it’s stronger than the long-running HoYoverse favourite in a number of areas. The character action combat, in our opinion, is vastly superior – and the release has a pretty cool system where you absorb animals from around the world...
Game of the Year Liam's Top 5 PS5 Games of 2024
Silent night
Our individual Game of the Year articles allow our lovely team of writers and editors to share their own personal PS5 picks for 2024. Today, it's the turn of assistant editor Liam Croft. 5. Astro Bot: While it didn’t land with me quite as much as it did with the rest of the PlayStation audience, Astro Bot is still easily one of my...