Latest Features
Preview Sand Land Could Be a Surprise PS5 Hit, But the Grind Has to Be Good
Demonic influence
Sand Land, the open world adaptation of Akira Toriyama's standalone manga, has real potential. And honestly, that surprised us, because we had this game (perhaps unfairly) tagged as another somewhat underwhelming Bandai Namco tie-in. But now, having played through several hours of the adventure ourselves, we think this could be one...
Preview MechWarrior 5: Clans Wants to Make the Hardcore Series More Accessible Than Ever on PS5
Mech it happen
Targeting a PS5 release at some point this year, MechWarrior 5: Clans has a clear goal in mind: to expand its audience beyond the hardcore fans of this long-running series. Indeed, MechWarrior has always been a fairly demanding franchise — which has largely stuck to PC — but Clans is built to be the most accessible entry to date...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Dragon's Dogma 2?
Rock the dragon
Dragon's Dogma 2 dropped to impressively high review scores last month, earning Capcom yet another hit with critics — but now that it's been out for a little while, we want to know what you think of this open world RPG. Indeed, player opinion seems to be a bit more divided, although we're well aware that some people have been...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Rise of the Ronin?
On the rise
Rise of the Ronin has been out for just over a week now, and so we want to know what you think of Team Ninja's open world action RPG. Published by Sony itself, this PS5 exclusive was met with somewhat divided reviews, and so currently sits at a 76 on Metacritic. User impressions have been more lenient overall, but it's still hard to...
Guide Upcoming PS5 Games for April and May 2024
Stellar Blade! Dragon Ball! System Shock!
On the hunt for some shiny new games for your PS5? Well, you're certainly in the right place! As always, we've been busy putting together a list of some particularly noteworthy physical releases headed to PlayStation 5 over the next few weeks, as well as a larger selection of games that could well be worth...
Poll Are You Happy with Your PS Plus Essential Games for April 2024?
Plus or minus?
April's PS Plus Essential games have been officially announced, and as per usual, we're looking at three titles spread across PS5 and PS4. At a glance, however, we're tempted to say that this is one of the weaker months in recent memory. We start with Immortals of Aveum. A decent game by almost all accounts, but this magical shooter...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 522
Happy Easter
We hope everyone had a Good Friday, but we're now into the weekend proper. There have been lots of big games lately, so we assume those are still very much front and centre, but then there's the Stellar Blade demo to keep you busy, too. Lots to play as usual — what will accompany your chocolate egg feast? Aaron Bayne: After being...
Poll Are You Playing the Stellar Blade Demo?
Live by the blade
Out now on PS5, the Stellar Blade demo offers up the first hour-and-a-bit of the Sony-published action title. As its April release date nears, it feels like anticipation for this flashy action game is at an all-time high — and first impressions have been positive pretty much across the board. "This feels like the type of game...
Hands On Dragon's Dogma 2 Update Improves Frame Rate on PS5 at the Cost of Ray Tracing
30fps option feels pointless, though
Dragon's Dogma 2 has been blessed with some notable improvements via its first post-launch update. With patch 1.050, Capcom has implemented several graphics settings on PS5, and we're happy to report that the open world RPG has taken a decent step in the right direction. To start with, let's go over the options...
Preview Stellar Blade Is the PS5 Exclusive Enthusiasts Have Been Praying For
Finally some good f*cking food
If you were raised on a diet of Japan Studio oddities and quirky PlayStation published exclusives, then Stellar Blade is the game you’ve been praying for. Developed by Korean studio Shift Up – the infamous outfit behind the wildly popular smartphone shooter NIKKE: Goddess of Victory – this single player PS5...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Unicorn Overlord?
Far from over(lord)
We're a bit late with this one, but we still want to know your thoughts on one of this month's best games. We are, of course, talking about Unicorn Overlord — the strategy RPG from Vanillaware. The title was always going to be somewhat niche in terms of appeal, but those who have played it will know how finely crafted an...
Talking Point How Do You Feel About the PS5 Pro?
Pro strats
Although it's yet to be officially announced, we all know that the PS5 Pro is real, and it's likely dropping later this year. A mid-gen upgrade on the PS5, Sony will probably position the refreshed console as another premium product — something that it's been doing throughout the generation so far, with stuff like PS Portal and the...
Poll Are You Playing Rise of the Ronin?
Rise up
The latest game from Nioh studio Team Ninja, Rise of the Ronin is a PS5 exclusive, complete with Sony's backing. While it does continue the developer's run of creating challenging action RPGs, Ronin is set within a sprawling open world — which is a first for the team. Critic reviews have been slightly mixed. In our own Rise of the Ronin...
Poll Are You Playing Dragon's Dogma 2?
Take heart
It's finally here. 12 years after the release of the original Dragon's Dogma, Capcom has launched Dragon's Dogma 2. A much larger sequel built with a budget that probably dwarfs its predecessor's, the action RPG has been met with incredibly positive reviews — but it's also taking a beating over poor technical performance and its...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 521
Rise up
A big week of new releases featuring Rise of the Ronin, Dragon's Dogma 2, and more has come to a conclusion. Which of these titles is taking up your time, then? Aaron Bayne: I'm hoping to sink a decent amount of time into Dragon's Dogma 2 this weekend, but on top of that, Rise of the Ronin has put me in the mood to play — Ghost of...
Gallery Stunning Ukiyo-e Rise of the Ronin Mural Unveiled to Commemorate PS5 Release
Roamin' into the world of Ronin
Rise of the Ronin, the latest tentpole PS5 console exclusive from legendary Japanese developer Team Ninja, has been subject to a colossal marketing push in Asia, where posters and billboards have been spotted around cities such as Taipei for several weeks now. That’s all culminated in an Edo period art exhibition in...
Poll Are You Playing Hi-Fi Rush?
What a rush
Originally an Xbox (and PC) exclusive, wacky action title Hi-Fi Rush is now available on PS5. This tune-infused brawler was one of the highest rated releases of 2023 — and so we're eager to learn if you're jumping in for the first time. We gave the game an 'excellent' 9/10 in our Hi-Fi Rush PS5 review, adding our own hearty...
Poll Are You Happy with Your PS Plus Extra, Premium Games for March 2024?
Plus or minus?
A glut of additional PS5 and PS4 games are coming to PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium this week, and as is usually the case, there's a lot of variety on show. March's update, which consists of 13 titles across the two tiers, has everything from sports sim NBA 2K24 to ultra-niche Super Neptunia RPG. From where we're sitting, Extra...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 520
The calm before the storm?
Finally, there's a minor break in the busy release schedule. But don't worry! Rise of the Ronin and Dragon's Dogma 2 will both release later this month. You are on top of your backlog, aren't you? Aaron Bayne: While I continue on my Sekiro playthrough, my main title of the weekend will be The Finals, which just launched...
Preview TopSpin 2K25 Might Be Worth the 13-Year Wait
We (40) Love this game
It’s been over a decade since we last smashed a killer serve in the TopSpin series, but 2024 will see the confident re-debut of TopSpin 2K25. This is a bombastic return that easily stands alongside its 2K brethren with a flashy, fun, and packed experience that has steadily become our most anticipated sports title of 2024 —...
Preview Rise of the Ronin Shows Promise, But It's No Showstopper Yet
Our thoughts after four hours of play
After honing its craft across the Ninja Gaiden series, two Nioh games, and the recent Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, you can hardly call Rise of the Ronin a coming-out party for Team Ninja. This is a vastly experienced developer that knows what it's doing, and has done so to good success for almost 30 years. The...
Guide Best Final Fantasy Games
All Final Fantasy games ranked
What are the best Final Fantasy games? It's a tough question, and not one that we'd like to answer alone. That's why we asked you, the Push Square readers, to rate and rank an entire list of Final Fantasy games. This article is the result of your ratings, with 29 Final Fantasy titles, spanning multiple generations of...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
Buster groove
The second game in Square Enix's new Final Fantasy 7 trilogy, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has been out for just over a week on PS5 — and we want to know what you make of this highly praised sequel. At the time of writing, Rebirth is one of the highest rated Final Fantasy titles ever released (according to critics), so we're super...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 519
You know the drill
With Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth already out, the busy release season is pausing for just a short period before Rise of the Ronin and Stellar Blade launch later in the month. Here's what we're playing in the meantime. Jamie O'Neill: Considering that the original Top Gear racing game was released on the SNES back in 1992, I'm...
Poll Are You Playing Unicorn Overlord?
Begin the march
Unicorn Overlord, the new strategy RPG from Dragon's Crown and 13 Sentinels developer Vanillaware, is out now on PS5 and PS4. While it certainly isn't the highest profile release of 2024 so far, there's simply no doubting the talents of the Japanese studio behind it. The game's been picking up some incredibly high scores, with our...
Reaction What Is Happening to the Video Games Industry and Why Are There So Many Layoffs?
The state of play
You could be forgiven for thinking the video game industry is collapsing, and you may be wondering why. Last week, PlayStation announced it was laying off over 900 employees and shutting its long-running London Studio, and it’s not alone. There have been thousands upon thousands of jobs cut across the entire industry, and...
Guide Upcoming PS5 Games for March and April 2024
Resident Evil! Dragon's Dogma! Outcast!
On the hunt for some shiny new games for your PS5? Well, you're in luck! As always, we've been busy putting together a list of some particularly noteworthy physical releases headed to PlayStation 5 over the next few weeks, as well as a larger selection of games that could well be worth a look too. Have a...
Poll Are You Happy with Your PS Plus Essential Games for March 2024?
Plus or minus?
The third month of 2024 is upon, and the PS Plus Essential games for March have been confirmed. There are technically four titles up for grabs from Tuesday next week, and as is usually the case, there's a lot of variety on display. But are you happy with this latest offering? To recap, subscribers can look forward to excellent...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 518
Rebirth
We have a sneaking suspicion we know what many of you will be playing this weekend, but we've never missed an issue of this regularly scheduled feature, and we don't intend to start now. Jamie O'Neill: I plan to show great patience, because I don't want to break the seal on my new steelbook of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth until I've at least...
Poll Are You Still Playing Helldivers 2?
Democracy doesn't sleep
It's been just under a month since Helldivers 2 released on PS5 and PC. The co-op shooter obviously made a huge splash right out of the gate, and positive word of mouth actually saw sales increase post-launch, which is a rarity. But as we all know, interest in live service games can be a fickle thing. We've seen countless...
Poll Are You Playing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
In for Cloudy weather
Well, it's finally here. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is out now on PS5, and the highly anticipated sequel seems to be crashing in on a tidal wave of hype. This is easily the biggest PlayStation release of the year so far, and we want to know if you're joining Cloud and company on this remade adventure. We gave the game a 'great'...
Reaction The Problem with PlayStation Right Now
AAA troubles
PlayStation is in a precarious position. It’s imperative we don’t overreact: the global economy is, for want of a better word, in the gutter right now – and it’s sad to see layoffs occurring across a spectrum of industries, not just gaming. But in the aftermath of a disappointing earnings report and an enormous downsizing...
Feature Attending G-EIGHT, the Indie Convention with an Area for Erotic Games
“We shouldn't shy away from it”
For an event still in its infancy, Taipei-based indie expo G-EIGHT immediately appears accomplished far beyond its years. Its sophomore effort – conducted on the Taipei Expo Park on a sunny weekend in early December – was bustling with enthusiastic attendees, all eager to test drive the latest efforts from...
Video One Year Later, Is PSVR2 Doing Enough?
A year older and none the wiser
The PSVR2 turned one this year, which obviously has us feeling reflective. PlayStation’s latest VR gamble hasn’t really hit it off in the way that many expected, with an anaemic first-party release lineup and a fairly withdrawn line of communication from Sony. But has the PSVR2 really had such a disappointing...
Hands On Unicorn Overlord Has the Potential to Be One of 2024's Best RPGs
Vanillaware doesn't miss
Look, at this point, we're automatically sold on anything Vanillaware does. The Japanese studio has an incredible track record stretching back to the PS2, and although it's an eternity away from being the most well-known developer in the world, there's simply no denying the quality of its output — especially in recent...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 517
Drive to survive
We're now mere days away from the release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, which we suspect is going to dominate WAYP from this point on. Time for one last hurrah before Cloud and crew arrive, then. Aaron Bayne: After sinking roughly 10 hours into it, I'm hoping to seriously spec out my station wagon in Pacific Drive this weekend. It's...
Poll What Do You Think of PSVR2, One Year Later?
This is reality
PSVR2 launched on the 22nd of February 2023, which means that the platform is now officially a year old — and you know what that means! Yep, we want to gather your opinions on Sony's VR device, now that we've all had plenty of time to evaluate its first 12 months on the market. For what it's worth, we think PSVR2 made an...
Feature Indie Publisher Neon Doctrine on the Importance of Culture and Improvements to the PS Store
“It’s every platform holder’s responsibility to create a path for success”
Neon Doctrine’s so-called “ghost computers” immediately caught our attention. Entering the indie publisher’s Neihu-based office in Taipei, we were taken aback by the flurry of activity occurring on its rows of unmanned monitors – especially considering the...
Talking Point Should Sony Be More Transparent About PS5, PS4's Most Played Games?
#Trending
What are the most played games on the PS5 and PS4? We can probably make some educated guesses: you’d expect Fortnite, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and EA Sports FC to be right up there. But we don’t actually know, do we? Aside from its monthly downloadable sales report and an ambiguous trending section on the PS Store, the Japanese...
Poll Are You Happy with Your PS Plus Extra, Premium Games for February 2024?
Plus or minus?
This month's games for PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium have been revealed, with 13 titles being added across the two tiers. We suppose the biggest talking point is that subscribers are getting four Tales games, including the very well received Tales of Arise, which released back in 2021. The inclusion of Assassin's Creed Valhalla...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 516
Witch wrath
Another action-packed week has come to a conclusion, but it doesn't look like many of you will be playing the latest hot release, Skull & Bones. In fact, it's last week's hot new thing Helldivers 2 that's remaining incredibly popular among our team. Aaron Bayne: Another weekend of spreading democracy! Helldivers 2 is just about the...
Poll Are You Playing Skull and Bones?
It's finally here
If you can believe it, Skull and Bones is actually here. The Ubisoft live service project, which had been hit with so many delays over the years, is playable right now on PS5. The question, then, is whether you're eyeing the open waters yourself. At the time of writing, we don't have a Skull and Bones review to pull quotes from...
Reaction Xbox Is Bringing Some Great Games to PS5, But Rumours Will Remain Rampant About What's Next
Redmond firm fails to set out its strategy
More great games are coming to the PS5, and that’s never a bad thing. Microsoft announced during a highly massaged corporate message that it’ll bring four first-party titles to rival systems, although it wouldn’t name any names. Fortunately, the rumours have been so strong that we can surmise...
Round Up Unicorn Overlord Previews Paint a Very Positive Picture of the PS5, PS4 RPG
Vanillaware never misses
New previews for upcoming RPG Unicorn Overlord have landed, and they're very, very positive overall. For those out of the loop, this is the latest project from 13 Sentinels and Dragon's Crown developer Vanillaware, and once again it's diving into something different, this time trying its hand at Fire Emblem-style,...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Helldivers 2?
Hell yeah?
Helldivers 2 has been a bit of a surprise hit for Sony and developer Arrowhead Studios. The game's landed with a genuine bang, pulling a huge number of players across PS5 and PC since its launch last week. The general consensus is that — outside of connection issues — it's a damn good time, especially if you can coax a few friends to...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League?
In for the kill
It's more than fair to say that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has been dividing opinions, and so we're very interested in hearing what you lot have to say about it. A far cry from the Batman-based, single-player shenanigans that put developer Rocksteady on the map, this co-op shooter has been a talking point for quite some...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Persona 3 Reload?
SEES for yourself
A rather stunning remake of a classic PS2 RPG, Persona 3 Reload graced PS5 and PS4 earlier this month. Almost immediately, it became developer Atlus' fastest selling title ever — thanks to strong reviews and a huge marketing campaign. Of course, it also helps that Persona as a brand is more popular than ever these days — still...
Interview Why Stylish PS5 Slasher Slave Zero X Could Be Essential for Fans of Action and 90s Anime
Seeing red
Slave Zero X first caught our eye last year, with a trailer that practically screamed cool 90s anime sh*t. Fortunately, the game was later confirmed for a PS5 and PS4 release (it's coming on the 21st February), and so we simply had to pick the brains of the people behind the project. We asked both publisher Ziggurat Interactive and...
Poll What Do You Think of the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Demo?
Keep Kalm
Released earlier this week, the highly anticipated demo for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth gives us a glimpse of the game's opening chapter, in which Cloud recalls the time he and Sephiroth were sent to investigate the Nibelheim mako reactor. We happen to think it's a pretty strong start to what should be a great sequel, bit as always, it's your...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 515
Dive in
Well, this is something we didn't quite expect: everyone is obsessed with Helldivers 2. Seriously, if you'd told me even three days ago it'd outmuscle Suicide Squad, I never would have believed you. And yet, here we are. Aaron Bayne: I'm squadding up this weekend in Helldivers 2, which has already proven itself to be a lot of fun. It's...
