Elements from Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Could Inform Future Avatar Films | Push Square

We've had no official word on a PS5 Pro, but that hasn't stopped rumours about a souped-up model from circulating. Rumblings about a half-step upgrade, much like what happened with PS4 and PS4 Pro, have been doing the rounds for a while now, though nothing substantial has emerged yet. Now, though, new word from Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson suggests we might be hearing more about the machine pretty soon — whether Sony likes it or not.

As is a yearly tradition on the Push Square forums, the Official 2023 Screenshot of the Year Competition is now taking entries! After many years of service (thank you), veteran user @RogerRoger has passed the bat over to @Ralizah, who along with @HallowMoonshadow and @AgentCooper, will judge the finalists in three categories.

While it seems the UK's physical games top 10 is pretty much nailed down through the rest of 2023, one late arrival has added a last minute splash of colour to the picture. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora launched last week, and it's managed to secure a spot within the list of bestsellers at number five. The four games above it would be tough to beat, especially given the time of year.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a game this writer has been waiting a long time for. In many ways, it is the Hogwarts Legacy for fans of big blue folk and vibrant alien worlds. But with that apt comparison and Ubisoft Massive at the helm, does it do enough to stand on its own two feet? Or is it nothing more than a pretty tour through Avatar’s greatest hits? While it certainly is pretty and it does its best to hit those Avatar beats, Frontiers of Pandora actually won us over with one of the most enchanting open-worlds available on PS5.

Embracer Group has made good on its promise, deciding the fate of UK-based TimeSplitters developer Free Radical Design after a consultation process that concluded on 11th December. Or at least we have to assume so, the embattled company hasn't made an announcement or anything; Free Radical's website is simply gone, with a message left behind that reads: «404 Company Not Found [sad smiley face]»

We were lucky enough to spend close to an entire day with Tekken 8 at a recent Bandai Namco press event — and we walked away from the experience thoroughly impressed. We've had high hopes for the long-running series' latest instalment for quite some time — especially since we're such big fans of Tekken 7 — but going hands-on with a near-final build of Tekken 8 really solidified our belief that this bone-crunching fighter could be something very special.

Marvel’s Blade was announced during The Game Awards earlier this week, a massive budget third-person action game set in a reimagined Paris. Development, however, is being handled by Microsoft studio Arkane Lyon – the team formerly behind titles like Dishonored and one-time PS5 console exclusive Deathloop.

Capcom has announced the long-awaited PSVR2 mode for Resident Evil 4 will be available for free next week on 8th December 2023. You'll be able to play the entire main story from the first-person perspective using Sony's VR headset, and a free PSVR2 demo will go live on the PS Store on the same day for anyone to try out. It'll grant you access to the opening moments of the game. Check out the new trailer above.

The work Belgian developer Larian Studios has put into getting the Xbox Series S version of Baldur's Gate 3 up to snuff will result in performance improvements for all the platforms the RPG is available on, including PS5. The upgrades will arrive as part of the game's fifth major patch, which is expected to go live this week — more details will be shared later today along with confirmation of new features.

The first teaser trailer for Amazon Prime's TV adaptation of Fallout was revealed over the weekend, sharing the firm's vision for Vault 33, the Los Angeles wasteland and its inhabitants, and the Brotherhood of Steel. Set to debut on 12th April 2024, you can catch the first proper glimpse in the trailer above.

Following reports in November that Free Radical Design, the UK-based developer tasked with resurrecting TimeSplitters, would be next on the Embracer chopping block, CEO Lars Wingford has acknowledged the studio's precarious position. While the company has said nothing publicly yet, VGC reports that employees received a company-wide email from Wingford, which paints things in a fairly stark light:

Sony has today announced the three PS5, PS4 games PS Plus Essential members can look forward to downloading and playing for the month of December 2023. Available from Tuesday, 5th December 2023, they are as follows: