Grounded Review (PS5) | Push Square

Final Fantasy 16 released on the 22nd June 2023, offering up an action-heavy RPG that greatly deviates from the more traditional blueprints of past Final Fantasy titles. Initially, Square Enix had no plans to expand the game with DLC, but several months after its launch, in September 2023, the publisher confirmed that it was working on not one, but two expansions, both of which would be part of an upcoming 'Expansion Pass'. What a twist!

Stellar Blade was the best-selling physical game in the UK last week, with its launch sales on PS5 being enough to see it top sales charts in the region. Sony and Shift Up haven't shared any official sales data just yet, but this marks a good start for the title, which holds the potential to sell well long-term. TopSpin 2K25 was another new entry in the UK sales chart last week, debuting in third place.

Today marks a momentous occasion for Sea of Thieves: it expands to all-new platforms with a PS5 release, Season 12 content expands the game for all players (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC), and developer Rare makes its debut on a PlayStation console. Early access players have been testing the PS5 version for the past five days now, but in just a short amount of time, the standard edition releases and opens the floodgates for all.

Microsoft has announced that it'll be hosting its 'Xbox Games Showcase 2024' on the 9th June, which, under previous circumstances, wouldn't necessarily be a huge deal for us here on the PlayStation side of the fence. However, with Microsoft's now obvious push towards more and more multiplatform titles, it's all but guaranteed that we'll see some games that will inevitably end up on PlayStation platforms.

Following yesterday's launch of Sea of Thieves on PS5, Microsoft has now delivered on its initial multi-platform promise to bring some of its exclusive Xbox experiences to new consoles. Having made the surprise announcement in February, the firm has brought Pentiment, Hi-Fi Rush, Grounded, and the aforementioned seafaring adventure to PS5, PS4 boxes as well as Nintendo Switch. During the presentation that revealed Microsoft's multi-platform plans, Phil Spencer and his team refused to discuss any efforts beyond those four titles. Is that it, then? Will Microsoft now return to releasing first-party titles exclusively for Xbox Series X|S and PC? Those questions can't be answered definitively yet, but probably not.

The next playable character joining the fun in Capcom's Street Fighter 6 is a proper series staple. The powerful antagonist, Akuma, is next in line, and he'll be swinging his fists when he arrives on 22nd May, 2024.

Originally published all the way back in 2000 as a standalone manga, it's strange, but not unwelcome, to see Sand Land be revived as both an anime series and a video game almost a quarter of a century later. Authored by the late and legendary Akira Toriyama, Sand Land is an incredibly charming story about a post-apocalyptic world, where a cocky demon prince is roped into helping out what's left of humanity.

It seems that the cat is indeed out of the bag, as we now have a release date and some additional gameplay for the slightly disturbing Gori: Cuddly Carnage. Prepare to skate 'n' slash your way through a freakish feline world from 29th August on PS5 and PS4.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has been updated to support a new graphical mode running at 40 frames-per-second while boasting higher resolutions. Available to download now on PS5 as part of patch 3.2, the mode can be used on 4K TVs that support up to 120Hz. Prior to this, Avatar PS5 only had Quality and Performance Modes, but this new option looks to feature the best of both worlds after the 2.4GB download.

Another Crab's Treasure might not look like a soulslike action RPG, but it is one. Take out the dark, oppressive nature of FromSoftware's output and replace it with SpongeBob, and you're more or less there. Purposely juxtaposing the established tropes of the genre, this title offers a fresh, more lighthearted experience without sacrificing the level of challenge you'd expect.

It seems we aren't the only ones counting down the hours until the release of the PS5 exclusive Stellar Blade. Developer Shift Up has posted an impossibly drawn-out clip of the «secrets» contained within the game's PS5 physical box, which, as far as we can tell, amounts to a reversible cover/dust jacket and a download code for some cosmetic goodies.

The Rising Tide is the second and final expansion for Final Fantasy 16, adding another worthwhile chapter to the tale of Clive Rosfield. Only accessible near the very end of the base game, this DLC is designed to be something of a sendoff for the action RPG, providing a new storyline that brings additional weight to the title's world building, while also giving players an opportunity to dive yet deeper into 16's slick combat system.