Random: We're In Awe of Metaphor: ReFantazio's Box Art | Push Square

We don't know about you, but anytime we've ever played Jackbox Party Pack, it's only ever been with people in their late 20s or older. While the successful series of party titles are typically aimed at a broad audience, featuring games suitable for all ages, it seems as though a lot of players are treating it like a game purely for adults. That's the feedback developer Jackbox Games was getting, anyway, and thus we end up here: Jackbox Naughty Pack.

Now this is the kind of crazy gaming scheme that we can get behind. Over the last few days, a Twitch channel called JimMashima (very good) has been attracting thousands of viewers to its Tekken 8 livestreams — but a real person isn't behind the action. Indeed, this is a bot with a singular purpose: to mash just one button and see how far it can climb through the game's online rankings.

If you’re not familiar with the Playdate, it’s the dinky yellow handheld with a crank that’s actively coveting a hobbyist, indie game development crowd. It’s home to a number of unique experiences already, but for PlayStation fans, this may be the most intriguing outing yet: Psygnosis’ legendary PS1 racer WipEout, rendered in beautiful black-and-white polygons.

You're either utterly obsessed with Funko Pops or you can't stand the sight of them, and there's no in-between. As such, newly announced PS5, PS4 game Funko Fusion is already facing an uphill battle with some console owners. Using what appears to be a similar structure and approach to the LEGO games, this is a title playable alone or in four-player online co-op, and it's out on 13th September 2024. Check it out in the above reveal trailer.

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.

Square Enix appears to have cancelled or at least rescoped the size of multiple unannounced games as a result of an internal review into its development process, with a «content disposal» loss totalling 22.1 billion yen, or $141 million. As a result of the investigation, the publisher shall «revise the Group’s approach to the development of high-definition (HD) games with the intention of being more selective and focused in the allocation of development resources».

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.

Atlus' upcoming RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio, seems built around systems that wouldn't feel out of place in the developer's Persona series. It's got turn-based battles that hinge on striking enemy weaknesses, it's got warrior spirits that you can summon in combat, and — most crucially to this article — it's got a bonding system where you can hang out with key characters, learning more about them in the process.

It’s been 13 years since PlayStation fans last got their hands on a digital racquet in the TopSpin series. In that time, we’ve jumped two console generations, and the industry has seen a massive shift towards the live service model. Put together, what does that mean for the series’ return in TopSpin 2K25? Good things, apparently, as Hangar 13 has cooked up a fun, flashy, and addictive tennis title that you’ll enjoy coming to grips with and love mastering.

Metaphor: ReFantazio, the next RPG from Persona developer Atlus, now has a confirmed release date: the 11th October. And to properly kickstart our march towards launch, we've been treated to a 25-minute presentation, which features a load of fresh gameplay footage.

Imagine Earth, a city building strategy title that launched a few years back on PC and Xbox, is making the jump to PS5 and PS4 on the 9th May. The game takes place in 2084, and tasks you with creating sustainable civilisation on various alien planets, following on from the greed-driven ruin of humanity's original home. We think developer Serious Bros. is trying to tell us something...

Final Fantasy is a long running series at this point — it's easily one of the most storied franchises in gaming. But when you're up to the sixteenth mainline entry, you must start wondering whether fresh installments still have the power to pull new players in. Indeed, audience growth will be an important metric for the suits upstairs at Square Enix.