Push Square News, Tips, Tricks, Ideas

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.

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.

Every time you boot up Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, you're met with a dedication that reads: «With our appreciation to all JRPG fans», which we take as a declaration of intent. Hundred Heroes is a triumphant return to the golden age of esoteric PS1 JRPGs; equipped with a few modern conveniences but designed for an old-school mindset. Visually stunning, with an incredibly vast cast of voiced characters to collect, the game nails the tension of a political thriller and epic of war, but the pace of play, and — at times — lack of direction, can sometimes grate.

A Romanian retailer briefly listed physical copies of three of Capcom's more recent Resident Evil titles (Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard), fueling speculation that those who prefer discs to digital might soon have the opportunity to opt for some more. The three RE titles listed all have native PS5 digital versions already, so this doesn't seem like a giant leap.

Ember Lab will seemingly be spreading its wings for pastures new in the future as a new ESRB rating all but confirms an Xbox Series X|S version of Kena: Bridge of Spirits is in the works. First released for the PS5, PS4, and PC in September 2021, the Xbox port could bring up to three years of console exclusivity to an end. Ember Lab developed and put the indie game out itself, so no publishing ties with Sony have been cut despite how much the platform holder marketed it.

There's something about playing Tales of Kenzera: ZAU that never feels quite right. Whether it's the slow, sluggish controls or frustratingly frequent one-hit kills, reaching any sort of flow state where you're vibing and jiving with the latest EA Originals title is nigh-on impossible. It's a very stop-start experience at odds with the usual hallmarks of the Metroidvania genre, instead spotlighting a touching, personal tale of parental loss. Such a heavy narrative focus is no bad thing, but with little gameplay satisfaction to count on between plot points, it feels so lopsided that anything else comes across as an afterthought.

Update: It appears the PS Store jumped the gun somewhat, as it's now been confirmed Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will join EA Play on Thursday, 25th April 2024. Active members will be able to download and play the full game then.

Baldur's Gate 3 fans who still haven't gotten their fill of everybody's favourite vampiric sadist, Astarion, can now look forward to an all-new adventure alongside Neil Newbon. The actor portrays the ultimate evil antagonist, Vecna, in a one-shot tabletop adventure, putting in an appropriately imposing vocal performance as one of the setting's big-bads.

The release calendar for major PS5, PS4 titles is still a little dry at the moment, so if you're anything like our editorial team and range of freelancers, you'll be diving into indie hits, catching up on your backlog, or enjoying the Fallout TV show. Here's what's occupying our time this weekend.

Sony loves filing patents for gaming ideas that'll, more than likely, never come to fruition. It's done it again with a recent listing that focuses on the idea of «auto-playing portions of a video game».

Starlight Games is a brand new, UK-based development studio, and it has some real video game veterans among its ranks. Furthermore, the new team has hit the ground running, with several titles already at various stages of production.

Embracer Group, the company best known for acquiring an obscene number of studios, publishers, and intellectual property and then laying off thousands when that didn't work out, is set to split into three separate entities. Following its massive restructuring plan, the business is dividing into a trio of companies, each with their own leadership and specialities.

Amazon has now officially announced a second season of its overwhelmingly successful Fallout TV adaptation shall be shot and released on its Amazon Prime streaming service. A second batch of episodes appeared likely after the series was handed $25 million of Californian tax credits, but now it's official.

Private Division has announced its Hobbit life simulator Tales of the Shire will release for PS5 later this year. Confirmed in an all-new reveal trailer viewable above, it matches stylised visuals with simulation mechanics like home decoration, friendship making, and exploration.

If you were concerned that the PS5-exclusive Stellar Blade, out 26th April on PS5, might run afoul of Sony's censors, fear not. Developer ShiftUp is advertising that the game will remain entirely uncensored in all regions, including Japan.

Capcom has shared a list of patch notes for a Dragon's Dogma 2 PS5 update that'll drop at some point later this month, and chief among them is news the game's dragonsplague mechanic will be reduced in frequency and made much more easily noticeable. The patch notes confirm the infection will be spread at a slower rate and your Pawns' eyes will glow a lot more, making the disease a lot easier to deal with.

It seems the protagonist of Konami's Silent Hill 2 remake, currently in development at Bloober Team, has received a quiet redesign or perhaps had a face-lift. It's unclear whether this change comes in response to fan feedback from the trailer shown during the State of Play showcase held earlier this year, the negative response to which Bloober subsequently blamed on Konami.

Last week, Square Enix unveiled the official PC benchmark and accompanying trailer for the upcoming Final Fantasy XIV expansion, Dawntrail. The trailer gave fans glimpses of new in-game areas, enemies, and combat upgrades. While that all went over rather well, the game's decade-old character creation engine is drawing ire this time and the eyes of character models, in particular.

It seems we aren't the only ones counting down the hours until the release of the PS5-exclusive Stellar Blade. Developer ShiftUp 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.

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...

Insomniac's excellent Ratchet & Clank reboot, released in 2016, has received a surprise update. The update adds a fan-favourite weapon for free, just in time for the eighth anniversary of the game's launch. If you already own the game, simply navigate to the PSN store page, and you can play around with the Bouncer.

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.

For all the positive things players have to say about Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, one aspect of the game which we've seen nothing but ire directed towards is its confusingly worded retry screen, which players will be hit with in the event of a Game Over. Thankfully, this issue has been quietly addressed in the game's most recent patch, which fixed Platinum Trophy progression, making it at least slightly less confusing now.

Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Starring Lara Croft (we're still not quite over that title) has just received a meaty new patch, and it's available to download now on PS5 and PS4. The headline addition is a new outfit for Lara, but beyond that is a huge laundry list of fixes and improvements.

Two years after debuting in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it seems a Hollywood leading man of sufficient talent has finally been found to portray the edgy Shadow the Hedgehog. Keanu Reeves, who needs no introduction but will get one anyway, is the star of film franchises like The Matrix and John Wick, and, of course, Cyberpunk 2077, has been confirmed to play the part.

It's fairly common knowledge that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth enjoyed a relatively smooth development cycle, owing to the fact that Final Fantasy 7 Remake's team was largely kept intact, and the first game had obviously laid the foundations in terms of visuals and gameplay systems. It took Square Enix around three years to craft Rebirth, and it expects the same kind of timeline when it comes to the third (and final) title in the trilogy.

Sony has today confirmed a new PlayStation overlay that will ship on its PC ports, with next month's Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut being the first to use it. You'll be able to access it from Windows PCs from either the in-game menu or by pressing «Shift + F1», which will pull up a new screen housing your PSN profile, friends list, and Trophies.

TopSpin 2K25 is about to be served up on PS5, and after playing the game at a hands-on preview, it’s quietly become one of our most anticipated releases of the year. From top tennis talent to this long-dormant franchise getting the 2K treatment, there’s plenty of reason for us to be excited — but what about those behind every swing, serve and set? We managed to speak with Game Director Remi Ercolani to learn about tech advances, post-launch support, and why now is the perfect time for the series to return.

Everybody's Golf developer Clap Hanz will continue to broaden its horizons now it no longer has any formal partnership with Sony, as its next golf game will enter the virtual reality space, but it's only launching on Meta Quest headsets. The game, named Ultimate Swing Golf, releases next month on 16th May 2024 only on Meta Quest 2, 3, and the Pro variant.

Rockstar Games has announced it's joining EA in raising the price of its GTA+ subscription service, from £4.99 / $5.99 per month to £6.99 / $7.99. Representing a 40 per cent increase in the UK, new users will immediately be charged the new price while existing members will begin paying extra from 11th June 2024. Since GTA+ only offers users monthly memberships, there's no way to save a bit of money with a 12-month commitment to the service.

Star Wars Outlaws has been in the headlines recently for some less-than-ideal reasons. Still, one thing we are genuinely looking forward to is the inclusion of Sabacc, the blackjack/poker hybrid popular among rogues like Han Solo and Lando Calrissian. Strangely, despite the rules being first revealed in 1989, its inclusion will mark the first time Sabacc has ever graced a video game.

We rather liked Toy Trains when we reviewed it earlier in the year — a cute, if slight, experience all about putting together little tracks to deliver materials around each level. It won't be quite so small soon, though, as a massive free update is set to seriously scale things up.

Following the incredibly strong launch of Amazon's critically acclaimed adaptation of Fallout, lapsed fans craving some V.A.T.S. have returned to the series in droves, proving there is still an insatiable demand for the series. According to <a href=«https://twitter.com/SteamDB/status/1779459741984379079?ref_src=» https:>SteamDB

UK studio and publisher Kwalee has revealed recent staff cuts were made to «reshape» the company's business around «significant growth opportunities.» The company has layed off approximately 10% of its workforce, around 40 people, in recent months. Despite that, Kwalee stressed it expects to grow its headcount (currently about 400) to somewhere between 410 and 420.

16 more games are heading to PS Plus through the Extra and Premium tiers this month, and as is often the case, there's quite a lot of variety on show. April's offering is headlined by not one, not two, but three brand new releases on PS5 and PS4: the incredibly highly rated Dave the Diver, the promising Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, and Animal Well. Although technically, ZAU is out a little later in the month, and Animal Well is out in May.

Building on an article published overnight, The Verge has another post that largely reiterates past reporting from Insider Gaming covering what Sony has planned for its PS5 Pro and the upgrades it will bring to current games. Reported first at the start of April but now confirmed through more sources, Sony is reportedly allowing developers to tag their titles as «PS5 Pro Enhanced» after applying one of a few different upgrades.

Harold Halibut is a bit like visiting an aquarium for the umpteenth time — yes, it's visually interesting, offering a glimpse into a submerged alien world, but once the initial intrigue is gone, you're essentially on a long, and quite dull, walk. This narrative-focused sci-fi adventure starts off with a promising premise and enchanting art style, but it doesn't take long before the facade falls to reveal what is ultimately a protracted and shallow game.

If the new Alone in the Dark PS5 reboot has given you a classic survival horror itch, then Sony's subscription service PS Plus Premium is looking to scratch it. Available from Tuesday, 16th April 2024, the old PS1 terror Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare will be available to members on the top tier, complete with all the bells and whistles that come with the re-releases Sony accepts on the service. It's joined by MediEvil and Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire on the same day.

The immortal SEGA brawler Golden Axe is being resurrected as a comedic animated series, of all things. Ordered by Comedy Central and produced by CBS Studios in collaboration with Sony Pictures, the series will undoubtedly feature buxom men and women battling dragons and various beasts, and presumably, hilarity will ensue.

Braid: Anniversary Edition has been hit with a brief delay, but the blow was softened by the news that the anticipated package will come packing some 40 additional levels. Developer Jonathon Blow revealed that the anticipated enhanced re-release will now arrive two weeks later than anticipated, on 15th May for PS5 and PS4.

Koei Tecmo has fully revealed the second DLC for action RPG Fate/Samurai Remnant, ahead of its release on the 18th April (that's tomorrow at the time of writing). The 'Yagyu Sword Chronicles' features a new storyline that involves a newly introduced warrior spirit, the master swordsman Munenori Yagyu. Protagonist Iori and his faithful servant Saber find themselves tracking down a mystery killer with their new ally's assistance.

Stellar Blade developer Shift Up quite clearly took a lot of inspiration from PS4 great NieR: Automata during the making of its soon-to-be-released PS5 exclusive, but in the case of Automata director Yoko Taro, he thinks that the student has already become the master. In an interview with IGN Japan (via Eurogamer), Taro says Stellar Blade «is a really amazing game. I'd say that it's much better than NieR: Automata.»

The original Tails of Iron was quietly a big success for developer Odd Bug Studio. The action RPG about a kingdom of rats has drawn in a lot of fans thanks to its sketch-like art style, deliberate combat, and explorable world. We suppose the fact it's narrated by Doug Cockle — voice of Geralt in The Witcher series — may have something to do with it too, but whatever the case, the team isn't resting on its laurels for Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter. After watching the sequel in action in a hands-off preview, it's clear there's plenty here to stop it from growing stail — sorry, stale.

In a game of exceedingly well-written characters like Baldur's Gate 3, the sadistic and sexually suggestive vampire spawn Astarion manages to stand out. But despite developer Larian Studios clearly signalling that it is moving on from the game and away from the series, Astarion actor Neil Newbon isn't quite ready to follow suit.

The actor behind the incredibly memorable Fallout 3 radio host, Three Dog, is interested in appearing in Amazon's excellent TV adaptation. Erik Todd Dellums, who lent his voice to the character in Bethesda's 2008 game, says he's got «something darker than Three Dog, but just as funny and alluring» cooking, and we'd quite frankly love to see it.

Unless a game is breaking records, it's quite rare that we get direct sales data from publishers — and Square Enix in particular is somewhat notorious for this. As such, interested parties usually have little choice but to try and determine commercial success through other means.

If Dave the Diver proves anything, it's that one shouldn't make judgements based on appearances. Not only does the loveable lead character exceed the expectations of his cohorts at every turn, but the game itself goes well beyond what it looks like. At a glance, this is a charming adventure about exploring the sea, catching fish, and running a sushi restaurant. It is all that, but it also refuses to settle, constantly evolving the experience in surprising and compelling ways.

Boy, those first few months of 2024 were crazy, right? The torrent of big, flashy new games is finally relenting, though, and the UK's physical games chart is beginning to settle into a groove. EA Sports FC 24 is number one, once again, and Hogwarts Legacy is equally consistent at number two.

Update: Final Fantasy 16 update 1.31 is available to download now on PS5, ahead of The Rising Tide's release on the 18th April. It weighs in at 2.8GB, and you can read the full patch notes below, in the original article.

Indie slam dunk Vampire Survivors has officially been confirmed for a PS5 and PS4 release and is expected to enthral millions when it arrives this Summer. Trophy Hunters will be glad to know the devs have confirmed a Platinum Trophy awaits those willing to undergo a true nightmare to obtain it.

Stellar Blade is just around the corner, with the eagerly-anticipated action game arriving exclusively on PS5 on 26th April. If the wait is proving too much to bear, we've been given a glimpse at some of the game's fearsome Naytiba, which will serve as climactic boss encounters in the game.

Today is the day for April 2024's PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium game refreshes to come into effect, with 14 PS5, PS4 and Classic titles landing across the two tiers. The games are available now in the UK and Europe, and availability in the USA will be rolled out later on in the day. Day one title Dave the Diver headlines today's update, but there's actually even more to come. Tales of Kenzera: ZAU joins the service on 23rd April 2024 and then Animal Well is coming on 9th May 2024. Starting today, you can play the following:

In what is a frankly unbelievable move, Bandai Namco has managed to secure iconic — and heavily memed — 2000 trance track 'Sandstorm' for its new Sand Land trailer. Honestly, it fits quite well, but we're still in disbelief that the marketing team actually went and got this done. We can only assume that Darude, the original DJ behind Sandstorm, is a massive, diehard fan of the manga and anime property. A dream come true, we're sure.

Looking for the best character builds in Fallout 4? When it comes to defining your custom character in Fallout 4, you're given a lot of options. You need to consider the rather large perk chart, your equipment, and even your general style of play. Sometimes, it can all become a little confusing, so we've put together nine relatively basic character builds that are easy to develop further using your own ideas. With any luck, these builds will help you hit the ground running when it comes to surviving in the Commonwealth.

What new PS5 and PS4 games are releasing in physical retailers and as part of the PS Store update this week? It's another extremely slow week, with Broken Roads perhaps being the biggest highlight. Click through the links for a full list of all new PS5 games release dates in 2024, all new PSVR2 games release dates in 2024, and all new PS4 games release dates in 2024.

Baldur's Gate fans, new and old, will remember where they were when they first heard that dark horse Larian Studios would not be developing the next game. How could any dev walk away from an achievement like Baldur's Gate 3, a masterpiece which teased a vanishingly rare «10» out of this stingy scribe, one of only two ever given? Sadly, this is the reality in which we live, and IP-holder Wizards of the Coast has already moved on, actively courting other developers, with RPG studios lining up to throw their hats in the ring.

Sadly, February marked the passing of Yoshitaka Murayama, the legendary creator of Suikoden and its spiritual successor, Eiyuden Chronicle, with Hundred Heroes releasing on PS5 and PS4 next week. Developer Rabbit & Bear Studios has announced its intention to proceed with the series, but what form that takes will depend on how its impending and eagerly anticipated JRPG is received.

Amazon's excellent adaptation of the Fallout series for TV is available in its entirety now, and we loved it. However, not every Fallout fan is happy with how it seemingly rewrites what was thought to be established series lore, apparently retconning the ending of beloved black sheep, Fallout: New Vegas. Obviously, major spoilers for both New Vegas and Amazon's show to follow!

The Rising Tide, the second and final expansion for Final Fantasy 16, is set to feature some of the game's most challenging combat scenarios. That's according to DLC director (and a lead combat designer for the base game) Takeo Kujiraoka, who, in an interview with Push Square, told us that the addition of DLC has allowed the development team to push the title's combat system.

Helldivers 2 players have been issued a new directive as the Galactic War effort again devolves into a grinding stalemate. The Automatons have deployed increasing numbers of Factory Striders to break the impasse, but for now, the line holds. To amass the necessary fuel to fire a Super Earth counterattack, billions of Terminids must die to acquire enough of that sweet, sweet oil E-710.

Hazelight Studios, Josef Fares' development team responsible for It Takes Two and A Way Out, is teasing its next project. As the studio turns 10 years old, it's promising a look back at its history, but promises we'll be seeing what comes next sometime later this year.

In case you'd forgotten, EA and its studio Cliffhanger Games is working on a Black Panther game. The announcement was one of those that's more of a recruitment drive than anything else, so it's likely still years away from release. In fact, the team is still growing; interestingly, one recent job opening confirms the game's structure will be that of an open world title.

A rumour is currently doing the rounds, suggesting that we could learn more about 2K's plans for the Mafia series' future (or perhaps past) in the days ahead. A new game was confirmed to be in development back in 2022, potentially a prequel, and we've heard virtually nothing since. But the source says the reveal could just as easily involve a next-gen update for Mafia: Definitive Edition, so we'll have to wait and see.

Grand Theft Auto owner Take-Two has announced it's laying off around five per cent of its more than 11,500-employee-strong workforce in an effort to save $165 million annually. Around 600 full-time workers will be affected by the layoffs, and some unannounced games within the publisher are to be cancelled as a result. Take-Two declined to say what the projects are.

Amazon's genuinely great adaptation of Fallout really seems to have struck a chord, with fans flocking back in unprecedented numbers to various games in the series and theories and speculation already running rampant. It should also come as no surprise that at least one fan of the mechanically-heavy Fallout franchise has a working theory of what level protagonist Lucy should be by the end of the events of the first season and even what Bethesda ruleset the show might be operating on. We'll keep spoilers as vague as possible; fear not.

Sony has today updated the Last Chance to Play section of its PS Plus service, revealing far and away the biggest batch of PS5 and PS4 titles leaving at once. On 21st May 2024, a whopping 25 games will be taken off PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium, including some quality Final Fantasy entries and indie hits. The complete list is as follows:

Warhorse Studios has today announced Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, a PS5 sequel to the 2018 original. Set to release later this year, you can check out the reveal trailer above. The studio says it is a «bigger, better, and more ambitious» title that the team has grown to more than 250 employees to create. The sequel is pitched as the «passion project» Warhorse Studios always wanted to make, and is now making a reality with the correct resources.