Push Square News, Tips, Tricks, Ideas

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.

Square Enix is a famously hard master to please, and eagle-eyed fans interested in industry analytics will have noted that despite launching over a month ago on 29th February, exclusively on PS5, hard sales figures for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth are yet to be released. Considering it took just three days for the firm to trumpet Remake's success during a similar period and six days for Final Fantasy XVI, it should be no huge surprise that the sequel is underperforming in some sense.

Final Fantasy 16 was one of our favourite games of 2023, and so we wanted to find out more about The Rising Tide — the title's second and final expansion — ahead of its release on the 18th April. Fortunately, we were lucky enough to land an interview with Takeo Kujiraoka — the veteran Square Enix dev who's actually the director of Final Fantasy 16's DLC, having previously been a lead combat designer for the base game.

As if there was much doubting it at this point, the copyright claim of a YouTube video, which has resulted in its removal, points towards all of the PS5 Pro leaks being accurate. The video in question was posted by the channel Moore's Law Is Dead, and it had a hand in kickstarting the leaks that have since surrounded Sony's upgraded console. The copyright claim was, of course, filed by Sony Interactive Entertainment — and so it's easy to conclude that the information was bang on, at least to some extent.

GSC Game World has published PS4 patches for the three games that make up the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy. Following its surprise release last month, the developer has now updated the three titles with fixes that should address a variety of save, crashing, and bug-related flaws. The patch notes are the following:

The release schedule is really slow right now, after a mad dash to the end of the fiscal year. It means this is a good opportunity to catch up on titles from your backlog, or revisit a favourite from yesteryear.

Atari has announced it's collaborating with Shantae and River City Girls developer WayForward to develop a new entry in the Yars' Revenge series, named Yars Rising. Slated to launch at the end of this year, the title was announced during today's Nintendo Indie World showcase, but will release also for PS5 and PS4. Check out the reveal trailer above.

Unlike a lot of recently released blockbusters, Stellar Blade won't be taking up a massive chunk of your PS5's storage space. As per the ever-reliable PlayStation Game Size, the upcoming action title weighs in at a very reasonable 30.4GB, which is obviously a far cry from the 80GB and above downloads that players have gotten used to dealing with over the course of the generation.

Red Hook Studios has today confirmed Darkest Dungeon 2 will be releasing for PS5 and PS4 on 15th July 2024. Its DLC, The Binding Blade, is also being ported across to Sony systems, though you'll need to buy it on top of the base game. A discount is being offered to PS Plus members, and there'll also be an Oblivion Bundle containing all content available to pre-order. Check out the announcement trailer above.

News has been quiet on the acquisition front in recent days, at least when it comes to video game IP. However, according to a new report, Sony is currently in talks with a monied ally to acquire storied picture-house Paramount and all the cross-media potential such an addition would bring.

V Rising is an enormously popular vampire RPG currently in Early Access on Steam, where even in its currently unfinished state, it enjoys Very Positive reviews overall. Announced for PS5, we got a better look at the kind of gameplay particularly bloodthirsty players can look forward to sinking their teeth into.

A recent analysis has revealed an interesting statistic about a pair of playable demos on PS5. According to Ampere, Stellar Blade's demo, at its peak, had almost twice the number of daily active players compared to the peak for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's demo.

Helldivers, in response to the increased threat presented by the massive, seemingly unstoppable Automaton invasion fleet pointed directly at Super Earth, requisition of Level 4 Super Destroyer Modules is now available. The added edge these permanent ship upgrades give might be enough to stem the mechanized tide.

The release of Amazon's adaptation of Fallout has sparked a resurgence in the series and increased focus on the alt-history that binds it all together. Some fans recently raised concerns that events in the TV show seemingly retconned the events of the black sheep of the Fallout family, New Vegas, developed by Obsidian Entertainment. Vague spoilers for New Vegas and Amazon's show to follow!

The first quarter of 2024 has been crazy, especially if you're a fan of Japanese games. The release schedule has been pretty much non-stop since January, and so earlier in the week, we asked the Push Square community to vote on their favourite titles of the last four months.

Fallout 4 launches its native PS5 version on 25th April 2024, but if you want to make that upgrade as cheap as possible, you might want to take a look at the current PS Store spring sale. Both the base PS4 game and all of its DLC are on sale at the cheapest prices they've ever been, and the offers expire the day before the PS5 version releases. As such, paying now will ensure you get the most amount of content for the cheapest price.

Rebellion has today published a fresh PSVR2 trailer for Zombie Army VR, a spin-off from the main Zombie Army series that marks its first foray into virtual reality. It delivers a fully-fledged campaign that can be played alone or with a friend, and charts a path alongside the main games telling the story of a Deadhunter on the search for zombie war criminals.

ATLUS has revealed plans for what it is calling the «ATLUS Exclusive: Metaphor: ReFantazio» broadcast, with the publisher/developer promising approximately 30 minutes of never-before-seen gameplay. How's that for something to look forward to?

Formerly known as Cat Quest: Pirates of the Purribean, but now renamed Cat Quest 3, the third game in developer The Gentlebros' charming series is sailing to PS5 and PS4 on the 8th August. The title also has a new trailer that's stuffed with fresh gameplay footage — and if, like us, you're a fan of the first two games, then you'll likely think it looks fangtastic.

Helldivers 2 players have recently managed to blunt the advance of the oncoming Automaton invasion fleet, with the conflict again devolving into a grinding stalemate. However, it seems the machines never rest on their laurels, as reports of the lumbering Factory Striders being deployed in unprecedented numbers begin to trickle in.

The world is divided up into two types of people: those who have beaten Driver on PS1, and the rest who never got past its absurdly difficult tutorial. Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time F1 Championship winner, is one of the many who couldn't. In a new video uploaded to the Mercedes-AMG F1 YouTube channel, the professional racer is videod playing PS1 classics from his childhood.

After LawBreakers developer Boss Key Productions shut down following the game's poor performance, it was thought that would be the end of the gravity-defying FPS. So traumatic was the entire ordeal that Cliff Blezinski, studio founder of Gears of War fame, swore off making video games for good. Now, years later, fans have managed to resurrect servers, even getting the much-coveted nod of approval from Cliffy B himself for keeping the dream alive.

The second and final expansion for Final Fantasy 16, titled The Rising Tide, is out now on PS5 — and if you can believe it, we're fast approaching the base game's first anniversary. But such a realisation has made us wonder… Are you returning to Final Fantasy 16 in order to play through this new DLC? Or could it be that the expansion is arriving too late for your tastes?

If you regularly use a PS5 or PS4, there's very little reason not to be using PS Stars. This rewards programme, currently only accessible via the PlayStation mobile app, rewards users with points for PS Store purchases, as well as neat little digital collectibles for completing simple campaigns. Part of the service also allows you to use your accrued points to redeem PS Store credit and, if you have enough, entire games and other digital goodies. It's these PS Stars rewards that have recently been refreshed, and there's some good stuff up for grabs — if you have the points.

Bethesda has today revealed the long-awaited PS5 version of Fallout 4 will launch on 25th April 2024, with current PS4 owners getting a free upgrade to the native edition. The update adds new Performance and Quality Modes, which introduce the options for 60fps and an improved resolution. There'll also be «stability improvements and fixes».

Microsoft has today released the third of four Xbox games currently announced for PS5, PS4 boxes: the online survival title Grounded. You can grab a digital copy now from the PS Store for £32.99 / $39.99, granting you access to the final Fully Yoked Edition, which Obsidian Entertainment says is the last content update the game will receive. See it in action in the trailer above.

We doubt we were alone in wondering whether some kind of transmogrification system could reach fashion-conscious Helldivers 2 players grasping hands, but sadly, that won't be the case. Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt put this particular pipe dream to bed, definitively stating, «We are not doing transmog.»

Publisher Marvelous and developer Voracious Games have unveiled a console port of their well-received shopkeeping sim, Potionomics. Coming to PS5 this autumn as Potionomics: Masterwork Edition, this is a souped-up version of the game that adds various new features to the experience.

SteamWorld Heist, the beloved turn-based tactical shooter, is getting a sequel. Launching on PS5, PS4, and basically everything else on 8th August 2024, SteamWorld Heist 2 is a direct follow-up to the original, swapping out spaceships for a sea-faring adventure but retaining the ricochet-based strategy fans know and love.

Since unveiling the eye-watering $130 Ultimate Edition of Star Wars Outlaws last week, Ubisoft has been under fire from fans furious a full-priced single-player game would even warrant a Season Pass in the first place. Worse, acquiring the Season Pass is the only way to «play the exclusive Jabba's Gambit mission at launch».