Tag: First Impressions
First Impressions Wild Hearts Has Big Potential as a Deep and Engaging Action RPG on PS5
The bigger they are
This partnership between EA and Koei Tecmo is a fairly surprising one, but during a recent preview event for upcoming action RPG Wild Hearts, we were told that the collaboration is all in service of realising the game's potential. Koei Tecmo, the Japanese publisher best known for the likes of Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive, and...
First Impressions Cartoonish RTS Warpaws Pits Dogs vs Cats on PS5
Modern War-fur
We don't want to generalise too much here, but real-time strategy games tend to be pretty straight-faced. They're usually attempting to emulate reality, or lean into hard sci-fi. While there's obviously nothing wrong with that, it's always great to have some variety. Warpaws, a brand new game from 3D Realms and Slipgate Ironworks...
First Impressions SEGA's Multiplayer FPS Hyenas Is Baffling, But Maybe in a Good Way
Merch-obsessed shooter is an odd one
Having seen a behind closed doors presentation of SEGA's and Creative Assembly’s upcoming PvPvE shooter, Hyenas, the first thing we couldn’t help but think was, “This does not feel like a SEGA game”. Our second thought was “This really doesn't feel like a Creative Assembly game”. SEGA hasn't released...
First Impressions The Devil in Me Is a Bigger and Better Dark Pictures Title
Out for PS5, PS4 on 18th November 2022
After three increasingly better entries in The Dark Pictures Anthology from Until Dawn team Supermassive Games, The Devil in Me looks like a properly bigger and expanded sequel. While Man of Medan, Little Hope, and
First Impressions Sandbox Survival Takes Centre Stage in The Walking Dead Sequel for PSVR2, PSVR
Saints and sinners
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is widely regarded as one of the best virtual reality games on the market. As a horror game with an emphasis on survival, the release tasked you with exploring an apocalyptic New Orleans, scavenging for supplies and crafting useful tools to help you stay alive. Skydance Interactive’s...
First Impressions Resident Evil Netflix Deviates from the Games But Still Entertains
Umbrella Balinska
There’s not a lot of connective tissue between Netflix’s deceptively named 2022 television adaptation of Resident Evil and Capcom’s games. A shady pharmaceutical company named Umbrella takes centre stage, and part of the action is staged in a dystopian South African town named New Raccoon City – but so far, that’s where...
First Impressions More Cuphead May Well Be a Tasty Final Dish
We preview The Delicious Last Course
The wonderfully vibrant art style of Cuphead is so timeless that returning to the brutal run and gunner almost five years after its release (two years for PS4 players) doesn't feel anywhere close to a step back in time. It's still a looker, and still hard as ever. It's that difficulty that fans will need to...
First Impressions Stray Is Shaping Up to Be a Supurrbly Detailed PS5, PS4 Adventure
Cat's more like it
We recently got to see a surprisingly large chunk of Stray during a preview event, and it's safe to say that this cat sim is shaping up really well. The demo that we witnessed was being played live, and was split across several different sections of the game — all of which had something new to show. This was the most we've seen...
First Impressions F1 22 Skips Story Mode for More Authentic, Flexible Racing
Fit for porpoise
Much like the real life motorsport, the official Formula One game will undergo a number of changes this year. F1 22, like every iteration before it, aims to capture the sport as accurately as possible, and for this season, that means all new vehicles, rules, and tyre regulations, not to mention the debut of the Miami Grand Prix. All...
First Impressions Trails from Zero Is Going to Be a Must-Play for JRPG Fans
From Zero to hero
Originally a 2010 PSP title, Trails from Zero was never officially released in the West, despite its incredibly positive reputation amongst hardcore Trails fans. Indeed, many would tell you that this is one of the best entries in Falcom's long, long running The Legend of Heroes franchise — and that's saying a lot. Thankfully, NIS...
First Impressions Bugsnax: The Isle of Bigsnax Serves a Delicious Second Helping on PS5, PS4
One more bite
For a game that revolves around yummy snack foods that come to life, Bugsnax is somewhat of an acquired taste. When this unusual adventure game launched in 2020 on both the brand new PlayStation 5 and PS4, many had it down as a meme game to be played ironically, if at all. As it turns out, the game is a highly enjoyable, if quirky,...
First Impressions Ghostwire: Tokyo Goes Heavy on Supernatural Action
Tango Gameworks demos first 30 minutes
It's safe to say Ghostwire: Tokyo is absolutely nothing like The Evil Within. The first game out of Japanese studio Tango Gameworks was a masterclass in horror design (the same can be said of its underrated sequel), and there has not been anything quite like it since. We'd consider that a shame, but what the...
First Impressions Gran Turismo 7 on PS5, PS4 Looks Like the Biggest and Best Yet
The posh coffee of sim racers
Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi doesn’t just love cars – he worships them. Addressing media as part of a virtual presentation earlier this week, the industry veteran appeared to express sadness that younger generations may not share the same level of passion that he has for the automotive industry. His...
First Impressions Farming Simulator 22 Is AAA Agriculture on PS5, PS4
Old MacDonald would be impressed
Farming Simulator has exploded in popularity since the latter PlayStation 3 days. Once a scrappy, niche line of agricultural releases, this series now commands its very own convention and competitive esports tournament. Giants Software’s latest instalment, Farming Simulator 22, reflects that influx in interest: it...
First Impressions Rebooted Saints Row Has a New Look, But It's Still Saints Row Under the Hood
Don't mess with the Saints
The new Saints Row game has just been announced, and as you may already know, it's a complete reboot. Different characters, a different setting — the lot. But despite this rebirth, the gameplay that we've seen suggests that this is still Saints Row, in all of its goofy glory. Now, we're not talking Saints Row IV here —...
First Impressions Rustler on PS5, PS4 Is Old-School GTA in Medieval Times
Horsin' around
Rockstar is in a league of its own when it comes to modern open world games, but its back catalogue of isometric Grand Theft Auto games remains iconic for players of a certain age. This author grew up playing Grand Theft Auto: London at a friend’s house on the PS1, and while it was borderline impossible, it brings back fond...
First Impressions Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Is an Eye-Popping Demonstration of PS5's Power
Sony shows us more of Insomniac Games' exclusive
You don’t need a preview for Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, to be honest. That’s probably not what Sony expected us to write after inviting us to a glitzy COVID-free online event, but it’s our takeaway after watching over 30 minutes of unedited gameplay footage and listening to key creative...
First Impressions Biomutant Is an Open-Worlder with Style and Depth
Furry business
Putting out your first-ever game as a developer is always going to be a difficult task, but when the project generates as much excitement as Biomutant has in years past, that weight of expectation must take its toll sooner or later. Swedish studio X101 finds itself in that precarious position as we close in on the release of its...
First Impressions Bus Simulator 21 Is a Sharper, Snazzier Public Transport Sim
Tickets, please
Bus Simulator on the PlayStation 4 straddled the line between serious simulation and silly sandbox, which resulted in an occasionally unwieldy but otherwise likeable title that knew exactly what it wanted to be. Bus Simulator 21 is shaping up to be more of the same, but developer Still Alive is improving the experience in all the...
First Impressions How Tennis World Tour 2 Is Avoiding a Double Fault on PS4
Anyone for tennis?
There’s an elephant in the room as Nacon tells us about Tennis World Tour 2, and it’s not outspoken Australian hotshot Nick Kyrgios. The French publisher – formerly known as BigBen Interactive – knows Tennis World Tour was bad, and while it remains polite and professional throughout, it clearly wants us to understand that...
First Impressions Train Sim World 2 Is on Track and on Time
Epic rail
The real appeal of the PlayStation 4 is its versatility. While the system is loaded with juggernauts like The Last of Us: Part II and Fortnite, it also appeals to very specific demographics with titles tailored to all tastes and interests. Train Sim World, which launched earlier in the generation and was updated last year, is one such...
First Impressions Twin Mirror Is DONTNOD's Most Cinematic Game Yet
Doppelgänger danger
DONTNOD Entertainment has made a name for itself over the PlayStation 4 generation thanks to the compelling narratives of two Life Is Strange titles. The tales of Max Caulfield and her buddy Chloe Price as well as the brotherly duo of Sean and Daniel Diaz have both helped to really launch the developer into the public eye, but...
First Impressions Street Power Soccer Is PS4 Footie for the YouTube Era
'Megs
After a coronavirus enforced hiatus, the Premier League has returned. But while VAR remains as bemusing as ever, it’s not really the same: the pace is slow, the quality is generally quite low, and Liverpool are champions. Street Power Soccer is promising a haven away from a world where Jordan Henderson has a Champions League title stuffed in...
First Impressions Cyberpunk 2077 Looks to Raise the Bar for All RPGs Again
CD Projekt RED's next masterpiece
It's been nearly two months since Polish developer CD Projekt Red shared with us its latest vision for Cyberpunk 2077. A 15 minute slice of gameplay impressed many thanks to the employment of various play styles that allowed you to get the job done in different manners, but there was more to that quarter of an hour...
First Impressions Erica Proves That Playlink Can Offer More Than Party Games
Live action point-and-click impresses
The best feeling when you’re a games reporter is heading into a demo feeling like you know exactly what you’re about to see – only for your expectations to be completely shattered. Erica is one such game. Announced as part of Sony’s barnstorming Paris Games Week 2017 press conference this week, it looked...
Hands On Destiny 2's Beta Is Familiar Fun on PS4
Rise up Guardian... Again
Destiny promised us a massive multiplayer experience brimming with mystery, adventure, and friends set upon the backdrop of our solar system. What we got was a drip fed experience limited by glass ceilings, turbulent development, and a backdrop of only a handful of planets that all felt worryingly similar. That's not to say...
First Impressions Bloodying Our Blades in the For Honor PS4 Alpha
No guts, no glory
For Honor is a medieval melee-based action title that's set in a land totally ruined by a natural disaster - its people left to fight for their survival. This is where three warriors come across one pool of water, and although they could share it, a brawl ensues because of pure greed. These initial three fighters go on to form the...
First Impressions PS4 Pro Represents a Sizeable Step Forward
A new Horizon
Looking at Guerrilla's eye-wateringly pretty dinosaur destroying role-playing game Horizon: Zero Dawn on the PlayStation 4 Pro initially reveals the game that you have in your imagination; it's only when the upgraded version is observed back-to-back with its standard PS4 release that the stark contrast comes into alarming focus...
First Impressions Resident Evil 7 on PS4 Aims to Finish What Silent Hills Started
Resi reanimated
It's fitting that Capcom would reveal the seventh instalment of its once great franchise alongside the much anticipated reveal of Hideo Kojima's latest project, because Resident Evil 7 seems to be a full realisation of what Kojima set out to do with Silent Hills. After years of inferior sequels, HD remasters, and some serious...
First Impressions Furi Is a PS4 Indie You Shouldn't Ignore
Hell hath no Furi like a prisoner scorned
It's disappointing, but it's become a dirty word, "indie". Take a cursory glance at the PlayStation Blog or even this very website, and you'll find readers ragging on forays that have been developed on slimmer budgets than a Whopper meal. Curation plays a part in that: there's some real tosh on the...
First Impressions Reflecting on Our Time with Reflections
The mirror reflected
Have you ever really wanted to decide what colours to paint a house and then actually paint? Have you ever had a very strong desire to take the time to fix the plumbing for your kitchen sink in a digital world? Or maybe you just really wanted to go to a local pond and skip stones? All of these things and more can be your reality...
First Impressions RIGS Brings AAA Future Sports to PlayStation VR
Jumping through hoops
Following the colossal success of Rocket League, future sports are back in a big way. RIGS: Mechanized Combat League, the latest from Medievil and Killzone: Mercenary developer Guerrilla Cambridge, is in essence a mech-based deathmatch experience – but with a twist. Unlike other first-person shooters, your objective in this...
First Impressions Flapping Through the First Hours of Rocketbirds 2 for PS4, Vita
Cluck, cluck, goose
Rocketbirds 2: Evolution is set to release on PlayStation 4 and Vita on 26th April, and we've received the chance to test out what the game has to offer so far. Playing through the game's first chapter and a bit of Rescue Mission mode, here are our initial impressions. Taking place after the events of its predecessor, Hardboiled...
First Impressions Battlezone on PlayStation VR Will Blow Your Mind
Tank you very much
Holy moly, virtual reality is truly mind blowing stuff. We were recently invited out to legendary developer Rebellion's headquarters to get some eyes-on time with Battlezone on PlayStation VR – and we've talked about little else since. This is only phase one for the fledging medium's return to the mainstream, and already it's...
First Impressions Sniper Elite 4 on PS4 Seems On Target Yet Again
Murder in the Mediterranean
For many, Rebellion's successful Sniper Elite series is a gaming guilty pleasure. Seasoned soldier Karl Fairburne has been busting balls since the heady days of the PlayStation 2, and now finds himself slinking into battle for a fourth time. Continuing the property's theme of depicting unexpected but engaging World War II...
First Impressions Hitman PS4 Brings the Franchise Back to Its Golden Years
Our thoughts from the beta
It's safe to say that a lot of people were feeling quite nervous about the annoyingly named Hitman. Its episodic release schedule worried many people, and tensions were high after the disappointing Hitman: Absolution – would Square Enix mess up again? After playing the beta for many hours, however, it seems that there's...
First Impressions Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Is an Addictive Monster Raising RPG
Gotta hatch 'em all
We've spent around five hours with Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth on PlayStation 4, and we're tempted to say that we're already addicted. Admittedly, the game's first hour or so is a bit humdrum as you're shown the ropes of cyberspace and introduced to several main characters, but it wasn't long before we were hatching digimon eggs,...
First Impressions The Division Shows Promise on PS4, But There Are Worries
Our thoughts after five hours with the beta
Every time that we have something good to say about Tom Clancy's The Division, there's a 'but' at the end of the statement. Maybe we're just miserable gits, or perhaps we're just wary of Ubisoft's ability to con us into thinking something's really good when deep down, it's actually pretty unremarkable...
First Impressions Is Arslan: The Warriors of Legend Princely on PS4?
King me
We've had our eye on Arslan: The Warriors of Legend for quite some time, and that's mostly because Omega Force – the developer behind almost every Warriors-esque game under the sun – has a solid track record when it comes to merging already existing properties with its trademark hack and slash action. The likes of Dynasty Warriors:...
First Impressions Taking Cover in Uncharted 4's Multiplayer Beta on PS4
Irresistible relic?
Few things in life derive more pleasure than the following: sex, chocolate, matching with other players in the Uncharted 4: A Thief's End multiplayer beta on the PlayStation 4. Despite being a rather cynical promotional ploy, Naughty Dog's server stress test is living up to its namesake, as you'll spend more time staring at...
First Impressions Need for Speed Fails to Hit First Gear on PS4
Sick
When you're forced to recycle old subtitles, you know that it's time that your brand got a reboot. EA Games' long running Need for Speed series has been securing podium finishes for almost as long as we can remember, but despite there being a movie in the interim, the publisher resisted the temptation to churn out a 2014 sequel to PlayStation 4...
First Impressions Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare Continues to Grow with a Sequel on PS4
Green hill zone
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 focuses on expanding the original title, which was already such a great success. For those living under a rock, Garden Warfare is a third-person shooter where the plants and zombies from the popular mobile game go head-to-head in order to defend their homelands from each other. We gave the first...
First Impressions Forcing Our Way to the Front Line in Star Wars Battlefront on PS4
Everything is proceeding as foreseen
Fans of sci-fi video games have been waiting for a new Star Wars Battlefront ever since the outstanding previous instalment in the series, Battlefront 2, was released all the way back in 2005. For loyal followers of the franchise this previous title feels like it deployed "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far...
First Impressions Just Cause 3 Grapples for Glory on PS4
Scorpio strikes again
The sequel to popular open world action title Just Cause 2, creatively named Just Cause 3, brings Rico Rodriguez – codenamed Scorpio – to an entirely new fictional setting: the Mediterranean archipelago of Medici. The new map is the exact same size as the previous instalment's gigantic world, clocking in at a massive 400...
First Impressions Shadow of the Beast Is Bloody Brilliant on PS4
Stepping out of the shadows
One of the quieter demo stations that we saw this year at EGX was for the reboot of eighties gaming classic, Shadow of the Beast. Now, this wasn't much of a surprise, especially since its announcement a couple of years ago at Gamescom was met with a resounding "huh, never heard of it" from anyone under the age of...
First Impressions Dragon Quest Heroes PS4 Is a Monster Masher That Shows a Lot of Promise
It's looking goo-d
Square Enix has been somewhat adamant in proving that Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below isn't just another Warriors game. Developed by Omega Force - the Japanese studio behind just about every musou title in existence - this hack and slasher definitely bares similarities to Koei Tecmo's franchises and...
First Impressions Breaching the Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege Beta on PS4
Breaking down barriers
Here at Push Square we've been checking out the closed beta for Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege on the PlayStation 4 – and boy has this game been kept under a rock since its first announcement at E3 last year. There's been a distinct lack of interest in the title since its reveal, but it finally appears to have found its feet...
First Impressions Ratchet & Clank PS4 Is a Pixar Movie Brought to Life
Lookin' nuts
Remember when Sony famously said that the PlayStation 2 would be capable of powering Toy Story-esque visuals in realtime? We've been waiting a long time for it to deliver on that statement. But with Ratchet & Clank on the PlayStation 4, developer Insomniac Games may have finally succeeded, as this is one of the most visually...
First Impressions How Well Does Assassin's Creed Syndicate Run on PS4?
London's not quite burning
After Assassin's Creed Unity launched in shameful condition on the PlayStation 4 last year, there's been much discussion over how 2015's follow up, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, will run on Sony's home console. After the beating that Unity took, you'd assume that Ubisoft would do its best to ensure that Syndicate performs...
First Impressions Reflecting on Mirror’s Edge Catalyst PS4
Smooth round the edges
Mirror's Edge Catalyst is a reimagined story set before the events of the first title and has built upon the free running and combat system of the original to bring a totally fresh and more fluid experience. With upgraded visuals that look stunning on the next generation consoles and are especially sharp on the PlayStation 4,...
