Sammy Barker

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Jan 23, 2020

Critic50/100

Agreement—

It looks lovely and it plays fine, but without its headline feature it winds up largely uninspired.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Jan 20, 2020

Critic50/100

Agreement—

Overall, the title is ridiculously restricted, and while there are different endings encouraging multiple playthroughs, you’ll have seen all that it has to offer in hours.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Jan 9, 2020

Critic70/100

Agreement—

AO Tennis 2 is a winner, raising the baseline for all tennis titles on PS4. There are still minor quirks to its gameplay, but it's well-presented and fun, making its enriched Career mode dangerously addictive.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Dec 16, 2019

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Shenmue III is a game lost in time, but that's probably the greatest compliment you can pay this long-awaited sequel. Newcomers will be utterly bemused by its slice of life-style idiosyncrasies, but for franchise fans this is the faithful follow-up that they've been waiting almost two decades for.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Oct 29, 2019

Critic40/100

Agreement—

The package is rounded out with various Time Trial options and the minigame-powered Decathlon, but not even the addition of online leaderboards can make the title’s awful adaptation of Whack-a-Mole entertaining.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Oct 18, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

This is a very different kind of two-wheeled platforming to the recent Trials Rising, but it scratches the same kind of itch – arguably more effectively, too.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Oct 17, 2019

Critic70/100

Agreement—

There’s a great business management experience here; the gameplay may seem shallow at first blush, but plunge a little deeper and you’ll find plenty of depth.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Oct 17, 2019

Critic60/100

Agreement—

There’s so much off-the-wall content here that you’ll be willing to push through its drier segments just to see what oddity the developer has in store next.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Sep 24, 2019

Critic50/100

Agreement—

The only real accolade you can award this run-of-the-mill release is that it’s inoffensive, but even then it’s almost offensively inoffensive – if you get what we mean.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Sep 17, 2019

Critic60/100

Agreement—

A curiously compelling gameplay loop makes Bus Simulator much more entertaining than it has any right to be. The presentation is poor, but the act of actually picking up passengers and taking them to A-to-B in an expanding open world is moreish, and the title has a self-aware sense of humour that's easy to appreciate.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Sep 11, 2019

Critic40/100

Agreement—

SEGA’s upcoming Olympics game is so much better that a visit to YO! Sushi is the closest it'll be getting to Japan.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Aug 9, 2019

Critic70/100

Agreement—

The greatest show on turf gets a bit more personality with Madden NFL 20’s new X-Factor abilities. While this headline addition only applies to the sport’s biggest superstars, it injects new life into the on-field action. The new QB1 campaign may have potential in the future, but in its current guise it’s a step back from the Longshot story explored in previous entries, while the fan-favourite Franchise mode continues to see neglect.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·May 13, 2019

Critic60/100

Agreement0%

A Plague Tale: Innocence deserves respect for daring to be different, funnelling you through a bleak European backdrop that's seldom seen. Despite some neat ideas, though, the stealth and puzzle mechanics drag, and the story can't quite make up its mind about what it wants to be. Furthermore, while the presentation is spectacular, the project lacks polish in key areas and overstays its welcome at times.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Apr 28, 2019

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Snooker 19 cues nicely, and all of the licensing will delight fans of the real-world sport. The game does feel a bit barebones in terms of modes, but it's also retailing at a budget price point. All in all, when it comes to niche sports, this is one of the better executed packages on the PS4.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Apr 25, 2019

Critic70/100

Agreement—

The story can drift, and the overall package isn’t quite as polished as its PS4 exclusive counterparts – but as far as gaming comfort food goes, you could feast on much worse snacks than this.