Sammy Barker

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Sammy Barker·Jun 1, 2017

Critic50/100

Agreement—

Clementine is The Walking Dead, and by showing her transition into womanhood A New Frontier is just about a must for fans. But while it lays the foundations for new regulars in Javi and Kate, the fact is that all of the season's other story threads come to an abrupt and unsatisfying end in Episode 5: From the Gallows. There have been many good moments over the course of the season, but the finale does little with them, and the journey feels like a waste of time as a consequence.

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Sammy Barker·May 30, 2017

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Danger Zone is about as barebones as arcade games get, and yet its explosive gameplay loop is so addictive that it's somehow passed our crash test relatively unscathed. The presentation may be offensively simplistic and the runtime a little on the short side, but once you've launched your Smashbreaker a few times, you'll feel like all is well in the world.

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Sammy Barker·May 1, 2017

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Little Nightmares is like a fledgling chef's interpretation of a gourmet dish: it looks the part and hits the spot – but it won't live too long in the memory once you've greedily gobbled it up. Outstanding presentation is paired with some forgettable puzzles and a slightly fragmented fiction, leaving a feast that will satisfy without ever really forcing your tastebuds to explode.

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Sammy Barker·Apr 25, 2017

Critic60/100

Agreement—

The weakest episode in The Walking Dead: A New Frontier thus far, Thicker Than Water is paced awkwardly and doesn't spend enough time exploring the relationships that really matter. A good conclusion sets up the finale well, and there are some standout scenes over the course of the instalment. But an underdeveloped villain and some hard to believe exchanges make this a forgettable episode overall.

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Sammy Barker·Apr 24, 2017

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Outlast II significantly ups the ante in the production values stakes, but its biggest sin is relying a little too heavily on trial and error in the gameplay department. There's an unsettling story here that wanders into some quite shocking territory, but the writing doesn't always sing from the same hymn sheet, and some murderous moments are delivered a little too frantically for the fiction to fully marinate. Despite that, there's more than enough good on offer here to tempt you back to church. Pull up a pew and prepare for a psychological onslaught.

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Sammy Barker·Apr 6, 2017

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Drawn to Death's juvenile presentation belies a nuanced shooter that's frankly a breath of fresh air. The title fuses fighting games with frenetic on-foot action that feels quite unlike anything you'll ever have played before. Quality game modes and an imaginative roster of weapons are only let-down by the lingering microtransactions that have seemingly survived the title's business model change unscathed. Other than that, though, it's f*cking awesome.

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Sammy Barker·Apr 4, 2017

Critic60/100

Agreement—

It's colourful, there are collectibles, and it's got a rotten camera: Yooka-Laylee is a 90s platformer to a tee. Unfortunately, rather than a rose-tinted look at the titles of yore, this game falls into all of the same pitfalls as its predecessors: it's rough around the edges, often annoying, and at times even a chore. And yet for all of its flaws it's still packing the most important ingredient of all: the compulsion to collect everything is strong here – and it'll remain even when you're grinding your teeth.

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Sammy Barker·Mar 28, 2017

Critic70/100

Agreement—

The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - Episode 3: Above the Law is simmering. Javier Garcia is a great character, and aside from some cartoonish bit-parts, the cast that he's surrounding himself with is equally intriguing. Clem's inclusion feels a little forced at this point, but it's good to have her around all the same. An unsatisfying conclusion lets this instalment down, but we're still very much enjoying the ride.

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Sammy Barker·Mar 21, 2017

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Everything is not for everyone, and thus it's a hard game to score. This existential experience is not quite as pretentious as it appears to be, but it will still leave you mindful of your worth to the world – and the universe as a whole. Honestly, if you've ever found yourself enchanted by the sheer scale of space itself, then this game does an incredible job of communicating that through rudimentary interactivity alone.

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Sammy Barker·Mar 20, 2017

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Perhaps the main takeaway here is that FlatOut 4: Total Insanity is safer than its name suggests. There's not a lot to criticise in terms of its execution, but its ambition feels firmly rooted in the PlayStation 2 era. There's nothing particularly wrong with that, and if you're looking for a distraction to occupy between juggernaut releases, then the PS4 isn't host to many destructive racers that are better. But while there's fun to be had while you're playing, don't expect this above average car crash to live long in the memory at all.

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Sammy Barker·Mar 16, 2017

Critic30/100

Agreement—

On a system bursting with great horror games, you can safely side-step Dying: Reborn. While we appreciate the attempt, the production values just aren't in place to create the tension that's intended here, and even though there are a couple of decent puzzles on display, there's not enough meat on this murder mystery's bones to make it worth the price of admission.

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Sammy Barker·Mar 9, 2017

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Disc Jam has all of the ingredients of a classic but it just doesn't feel fully cooked. Flat visuals and some balance issues prevent this disc tossing sim from reaching the same highs as Rocket League, even if its gameplay loop is fairly accessible and sporting some great depth. That said, though, if this is High Horse Entertainment's Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars moment, then we can't wait to see what it delivers next time it takes to the field.

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Sammy Barker·Mar 6, 2017

Critic80/100

Agreement—

An oddity that grows in stature the more time that you spend with it, NieR: Automata is so much more than you think it is – and it's all the better for it. Some decent writing aside, its side-quests fall into genre pitfalls and its open world can be annoying to navigate. But if you're able to look beyond its shortcomings as a game then you'll be richly rewarded. And while we can't really elaborate on why that is, you're just going to have to trust us.

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Sammy Barker·Feb 21, 2017

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - Banned Footage Vol. 2 is arguably an even better piece of DLC than its already excellent predecessor, but our excitement for the additions is tempered by frustration that they should have been included with the main game. We liked the core campaign as it was, but with these packs bolted on it could have scored higher. Still, what you have here is some truly inventive content that repurposes the game's main mechanics in a variety of interesting and exciting ways.

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Sammy Barker·Feb 21, 2017

Critic30/100

Agreement—

VR Ping Pong's a steeply priced simulation that mostly misses the mark. The presentation is rudimentary and the gameplay is awkward and unrefined. The developer may argue that we're just bad at table tennis, but we have no problem in real-life, so clearly there's something awry here. Factor in technical glitches and this is difficult to recommend.