Sammy Barker

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Sammy Barker·Nov 23, 2015

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Bloodborne: The Old Hunters is much more of the same from what is already an outstanding game. The new environments and boss encounters add hours to the main experience, but it's the deluge of additional equipment that will keep veterans most occupied. If you've been yearning for a reason to return to Yharnam, then this DLC practically demands your Blood Echoes. Just remember that the life of hunter is defined by death – and you're going to die a lot.

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Sammy Barker·Nov 8, 2015

Critic50/100

Agreement—

Need for Speed's got many of the parts required of a great racer, but it's lacking a mechanic to assemble them and apply a lick of paint. The cutscenes, as obnoxious as they may be, are the real stars here, which may just be an indictment of the game as a whole. Sure, the handling's good, but the events are insipid – and the visuals may sparkle, but Ventura Bay is as vanilla as open worlds come. For as pumped-up as its excitable cast of characters are, this reboot quite simply lacks energy. Now, has anybody got any Monster?

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Sammy Barker·Oct 22, 2015

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Much like the Victorian city that it's based upon, you have to dig into Assassin's Creed Syndicate in order to identify its problems. The core gameplay loop is solid and it's built upon a sound structure, but familiarity and filler lessen the appeal of this open world outing. Vastly improved performance and all around impressive presentation mean that London's most definitely not burning – but there may be a little panic in the offices at Ubisoft.

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Sammy Barker·Oct 16, 2015

Critic70/100

Agreement—

A surprisingly solid racing game, WRC 5's biggest undoing is its evident lack of budget. Kylotonn Games has put its priorities in the right place, delivering a slick handling model that captures the spontaneous nature of the sport well, but the presentation is fairly poor across the board – and the frame rate issues really detract from the responsiveness of the driving. Still, this is a strong base to work from, and we can only hope that the positive reception results in the studio receiving a bigger budget for the release's inevitable sequel.

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Sammy Barker·Oct 5, 2015

Critic90/100

Agreement—

While there are small elements of all three bundled titles that have failed to stand the test of time, this is still a stellar trilogy, with stories and set-pieces that generally tend to better most modern games. Of course, existing fans will already know what wonders await them – but newcomers should brace themselves for 30 or so hours of solid gold.

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Sammy Barker·Sep 17, 2015

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Flame Over is never going to set the world on fire, but it's a deceptively enjoyable roguelike with a wholly original spin. It's a shame that the transition to the PS4 hasn't delivered a better learning curve, but this is still the same good game from the Vita – only it looks much better now. Take a bit of time to learn its systems, and this will grow on you like an out-of-control inferno. Just remember to have a bit of patience, or you will get burned.

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Sammy Barker·Sep 2, 2015

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Tearaway Unfolded is so imaginitive that you'll feel yourself wanting to applaud it at points. An occasionally clunky camera and some narrative issues do threaten to screw up this paper-based platformer, but the quirky controls and sheer variety of the gameplay will keep a smile glued to your face. Pitch-perfect presentation and a well-executed conclusion ensure that this remixed release is in tip-top shape, while the sheer wealth of collectibles give it value long after the credits roll.

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Sammy Barker·Aug 24, 2015

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Until Dawn is a pleasant surprise, and something that fans of interactive stories will really appreciate. As a schlocky horror it's a success, but its fiction actually goes beyond simple slasher – even if it remains intentionally silly throughout. The sometimes sloppy controls will irritate, while the performance capture could have been better, but neither of these issues are nightmarish enough to pull you out of the popcorn flick plot, which is buoyed by the impressive, if not gigantically impactful, butterfly effect. A ridiculous romp is what was promised, then, and this one will keep occupied all night long.

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Sammy Barker·Jul 20, 2015

Critic50/100

Agreement—

Tembo the Badass Elephant is made even more frustrating by the fact that it doesn't flat out suck. There's a solid sidescroller in here, but Game Freak's taken it in the wrong direction. This should have been an adventure all about momentum, but it does everything within its power to pump the brakes. Give this wide load a wide berth – it's made itself irrelephant.

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Sammy Barker·Jul 18, 2015

Critic70/100

Agreement—

[W]hile this remains an exceptional example of Sony Santa Monica's slick character action series, you should only really consider ripping open your wallet for this re-release if you've never experienced it before.

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Sammy Barker·Jul 10, 2015

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Rocket League is a good idea that's been expertly executed. While you may roll your eyes at the idea of a vehicular adaptation of America's least-favourite sport, this is a title that's hard to put down once you give it a try. Flawless controls and a frightening amount of depth ensure that both casual and hardcore players will have fun on the field – and the generally excellent online implementation transforms it into four-wheeled crack. Not even a lacklustre single player option and an out-of-place soundtrack can stop us from declaring this the beautiful car game.

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Sammy Barker·May 13, 2015

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Once you get the controls where you want them, your car exactly how you like it, and your race day tactics tightened up, it delivers an exhilarating ride, but few will have the patience – or, indeed, the willpower – to reach that point, and thus it's hard to imagine this outing achieving the mainstream success of other competing motoring series.

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Sammy Barker·Apr 24, 2015

Critic40/100

Agreement—

LA Cops has inoffensive intentions, but its execution is as flawed as its characters' fashion sense. The pleasant presentation represents the still-edible icing on this otherwise stale, circular snack – but glaring design issues have left us close to dialling 911.

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Sammy Barker·Apr 18, 2015

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Mortal Kombat X doesn't hit with quite as much impact as its predecessor, but it still improves upon a brutal blueprint. The story's stupid and poorly written, but it's all of the options outside of the campaign that will keep you engaged – whether you're playing with others or alone. With hundreds of modifiers, the ever-rotating Living Towers, and some truly exceptional online additions, this game really goes above and beyond. However, it doesn't ignore what's important either, employing the new variants system to keep the fighting fresh – even if you only play as one character. Misplaced microtransactions sully the experience slightly – but this is still only a few scratches short of a flawless victory.

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Sammy Barker·Mar 27, 2015

Critic50/100

Agreement—

RIDE's adequate in almost all areas, but it's never going to offer the ride of your life. There's a clear passion for motorcycles on display here, and petrol heads will appreciate the depth of the tinkering that's on offer – but the on-track experience is far too clinical to confidently capture the pastime that the developer is so enthusiastic about. If you want to build up a stable of obsessively rendered motorcycles, each tuned to your exacting tastes, then this may get your internal engine roaring for a while – but everyone else will find a competently made racing game that, beneath all of the gusto of its creepy announcer, never really hits top gear.