Sammy Barker

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Feb 21, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

All in all, this re-release doesn’t fumble the ball – and American football fans in particular will find a lot to like.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Feb 21, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

All in all, this re-release doesn’t fumble the ball – and American football fans in particular will find a lot to like.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Feb 18, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

While it does feel quite scrappy, and you will have to spend a bit of time setting the title up to your tastes, we reckon this is a fair trade given the ridiculously low price point. There is local multiplayer if you want to play with family and friends, which extends to a nifty little tournament mode, too. So, if you’re in the mood for some multiplayer baseball, you really can’t go wrong here.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Jan 11, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Each level feels unique, and goes through phases that ensure the gameplay remains interesting and engaging. And it’s all complemented by a jaw-dropping art style, which can feel a little grungy on occasion, but has some true standout set-piece moments – like the boss enemies that fill the entire screen. A CRT toggle is available for true retro enthusiasts, but we preferred to play with unfiltered, razor-sharp 4K pixels. And we loved every minute.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Jan 10, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Nevertheless, we like this little collection. As a game, Breakers and its refreshed Breakers Revenge re-release does little to set itself apart from its peers of the era, but its simplistic gameplay and vibrant aesthetic still manages to ensure it’s an entertaining time.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Jan 6, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Firefighting Simulator: The Squad takes an underrepresented concept and delivers a rousing co-op experience. Despite its name, the game doesn't get too bogged down in details, making for an entertaining gameplay loop that's oddly relaxing – despite the intense scenarios on display. Some shoddy AI and repetition mean we wouldn't recommend it solo, but there's undeniable fun to be had with friends.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Dec 20, 2022

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Not all of the mechanics work: we like scoring strikes in High Velocity Bowling, but MotorStorm’s route selection rails are a bit of head-scratcher. But there’s a thoughtfulness to all of the tables that’s easy to appreciate – especially if you’re fond of this very specific era of PlayStation’s first-party games.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Dec 11, 2022

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Marvel's Midnight Suns is a hero on the battlefield, where its card-based combat is a hit. The release's more adventurous social aspects are conceptually interesting, allowing you to candidly interact with a spectrum of personalities, but the writing and cutscene direction simply isn't up to scratch. It means that you'll spend long stretches of gameplay itching to get back to the action, but the lure of the tactical battles with pull you through. It's an unusual, unfocused title at times, but one with character and ambition that's easy to appreciate.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Dec 11, 2022

Critic60/100

Agreement—

The core arcade fighting, with its persistent clothing damage and blend of vivid 2D and 3D visuals, makes it a compelling curio for fighting game faithfuls. But the package as a whole falls short of expectations, and will either need major updates or a chunky price drop moving forwards.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Dec 1, 2022

Critic50/100

Agreement—

But ultimately, this game misses the target. If you’re itching for some footie amid the World Cup, and you absolutely can’t stand sims like FIFA 23, we suppose you might eke some mileage out of it. Otherwise, leave this one on the bench where it belongs.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Nov 21, 2022

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Outside of the online – which adopts a seasonal format and sees you unlocking new cosmetics as you work through the ranks – there’s a modernised version of single player Arkanoid which includes new power-ups and a combo system, as well as the 1986 original, both with online leaderboards. There’s also a rounds-based versus mode for four-person local multiplayer play. As a whole, the package is well executed, but with an asking price of £24.99/$29.99, it feels a little too light overall to overcome the sticker shock.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Nov 13, 2022

Critic80/100

Agreement—

While many of the included games may border on unplayable from a modern perspective, the painstaking attention to detail in Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is extremely easy to appreciate. The museum-like carousel of content, from interviews through to original artwork, is presented so handsomely that you can't not get swept up in Atari's dramatic story. And the fact that there over 100 of the company's most famous titles, emulated excellently with their original instruction manuals available to pore over, adds playable context to a lot of the content. This is just an impressive overall experience that will appeal to those who lived through the rise (and fall) of Atari, as well as younger players eager to learn a little more about one of the industry's true pioneers.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Oct 4, 2022

Critic70/100

Agreement—

The tweaks to FIFA 23's gameplay make for a more deliberate, physical representation of the beautiful game – and while it won't be to the taste of sweats who are used to five-star skilling their way up the ranks in Division Rivals, personally we appreciate the commitment to authenticity. As an overall package, this is a strong end to an impressive 30-year run, but an overemphasis on microtransactions and some cumbersome UI decisions underline everything that's been frustrating about this franchise for the past decade or so. Make no mistake, with crossplay and a wealth of things to do, this is the best shape the series has been in – but we hope EA Sports FC, unshackled from the overbearing eyes of governing body FIFA, brings a little bit more to the field.

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Sep 28, 2022

Critic80/100

Agreement—

SUPERHOT is excellent. It may lack the physicality of its virtual reality alter-ego, but it makes up for this with a mind-bending story and an on-point menu system. The slow-motion shooting is still super satisfying, and the added locomotion makes for a different kind of cadence to the PlayStation VR version. Buy both editions if you can, as they complement each other nicely and are unmissable in our humble opinion. Now, tell all of your friends…

Push Square

Sammy Barker·Sep 16, 2022

Critic80/100

Agreement—

It may be easy to accuse sports games of offering the same experience year in and year out, but you simply can't say that about NBA 2K23. The game still has issues with its overemphasis on microtransactions in MyCareer and to a lesser extent MyTeam, but the new MyNBA Eras mode is a revelation – and the Jordan Challenge campaign is damn fun, too. On the court, 2K Sports has made some nice balancing tweaks and also improved the overall AI to make matches more dynamic and competitive, and when you pair all of that with all the new animations, you end up with a basketball sim that's the very definition of a slam dunk.