GeezerVison is showing www.pushsquare.com — Sammy Barker (Author) | Push Square
As the Editor of Push Square, Sammy has over 15 years of experience analysing the world of PlayStation, from PS3 through PS5 and everything in between. He’s an expert on PS Studios and industry matters, as well as sports games and simulators. He also enjoys RPGs when he has the time to dedicate to them, and is a bit of a gacha whale.
I've been passionate about video games since I was at primary school, printing off Nintendo-themed newsletters to share with my pals on the playground. I love the escapism that only video games can provide, and I enjoy sharing my passion for the industry with anyone and everyone who will listen!
Experience
Sammy founded Push Square as a personal project while studying Business and Computing at Birmingham City University in 2009. Although he’d made several websites in the past, he wanted to create something more contemporary to demonstrate his abilities to future employers.
He enjoyed working on Push Square so much that he was able to turn it into a full-time job after graduating, and when the site was eventually integrated into Hookshot Media in 2012! As Editor, Sammy is responsible for the day-to-day running of Push Square, and he continues to contribute news, reviews, guides and features to the site.
I love sharing my passion for video games, and specifically PlayStation, with the rest of the world. There's no other entertainment medium that gives me butterflies of excitement quite like gaming does, and it's a dream come true to be able to engage others and share my enthusiasm with like-minded fans.
Timeline
- 2009: Launches Push Square as a personal project while studying for a Business and Computing degree.
- 2012: Begins working with Nintendo Life’s Editor as Associate Editor, helping to transition Push Square from a personal project to a fully-fledged professional website.
- 2013: Becomes full-time Editor of Push Square, responsible for growing the profile of the website and increasing the footprint of its team.
Qualifications & Awards
- 2011 - BSc 1st Class Hons Business Information Technology with Multimedia (Birmingham City University)
Expertise
Sammy’s gaming journey began with the Super Nintendo and SEGA Mega Drive consoles, both of which his family owned during his younger years. The first console he personally owned was the Game Boy, followed by a long line of systems from the Nintendo 64 right through to the PlayStation 5.
Sammy’s favourite console of all-time is the Dreamcast, thanks largely to its timeless games. The PS1 remains his favourite PlayStation though, due to its expansive library and the path it plotted from the 2D to the 3D eras through iconic games like Resident Evil and Crash Bandicoot.
I have many favourite game genres, but I'd say I enjoy the Action RPG above all others! I like the sense of progression that RPGs provide, and I enjoy action-based gameplay with fun combat systems that feel satisfying to play.
Sammy’s Favourite Games
Shenmue 1 & 2 (PS4):
I played these games first on Dreamcast, of course, but was delighted to revisit them in high definition on the PS4. These two titles proved to me that games can have engaging narratives, and I remain obsessed with its life simulation elements - the fact that you can explore the world, go where you want, and use your time in any way you like.
Resident Evil 4 (PS2):
I’m listing the original PS2 release here, but of course the PS4 remake is excellent as well. This Capcom masterpiece changed the third-person shooter forever with its taut gunplay and great controls. It’s also just a fantastic adventure, with tons of iconic moments and set-pieces.
Shadow of the Colossus (PS2):
Again, I’m listing the PS2 original, but the PS3 re-release and PS4 remakes are also outstanding. While Shenmue proved to me that games can compete with movies when it comes to engaging narratives, this game showed me it’s possible to tell stories in a different way. Team ICO’s classic conveys emotion through interaction, and it’s a unique experience for that.
From the Archive
We asked Sammy to pick out his three favourite pieces of work from across his personal archive, and tell us why he picked them!
Feature: Exploring Taiwan's Underground Gaming Scene:
I'm obsessed with video games and find ways to incorporate them into everything I do. Writing this piece about Taiwan's very unique underground gaming scene was a joy, and I was so overwhelmed by the feedback I received.
Feature: Tokyo Game Show Was Everything I Expected, And Somehow More:
I'd read about Tokyo Game Show in magazines, but actually getting to physically attend was a career highlight. I was really proud of how I was able to sum up the sights and sounds of the event in this article.
GTA Online Guide: Your Ultimate Wiki and Walkthrough Resource:
I spent hundreds of hours learning the ins-and-outs of one of the PS5 and PS4's most popular games in order to produce this GTA Online guide. I think it provides a great starting point for anyone looking to get into the multiplayer sandbox mode.
- Username
- get2sammyb
- Articles
- 36,880 (889 reviews)
- First Article
- Thu 10th, July 2008
- Avg. Review Score
- 6.7
- Find Them On
- LinkedIn • Muck Rack • Bluesky • Twitter/X • Instagram • Threads
Review Train Sim World 7 (PS5) - A Familiar Journey with a Few New Stops
See it, say it, sorted As I write my seventh Train Sim World review in almost as many years, I’m fighting the feeling of groundhog day a tad – I think even the team at Dovetail would forgive me that.
There’s no question this railway simulation has come on leaps and bounds in the best part of a decade, now looking and feeling like a premium...
Review Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls (PS5) - The Most Exciting Fighting Game in Years
Superheroic There was a sense of inevitability about superhero brawler Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, and I’m delighted to say it’s delivered.
For my money, this is comfortably the most exciting fighter since Street Fighter 6, delivering a zany competitive experience powered by unprecedented production values and some innovative gameplay design...
Mini Review 70's-style Robot Anime Geppy-X (PS5) - Zany PS1 Shooter Is a Real Treat
Retro oddity 70’s-style Robot Anime Geppy-X has simply got to be the best kind of retro re-release.
I’d never heard of this Japan-only PS1 scrolling shooter from 1999, but I had an absolute blast playing through its enhanced PS5 version, lovingly repackaged by Implicit Conversions – the studio behind PS Plus Premium’s emulated catalogue...
Mini Review Dead or Alive 6: Last Round (PS5) - Dead on Arrival
Looks aren't everything I truly do not understand Dead or Alive 6: Last Round.
The Koei Tecmo fighter already attracted a poor response when it launched on the PS4 in 2019 – I think my colleague Rob was quite generous with his 6/10 assessment at the time – but this repackaged next-gen re-release represented an opportunity to restore the...
Review NTE: Neverness to Everness (PS5) - Ambitious Anime Open World Gets a Lot Right
Perfect world The irritatingly named Neverness to Everness – which I’ll refer to as just NTE for the purposes of my own sanity from this point onwards – has launched into a crowded genre on the PS5.
Ever since Genshin Impact exploded during the pandemic, there have been several console copycats, all adopting the same free-to-play format, with...
Review Invincible VS (PS5) - Comic Book Carnage That Comes Alive Online
Test your (Viltru)might How has it taken this long to get an Invincible game?
Okay, so technically there was the PC-based visual novel Invincible Presents: Atom Eve, which by all accounts is pretty good. And there was also Ubisoft’s idle game Invincible: Guarding the Globe, which is still supported today.
But without being snobby, we mean a...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 657
Killing time Another week has come to a conclusion, and we are very much in the GTA 6 evacuation zone now. Less than two weeks until Rockstar's sequel, folks.
Jamie O'Neill:
I've only managed about three hours on Lone Survivor: The Director's Cut, so I'll break out the PS Vita, because I can't leave that masked protagonist stuck in a disease...
Guide These 28+ PS5 and PS Plus Games Are Coming Out This Week (2nd-8th November)
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters! CRYMELIGHT! Zero Parades! We’re fast approaching the GTA 6 evacuation zone, so expect the number of new releases to dip dramatically in November.
There are some noteworthy titles this time, though, with highlights including the PS5 version of Zero Parades as well as Alice in Wonderland roguelite CRYMELIGHT.
Here's...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 656
Raise hell Another week has come to a close, and that means it's time for us to WAYP together. I love how eclectic these articles have become over the years; it's always interesting to see what everyone's playing.
Aaron Bayne:
I recently started Zero Parades: For Dead Spies Director's Cut, since I fancied something a bit slower-paced. Really...
Guide These 46+ PS5 and PS Plus Games Are Coming Out This Week (26th-1st November)
Phantom Blade Zero! The Wolf Among Us! STEINS;GATE! The PS5 release schedule is absolutely, utterly stacked this week – in fact, this is the biggest update I think I’ve put together since we started this series.
There should be no guesses about the biggest new game: it’s unquestionably Phantom Blade Zero, from Chinese dev S-GAME.
There are...
Feature PS5 Answers 'Bleakest' Month with a 22% Upswing in Sales
How much does the enthusiast discourse matter? I’ve been covering PlayStation since the early PS3 days, and aside from the PSN outage in 2011, I can’t think of a worse month for the brand than September 2026.
PS5’s public image was on the floor, with the ramifications of a widely publicised “blackout” campaign
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 655
Wet and windy The weather is miserable, guys. Like, truly miserable. I’m not going out this weekend unless I have to. I’m playing games.
Aaron Bayne:
Not exactly what I was expecting, but I'll be spending this weekend with Modern Warfare 4. It's been a couple of years since I last dove into a Call of Duty, so hopefully this one is worth it!...
Round Up STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT PS5 Reviews - Here's What the Critics Are Saying
Back to Akihabara I’ve not had a chance to finish reading STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT yet, and considering how busy my current work schedule is, I think I’m going to put it down for now and concede defeat. (I do intend to get back to it at some point.)
However, I still wanted to get something up on the site about this visual novel, which is a second...
Guide These 35+ PS5 and PS Plus Games Are Coming Out This Week (19th-25th October)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4! Final Fantasy Resonance! BeamNG.drive! Between all the new releases and PS Plus update, PS5 owners have an eye-watering 35+ new games to look forward to this week.
This includes some real major titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, although you can already play its campaign in Early Access if you’re so...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 654
Scrib doon The days are getting shorter and the cooler weather is easing in — at least here in the UK. Fortunately there are about a bazillion games to play. Here's what's keeping us busy.
Graham Banas:
Now that Control: Resonant has a disc version, I no longer have to pretend like it hasn't released yet. So that's going to be my weekend. I'll...
News PS Plus Pulls Plug on PC Streaming After Fewer Than 1% Used It
End of the road Sony will kill the ability to stream PlayStation games on the PC beginning 10th December, with the platform holder stating fewer than 0.4% of eligible PS Plus Premium subscribers used it.
Members of the manufacturer’s most expensive tier can currently stream and play titles from the PS Plus Premium catalogue u
News GTA 6 on PS5 Is PS Store's Most Pre-Ordered Digital Game in History
Record breaker It was always going to be big, but with a week until release, Rockstar has now confirmed that GTA 6 is the most pre-ordered digital game in PS Store history.
Confirmation comes courtesy of the PS Blog, in a post from Sony’s Tim Turi.
The opening sentence reads:
“GTA 6 is now the most pre-ordered game in the history of PS...
News Stuff Your Face with PS5 RPG Atelier Karia's Story Trailer, Pre-Orders Live Now
All editions revealed Atelier Karia: The Night Kingdom & the Guide of Memories attracted attention recently for including a system where its eponymous protagonist could get fat.
That’s because this upcoming PS5 RPG from Koei Tecmo takes the “you are what you eat” mantra and makes it a gameplay mechanic, with the heroine absorbing all kinds of...
News Sony Subsidiary Aniplex Ignores PS5 with Yet Another Game
Ani-perplexed Sony-owned publisher Aniplex will release dark fantasy visual novel LunaVerse on the Switch and PC next year, marking yet another occasion in which the subsidiary has skipped PS5.
The media firm, which is under the umbrella of Sony Music, has been releasing more titles of late – many of which don’t deploy on its parent company’s...
News GTA 6's Exclusive Selfridges Merch Is Daylight Robbery
Varsity jacket for $3,300 You may need to turn to crime in order to afford UK retailer Selfridges’ exclusive roster of GTA 6 merch.
Available online and in-store now, items include a £2,500 (~$3,352) varsity jacket with the Rockstar and GTA 6 logos emblazoned on them. You can also get a
News Sony Indefinitely Delays Another PS5 Peripheral Days Before Release
Desktop speakers switched off for now Sony has indefinitely delayed the PS5’s official Pulse Elevate desktop speakers, which were originally due to deploy days from now, on 12th November.
In a brief update on the PS Blog, the manufacturer said that it had “identified a production issue with the product and have made the decision to delay t
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