Author Profile
Swearing an oath of loyalty to PlayStation with the arrival of the PS4, our resident video-maker and Irn-Bru loving Scot prides himself as an expert in modern-day Sony. However, eight playthroughs of The Last Of Us later, and no Platinum to show for it, will forever be his greatest shame.
I've been a gamer for as long as I’ve been big enough to hold a PS1 controller, but I'd never seen it as a potential career path. Turning to journalism with the aim of becoming a film critic, I naturally started to talk about the latest happenings within the world of games before it finally clicked that I could talk about all of those things professionally.
Gaming is a massive social experience for me, and I'm at my happiest with a lobby full of mates. I love how games can bring a group of people together in a way that can be intense, hilarious, tactical, exciting and everything in between. However, with my love of film, I'm also a sucker for a great single-player narrative experience like The Last Of Us Part 2.
Experience
Aaron’s been with Hookshot since early 2022, when he joined the Push Square YouTube channel as a Video Producer.
Prior to joining Hookshot he started his career in gaming as a freelancer, writing news, reviews, guides, features and listicles for a number of websites. He had a strong interest in the multimedia side of things though, and produced gaming content for sites like BBC The Social, while co-managing a gaming YouTube channel and running a weekly film podcast.
From a video perspective, I'm always infatuated with discovering the clearest and most concise way to deliver any given message. Whether it’s a review, a guide, or an opinion piece, how do you deliver it in a way that is fun to watch, educational, and has an intrinsic rhythm to it? The way in which audio, video, scripting, and editing coalesce is an endlessly fascinating process for me.
If we're talking specifically about reviews though, there's nothing better than really rooting out why you feel the way you feel about any given game. It's striking the balance between being intensely analytical and simplistic in your feelings, and then wrapping all of that up in a lovely written cadence. It's a unique challenge with every new game.
Timeline
- 2022: Joins Hookshot as a Video Producer for Push Square
Qualifications & Awards
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HNC Media Analysis and Production, Ayrshire College (2016)
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BA Hons Filmmaking and Screenwriting, University of the West of Scotland (2019)
Expertise
Aaron’s first ever console was a PlayStation 1. Since then he’s owned most of the main consoles, as well as a gaming PC and a Steam Deck.
He chose the PlayStation 4 as his favourite console. This was the era where he saw the PlayStation’s stars align most neatly, with one banger exclusive after another! He cites Uncharted 4, God of War, The Last Of Us Part 2, Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon Zero Dawn and Death Stranding as standout moments from the generation.
In addition, this was a time when he felt online gaming really levelled up with the likes of big MMOs such as Destiny, the birth of the battle royale, and the arrival of classics like Apex Legends and Warzone.
These days it’s the survival horror genre that grabs his attention the most.
Aaron’s Favourite Games
From the Archive
We asked Aaron to pick out his three favourite pieces of work from across his personal archive, and tell us why he picked them!
The Last Of Us Lore Explained: The First 20 Years
The Last Of Us lore video is by far my favourite thing that I've produced for the Push Square channel. I love content that takes video games seriously, and I wanted to make something that was like a documentary, so I wrote and narrated the script as a history lesson. The Last Of Us is also one of my all-time favourite games, so getting to make anything about that world is always a delight.
Alan Wake 2 PS5 Review - Is It Any Good?
I was delighted to be assigned the review for Alan Wake 2 as it was my most anticipated game of 2023. Discovering that it was the masterpiece I'd been praying for took the review to another level. It's a fantastic feeling when you get to gush about a game you love, and I feel like out of all my reviews you can sense the passion in this one.
DualSense Edge Vs. Nacon Revolution 5 Pro - Which Should You Buy?
I love testing out hardware, and I love getting to shoot hardware videos even more. I had so much fun filming shots to fill the script in this one, and seeing it all come together in the edit was a delight.
- Username
- AaronBayne
- Articles
- 117 (31 reviews)
- First Article
- Thu 31st, March 2022
- Avg. Review Score
- 7.4
- Find Them On
- LinkedIn • Muck Rack • Twitter/X
