Author Profile

Robert (or Rob if you're lazy) is an assistant editor of Push Square, and has been a fan of PlayStation since the 90s, when Tekken 2 introduced him to the incredible world of video games. He still takes his fighting games seriously, but RPGs are his true passion. The Witcher, Persona, Dragon Quest, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, Trails, Tales — he's played 'em all. A little too much, some might say.

I grew up reading gaming magazines, and always wanted to write my own reviews about the games I loved. I got a chance to do just that while I was a college student, writing for several small gaming blogs in my spare time. I was also an avid reader of Push Square back when it was just Sammy. When the site came looking for new writers, I jumped at the chance. The rest is (ancient) history.

Experience

Robert began his games journalism career in 2012 as a freelance reviewer. In 2013 he joined Push Square as a Staff Writer, before moving into his current role as Deputy Editor in 2016.

In this role, Robert continues to write across the website covering news, reviews, guides and features.

More than anything, I just enjoy writing about games that resonate with me. There’s great satisfaction to be found in sharing your passion with a willing audience.

Timeline

  • 2012: Begins his career as a freelance reviewer
  • 2013: Joins Push Square as a Staff Writer
  • 2016: Becomes Deputy Editor of Push Square

Expertise

The first console Robert ever owned was the PlayStation 1, followed by a suitably long list of PlayStations! He’s also owned all of the main Nintendo handheld and home consoles from the mid 1990s onwards.

He chose the PlayStation 4 as his favourite console of all time, simply because so many of its games went on to become some of his absolute favourites.

RPGs are my favourite genre, because they tend to focus on characters and world building, which immerse me more than anything.

Robert’s Favourite Games

From the Archive

We asked Robert to pick out his three favourite pieces of work from across his personal archive, and tell us why he picked them!

The Witcher 3: Best Character Builds

My most-read article ever is a character builds guide for The Witcher 3, which I slaved over back when the game was brand new. I thoroughly enjoyed putting it together, and it was amazing to see it perform so well over the years.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition Review

Mass Effect is my favourite trilogy in gaming, and I like to think I did the games justice by writing an in-depth review of the Legendary Edition, which basically encapsulated a decade's worth of my thoughts and feelings.

Interview: Falcom Boss Talks Everything Trails, Reverie, Importance of Western Fans, and More

As a big fan of the Trails series, interviewing Falcom's president was a big deal for me. This interview from 2023 is my favourite to date, thanks to some fantastic answers.

Username
ShogunRok
Articles
11,154 (454 reviews)
First Article
Wed 21st, November 2012
Avg. Review Score
7.2
Find Them On
Muck Rack
  • News PSN Down For Third Time in Two Weeks

    Let's hope it's another blip

    Uh oh, the PlayStation Network seems to be down again. Over the last couple of weeks, there have been two widely reported outages - although neither has lasted more than a few hours, thankfully. With any luck, this latest downtime will be a similar story. Weighing in with our own experience, we currently can't connect...

  • Rumour PS4 Slim Has an Overheating Problem? We Wouldn't Worry Just Yet

    Remain calm

    These are the facts that we know about the PlayStation 4 Slim: it exists, a few people have already got their hands on it, and Sony hasn't officially announced it yet. The revamped console is almost certainly going to get its official reveal at tomorrow's PlayStation Meeting, but websites and YouTube channels are already picking the...

  • News Sony Confirms Official Stream for PlayStation Meeting 2016

    About time

    Just a day before it actually kicks off, Sony has finally confirmed that it'll be livestreaming its PlayStation Meeting direct from its New York venue. The event is set to begin at 20:00PM BST / 21:00PM CET / 12:00PM PT / 15:00PM ET, but there's been no word yet on how long you can expect it to last. Right now, the safe bet is that Sony...

  • Poll Take the Push Square PlayStation Meeting 2016 Community Quiz

    Take a guess at what Sony's going to show

    Wait, it's time for another Push Square community quiz already? Wow, those months since E3 sure have flown by. If you're new to all this, allow us to explain: shortly before a major Sony press conference, we like to put together a quiz based on what you think will happen during the event. All of the included...

  • News You Can Download Your September PlayStation Plus Games Now

    Journey and Lords of the Fallen go live

    Better check how much room you've got left on your hard drive, because September's PlayStation Plus selection is now live in Europe. We assume that those of you in North America will have to wait a few hours yet. Just in case you're not up to speed, September's offering includes the impeccable Journey and...

  • Store Update 6th September 2016 (Europe)

    Those PS4 games just keep on coming

    This week's European PlayStation Store update is a reasonably large one, with twenty new PS4 titles hitting the digital shelves either today or a little later this week. Highlights include eerily wacky The Tomorrow Children, ancient MMO Star Trek Online, and the weirdly promising Virginia. See anything that takes...

  • News The Battlefield 1 Beta Ends This Thursday

    Over and out

    Haven't tried the Battlefield 1 beta yet? If you've been slow on the draw, you may want to get a move on, as DICE has confirmed that the technical test ends on Thursday, 8th September. For those out of the loop, you can find the beta on the PlayStation Store right now and download it for free. If you want to see what's in store, our...

  • News No, Skyrim Special Edition Doesn't Include Extra Story Content

    Don't believe the lies

    Where did this story even come from? Over the last couple of weeks, we've seen numerous sites - sites which won't be named - reporting on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Special Edition's "expanded story content", even though developer Bethesda has never mentioned, nor even hinted that such content will feature within the...

  • News Ni no Kuni II Sounds Like One Huge RPG Project

    Fit for a king

    Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is probably going to take hours upon hours to complete - we can guess that much by looking at PlayStation 3 predecessor Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, which was huge to begin with. In an interview with IGN Japan, translated by Kotaku, Level-5 founder Akihiro Hino says that the scale of t

  • News The Witcher Dev's Cyberpunk 2077 Is Now in Full Development

    The future is now

    With The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt done and dusted - and its Game of the Year Edition available on store shelves - developer CD Projekt Red is unsurprisingly shifting its attention elsewhere. We first heard about Cyberpunk 2077 what seems like a lifetime ago, and now, the Polish studio has confirmed that the game is finally in full...

  • Rumour PS4K Neo Launches This Week According to Report

    That was fast

    We're now a couple of days away from a Sony press conference, so that can only mean one thing: rumours, and lots of them. This latest whisper comes from the Financial Times via GameSpot, who report that the PlayStation 4K, codenamed Neo, may well release later this week. Wait, what? As many of you are no doubt aware, Sony is hosting a...

  • Rumour Red Dead Redemption Is Being Remastered for PS4

    Legend of the West

    Hmmmmm, we're not quite sure what to make of this one. According to Korean publication Game Focus, PlayStation 3 masterpiece Red Dead Redemption is being remastered for the PlayStation 4. The site doesn't note a specific source, but claims that the rumour has been floating around since last month, with whispers from North America...

  • News For Honor Takes a Swing with Three New Gameplay Trailers

    We could be heroes

    Ubisoft's released not one, not two, but three new gameplay trailers for its upcoming medieval warfare title, For Honor. Each video details a specific warrior - the samurai's Kensei, the knight's Warden, and the viking's Raider - and all of them look like a blast to play. What's more, it's nice to see that each different class...

  • News Mafia III Takes Aim at Free DLC and Three Premium Expansions

    Lock and load

    It looks like developer Hangar 13 has reasonably big plans for Mafia III after it launches next month, promising free downloadable content packs along with three premium expansions. The free stuff is largely what you'd expect - costumes, weapons, and extra vehicle customisation - but the studio also makes mention of races, which could...

  • News UK Sales Charts: Overwatch Gets Play of the Game as It Jumps Back to Number 1

    Uncharted 4 swings back into top 5, too

    It's largely a case of the usual suspects when it comes to the latest UK software charts, with Overwatch reclaiming the top spot for the fourth time in its life thanks to a recent price drop. According to Chart-Track - who compiles these charts - Overwatch has now spent more weeks at number one than any other...

  • News World of Final Fantasy Goes Anime with Its Latest Trailer

    Breaking limits

    World of Final Fantasy has looked pretty good for a while now, and it continues to do so with a brand new trailer from PAX West. While it's not the longest clip in the world, we get a quick peek at some gameplay along with a glance at a fully animated battle sequence, which features Cloud, Squall, and Tidus in their chibi forms...

  • Poll Are You Happy with September's PlayStation Plus Games?

    Journey of the Fallen

    After August's rather divisive offering, the reaction to September's PlayStation Plus selection didn't seem too bad. With superb PlayStation exclusive Journey and the janky but enjoyable Lords of the Fallen up for grabs this month, there's an argument that this is one of the strongest line ups that the service has offered in...

  • Live Final Fantasy XV PAX Panel Promises Surprises and New Information

    The boys are back again

    Jeez, you just can't escape Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata, can you? The likeable project lead seems to be everywhere these days, including PAX West. Indeed, Tabata will be part of a panel that's being livestreamed later today, in which the developer will dish out new information on the upcoming role-playing release...

  • Live For Honor Skewers Some New Gameplay at PAX West

    Glory to the victor

    For Honor is arguably one of Ubisoft's most interesting upcoming properties, and you can get a better look at the medieval melee-'em-up thanks to today's livestream. Broadcasting direct from PAX West, the showing should offer a little more insight into next year's release, with the developer promising new gameplay. The...

  • News Sony Reveals Extensive Tokyo Game Show 2016 Line Up

    Not long now

    Okay, so maybe the Tokyo Game Show doesn't quite bring in the hits like E3 or even Gamescom, but all the same, it's a big event for those primarily interested in what Japan has to offer. With this year's show now only a couple of weeks away, publishers are starting to ramp up the hype by announcing what they have in store - and Sony's...

  • News Play Overwatch For Free on PS4 Next Week

    No PlayStation Plus required

    Popular character-based team shooter Overwatch is having a free weekend on PlayStation 4, and everyone's invited - even if you don't have an active PlayStation Plus subscription. What's more, the entire game will be yours to enjoy - all heroes, stages, and modes of play included - and any progress that you make during...

  • News So, Where Did Those Leaked PS4 Slims Actually Come From?

    The UAE, apparently

    The PlayStation 4 Slim will be officially announced on the 7th September at Sony's PlayStation Meeting - that much is guaranteed at this point - but where did all of these leaked consoles actually come from? If you haven't been keeping up to date on this story, Slims, in all of their real, physical glory, have been found in the...

  • News Try Dragon Quest Heroes II For Free on PS4 with a Japanese PSN Account

    Monster mash

    Got the urge to slaughter hordes of colourful monsters, have you? Well, you're in luck, because Square Enix has released a playable PlayStation 4 demo of Dragon Quest Heroes II over on the Japanese PlayStation Store. The demo weighs in at around 4GB, and spotlights the beginning of the game. Needless to say, it may well be worth a...

  • News New Mafia III Gameplay Trailer Takes Justice Into Its Own Hands

    Safety's off

    Mafia III lead Lincoln Clay doesn't mess around, does he? The star of the game's latest trailer, we see Clay take down a ton of criminals, from lowly drug dealers to mob bosses and more. Sure, his methods may not be subtle - they appear to be of the 'shoot first, ask questions later' variety - but hey, he gets the job done. Of course,...