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
11,156 (454 reviews)
First Article
Wed 21st, November 2012
Avg. Review Score
7.2
Find Them On
Muck Rack
  • News GameStop: PlayStation 4 Will Easily Sell Out At Launch

    Retailer anticipates enormous demand for next generation console

    There’s been a lot of talk recently about the supposed fall of consoles, with Nintendo’s poor initial Wii U sales signalling the beginning of the end for home gaming devices. Despite this, it would appear that North American juggernaut GameStop isn’t buying into the doom and...

  • Talking Point Should Sony Double Down with a PS4 and Vita Bundle?

    Costly combo

    With the PlayStation 4's capabilities discussed and reinforced during GDC, the company's handheld is shaping up to be an increasingly integral part of the next generation console's ecosystem. But with the platform holder eager to reiterate the importance of Remote Play, and with buzzwords such as cross-buy and cross-save certain to grow...

  • News How Many People Played Paragon in Mass Effect 3?

    Plus, other assorted spacetistics

    It’s hard enough for us to believe that the adventures of Commander Shepard’s lovable alien crew are over, so BioWare must be feeling pretty emotional right about now. Following the Canadian developer’s Mass Effect panel at PAX East earlier today, it released a retrospective video featuring numerous team...

  • News One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 Plunders a Luffy Statue in Europe

    One piece to rule them all

    Good news for all of you European One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 fanatics out there: Namco Bandai has announced that the collector’s edition of the upcoming brawler sequel will come with a cheery-looking Luffy figurine. Just look at that aggressive grin – how could you say no? Unfortunately, North American fans will...

  • News Posse Up with Tales of Xillia's Protagonists in New English Trailers

    Combo magic

    If the last English gameplay trailer wasn’t enough to quench your Tales thirst, you may want to gulp down these new character-focused offerings. Featuring Tales of Xillia’s two main protagonists, the fresh footage shows off each hero's individual fighting style and some great combos. Jude, the title’s male star, gets up close and...

  • Review Germinator (PlayStation 3)

    Best left in the incubator

    We’ve seen our fair share of bubble-puzzle games over the last few years, each attempting to put a new spin on the genre, be it through engaging art styles or subtle but original gameplay tweaks. Germinator attempts the latter, requiring you to match up coloured germs in order to make them expand and explode, hopefully...

  • First Impressions Mass Effect 3's Citadel DLC Is One Party That You Shouldn't Skip

    Cheery bye

    Commander Shepard has walked a long and dangerous road – and with Mass Effect 3’s final DLC offering, Citadel, that road comes to a heartfelt and engaging end. What starts off as an opportunity to unwind and relax at the galaxy’s centre of operations takes us on a rather wild ride absolutely packed with cameos and in-jokes. The...

  • News Tales of Xillia Trailer Shows Off Lairy Teens in English

    Demon Fang

    Some new English-dubbed gameplay of the eagerly awaited Tales of Xillia has travelled online, presumably prompting debates about whether or not a dub is needed at all. Fans of the series will already know that a lot of the previous English voice work could have been better, and admittedly we don’t get much to judge here. Nevertheless,...

  • News It's Party Time with Mass Effect 3's Citadel DLC

    Friends for life

    BioWare has unsurprisingly released the trailer for Mass Effect 3: Citadel, the trilogy’s final slice of DLC. It’s looking to be the biggest add-on that the series has ever received, and the trailer is suitably packed full of teasers. It would seem that BioWare weren’t exaggerating when they said that protagonist Commander...

  • News Skyrim Version 1.9 Enters Beta, Venturing to PS3 This Month

    Keep on slayin’

    You have to give Bethesda credit for continuing to support The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for more than a year – and it seems like they have no intention of stopping just yet. The company has announced a brand new update for the open world epic, and it adds a couple of surprising new features. Firstly, a new ‘Legendary’...

  • First Impressions Taking Sides with Skyrim’s Dawnguard DLC

    Bloody good

    Consider Dawnguard’s arrival on PlayStation 3 a late Hallowe’en present from Bethesda. The latest The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim expansion is full of vampires, creepy rituals, spooky old castles, and a lot of violence. There’s also a lot of epic questing thrown in for good measure, too. Just like Dragonborn, there’s an awful lot...

  • Review Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires (PlayStation 3)

    Far more than pushing square

    In many ways, Dynasty Warriors' long running Empires spin-off series is more refined than the set of original games that form their basis. Typically, they add in new characters, weapons, and stages, overhaul a few mechanics, and overlay everything with relatively simple strategy elements. Indeed, Empires games are known...

  • News BioWare Blasts Final Mass Effect 3 DLC Details into Orbit

    The final frontier

    Believe it or not, we’re close to the one year anniversary of Mass Effect 3. It’s been a long rollercoaster ride, but all things must come to pass – and with that, BioWare has revealed the final DLC packs for the space shooter's single player and multiplayer offerings. The multiplayer DLC, named Reckoning, hits next week...

  • First Impressions Make a House a Home with Skyrim's Hearthfire DLC

    Sitting beside the furnace

    Hearthfire isn’t quite what you’d expect from a piece of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim DLC. This doesn't offer an epic journey into the heart of an unknown land – it’s about expanding your experience through lovey-dovey stuff like making you and your spouse a new residence from scratch, or adopting children. In...

  • First Impressions Exploring The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's Dragonborn DLC

    Back to the brink

    After more than a year without DLC, the PlayStation 3 version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim finally gets some love from Bethesda. In this case, the latest Skyrim DLC to release on other platforms is the first on PS3 – and it’s arguably the best of the bunch. In an attempt to make up for the delay, Bethesda and Sony saw fit to...

  • Review Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2 (PlayStation 3)

    Fist of the bore star

    Sequels are generally a straight forward affair – or at least they have been this generation. Ideally, a sequel should remove or fix problems that plagued the first game, while adding new, polished content and improving core gameplay. With Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage 2, developer Koei’s job should have been a...

  • Review Corpse Party: Book of Shadows (PlayStation Portable)

    Shock till you drop

    With a title like Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, it’s immediately clear that you’re going to be in for a bumpy ride. The sequel continues the sadistic, horribly twisted atmosphere of the first game perfectly well – but it doesn’t bring much new to the table. It’s admittedly more of an expansion to the first game than a...

  • Review Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD Collection (PlayStation 3)

    High tension definition

    The Budokai series first launched on the last generation of consoles. It spawned three games, each sporting their own take on the epic Dragon Ball Z story. Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD Collection repurposes the first and third titles from the franchise – but are they enough to capture your attention in the HD era? Let’s get...

  • Review DOOM Classic Complete (PlayStation 3)

    Rock solid

    Boasting the full versions of Ultimate DOOM, DOOM 2: Hell on Earth, and Final DOOM, there's no doubt that DOOM Classic Complete is a comprehensive package for those looking for a nostalgia trip. But is the famous franchise still the daddy of first-person shooters? For better or for worse, the graphics of DOOM Classic Complete are the...

  • Review Black Knight Sword (PlayStation 3)

    Nightmare before Christmas

    Black Knight Sword is a hard game to describe. Its gameplay is nothing new – it’s essentially a side scrolling action game mixed with a lot of platforming. But in motion, the title paints a completely different picture – this is the stuff of nightmares. Saying Black Knight Sword is creepy is an understatement. Its...

  • Review Mass Effect (PlayStation 3)

    Back to the future

    Launching five years after its original Xbox 360 debut, Mass Effect has finally landed on the PlayStation 3, completing the series' sci-fi trilogy on Sony's console. However, the title's late arrival places it in an awkward position, destined to be judged against the sequels it spawned. Has the classic aged gracefully? Not...

  • Review Planets Under Attack (PlayStation 3)

    Space invading

    Planets Under Attack is a space-warfare strategy game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Backed by cartoon visuals and comedic characters, the game attempts to mix accessibility with addictive, tactical gameplay. To an extent, Planets Under Attack succeeds in what it sets out to do. Its gameplay mechanics are easy to...

  • Review Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (PlayStation Vita)

    Nine is a magic number

    Taking place in the not-so-distant future, Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward puts you in the role of Sigma, a young man who’s removed from his normal life and forced to take part in the ‘Nonary Game’ – a sick and twisted creation that ponders whether you're willing to betray in order to survive. Virtue’s Last...

  • Review F1 Race Stars (PlayStation 3)

    Worth the pit stop?

    F1 Race Stars is a game that makes clever use of its license. It takes all of the sport's real-world teams and drivers, and slaps them into a colourful karting game. But while the title initially appears tailor made for children, it quickly transpires that there's a lot more to the arcade racer. It’s clear that Codemasters has...