Graham Banas

Graham Banas

Contributor

Author Profile

For over a decade, Graham has been writing reviews for Push Square. In that period, he's encountered an innumerable amount of high-quality experiences, and yes, several duds. With an encyclopedic knowledge of games and studios, it should come as no surprise that he's comfortable playing any genre. However, when it comes time to write a review, you'll probably find that he gravitates towards music/rhythm games, and in more recent years, VR. If you let him talk about games long enough, he'll definitely let you know that his favorite game is Kentucky Route Zero.

Username
gbanas92
Articles
461 (244 reviews)
First Article
Tue 19th, November 2013
Avg. Review Score
6.8
Find Them On
LinkedIn • • Instagram
  • Take a Tour of Destiny's Ghost Edition on PS4

    3

    Feature Take a Tour of Destiny's Ghost Edition on PS4

    A set forged in the stars

    With the release of Destiny now long gone, you’ve probably already purchased a vanilla version of the first-person shooter. As such, you may be curious what the top-tier special edition looks like. Manufactured in extremely limited quantities (Amazon, Best Buy, and others reportedly had to cancel some orders), the Ghost...

  • KickBeat: Special Edition (PlayStation 4)

    7

    Review KickBeat: Special Edition (PlayStation 4)

    Kick it into touch

    KickBeat: Special Edition is the re-release of Zen Studios’ rhythm fighting game for the PlayStation 4. Now, you may be asking yourself what a rhythm fighting game actually is – or you may not be. Either way, picture a fusion of Mortal Kombat and DJ Hero, and you’ll more or less have the right idea. Sadly, this game sounds...

  • NHL 15 (PlayStation 4)

    15

    Review NHL 15 (PlayStation 4)

    Too few men on the ice

    Last year, when EA made it apparent that NHL 14 would be the only sports game to be skipping out on arriving on the (at the time) next generation of consoles, some people were distraught – this author included. Why would the publisher miss out on introducing NHL to the PlayStation 4 as soon as possible? It was explained to...

  • The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 5 - No Going Back (PlayStation 3)

    21

    Review The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 5 - No Going Back (PlayStation 3)

    The long and winding road

    Back in July, when Telltale’s critically acclaimed The Wolf Among Us wrapped up its first season, The Walking Dead was only at its halfway point – but the developer has raced to Season Two’s finale since then. As those of you that are familiar with the series will already know, this second set of episodes puts you...

  • Metro Redux (PlayStation 4)

    29

    Review Metro Redux (PlayStation 4)

    A whole new world

    What do you get when you mix a Ukrainian developer, a best-selling Russian novel, two games, and the PlayStation 4? It’s not a trick question: we’re referring to Metro Redux, of course. 4A Games’ pair of previous generation escapades have been remastered and reworked for Sony’s latest system – and, in many ways, the...

  • Hohokum (PlayStation 4)

    13

    Review Hohokum (PlayStation 4)

    Tripping the light fantastic

    Whenever we played British developer Honeyslug’s latest game Hohokum at conventions and the like, our biggest issue was quite simply explaining the experience to others. What exactly is the vibrant title starring a multicoloured worm all about? Is it art? How do you play it? Heck, what do you even do? Having spent...

  • The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 4 - Amid the Ruins (PlayStation 3)

    8

    Review The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 4 - Amid the Ruins (PlayStation 3)

    The penultimate peril

    The next to last episode of the second season of Telltale Games’ episodic The Walking Dead adaptation is an unsurprisingly gripping experience. Following in the footsteps of arguably the best instalment that Telltale Games has released to date, the fourth entry, Amid the Ruins, has an awful lot to live up to. And live up to...

  • Constant C (PlayStation 3)

    2

    Review Constant C (PlayStation 3)

    Inconsistent C

    Constant C is a new puzzle platformer from International Games System. In it, you control a robot that awakes from a slumber of sorts on a space station where time has seemingly stopped. What’s the cause of this? How do you fix it? Through the course of the game, you acquire abilities that allow you to manipulate gravity in order to...

  • A Composer's Guide to Game Music - Winifred Phillips

    1

    Book Review A Composer's Guide to Game Music - Winifred Phillips

    Calm and composed

    Winifred Phillips is one of the best regarded composers in video games today, having contributed to an eclectic roster of titles, including PlayStation favourites such as Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, God of War, and the LittleBigPlanet series. With such vast experience in the medium, the musician has put together a book...

  • Conducting a Symphony with Video Game Composer Winifred Phillips

    3

    Interview Conducting a Symphony with Video Game Composer Winifred Phillips

    Sounding off

    Sometimes great opportunities just fall into your lap, and that’s exactly what happened to us on this occasion. We recently had the chance to chat to game composer and author Winifred Phillips – whose notable works include Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, God of War, and the LittleBigPlanet series – about her new book, A...

  • 1001 Spikes (PlayStation 4)

    9

    Review 1001 Spikes (PlayStation 4)

    Another spike bites the dust

    1001 Spikes is a retro-inspired platformer from Nicalis, the firm of Cave Story fame. It’s a remake of Aban Hawkins and the 1000 Spikes – an Xbox Live Arcade indie game from way back in 2011 – and is an 8-bit side scrolling adventure that, on first appearances, is somewhat similar to the throng of other...

  • Entwined (PlayStation 4)

    15

    Review Entwined (PlayStation 4)

    Always together, forever apart

    Entwined is the first game from new studio Pixelopus, a brand new addition to Sony’s Worldwide Studios network. The title’s trailer premiered this week during PlayStation’s big E3 2014 press conference, and to the delight of many – this author very much included – it was announced that the game would be...

  • Journey Composer Austin Wintory is Being Fined $50,000 By His Own Union

    4

    News Journey Composer Austin Wintory is Being Fined $50,000 By His Own Union

    Shots fired

    Earlier this week, on the day of the big E3 press conferences, critically acclaimed (and personal favourite of ours) game composer Austin Wintory released a video detailing some of the troubles that he may be facing from his own union. You may have heard his name thanks to his work on the superb Journey, or flOw, or any number of his...

  • What Do You Get in Watch Dogs' Limited Edition PS4 Package?

    16

    Video What Do You Get in Watch Dogs' Limited Edition PS4 Package?

    We hack one open to find out

    Sure, the North American version of the Watch Dogs: Limited Edition is a little pricey at $129.99, but as far as Collector’s Editions go, it’s a really nice one. This is a genuinely well presented set, which is much better than we were anticipating. The 9” statue – which is pivotal to the package – feels...

  • The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 3 - In Harm's Way (PlayStation 3)

    11

    Review The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 3 - In Harm's Way (PlayStation 3)

    Deeper down the rabbit hole

    When writing reviews, it’s always important to avoid spoilers, that way you don’t ruin the experience for future players. This is a particular conundrum that we face each time that Telltale Games releases new episodic content, as each instalment builds upon the last, making our lives a misery as we attempt to dance...

  • Outlast: Whistleblower (PlayStation 4)

    12

    Review Outlast: Whistleblower (PlayStation 4)

    Shhh

    Red Barrels’ excellent Outlast was one of the earlier PlayStation 4 indie releases, deploying at the start of the year to critical acclaim from many corners of the enthusiast press. Plotting a return to the survival horror format of old, the core campaign served up a tense survival horror affair that found you using a video camera to not only...

  • Daylight (PlayStation 4)

    14

    Review Daylight (PlayStation 4)

    Low battery life

    Daylight is the procedurally generated horror game from Zombie Studios, the indie outfit best known for free-to-play first-person shooter Blacklight Retribution. It has the distinction of being the first game released using the new – and largely impressive – Unreal Engine 4, making this an attractive proposition for visual...

  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (PlayStation 3)

    6

    Review Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (PlayStation 3)

    Half shelled

    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows – a game developed by Red Fly Studios and published by Activision – released in August last year on both Steam and the Xbox 360 to a largely atrocious reception. With the game taking around eight months to hit the PlayStation 3, then, one would expect (or at least hope) that the delay...

  • Octodad: Dadliest Catch (PlayStation 4)

    14

    Review Octodad: Dadliest Catch (PlayStation 4)

    Nobody suspects a thing

    Loving father. Caring husband. Secret octopus. That’s the tagline to Octodad: Dadliest Catch, the sequel to Young Horses’ surprise 2010 splash hit Octodad. And it sums up the game quite succinctly. You take control of an undercover cephalopod living in the human world. You have to make sure that your family and those...

  • MLB 14 The Show (PlayStation 3)

    1

    Review MLB 14 The Show (PlayStation 3)

    Pinch-hit home run

    MLB 14 The Show is this year’s entry in the long running and highly respected baseball series from Sony’s own San Diego studio. Being a sports game, it’s to be expected that it ends up feeling a little like an iterative experience as opposed to an innovative one – but that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing good going...

  • Skullgirls Encore (PlayStation 3)

    7

    Review Skullgirls Encore (PlayStation 3)

    Back for more

    When Reverge Labs’ Skullgirls launched in April 2012, it was received very well. What’s incredible, however, is that it’s managed to maintain that level of popularity in the months since, with crowdfunding keeping the release alive once its ties with publisher Konami were cut. During all of the real-life drama – and name...

  • BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma (PlayStation 3)

    3

    Review BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma (PlayStation 3)

    Burn bright, burn blue

    BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma is the latest game by Japanese developer Arc System Works. It’s the third title in the 2D fighting series BlazBlue, and takes place after the events of BlazBlue: Continuum Shift. The release was originally conceived as an arcade game, which deployed in late 2012. It then received a PlayStation 3...

  • The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 2 - A House Divided (PlayStation 3)

    3

    Review The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 2 - A House Divided (PlayStation 3)

    Next time on The Walking Dead

    After a three month break designed to let our minds digest the events of the first episode of Telltale’s second season of The Walking Dead, it’s time to step into the small shoes of Clementine once again. As is customary for the series, we last left the pint-sized heroine after making a difficult decision between...

  • Outlast (PlayStation 4)

    18

    Review Outlast (PlayStation 4)

    Corpse on camera

    Outlast is the first title from Red Barrels, a Canadian developer founded by industry veterans. It also happens to be an absolutely cracking debut. Originally released on the PC in September of last year, the survival horror has shuffled onto the PlayStation 4, where it’s available as a free PlayStation Plus download at the time...