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
12,222 (488 reviews)
First Article
Wed 21st, November 2012
Avg. Review Score
7.2
Find Them On
Muck Rack
  • Review Nun Attack (PlayStation Vita)

    Mother superior firepower

    Much to Sony’s dismay, the PlayStation Vita has struggled since launch. There’s constant debate over what the handheld needs – does it need more AAA titles that really show off the hardware’s power, or does it just need more software in general? It’s a dilemma brought about by the vicious cycle of development...

  • Review Zombie Tycoon 2: Brainhov's Revenge (PlayStation 3)

    Dead in the middle

    Real-time strategy games have always been difficult to execute on consoles. Without a mouse, scrolling over huge maps with an analogue stick is far harder than you may imagine, while assigning commands to various buttons on a controller leads to some haphazard control schemes. Enter Zombie Tycoon 2: Brainhov’s Revenge, a...

  • Review Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (PlayStation 3)

    Top dogma

    Dragon’s Dogma originally released last year, and although many praised Capcom for trying something new and exciting, the general consensus was that the game fell just short of greatness. Despite boasting a huge open world, an intriguing class system, and fantastic boss fights, the title faltered on the smaller things like awful menu...

  • Guide Surviving the First Few Hours of Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

    Slow and steady wins the race

    As you may already know, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is actually a re-release of last year's Dragon's Dogma. While there’s no doubt that veteran players will be returning to Gransys in order to tackle the daunting expansion from which the re-release gets its name, we thought we’d take the time to jot down a few...

  • Review Dragon Fantasy: Book I (PlayStation 3)

    Dragged out fantasy

    Harkening back to the days of rather basic 2D Japanese RPGs like the original Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior, Dragon Fantasy: Book I at first appears to be little more than a tribute to the games that created a genre. However, on closer inspection, the title manages to craft its own thoughtful identity through a clever use of...

  • News Tales of Xillia Sets a Date with the West, Collector's Edition Announced

    Bearing gifts

    Better start saving up that gald, because Tales of Xillia has two solid western release dates and a limited collector's edition up for pre-order. And if that wasn't enough, Namco Bandai has granted us a look at a new trailer that shows off footage that takes place outside of battles for a change. Fans will be delighted to know that...

  • Review Guacamelee! (PlayStation 3)

    Viva la lucha

    Besides being a brilliant pun, Guacamelee! is a potent mix of platforming and brawling, wrapped-up in a cartoon-styled Mexico. The delightful Metroidvania-inspired adventure takes plenty of props from the greats that solidified the genre, but gracefully manages to maintain its own charm and personality, resulting in a digital download...

  • Talking Point How the PS4 Will Put an End to Some of the PS3's Biggest Issues

    Better, faster, stronger

    We love our good old pal the PlayStation 3, but even we can acknowledge that the console is not without fault. Its complex architecture has proved a headache for developers ever since its release almost seven years ago – and it's resulted in some less than desirable ports being published for our favourite machine. But with...

  • Feature Mass Effect - The Evolution of an Epic Trilogy

    Massive effect

    With the recently released Citadel add-on officially bringing an end to the Mass Effect trilogy, we felt it was good opportunity to look back on one of the most engaging, personal experiences to grace this generation. We’ll be talking about everything from the characters, the gameplay, and the aesthetics, to the fictional universe...

  • News Dynasty Warriors 8 Marches West Later This Year

    Back for more

    Tecmo Koei has announced that Dynasty Warriors 8 is making the arduous journey to Western territories. Fortunately for series fans, the wait won’t be a long one, as the game's set to launch on 12th July in Europe and 16th July in North America. Adding to the good news, it’s been confirmed that the sequel will support both English...

  • 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...