Big expectations, messy launch
Samson arrived this week with a lot of buzz—mostly because Christofer Sundberg, the mind behind Just Cause and an Avalanche co‑founder, led the project. It’s the first game from Liquid Swords and people expected fireworks. Instead, many players found a glitchy, rough-around-the-edges experience.
Steam reviews are labeled “mixed,” largely driven by technical problems and unpolished moments. The studio and Sundberg have both admitted the release isn’t where it should be and have promised patches, so the team is clearly aware this needs work.
Why critics and players are split (and what actually matters)
Critics landed all over the map. On Metacritic Samson sits around the 50/100 mark — not great for a headline name. Some outlets liked parts of it: a few reviewers praised the city design and soundtrack and argued the game feels distinct from GTA or Saints Row, handing out scores in the 70–80 range for ambition and mood.
But plenty of critics were harsher. Several reviews faulted repetitive missions, weak story beats and gameplay systems that don’t quite click, with a couple of outlets giving it very low scores and calling the package tedious or poorly executed.
The important takeaway is this: Samson isn’t just a technically messy launch like some notorious rollouts; reviewers and players say there are core gameplay and design problems that matter even after bugs are fixed. Still, its world-building and audio design hint at something worth salvaging—if Liquid Swords can follow through on fixes and updates.
If you’re curious, maybe wait for patches or a sale. If you’re into exploring gritty city vibes and can tolerate rough edges, there’s something here — but don’t expect a polished open‑world masterpiece out of the gate.
