RPS Verdict: In its best moments, Samson is like a goon-battering GTA 4 roleplay mod, but in its worst it’s horribly broken
Samson is an open-world crime game released during the ongoing delay of Grand Theft Auto 6, offering players an alternative entry into the genre. Developed by a team led by Christofer Sundberg—veteran game director behind Just Cause and Mad Max—the game casts players as a getaway driver named Samson who accepts illicit jobs to pay off a substantial debt to a powerful crime family holding his sister hostage. The premise draws inevitable comparisons to Rockstar’s GTA franchise, though Rock Paper Shotgun’s review suggests the game occupies a more specialized niche.
According to the verdict, Samson succeeds best when it leans into its core strengths, delivering explosive, chaotic action sequences that evoke the mayhem of a particularly ambitious GTA 4 roleplay modification. However, the review identifies significant technical and design issues that undermine the overall experience, with the game struggling with stability and polish during its worst moments. This inconsistency appears to be the primary tension in what otherwise could be an appealing proposition for players seeking an alternative to Rockstar’s offerings while waiting for GTA 6. The game’s ambitious scope—delivering an open-world crime experience with a personal narrative hook—shows promise, but execution issues prevent it from achieving the heights of its inspiration.