Feature: I’m Playing Samson On Xbox Series X, And Here’s What I Think So Far
By Update [Sun 18th Oct 2026, 3pm]: Since this was penned, it’s been reported that Liquid Swords, the developer of Samson, is encountering insolvency. Our heartfelt thoughts go out to all individuals impacted by the situation at the Swedish studio.
Original Story: Like numerous other Xbox enthusiasts, I’ve been fascinated by Samson from its initial announcement. The game garnered a rather unfavorable reception upon its PC launch, but the Xbox version released a few weeks ago appeared to generate more favorable feedback.
Thus, I had to try it out. I’ve only dedicated a few hours to Samson so far on Xbox Series X, but considering it’s the weekend and we have plenty of hectic events approaching in the upcoming weeks (including GTA 6 and the Xbox 25th anniversary), I thought I’d share my early impressions with you before they fade away!
In summary, the narrative centers around an individual indebted to some perilous figures, compelling him to undertake various missions throughout the grimy and brutal city of Tyndalston to repay them.
The gameplay cycle is (at least at the outset) divided into three segments occurring across morning, noon, and night. You are presented with a selection of missions in each segment, and if you succeed, you earn cash to assist in settling your debt. We’re talking about straightforward yet somewhat diverse tasks – battling a group in a specified area while searching for certain items, evading rival factions in your vehicle, participating in races and time trials, acting as a cab driver… you catch my drift. There’s certainly an old-school GTA essence in these missions, before the later iterations of GTA became increasingly intricate with their environments.
This isn’t to say they aren’t enjoyable, however; it is quite exciting that you can actually fail them yet still continue advancing the narrative, which brings a heightened sense of urgency to each mission you engage in.
