Yes, basically it pushes hot metal in all directions with a good, straight strike down on the metal. It will also move it other ways depending on how you tilt it when hammering. Problem is, you have to be real careful in how you are hitting the metal, because the round crown will move metal away from the face in a round pattern. With a cross peen, you can be more controlled when you want to draw out the metal in a particular direction.
Best way I can explain on how it moves is to advise getting some modeling clay and forming it into a bar and then gently hammering it to see how it moves. Hot metal will move the same way as the clay does when forging.