Hey there folks!
Seeing as I don't have a video camera (Yet...) I will possibly be making more videos on Avatar Kinect in the near future. If people tend to like them, then I shall do more!
Thanks for reading and watching!
Al
Sunday 31 July 2011
Friday 22 July 2011
New Gaming Accessories
I'm here to talk about some of the new accessories that have come into my hands as of recent. The first I'd like to talk about is the Steelseries Spectrum 5XB headset.
What this head set offers is a wider world for us gamers to experience how we play and adapt to each game we play. As I write these words, I'm using the headset right now!
With the small device (pictured right) plugged into your controller and then some wires hooked into your television, the headset is now connected to both your Xbox Live acc and your television. This means that as you play your favourite games, you may also talk to your friends in party chat or people in the game you are in! For this to work, just follow these simple steps:
1: Press the Guide button
2: Move to the far right AKA Options
3: Press "Preferences", then "voice"
4: Change Party Chat to "Through speakers" (If not already on "Through both")
Now you may play your favourite games while talking to your friends with a retractable microphone!
What impresses me about this device is the option on the small piece set. You may choose to vamp up the gameplay volume or choose to run up the volume of your microphone. The sound is perfect to the ears and makes the notes of music as well as a characters voice so crisp and clean.
The few bad points, drag down the product slighty. It can be a little cordy (The headset is not wireless) and there is no way to hook the controller so that gameplay music and vocal work isn't interupted.
However, it may be easy to overlook these and enjoy them very much so. I recomend these headphones for any gamer who likes to play late into the night and doesn't wish to disturb the people sleeping around them!
(The 5XB Headset is available in white and black. White is $100 and black is $150. The black has slightly more feautres than the white, but consult an employee at any given store for more info)
(For example, a friend preordered a 120 GB harddrive from Hongkong. Two weeks later, the thing overheats and melts the top half of his 360. $400 down the drain.)
Whats so great about these nifty little devices is that its power charged. Which means, either plugging it directly to your 360 or even to a power point (Depending on which model you buy), you can charge your battery packs as you play, switching them over as one runs out and the other is full.
One small tip would be this: as they reach being full, do not leave them in. With any rechargable battery, they can overhead and damage the battery, then becoming useless. Also, keep an eye out of heat when switching them. If they are a fair bit warm to the touch, leave them alone for a while, until they cool, then use them. Constantly draining them of power then recharging them disintergrates them very quickly. Be careful.
I suggest these to any long playing gamer or even a gamer who runs out of battery at the end of a game and needs it to recharge while watching a movie. Go for it!
(The rechargeable Power Bank is $30, $50 for the power point model)
Thursday 21 July 2011
Review: Trials HD
From the moment that 360 gamers discovered that the beloved Trials game for the PC would be making the jump to their console, Trials HD is quickly becoming the most downloaded Arcade game yet, sitting in the Top 10 and moving its way down to 1st spot. Naturally, here I am to write about this enchanting game.
A first mention would be, obviously, the increased graphics to the game. Detail right down to the wheels of the bikes and even great graphics to the background behind. Audio is well done and nicely refined and the sound effects are quite melodramatic when explosions and other tomfoolery happen around the player. Gameplay is quite fun and additing, time flying out the window as you play. The challenges are quite brilliant and increase in difficulty quite quickly. This becomes a little frustrating but beating it becomes your only goal.
What gave me a motive to play was the timer atop of the screen. This timer shows where your friends get stuck, where they move ahead and where they sit on your friends number list. For example, while you ride, your friends name shall appear at the top of the screen, with a number next to him. So if he/she is number 4, that means you are on the verge of becoming forth or dropping back to 5th, all depending where the indicator is on the screen.
The game itself is a great addition to any gamers collection, and I encourage any gamer to buy it. It is well worth the 1200 Microsoft Points and it seems that a sequel is the smart thing to do.
Out of 10, I gave Trials HD an 7.5/10
Review: Peggle
After being asked to review this game for a while now, I was finally able to sit down for a while and enjoy the simplexity of this ingenious game.
While this is a Arcade game, this shall be a short review, as there is not much to mention. The aim of Peggle is simple; with a simular ball to a pinball, you must hit all of the orange peggle balls and blocks. Sounds simple, but what stands in your way is many, many blue peggles, obsticles and only 10 balls to hit all of the orange peggles before you run out.
With your playable characters who give you special abilities (Such as a Fireball that destroys everything in your path or a multi-ball shot) and purple and green peggles that double your point value and activate your special abilites, these aid you in each arc, 1 through 10.
If Peggle has anything to teach, it would be that simple things can be also enjoyable. The graphics are nothing to rage about, but they serve their purpose. The same can be said about both the audio and sound effects, as they too cannot hold this game up by itself. What really sets this game apart is its gameplay. The challenges are fun and very different to one another, challenging yet fun as well. What is also a good point to mention is how each little acomplishment is overexaggerated. Just by achieving "Peggle Fever", firewords burst from the bottom of the screen and Ode To Joy plays loudly.
While this game is an enjoyable one, its fun for the whole family. The game itself does not push the barrier of gaming, but is a fun way to kill time nonetheless.
Out of 10, I gave Peggle an 6.5/10
Monday 11 July 2011
Review: FEAR 3
For a game that has broken the barriers of fear within the gaming community, the final ending of the series is here for us to enjoy. F.3.A.R is as thrilling as from the get-go till the very last minute.
What I first noticed with the brand new game was the utter astonishment of the graphics. While the FEAR games have always had decent graphics, its seems in their possible last hurrah, to pull out all the stops and safety guards. The graphics were on an unbelievable scale, from the movement of the players jaws to the last droplets of blood. I will admit, at times, they did slightly fail, but these were only minor detail and not many gamers would be bothered by it.
Audio was also a great feature; vocal acting was brilliant, with the Point Man being as silent as he ever was and his brother Fettel making most of the conversation. This wasn't too much of a dissapointment and players and FEAR veterans alike will be used to it soon. Sound effects and musical scores was beautifully done, each masking the point of terror and surprise, only heightening my often loud yells of surprise at the screen. Online multiplayer is of good quality and is a refreshing change to the campaign.
Sadly, this game has its faults, like many others.
A slight annoyance was the beginning of each level. As you play the first level, naturally, you start off with nothing and you must work yourself up to greatness. What is the annoying part is that until about half way into the game, this repetition of said stratergy seems to happen. At the beginning of each level sees you start off with either nothing or with just a standard pistol (this does not include Fettle, as the first playthrough, you only play as Point Man and with Fettle, you start and end with nothing but your abilities) While trying to fend off stronger and stronger enemies with a pistol is incresingly hard and the game becomes a frustrating mess. Also, a mention would be the bad points to the multiplayer. While it is good, it is extremely unlucky for matches held between two parties held in distant places. With a guess, anyone outside your country trying to join your match will set it off with some slight bumps and some lag, which can, sadly, get annoying over time.
However, the game is a work of brilliance. From start to end leaves my jaw hanging on the floor, myself yelling at the screen and wanting more of the fear universe. While it may come to an end, it leaves so many windows open, on both Fettel and Point Man's side. For any gamer looking for a scare, you wont be dissapointed when you pick up F.3.A.R.
Out of 10, I gave FEAR 3 an 8.5/10
Sunday 10 July 2011
Review: Sonic Generations DEMO
A quick review on the upcoming game and remake of the classic, Sonic Generations.
As you may know, Sonic 4 was not the greatest game in the world, and many gamers around the globe were dissapointed. However, there were the few who still held onto the francise and gave it the credit to at least be pushing the bar and thinking imaginatively for the game. This time around, it seems that the developers may have hit the nail on the head with the above title.
The first mention would be the absolutely stunning graphics. The game itself looks beautiful in landscape and with the 3D action, it makes it that much gorgeous. the auto-targeting system has been completely stripped out of the game, much to my own delight and many others, while what really sets this game towards so much interest would be the reinvention of the long beloved series. Audio has changed, making Sonic's movements that much clearer, soundtrack included and revamped and more modern. Graphics, as I already stated, are just beautiful to look at, the game controls are easier and more compatible with the 360.
With both a new adventure for both "Modern Sonic" and "Classic Sonic", the game has definately caught this gamer's attention and I look forward to seeing what is to become of what is still such a respected game.
Out of 10, I gave the Sonic Generations Demo an 8/10
The Demo is out now, but it has a few days until it becomes unavailable, get it while you can!
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