So, this is my first post which will be on the United We Game website, so firstly I’d like to thank them for taking me on board! As some of you may be aware I have been working my way through my top 15 games of the Xbox 360/ Playstation 3 generation, but I thought as this post is a sort of milestone I’d do something a bit different.
I was one of the many people that waited in line at midnight on November 21st to get my hands on the Xbox One, and as its now been a few weeks since I got the new console I thought I’d give my opinion on my first few weeks, a small look into the games I have played,how the system works, and my overall verdict early on for Microsofts new baby, I’ll start with the hardware itself.
The console itself is quite big, I don’t think it’s too big though, I’d say even though it’s probably a bit bigger than the original Xbox, it’s a basic shape, and it doesn’t seem chunky, one thing is for sure though,It’s a lot, lot quieter than its predecessor, although its difficult for it not be, i love the 360, but there were times when mine was so loud I thought it was about to take off into orbit! The kinect is also a very sexy piece of kit, and I can honestly say that I have used it far more than I ever envisaged, but I’ll talk more on that topic later.
The controller is fantastic, I actually think the 360 controller was pretty much perfect, but they have somehow Improved it even more, the vibrating triggers are fantastic, particularly on Forza Motorsport where you can really feel the road, and even though it’s lighter it feels as sturdy as ever, and fits fantastically in your hand.
The only thing that lets the Xbox down is the headset that comes with it, I don’t think its particularly comfortable, it has to be unplugged and plugged in several times before it connects, and they don’t feel particularly sturdy, in fact, a friend of mine has broken one already, purely from plugging it in and out. I will be getting a third party at the first chance I get, but for some reason that won’t be until Q1 next year unfortunately.
The software, mainly the new “Dashboard” is fantastic, it takes a bit of time to get used to admittedly, but when you get in the swing of it, it really is a step up from the old dashboard. It’s so easy to to flow from one game to another, and the fact that it saves where you are when you go back to the home screen is incredible, I can’t count how many times I’ve just come out of a game, gone to Netflix, and gone back again, sometimes after a couple of hours, and it’s its like I never left in the first place. This is also where Kinect comes into its own, using commands to switch between Netflix, to games, to party chat, to Skype, and best of all, to turn the console on, it’s a revelation.
The one problem the software does seem to be suffering from is that every now and then it will kick you back to the home screen when you are playing online, this can be very annoying but it doesn’t happen to regularly, but it is something that needs fixing.
With my Xbox One I picked up Forza Motorsport 5, Battlefield 4, and Fifa 14, which came with the console.
Forza Motorsport is the game I’ve played the most of, the game is stunning, as you’d expect from Forza, it’s only flaw is its lack of tracks, and the car count is quite significantly down from Forza 4, but this takes nothing away from the driving experience, and the customisation aspect of the game, which is exemplary, as Forza always seems to be.
Next, FIFA 14, which I’m relieved to say is a big improvement on its Xbox 360 counterpart, which is ridiculously flawed, this newer version still has a lot of gripes, but on the whole it’s another solid instalment, you can tell that they were a lot more focused on the next gen version of the game when developing it, I particularly like the kinect integration within the game, which you can use to change formations, and make substitutions in game.
Battlefield 4, similarly to Forza, delivers exactly what you expect it to, it looks beautiful, and the online is solid, I’ve not yet had a chance to play the single player so I can’t comment too much on that, but from everything I’ve seen and read, it also delivers on every level.
I will review all these games further when I’ve played them more thoroughly, I don’t want to go too deep just yet as I don’t think it would be fair until I’ve played them more (Damn working in retail over Christmas!!)
On the whole my first few weeks with the Xbox One have been great, I love the new kinect setup which I was unsure about before, but it is definitely needed with the Xbox, it makes it flow so much more than could be possible without it. Graphically it is a step up from the previous generation, as you’d expect, but I think what excites me more than anything is the potential that the system has, when you look back at the Xbox 360 at launch, and then compare it to the Xbox 360 now you can see how much it has evolved, and if Microsoft can repeat that transition with the Xbox One, I think we are all in for a truly great console!