The "Sony Games" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
I've titled this post "Xbox - an opinion". I was going call it "Xbox - a verdict" but that sounds conceited, and gives the impression that my thoughts are final and correct. That's not the case, so I stress that this is my *opinion*. You may agree, you may not; but don't rant at me about it. I do not care if you agree or disagree, I am simply giving my thoughts in the hope that you find them useful in deciding whether or not to buy one for yourself.
-----
I was looking at screens and videos of Halo on the Xbox all day yesterday, and got a strong urge to buy one.
So, after I got home from work, I went to my local Tesco's and bought one, together with a second controller, Halo and Project Gotham Racing.
I plugged everything in and powered it up. First thing you're presented with is the settings screen - very similar to the PS2's in what it offers, the main difference being that you can set 60Hz mode here, which is then used for all games - pretty cool. My major dislike about the menus and front-end is that it's all in shades of green, but that's just personal taste.
Other minor things I noticed were that (a) the machine is just as noisy as my PS2 (i.e. not very) and (b) there is a constant clickling sound from within - which I assume is the hard disk - but which you don't notice once a game is playing.
First game loaded up was Project Gotham Racing. This is the game that, according to Xbox magazine (not the official one) "makes GT3 look dump".
I can categorically say that this is not the case. The cars are well realised, but they just don't have the polish (no pun intended) that the cars in GT3 have. They're good, accurate models, but somehow don't have that 'real' look to them; they're more 'very lifelike cartoon' than photorealistic. The colours are bold and strong, rather than the subtleties of GT3.
Tracks are well designed, but the scenery again looks a little bland. There's plenty there, but the textures aren't particularly well detailed, with colour used in 'blocks'.
Replays are good, though again not up to GT3 standards. Reflections in the cars are a little blocky, and tend to move quite jerkily overy the surface of the car. And believe it or not, I did see pop-up in certain areas, and jaggies are just as evident here as in GT3; i.e. they are there, but are not significant. In terms of appearance, it probably falls somewhere between Ridge Racer V and GT3.
In terms of gameplay, it's good enough. The handling isn't anything like GT3, but then it's not supposed to be, as this is more of an arcade racer. It falls somewhere between GT3 and Burnout, I'd say. As with GT3, there are only 5 other cars in the race. Driver AI is also similar to GT3 in that cars will hit you if you're in their way - you can turn into a corner nice and smooth, and cars around you don't really deviate from their pre-determined racing line.
I have also found a fairly major bug! Quite frequently, when re-starting a race and having an automatic gearbox, the car suddenly goes into reverse gear and revs the engine without me touching a thing! Then when the countdown reaches "Go!" the car takes off backwards! I have found that some frantic pressing of the left (brake)and right (accelerate) trigger buttons solves the problem, but it gives the other cars one heck of a head start, and many times I've had to re-start the race again immediately.
Over all though, it's a solid arcade racer, similar to MSR on the Dreamcast. The only area this does have an advantage is the sound, because the music is presented as radio stations you can listen to, as in GT3 - but *real* radio stations, such as Capital FM and XFM. But in all honesty, I don't believe the over-all product is a patch on GT3.
Next up is Halo, the reason I bought the machine. The mother of all FPS games, apparently. And it really is rather good. You know how FPS games play, so I won't go into great details. What takes most getting used to is that you can only carry two weapons at any time, adding a significant strategy element to the game. As far as I have played, this hasn't really been an issue, as I've so far only had pistols and assault rifles in various forms; this may well become more of a factor later in the game.
At certain points you must control vehicles - so far I've only encountered the Warthog, and this is proving fairly difficult to control; you control acceleration with the left analogue stick, and steer by rotating the camera with the right analogue stick. Sounds easy, but wait until you try it... it's not!
While Halo certainly is a very good FPS game, I stand by my earlier claim that Edge magazine got it wrong; it's not 10/10 for me. The enemy AI is good - enemies duck for cover behind structures and shields - but it's not perfect; when they do come out, so far they have tended to run pretty much in straight lines and be fairly easy to kill. The main problem comes from the numbers that can attack at any one time. It is a very good game, but so far I wouldn't say that it is significantly better than Medal of Honour: Allied Assault or a few other PC FPS games. It certainly doesn't acheive anything that the PS2 (and probably Gamecube) couldn't do.
And finally, a few words on the controller. It is a little on the large side, and I find it a little painful after prolonged play. It's okay using the analogue sticks (though it feels very odd with them being offset as they are), but when needing to use the A, B, X or Y buttons, I find I have to re-adjust the grip of my right hand, otherwise it stretches the muscle between my thumb and forefinger, which eventually leads to cramp. I get the feeling that they could have reduced the size of the pad by about a third if they'd done away with that bloody great Xbox logo in the middle.
The A, B, X and Y buttons are also too close together for my liking, and I find myself distracted and having to look down at the pad to make sure I'm pressing the right one. When you consider the size of the pad, this seems quite ridiculous. Still, hopefully I'll get used to it.
The 'rumble effect' built into the pad is also not as good as that of the DualShock 2; it is very weak in comparison, and - for example - does not give the same level of feedback in PGR as the DualShock 2 does in GT3.
So, what about the over-all package?
Well, after my first play of both games, I was left feeling a little flat, not really knowing what to think. It certainly didn't 'wow' me as the PS2 did when I first got it. In fact, after an hour, I turned it off to watch some TV, and at one point contemplated returning it.
But after a few more hours playing time, I've pretty much decided against that, although I don't think I'll be buying any more games for it for a while; I'll just have to see what comes along. It *is* a good machine, but I've not yet seen anything that I don't believe could be done on the other platforms.
Others have mentioned that they plan to sell their PS2 to help fund an Xbox. That's their choice, but I would say don't be too hasty. Get some quality play time on some of the games available first, because you may not be as impressed as you think. I am lucky that I could afford an Xbox without trading in; I can tell you in all honesty now that, had I traded my PS2 for the Xbox, I would be kicking myself and regretting it severely.
This is my honest, unbiased opinion as an owner of both machines. Make of it what you will.
-----
I was looking at screens and videos of Halo on the Xbox all day yesterday, and got a strong urge to buy one.
So, after I got home from work, I went to my local Tesco's and bought one, together with a second controller, Halo and Project Gotham Racing.
I plugged everything in and powered it up. First thing you're presented with is the settings screen - very similar to the PS2's in what it offers, the main difference being that you can set 60Hz mode here, which is then used for all games - pretty cool. My major dislike about the menus and front-end is that it's all in shades of green, but that's just personal taste.
Other minor things I noticed were that (a) the machine is just as noisy as my PS2 (i.e. not very) and (b) there is a constant clickling sound from within - which I assume is the hard disk - but which you don't notice once a game is playing.
First game loaded up was Project Gotham Racing. This is the game that, according to Xbox magazine (not the official one) "makes GT3 look dump".
I can categorically say that this is not the case. The cars are well realised, but they just don't have the polish (no pun intended) that the cars in GT3 have. They're good, accurate models, but somehow don't have that 'real' look to them; they're more 'very lifelike cartoon' than photorealistic. The colours are bold and strong, rather than the subtleties of GT3.
Tracks are well designed, but the scenery again looks a little bland. There's plenty there, but the textures aren't particularly well detailed, with colour used in 'blocks'.
Replays are good, though again not up to GT3 standards. Reflections in the cars are a little blocky, and tend to move quite jerkily overy the surface of the car. And believe it or not, I did see pop-up in certain areas, and jaggies are just as evident here as in GT3; i.e. they are there, but are not significant. In terms of appearance, it probably falls somewhere between Ridge Racer V and GT3.
In terms of gameplay, it's good enough. The handling isn't anything like GT3, but then it's not supposed to be, as this is more of an arcade racer. It falls somewhere between GT3 and Burnout, I'd say. As with GT3, there are only 5 other cars in the race. Driver AI is also similar to GT3 in that cars will hit you if you're in their way - you can turn into a corner nice and smooth, and cars around you don't really deviate from their pre-determined racing line.
I have also found a fairly major bug! Quite frequently, when re-starting a race and having an automatic gearbox, the car suddenly goes into reverse gear and revs the engine without me touching a thing! Then when the countdown reaches "Go!" the car takes off backwards! I have found that some frantic pressing of the left (brake)and right (accelerate) trigger buttons solves the problem, but it gives the other cars one heck of a head start, and many times I've had to re-start the race again immediately.
Over all though, it's a solid arcade racer, similar to MSR on the Dreamcast. The only area this does have an advantage is the sound, because the music is presented as radio stations you can listen to, as in GT3 - but *real* radio stations, such as Capital FM and XFM. But in all honesty, I don't believe the over-all product is a patch on GT3.
Next up is Halo, the reason I bought the machine. The mother of all FPS games, apparently. And it really is rather good. You know how FPS games play, so I won't go into great details. What takes most getting used to is that you can only carry two weapons at any time, adding a significant strategy element to the game. As far as I have played, this hasn't really been an issue, as I've so far only had pistols and assault rifles in various forms; this may well become more of a factor later in the game.
At certain points you must control vehicles - so far I've only encountered the Warthog, and this is proving fairly difficult to control; you control acceleration with the left analogue stick, and steer by rotating the camera with the right analogue stick. Sounds easy, but wait until you try it... it's not!
While Halo certainly is a very good FPS game, I stand by my earlier claim that Edge magazine got it wrong; it's not 10/10 for me. The enemy AI is good - enemies duck for cover behind structures and shields - but it's not perfect; when they do come out, so far they have tended to run pretty much in straight lines and be fairly easy to kill. The main problem comes from the numbers that can attack at any one time. It is a very good game, but so far I wouldn't say that it is significantly better than Medal of Honour: Allied Assault or a few other PC FPS games. It certainly doesn't acheive anything that the PS2 (and probably Gamecube) couldn't do.
And finally, a few words on the controller. It is a little on the large side, and I find it a little painful after prolonged play. It's okay using the analogue sticks (though it feels very odd with them being offset as they are), but when needing to use the A, B, X or Y buttons, I find I have to re-adjust the grip of my right hand, otherwise it stretches the muscle between my thumb and forefinger, which eventually leads to cramp. I get the feeling that they could have reduced the size of the pad by about a third if they'd done away with that bloody great Xbox logo in the middle.
The A, B, X and Y buttons are also too close together for my liking, and I find myself distracted and having to look down at the pad to make sure I'm pressing the right one. When you consider the size of the pad, this seems quite ridiculous. Still, hopefully I'll get used to it.
The 'rumble effect' built into the pad is also not as good as that of the DualShock 2; it is very weak in comparison, and - for example - does not give the same level of feedback in PGR as the DualShock 2 does in GT3.
So, what about the over-all package?
Well, after my first play of both games, I was left feeling a little flat, not really knowing what to think. It certainly didn't 'wow' me as the PS2 did when I first got it. In fact, after an hour, I turned it off to watch some TV, and at one point contemplated returning it.
But after a few more hours playing time, I've pretty much decided against that, although I don't think I'll be buying any more games for it for a while; I'll just have to see what comes along. It *is* a good machine, but I've not yet seen anything that I don't believe could be done on the other platforms.
Others have mentioned that they plan to sell their PS2 to help fund an Xbox. That's their choice, but I would say don't be too hasty. Get some quality play time on some of the games available first, because you may not be as impressed as you think. I am lucky that I could afford an Xbox without trading in; I can tell you in all honesty now that, had I traded my PS2 for the Xbox, I would be kicking myself and regretting it severely.
This is my honest, unbiased opinion as an owner of both machines. Make of it what you will.
Page:
nh wrote:
Apparantly the Japs do get a smaller contoller - why
> havn't microsoft made the controller smaller for the US and Europe ? it seems to
> be quite a contentious issue as the pad is not liked from most of the opinion I
> have read.
The smaller controller is coming out in America aswell. The reason the Japanese have a smaller controller, is because the have smaller hands.
I actually find the controller very nice, and I have small to medium sized hands. Its better than the PS2 controller. I had been playing on my Xbox quite alot since I got it, and then put Tekken Tag in to see the difference. I held the once loved PS2 controller, and though how rubbish it was. Tekken Tag was also a joke compared to DOA3.
Apparantly the Japs do get a smaller contoller - why
> havn't microsoft made the controller smaller for the US and Europe ? it seems to
> be quite a contentious issue as the pad is not liked from most of the opinion I
> have read.
The smaller controller is coming out in America aswell. The reason the Japanese have a smaller controller, is because the have smaller hands.
I actually find the controller very nice, and I have small to medium sized hands. Its better than the PS2 controller. I had been playing on my Xbox quite alot since I got it, and then put Tekken Tag in to see the difference. I held the once loved PS2 controller, and though how rubbish it was. Tekken Tag was also a joke compared to DOA3.
G®åpô²ºº² wrote:
> Its not that bad - there are about 3 good songs out of 30 or so
Well theres 70 on PGR.
> Its not that bad - there are about 3 good songs out of 30 or so
Well theres 70 on PGR.
I still think the buttons could be better positioned/better spaced, though. They're definitley too close together with hands as large as mine.
I know it will take some getting used to - I expected that - but DoA3 is a definitele cramp-inducer.
I know it will take some getting used to - I expected that - but DoA3 is a definitele cramp-inducer.
The thing is Wookiee, you WOULD find the pad uncomfortable, because you're only used to the Sony style pad having owned a PSX and PS2.
When I first got my PS2, I thought the pad was horrible. I couldn't remember where the square, circle etc buttons where, and I had to keep looking at the pad to see where they were.
However, I kept using it and got used to it.
For me the XBox controller is great. It's like a DC controller which I found really comfortable.
When I first got my PS2, I thought the pad was horrible. I couldn't remember where the square, circle etc buttons where, and I had to keep looking at the pad to see where they were.
However, I kept using it and got used to it.
For me the XBox controller is great. It's like a DC controller which I found really comfortable.
Super Monkey Ball is coming to PS2, though.
Good post Wookie, I have played an XBox and was impressed, but not enough to spend £400 on a console, pad and two games. There is nothing worse than looking forward to something for so long, then it arrives and ... dissapointment.
Super Monkey Ball is the one non-PS2 game that appeals to me but I won't be buying a Gamecube just to play it. However I would not be surprised if I add a Gamecube to my collection around Xmas time.
Super Monkey Ball is the one non-PS2 game that appeals to me but I won't be buying a Gamecube just to play it. However I would not be surprised if I add a Gamecube to my collection around Xmas time.
nh wrote:
> Apparantly the Japs do get a smaller contoller - why
> havn't microsoft made the controller smaller for the US and Europe?
It's okay, as pads go - not bad for Halo or PGR - but on DoA3 it gave me cramps in the right hand after 10 minutes (no innuendo posts about the bouncing boobies, please!). I played DoA2 for hours on the PS2 with no trouble whatsoever.
Although you can reconfigure the buttons, I also find that the controller's design and the location of the A, B, X and Y buttons makes combos difficult, bordering on painful. You'd probably benefit from the arcade stick, but I didn't pay out for one of those on the PS2, and I sure ain't going to on the Xbox either - it's not worth it for one or two games.
> Apparantly the Japs do get a smaller contoller - why
> havn't microsoft made the controller smaller for the US and Europe?
It's okay, as pads go - not bad for Halo or PGR - but on DoA3 it gave me cramps in the right hand after 10 minutes (no innuendo posts about the bouncing boobies, please!). I played DoA2 for hours on the PS2 with no trouble whatsoever.
Although you can reconfigure the buttons, I also find that the controller's design and the location of the A, B, X and Y buttons makes combos difficult, bordering on painful. You'd probably benefit from the arcade stick, but I didn't pay out for one of those on the PS2, and I sure ain't going to on the Xbox either - it's not worth it for one or two games.
The GC has a good list of launch games - super monker ball looks very original
Good post Wookiee - thanks for giving us some honest opinions based on actually using the new console. It's refreshing to read something that is based on factual evidence rather than "PS2 sucks X Box is cool." etc.
I have stated before that although games like Halo may look good, at the end of the day the launch line up does not offer enough originality over what is available on PS2. Possibly the only 2 games which do not have direct competitors on PS2 are Munch's Odysee and JSRF.
Apparantly the Japs do get a smaller contoller - why havn't microsoft made the controller smaller for the US and Europe ? it seems to be quite a contentious issue as the pad is not liked from most of the opinion I have read.
I have stated before that although games like Halo may look good, at the end of the day the launch line up does not offer enough originality over what is available on PS2. Possibly the only 2 games which do not have direct competitors on PS2 are Munch's Odysee and JSRF.
Apparantly the Japs do get a smaller contoller - why havn't microsoft made the controller smaller for the US and Europe ? it seems to be quite a contentious issue as the pad is not liked from most of the opinion I have read.
Its not that bad - there are about 3 good songs out of 30 or so
Page: