The "General Games Chat" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only.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:
Your Honour wrote:
> Anyway, I may be going to SR Egham this afternoon to pick me up
> an XBox, just have to make a phone call first. I'll keep you posted...
One tip...
Make sure you get a proper SCART lead for it - the picture through the composite lead it fairly dark.
> Anyway, I may be going to SR Egham this afternoon to pick me up
> an XBox, just have to make a phone call first. I'll keep you posted...
One tip...
Make sure you get a proper SCART lead for it - the picture through the composite lead it fairly dark.
Wookiee, that's how I feel about the PS2.
There's just something that isn't quite "spot on".
For example, I dislike MGS2 and wasn't impressed with the FFX demo. GT3 is good, but I much prefered M:SR on the DC.
There's nothing *wrong* with the PS2, or it's games, it's just none of the exclusives appeal to me. And the XBox exclusives do appeal. And with the XBox geting/already got games like Tonty Hawks 3, GTA3 etc, it makes sense to me to sell the PS2 and buy an XBox.
I know that Halo is coming to the PC, and FPS's on the PC are probably just as good, but I don't play games on my PC anymore. Not sure what it is about my PC - it can handle the games I do have, but I just don't play them. Perhaps it's because I spend all day at work in front of a PC? Who knows...
Anyway, I may be going to SR Egham this afternoon to pick me up an XBox, just have to make a phone call first. I'll keep you posted...
There's just something that isn't quite "spot on".
For example, I dislike MGS2 and wasn't impressed with the FFX demo. GT3 is good, but I much prefered M:SR on the DC.
There's nothing *wrong* with the PS2, or it's games, it's just none of the exclusives appeal to me. And the XBox exclusives do appeal. And with the XBox geting/already got games like Tonty Hawks 3, GTA3 etc, it makes sense to me to sell the PS2 and buy an XBox.
I know that Halo is coming to the PC, and FPS's on the PC are probably just as good, but I don't play games on my PC anymore. Not sure what it is about my PC - it can handle the games I do have, but I just don't play them. Perhaps it's because I spend all day at work in front of a PC? Who knows...
Anyway, I may be going to SR Egham this afternoon to pick me up an XBox, just have to make a phone call first. I'll keep you posted...
Grix Thraves wrote:
> And sorry, when I said X-Box, I meant Halo. More
> of... was the game put so high up that it was a disapointment to play?
Maybe, I'm just not sure. It is a damn fine game, but it really is nothing that can't be done on PS2, Gamecube or PC (obviously, because it's coming to PC).
The controls are basically the same as other console FPS games, such as TimeSplitters and Red Faction on the PS2. It's filled with nice touches, but rather than being something revolutionary, it's sort of 'all the best bits of other FPS games rolled into one'.
If you have an Xbox, it is a must-have game - but I'm not convinced it's worth buying the machine for.
I played Halo and PGR extensively last night, and if someone said to me now, "You must give up one of the consoles you own", I would hand them the Xbox without hesitation.
I don't know what it is... I don't think it's bias for Sony or my underlying dislike of MS... but there just seems to be something, well, "missing" from the whole experience. I'm not unhappy with it or dissatisfied, just... I don't know, I really can't put my finger on it. If I do, I'll let you know!
> And sorry, when I said X-Box, I meant Halo. More
> of... was the game put so high up that it was a disapointment to play?
Maybe, I'm just not sure. It is a damn fine game, but it really is nothing that can't be done on PS2, Gamecube or PC (obviously, because it's coming to PC).
The controls are basically the same as other console FPS games, such as TimeSplitters and Red Faction on the PS2. It's filled with nice touches, but rather than being something revolutionary, it's sort of 'all the best bits of other FPS games rolled into one'.
If you have an Xbox, it is a must-have game - but I'm not convinced it's worth buying the machine for.
I played Halo and PGR extensively last night, and if someone said to me now, "You must give up one of the consoles you own", I would hand them the Xbox without hesitation.
I don't know what it is... I don't think it's bias for Sony or my underlying dislike of MS... but there just seems to be something, well, "missing" from the whole experience. I'm not unhappy with it or dissatisfied, just... I don't know, I really can't put my finger on it. If I do, I'll let you know!
"I'll let you know if I do... I'm going to give it some time to grow on me... like fungus..."
Fair, but I'm not sure how long I can wait.
SR's bundle of XBox + pad + Halo + PGR = £400 is looking more and more attractive each day...
Fair, but I'm not sure how long I can wait.
SR's bundle of XBox + pad + Halo + PGR = £400 is looking more and more attractive each day...
WòókieeMøn§†€® wrote:
"Why is it that every demo pod seems to be running Amped when Halo is the 'flagship' title?"
Yup, that's annoyed me a lot. Like you, the only one I really wanted to play was Halo.
And sorry, when I said X-Box, I meant Halo. More of... was the game put so high up that it was a disapointment to play?
It's just that it's basically been put down as THE reason to get an X-Box, and I was wondering if too much pressure had been put on it.
"Why is it that every demo pod seems to be running Amped when Halo is the 'flagship' title?"
Yup, that's annoyed me a lot. Like you, the only one I really wanted to play was Halo.
And sorry, when I said X-Box, I meant Halo. More of... was the game put so high up that it was a disapointment to play?
It's just that it's basically been put down as THE reason to get an X-Box, and I was wondering if too much pressure had been put on it.
Or†ega wrote:
> Looks like Wookiee muct be enjoying his X-box! not a single post from him since
> he posted this this!
Nope - been up town to get some shopping.
Now I'm going to play MGS2! :-)
> Looks like Wookiee muct be enjoying his X-box! not a single post from him since
> he posted this this!
Nope - been up town to get some shopping.
Now I'm going to play MGS2! :-)
Grix Thraves wrote:
> Do you think perhaps you were a bit too
> hyped up by the X-Box, Wookiee? To be fair, you have been talking about it for a
> long time.
Nope, definitely not mate. After readin reviews of the titles available, Halo was the only game I *really* wanted to play. I only basically bought PGR as it was the best of the other titles they had when I picked up the machine.
I admit I was eager to get home and try it out, but it still left me somewhat deflated. Still, I'll give it some time... see how it goes. The one thing I do know for sure is that, if I do get fed up with it, there'll always be someone willing to take it off my hands. Okay, I won't get all of my money back, but I'll get enough.
> Do you think perhaps you were a bit too
> hyped up by the X-Box, Wookiee? To be fair, you have been talking about it for a
> long time.
Nope, definitely not mate. After readin reviews of the titles available, Halo was the only game I *really* wanted to play. I only basically bought PGR as it was the best of the other titles they had when I picked up the machine.
I admit I was eager to get home and try it out, but it still left me somewhat deflated. Still, I'll give it some time... see how it goes. The one thing I do know for sure is that, if I do get fed up with it, there'll always be someone willing to take it off my hands. Okay, I won't get all of my money back, but I'll get enough.
Weird Wonder wrote:
> i would have thought that x-box would be in short supply not walk into a shop
> take it to the counter and buy!
I was surprised, too. Most places seem to have them freely available, though - which says one of two things...
Either MS have made a significant number of consoles available, or they're not selling that well.
I think I read somewhere that there were 250,000 available for launch in the UK. If that is the case, then it suggests that sales have been muted.
Most places certainly seem to be giving it the 'hard sell' - probably because they're all on commision. I traded in some old PS2 games today and got DoA3 - haven't tried it yet, though - I'm going to play MGS2 in a minute.
One thing that did annoy me in Game today was that the Xbox demo pod was running, and the PS2 pod was turned off. With a major title like MGS2 released only a week ago, I thought that was a little out of order.
Why is it that every demo pod seems to be running Amped when Halo is the 'flagship' title?
> i would have thought that x-box would be in short supply not walk into a shop
> take it to the counter and buy!
I was surprised, too. Most places seem to have them freely available, though - which says one of two things...
Either MS have made a significant number of consoles available, or they're not selling that well.
I think I read somewhere that there were 250,000 available for launch in the UK. If that is the case, then it suggests that sales have been muted.
Most places certainly seem to be giving it the 'hard sell' - probably because they're all on commision. I traded in some old PS2 games today and got DoA3 - haven't tried it yet, though - I'm going to play MGS2 in a minute.
One thing that did annoy me in Game today was that the Xbox demo pod was running, and the PS2 pod was turned off. With a major title like MGS2 released only a week ago, I thought that was a little out of order.
Why is it that every demo pod seems to be running Amped when Halo is the 'flagship' title?
Your Honour wrote:
> Wookiee, if you do think of selling it, I'd be interested in buying it off
> you.
> Afterall, we've done business before...
Hur hur - yeah, you rented me Dave! ;-)
I'll let you know if I do... I'm going to give it some time to grow on me... like fungus...
> Wookiee, if you do think of selling it, I'd be interested in buying it off
> you.
> Afterall, we've done business before...
Hur hur - yeah, you rented me Dave! ;-)
I'll let you know if I do... I'm going to give it some time to grow on me... like fungus...
HálloHowArtThou wrote:
> Tesco's ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
> isnt that a supermarket???
Yes, congratulations... go to the top of the class!
> Tesco's ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
> isnt that a supermarket???
Yes, congratulations... go to the top of the class!
Page: