Titanfail – Inflated Review scores?

By now you should of heard of, played or at least seen footage from Respawns global sensation Titanfall. It was met with widespread critical acclaim and has been championed as a new era in First person shooters. However, Titanfall does have it’s shortcomings and I’m not talking about the lack of campaign mode. The lack of campaign mode can be forgiven as we are in an era which puts multiplayer gaming first, however, the list of problems I present to you are unforgivable.

Giveaway – Courtesy of Speedlink

Thanks to all that entered. Competition is now closed

 

You may have noticed I have been doing a lot reviewing lately, including in these reviews were a whopping six Speedlink products! I’m giving you the chance to win one of these products with two lucky winners receiving a product of their choice up to the value of £110! See below how to enter. 

Speedlink Parthica Gaming Keyboard Review

The Speedlink Parthica offers an affordable introduction for those stepping up in to the world of gaming keyboards. The Parthica offers gamers a wealth of options including macro software, anti-ghosting, 10 multimedia keys and color changing lights. The package looks impressive but how well does it perform?

Thrustmaster T100 Force Feedback Racing Wheel Review – PC/PS3

The Thrustmaster T100 is the latest in Thrustmasters long line of gaming wheels. I would say that Thrustmaster have a reputation as the worlds leading game wheel manufacturer and have had a long line of successful and great performing wheels. If it’s one thing they know about it’s how to make a good wheel and a wheel that gives value for money, no matter what budget you have. The T100 is a mid-ranged wheel which offers ‘force feedback’, something which you usually find on wheels priced much higher than this one.

Speedlink Ledos Gaming Mouse Review – PC

The Speedlink Ledos is the lower priced gaming mouse in Speedlinks line of mice. Quite how much it sacrifices in terms of performance compared to its bigger brothers the Decus and Kudos RS will be my aim in finding out in this review. At first glance it does look very similar to the too, with the red and black coloration it goes nicely with the other mice in their range and also looks like a good companion to their brilliant keyboards.

Speedlink Virtuis Gaming Keyboard Review – PC

The Speedlink Virtuis is Speedlinks top end keyboard. It’s probably on par with the Kudos RS in terms of style and features and the two would make a lovely combination if put together. It looks great but does the performance match its style?

Speedlink Kudos RS gaming mouse review

This is Speedlinks top end gaming mouse, aimed at the enthusiast or those looking for a serious, high grade mouse. It is notably different from the Decus I reviewed, both in shape, feel and performance. The biggest difference you will notice straight away is the ability to add weights to the mouse. Is it worth the step up in price compared to it’s more affordable brother?

Speedlink Decus Gaming Mouse Review

The Speedlink Decus is a low to mid priced gaming mouse aimed at beginners and professionals alike. It features an incredible 5000dpi, 7 fully programmable buttons, corded 1.8m cable and adjustable USB polling rate as some of its features. It offers a lot of ‘bang for its buck’ but is it any good?

Speedlink Medusa NX 5.1 Surround Sound Headset Review – PC/360/PS3

The Speedlink Medusa NX is part of Speedlinks range of gaming headsets which cater to the multi-format game player. It is an affordable introduction to surround sound gaming and looks impressive. It is designed to provide versatility and a great experience regardless of the platform you use. The headset itself promotes a wealth of options and in theory should be the only headset you’ll ever need if you are a PC/PS3 and 360 user. Do not get confused between this and the other Medusa models, this is the top of the range real surround sound unit. Does the performance match the promise? We take a look.

The mentality of fanboys explained – sorted by console they support

You’re probably wondering the reasons why I have made separate posts championing each console. The truth is that it was part of an experiment to see how different sections of fanboys respond. So, if you were one of those who fell for my clickbait I thank you. I shall try to explain the mindset of each fanboy in this post by console they support. Some of you may be able to relate, whilst some of you may be infuriated at the suggestions I make. I will list each set of fanboy in order of aggression, starting with the most aggressive and vocal first.

Twitch gamer raises over $15,000 for charity

So contrary to the post I published two days ago, I am singing the praises of one particular member of Twitch.tv. The man responsible for the selfless act is CohhCarnage (as he is known on there). The charity was in aid of the LLS.org association, ‘a group dedicated to finding better treatments and potential cures for cancer’.

Do you like virtual genitals?

Me too! Just kidding, I was looking around Youtube and found this Easter egg for GTA V which features a village of naked people. Rockstar certainly have a history of being controversial but pointless nudity may just be the icing on the cake. You’ve probably seen it before but I haven’t, even though I’ve played the game religiously. Warning, you may see a penis or two or three.

 

 

Anyone else got any strange easter eggs? Weirder than this one? I want to see! (preferably with less penis)

Thrustmaster GPX Lightback Ferrari F1 Edition Wired Control Pad – Xbox 360/PC

If you’re a fan of F1 and gaming then Thrustmaster may have you covered. This pad is a continuation from their series of Ferrari Licensed products, ranging from controllers to realistic wheels all designed to aid your gaming experience. Visually, it looks impressive and promises much to enhance our virtual driving experience but does it?

First Impressions

The pad has a traditional Xbox look to it with a slightly re-shaped chassis. It is less curved at the bottom and allows longer hand grips but apart from that it is visually very similar and you should be able to distinguish this as an Xbox pad. It looks like an F1 wheel and a control pad made a beautiful baby.The other difference is the triggers, they are long and curved and have a more solid feel than the Xbox pad. The pad looks extremely stylish, the Ferrari design really makes the pad look and feel glamorous, and this contributes visually to make it probably the best looking pad I’ve come across.

The lack of a battery pack is a blessing, no more loss of power through batteries and it makes the controller lighter and allows for more grip. The back has a rubber coating which prevents slip and the analog sticks are covered in a similar rubber which is textured to provide further stability in your hand. The whole pad just feels quality, it fits nicely in your hands and you feel like you have a quality in your palms. The wire is long and not intrusive, it feels like it is made to last and has a handy breakaway point near the USB connector to save the console going flying from unexpected pulls. The pad itself is also compatible with headsets, with a jack located in the standard position at the bottom of the pad.

Obviously one of the biggest draws is the LEDs, both in the top of the pad and underneath the analog sticks. The top ones come in the form of 4 small circles, with one set either side at the top of the pad. These lights will light up dependent on how much pressure is applied to the triggers. So press lightly to brake and you will see one green led lit up, the progression continues with more lights lighting up with more forceful trigger squeeze. The same for the other side, press to accelerate and you will see one green LED light up and put your foot(trigger) down and you will see 3 green lights and a red one to let you know you are at the maximum speed. The other LEDs are located below the Analog sticks and are responsive to your in game movements. They are red in color and work in conjunction with the vibration feature. It is really an experience in itself to watch the lights alone, so what about performance?

In game use

I tried the pad on a number of racing games, including F1 2011 on the 360 , F1 2013 on PC and Forza Horizon on the 360. It is not limited to the racing game genre though, I also tried it out on a few FPS games and results were similar. So I plugged the controller in and was all revved up to go, first game in was F1 2011. The first thing I noticed as I prepared for a race was how suited to F1 was the pad was. The lights reminded me of the infamous starting lights on the grid and was almost as if it had been somewhat styled on an actual Ferrari wheel. Excited I pulled off the line and felt the rumble kick in, it was subtle but almost as if it was in tune with the contours of the road. Every bump and locking of the brakes was translated through the vibration with ease and realism.

The sticks themselves offer a lot more precision than the standard Xbox 360 pad and many other PC pads I have tried. This is particularly handy when it comes to Apex turns and weaving in and out of the opposition. The same praise can be added to the triggers, they have been designed with care and attention to offer precision unrivaled in other pads. They are curved in a way that allows a more natural feel and the LED lights really correlate to the speed and braking in game. It’s particularly handy when cornering in tricky situations, instead of memorizing a certain motion for a corner I can look down when I’ve done it perfectly and remember how much pressure I applied via the lights.

Here is a video of the pad in action in the dark, to show off its LED spectacle

I tried F1 2013 on the PC and it had a very similar performance, so no need for a full in-depth explanation. I can say the control pad was extremely easy to map out and was fully compatible and was equal in performance to its Xbox brother. I then went on to Forza Horizon to see how it would perform on a racing game that wasn’t anything to do with F1. The results were very similar, in that they were similarly as impressive. It doesn’t quite give you the same thrill but the performance translates very well. Cornering becomes a lot easier and the functions remain the same.

The grip on the pad must be commended also. It won’t stick to your hands but it does as good as. The thumbsticks although slightly smaller than what we’re used to enhance accuracy by their grip and sensitivity and I really do feel they are the perfect size for the job. The pad just felt very natural and I wonder whether Thrustmaster will keep the design because it should be the template of racing pads for years to come.

Overall

Flawless wired controller for F1 enthusiasts and Racing enthusiasts alike. I actually can’t fault it in anyway, which is unusual as most of the things I review have flaws. If you’ve got an Xbox 360 or a PC and you’re looking for something to enhance your racing experience but can’t stomach the steep learning curve of a wheel, then this is an obvious and quite brilliant choice.

This Thrustmaster GPX Lightback Ferrari Edition is currently available at Amazon for £39.34 and is the best purchase you may ever make.

You can view the rest of the Thrustmaster range here

Venom XT Plus Headset Review – PS4, PS3, 360, PC & Mac

The Venom XT is Venoms signature headset. It sits proudly as a unique, stylish and multi-use king of the lower price headsets. The Venom XT+ is the new version of this headset, with added compatibility for the PS4. I take a look at some of the key features with an in-depth review and tell you all you need to know about their latest offering.

Gioteck EX05 Wired Multi Format Headset Review

So I don’t do many reviews but have decided to do so to help out anyone looking for a decent headset on a budget. Headsets have become a must have for most gamers these days and extortionate prices for high end models and so much choice in the market makes it a difficult choice. So, is it any good?