Post by Blade Runner 07 on Dec 10, 2014 13:00:27 GMT -5
This isn't a proper review due to the fact that many of us have already migrated over to Xbox One, but more of a report on what my first impressions on the Kinectless Xbox One experience as it exists in late 2014. Lets get the bad stuff out of the way first, shall we?
No gripe on the visual interface itself other than it's Windows 8, that is. I mean everything is an app. Even the Blu-ray player is used though opening it's own app. It's very unnecessary and just makes the machine work harder than it has to. Working harder is an issue here too. Visually it's more or less the style of the Xbox 360, and that just makes me wonder if a return to the Xbox 360 style of dashboard could save RAM space and cut down on processor strain. I bring this up right away because this thing breaks alot. The current way of presentation allows for the user and the applications to easily put such a strain on the hardware that playing Assassin's Creed for instance, can have you launching three different apps just to start the game up, and if you already have anything else open, it's about a 50/50 chance that you're going to experience technical problems. The Xbone doesn't manage how many apps you have open and can slow way down, or freeze at random. Worse yet, simply turning off the console manually won't help during these issues. Turning the machine back on only returns you to the previous (broken) state the console was in. Only unplugging it seems to solve the issue. Perhaps having a limit of one three apps running could help, but the way that is stands, the interface just tries to do too many things, too many different ways, often at the same time. I was also really excited to use the DVR on the system and maybe, finally, start uploading gaming videos to youtube. Yeah, this is where I talk about the sheer lack of organization on the Xbox One. The system never goes out of it's way to show you how to do this and instead relies on individual apps (twitch, twitter, etc.) to offer the option. Once I figured out how to record a video, I did, but with no apparent youtube support, I don't see the long term value of this.
I hooked my Xbox One up at 4:30pm. All I wanted to do was play some Halo 2 Anniversary with a friend over Xbox Live. On the Xbox 360, this is can be done about 99.9% of the time provided schedules allow. Unfortunately it was 9:30 pm before I was able to even start the game. Yeah, at around 50% installed I was able to play Halo... Combat Evolved..... by myself. As games get bigger and bigger I can understand installation being mandatory but having to wait 5 HOURS to play a game I could play on Xbox 360 in 5 minutes is inexcusable. Before you ask, I am aware that offline installs are faster because they read from the disc instead of off the internet but TWICE was my offline install stopped and an internet connection REQUIRED to continue. Yeah, on Xbox One it's normal to install one game over a couple days. I've done it with AC:Unity and Halo. I'm reliving that christmas day I got Majoras Mask and was unable to play it due to my parents forgetting the expansion pack and the store not being open. NOBODY should have to wait to play with their new toys.
Now on to the good stuff...
First, I just want to say, the best looking game on the system is Assassin's Creed Unity. That's just my opinion, but considering it's the only game I own that was built from the ground up for current generation hardware, it stands to reason that it's also the prettiest. When it's not bugging out as it frequently does, the views can be jaw dropping. Everything you see is in-engine and while were not quite to the level of photorealistic graphics, were are closer than ever. It seems we're in that transitional stage where all the newest games have their moments of utter beauty, but the games that are taking advantage of the hardware throughout are few and far between. That's sure to change in the coming years but it's apparent that lighting, animation, and particle effects are just some of the things that are getting better all the time and 1080p, 60fps only enhances the experience on an HDTV. Playing the first level of Halo:CEA, the double in frame-rate was immediately apparent and appreciated as it helped with the immersion on a level I cant explain. For some games 30fps is good enough, but I'm not sure I'll want to play a first-person shooter at 30fps ever again.
So when I saw the redesign I can't say I liked it. Why mess with whats mostly perfection in the Xbox 360 controller? Having played through the bulk of the Master Chief Collection with it and dabbling in a few other genres, I can honestly say that once muscle memory kicks in you'll never feel the difference. At first I thought the placement of the Xbox Button would prove disastrous due to having to reach too far for it but I can see Microsoft's thinking towards it. Now players with big thumbs don't accidentally press it when going for the X or menu button. As for the headset that comes with the console, it's both better and worse. The microphone doesn't flex to adjust distance from your mouth like on the Xbox 360. That doesn't effect sound but it would be nice to have that freedom. Though it's wired and still plugs into the bottom of the controller much like it's Xbox 360 counter-part, this time it locks to the bottom of the controller and features buttons for volume control which is a nice touch. Really though, the whole thing is plastic and feels cheap, but personally, I like it better than the 360 version if only because it functions better and allows for more control over what you want heard and what you want to hear. One last thing. People like to nitpick on the batteries. We're still using AA batteries on the Xbox One controller and while most immediately slam Microsoft for this decision, at 20 hours a per load, one can get roughly 300 hours of controller life for around $10. Not too bad. Rechargeable battery packs are available but everything wears out over time, and it's nice to have more control over the lifespan of the controller.
I know the Xbox One has massive potential to be everything we expect the next generation of gaming to be, but it lacks focus. While PS4 and WiiU are gaming machines first and foremost, shoving the bells a whistles to the back burner, Xbox One is all about doing everything, right now. When it works, it feels truly next gen, and in a few years, it may be hard to imagine video games without DVR support and voice commands, but that's not right now. In a world where Xbox 360 is still good enough to out sell it's successor, it's a bit of a toss up on whether or not you should take the plunge just yet. Personally, games and friends are deciding factors. The best games don't amount to much without people to share the experience with, and the best of friends can turn a mediocre game into a string of unforgettable moments. I really hope Xbox One can deliver us both of these in the coming years. Thanks for reading.
Performance
Pretty much me right now.
Pretty much me right now.
No gripe on the visual interface itself other than it's Windows 8, that is. I mean everything is an app. Even the Blu-ray player is used though opening it's own app. It's very unnecessary and just makes the machine work harder than it has to. Working harder is an issue here too. Visually it's more or less the style of the Xbox 360, and that just makes me wonder if a return to the Xbox 360 style of dashboard could save RAM space and cut down on processor strain. I bring this up right away because this thing breaks alot. The current way of presentation allows for the user and the applications to easily put such a strain on the hardware that playing Assassin's Creed for instance, can have you launching three different apps just to start the game up, and if you already have anything else open, it's about a 50/50 chance that you're going to experience technical problems. The Xbone doesn't manage how many apps you have open and can slow way down, or freeze at random. Worse yet, simply turning off the console manually won't help during these issues. Turning the machine back on only returns you to the previous (broken) state the console was in. Only unplugging it seems to solve the issue. Perhaps having a limit of one three apps running could help, but the way that is stands, the interface just tries to do too many things, too many different ways, often at the same time. I was also really excited to use the DVR on the system and maybe, finally, start uploading gaming videos to youtube. Yeah, this is where I talk about the sheer lack of organization on the Xbox One. The system never goes out of it's way to show you how to do this and instead relies on individual apps (twitch, twitter, etc.) to offer the option. Once I figured out how to record a video, I did, but with no apparent youtube support, I don't see the long term value of this.
Mandatory Installs
We got installs for days.
We got installs for days.
I hooked my Xbox One up at 4:30pm. All I wanted to do was play some Halo 2 Anniversary with a friend over Xbox Live. On the Xbox 360, this is can be done about 99.9% of the time provided schedules allow. Unfortunately it was 9:30 pm before I was able to even start the game. Yeah, at around 50% installed I was able to play Halo... Combat Evolved..... by myself. As games get bigger and bigger I can understand installation being mandatory but having to wait 5 HOURS to play a game I could play on Xbox 360 in 5 minutes is inexcusable. Before you ask, I am aware that offline installs are faster because they read from the disc instead of off the internet but TWICE was my offline install stopped and an internet connection REQUIRED to continue. Yeah, on Xbox One it's normal to install one game over a couple days. I've done it with AC:Unity and Halo. I'm reliving that christmas day I got Majoras Mask and was unable to play it due to my parents forgetting the expansion pack and the store not being open. NOBODY should have to wait to play with their new toys.
Now on to the good stuff...
Graphics
Thats actually gameplay.
Thats actually gameplay.
First, I just want to say, the best looking game on the system is Assassin's Creed Unity. That's just my opinion, but considering it's the only game I own that was built from the ground up for current generation hardware, it stands to reason that it's also the prettiest. When it's not bugging out as it frequently does, the views can be jaw dropping. Everything you see is in-engine and while were not quite to the level of photorealistic graphics, were are closer than ever. It seems we're in that transitional stage where all the newest games have their moments of utter beauty, but the games that are taking advantage of the hardware throughout are few and far between. That's sure to change in the coming years but it's apparent that lighting, animation, and particle effects are just some of the things that are getting better all the time and 1080p, 60fps only enhances the experience on an HDTV. Playing the first level of Halo:CEA, the double in frame-rate was immediately apparent and appreciated as it helped with the immersion on a level I cant explain. For some games 30fps is good enough, but I'm not sure I'll want to play a first-person shooter at 30fps ever again.
Controller
It's not bad.
It's not bad.
So when I saw the redesign I can't say I liked it. Why mess with whats mostly perfection in the Xbox 360 controller? Having played through the bulk of the Master Chief Collection with it and dabbling in a few other genres, I can honestly say that once muscle memory kicks in you'll never feel the difference. At first I thought the placement of the Xbox Button would prove disastrous due to having to reach too far for it but I can see Microsoft's thinking towards it. Now players with big thumbs don't accidentally press it when going for the X or menu button. As for the headset that comes with the console, it's both better and worse. The microphone doesn't flex to adjust distance from your mouth like on the Xbox 360. That doesn't effect sound but it would be nice to have that freedom. Though it's wired and still plugs into the bottom of the controller much like it's Xbox 360 counter-part, this time it locks to the bottom of the controller and features buttons for volume control which is a nice touch. Really though, the whole thing is plastic and feels cheap, but personally, I like it better than the 360 version if only because it functions better and allows for more control over what you want heard and what you want to hear. One last thing. People like to nitpick on the batteries. We're still using AA batteries on the Xbox One controller and while most immediately slam Microsoft for this decision, at 20 hours a per load, one can get roughly 300 hours of controller life for around $10. Not too bad. Rechargeable battery packs are available but everything wears out over time, and it's nice to have more control over the lifespan of the controller.
Overall
It only gets better from here.
It only gets better from here.
I know the Xbox One has massive potential to be everything we expect the next generation of gaming to be, but it lacks focus. While PS4 and WiiU are gaming machines first and foremost, shoving the bells a whistles to the back burner, Xbox One is all about doing everything, right now. When it works, it feels truly next gen, and in a few years, it may be hard to imagine video games without DVR support and voice commands, but that's not right now. In a world where Xbox 360 is still good enough to out sell it's successor, it's a bit of a toss up on whether or not you should take the plunge just yet. Personally, games and friends are deciding factors. The best games don't amount to much without people to share the experience with, and the best of friends can turn a mediocre game into a string of unforgettable moments. I really hope Xbox One can deliver us both of these in the coming years. Thanks for reading.