XBox, the facts and shocks (Microsoft Xbox)

Member Name: ojdude

Product:	Microsoft Xbox
Date:	31/07/02 (652 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: powerfull hardware, online gaming "diseny land", good graphics and sound

Disadvantages: very large and uncomfortable controller, not as many top of the range games as other consoles, isn't as powerfull as Microsoft claim it to be

The first thing you'll notice abotu Microsofts "super console" is its sheer size. The console is huge when compared with the Playstation 2 and Nintendo Gamecube. In that sense, its not all bad, but the controller is also very large. In your hand it feels chunky and cumsy, which can be a little frustrating sometimes.

The Xbox is the most powerfull console on the market when you look at the specifications... however, fundumentally it isn't that more powerfull than the next most powerfull console; the Nintendo Gamecube. Many have argued that the Xbox is simply a PC inside a box, which is mostly true. It's hardware performance may look better on paper but it's not the huge leap that Microsoft claim it to be, the Nintendo Gamecube has lower specifications for example, but is tailored to suit console gaming.

However, there is a noticable difference in the quality of the graphics and sound in most the Xbox's best games. There is a certain sense of quality and fullness in the graphics of each game and sound seems crisp and loud. But this difference can only been seen in Xboxs best sellers, for example; Halo. Though they are very good games, there aren't as many games of this quality as the Playstation 2, which has many top of the range titles.

But there is one advantage that makes the Xbox a very worthy console of your hard earned cash... Microsofts plans to take it online. Whereas Sony and Nintendo are taking a more relaxed approach to online gaming, Microsoft has big ideas. It claims that the Xbox will host "an online gaming Diseny Land", whether the it will live up to this hype is yet to see ... but one thing for sure is that if it's online games you're interested in, the Xbox will be right up your street, with many titles having online capabilities, allowing you play multiplayer gaming with many people over the world. However, if you already have a PC and internet connection, there is no poin
t in buy the Xbox for online gaming, expect Microsoft to charge money for this, which will probably be much more expensive than using your PC to play online games.

So in conclusion, Microsofts Xbox is good console, by no means a great one, with the most powerfull hardware and excellent plans for online gaming. However, unless the latter greatly appeals to you on a console, then it's probably best to opt for a Playstation 2 or Nintendo Gamecube which have a better variety of top-quality games.

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