X-cellent Box (Microsoft Xbox)

Member Name: winsy

Product:	Microsoft Xbox
Date:	25/07/04 (380 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Most powerful console, Doom 3, Fable, Half Life (ill stop there), No need for memory cards

Disadvantages: NINJA GAIDEN CAN BE TOO HARD, Thats its buy one there great

Well the X-Box what can I say about the X-Box, well a few months ago if you'd have asked me what I though i would have said, well they good, yeah more powerful than the rest, but in terms of titles, you cant' beat the PS2. I have always been a PS man, it alwasy had the strongest base of title not only in numbers in terms of the sheer quality, there were loads of quality titles not just a few really good ones, which was what the X-Box had, it had Halo, it had Splinter Cell, but it didn't have a massivelty huge list hat went on and on, like the PS2, it had everything, games for the kids, games for adults, games for everyone. But for some reason, a few months ago the list of up and coming PS2 games seemed to be nowhere, where are the great PS2 games, whats happened.

Well it all started when I read about a certain little game named Project Ego (now known as Fable) which was announced as a near infinite RPG where you actions in he game have a reaction to your characters appearance, the world around you and how the NPC'S see you, so mmmmm thats sounds nice, i monitered this game closely thinking to myself i will eventually buy an X-BOX, buy it got delayed and delayed. Finally this year its confirmed its nearly done and it will be out around October ish, near the end of the year anyway. So i was delighted thats me getting an X-Box, but it wasn't only that game.

Doom 3 is another must have game that i thought well yes i need an X-Box, i am a gamer, not just someone who likes games, i am a true gamer i need the latest edition of what was the greatest and still is one of the most important games ever, Doom. So its loking good for the X-Box.

Buts its not only those games that made me splash out the cash, lets look at the facts, this console is more powerful than Gamecube and PS2. It has a massive 8Gb hard drive, no more memory cards, no extra cash to save you games, its there and you won't fill it in a month of sundays. There
s the ability to rip tracks from cd's onto your hard drive, so you can have your own soundtrack that you can just load up like that, and with certain games you can load these songs into the game, if you dn't like the games crummy music and it has the custom soundtrack feature, get them on there, frag away to your fave tunes. And its all nicely done, its a very simple system, the menu's are excellent everthing fantastically layed out for you to see, Memory, Music and so on its all simple and you wn't get lost when navigating the consoles main menu. Pop a disc in your games away. The loading times on some games are immense to, the first time i put my PS2 on after playing on the X-Box it was like waiting for Gauntlet on an old Amstrad, it seemed like ages before i finally got to get playing.

Then there online, well Sony seemed to take ages with there online it was a case of oh well you'll have to pay more and buy things seperately and oh yes you'll have to wait a while. X-Box came online compatible you only broadband, you didn't have to buy the network adapter and the hard drive, its in there it comes in the box and its all at a standard decent console price. The actuall content and compatability of Live is fantastic to, its a great system that has been well planed and seriously thought about. In terms of functionality it great it sets the standards of what online console gaming should be. There downloadables for a hell of alot of game, extra levels, extra characters, more weapons, and so on. Obviously there the ability to play people, like huge games of Fifa, or Halo or whatever, but you can communicate with them to via the X-Box live communicator set, so whilst your playing a FPS or whatever online you can slag off friends and foes, talk and swap tips, help each other, command people around, or just be silly i suppose its up to you. Have a little chat and blow them away its all good fun.


Thats a brief run down of tha
t fact that this is the best console
in terms of power, ok so its got power but has it got the title and the developer to boot. Well it never used to, it spawned a few good title in its early years and now its coming to the time when PS3 and X-Box 2 are likely to come out, but this year has got to be the X-Box finest years or at least it should be. With a pretty decent title list, that will suit most gamers the X-Box is a great choice, its got excellent racing games, Project Gotham, Colin Macrae, Need for Speed Underground. Its got excellent FPS's. Halo, Duex Ex, Timesplitters. Its definately has a game for you in some category.

But like i say its his year that for me counts for the X-Box, with the releases of titles like Doom 3, Fable, Halo 2, Chronicles of Riddick (one to watch, not hyped much but has the potential to be a stunner), Band of Brothers, Half Life 2, the list goes on. But for me one crowning gem, jewel, nail in the crown/coffin, is the daddy of all games for your average joe, or at least any normal boy who loves to kick a piece of leather around the grass, you know what i mean, i mean football, and im not talking about FIFA, its got presentation its got style, but to me its too easy, its just not cricketm, or football for that matter its a rubbish game that doesn't capture the true essence of football. Real gamers and real football fans know what im talking about, PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER, ok its slow at first you can't pick it up and score 7 goals like that, like youi can in fifa, you have to master the game and learn it. This game is the greatest sports game of all time, its the most realistic representaion for me of any sport and its the greatest multiplayer game of all time, its always been a PS2 exclusive, it was the gem in Sony's crown, now its coming to X-Box and i think it may have a few extra feature up its sleeve, now for me PRO EVO is an excuse to just pay money for a console its that good, you ask anyone whos'
s a serious gamer and a fan of sports gam
es, PRO EVO ROCKS and its coming to X-Box, hey a little rhyme.

But thats just it, the year 2004 alone for me has seen the X-Box come of age in terms of quality titles and number of titles, it seems like im not reading about mega PS2 games it seems like all the game that will define gaming in the years to come are going to hit X-Box, the only game that i think is going to be a game that i will purchase for my PS2 will probably be GTA San Andreas, but i could just wait a few months and buy it on the X-Box, theres a few other but its no where near as goliath as the X-Box list of titles. Thats just it too games that are multi format are always better on the X-BOX, its more powerful the graphics will be better the content will probably be better, the online support is likely to be better. Everything about the game is most likely to be better.

One game i must mention to is Ninja Gaiden, if you have played this game you will smile, its good isn't it, fantastic graphics, fast action, brilliant all round, a joy to play, buts it a bugger to master. This game is a X-Box exclusive, its a action adventure beat em up if you like, you play a guy names Ryu Hyabusa (i think thats the right spelling) and if anyones played Dead or Alive, its the ninja dude from those games, and there was the old NES Ninja Gaiden games which are in this new version as unlockables. Anyway this game is one of the greatest action adventure games ever, its got big bad bosses, its got exploration its got some great weapons, but this game is hard. Ive finished it after a bloody long and hard slog of being knocked down and getting to poitns where i felt like crying (not literally, pulling my hair out maybe) or throwing the joypad through the telly. I even dared to start it again on hard, which im doing pretty well, having played it on hard its so easy on normal, yet it still challenges even the most hardcore of gamers. Now you may think well
why am i going on about this games its just a hard adventrue but thats it to master this game is for me to master gaming all together, this is prossible one of the most hardest demanding games ever and I love it. Its the only game to get me seriously angry and annoyed to the point where i fell like sacking gaming of all together and I love it for this, the sheer joy when you finally get passed a bit your stuck on for ages its great, its a massive relief. And oh yeah it doesn't have an easy setting. Its tricky on normal, its hard on hard, and i don't even want to think about very hard until I have finished it on hard if i ever do. This game sorts the gaming men from mice.

Its games that matter on a console, and it used to be that the X-Box was a great console that just didn't have the titles to take it were it should be, but now its getting better and better by the day and its certainly for me is the best console, i never thought id say that a few months ago but there i did, X-BOX is the best, it is i can't say anything else its the greatest. If your a true gamer you need an X-Box.

For me i specifically bought my X-Box i supposed thanx to Peter Molenuex and his masterpiece Fable, as it does look like its going to be the great RPG ever made. Its X-BOX only and its shaping to be for me the greatest game ever or at least one of the most ambitious, as its either going to be amazingly good or amazingly stink and just over hyped, but i think its the earlier of the 2 for that game.

X-Box is definately the greatest gaming platform of the current moment, and until X-Box 2 or PS3 hit the scene then it still will be. Its a fantastic console that any serious gamer should really own, its got classic games that retail at £20 like PS2, it come with a hard drive so theres no need to buy memory cards at like £20-£30 a go. Theres some amzingly exclusive games coming too and already on X-Box. Microsoft have made the best console of the time
an it comes in some good colours, i bought the limited edition crystal one, which is clear plastic so you can see all the bits and pieces, its weird at first but i like it. There also the classic black, then theres a translusant green which might look nice. Unlike the PS2 limited edition silver ones too, the colours on the special X-Box are actually coloured plastic not painted, as i have a silver PS2 limited edition and the paint on the joypads has wore off from too much Pro Evolution Soccer 3. LOL.

X-Box = X-cellent Box 10/10

Summary: