When you’re looking for a headset, function and comfort are the main priorities. If it’s aesthetically pleasing to look at, that’s great and all, but if the quality is crap and it’s super uncomfortable, there’s no use in putting any money into it. To find a headset that encompasses all three aspects, and a reasonable price is somewhat of a rarity.

Roccat is a German gaming peripheral designer that has just come to the states this year, and made their big debut at CES 2012. They have an astounding eye for detail when it comes to packaging, and their product looks the part of a very professional grade. My review last week of the Roccat Kone [+] mouse was nothing but praise, and rightfully so, but I am sad to say that theRoccat Kave 5.1 headset doesn’t deserve such praiseworthy speech.

First Look

As I said in my previous review, upon first opening it, I was impressed by the quality of the packaging, as well as the look and feel of the product itself. It was immediately apparent that the ear cups folded up, which is great for whenever you’d need to travel with them. The exterior of the ear cups are coated in smooth rubber, while everything else but the padding was a matte plastic. The padding for the ear cups were covered in a sort of faux leather, as were the three headband pads. Roccat was very particular in stating that their ear cups had been hand sewn, and while I can’t tell hand-sewn from factory, it is certainly a noteworthy feature.

The headset is predominantly black, the only other colors being grey to delineate Left and Right, the title of the headset, and light blue for the logo as well as the company name. The mic was detachable, and has a LED ring to indicate which side the mic plugs into. It is on this side, about an inch under the mic that the 11.2 foot long cord is attached. That sounds exceedingly long, but is only because it is broken up by the desktop remote, and the splitter. Although it is powered by USB, the headset is actually analog, coming with four 3.5mm jack plugs.

The desktop remote is the central management for all volume functions. On the right side of the box is a switch to give you the option between game and movie mode, and sliders that give you the ability to adjust sub, front, rear, and center volume. All are hidden by a hinged door so they can’t be moved on accident. For the left side of the remote, there is a master control for the volume which is a smooth, rubber coated ring that clicks when turned. On the side of the box is a button that will mute your mic. A blue LED on the tip of the microphone will indicate that is muted, which is great for those of you who think you have turned off your mic, only to find out that you’re still live.

Comfort

This is the section that really sort of ruined these headphones for me. While the ear cups were extremely comfortable and fit over my ears perfectly, the three pads on the headband nearly gave me a migraine. They were put there for equal weight distribution so that it will fit your head perfectly. While it did fit snugly, if it wasn’t perfectly perched on my head, it was actually somewhat painful. I thought it might be something that I would get used to over time, but I made this my primary source for sound for a few weeks, and I’m sad to say that it is still as bad as day one. Maybe it’s just me, but this could definitely do with a bit more padding along the head band.

Audio Quality

The performance of these headphones was rather exceptional. The simulated 5.1 surround sound made sure that no detail was left unheard. Having vibration within the ear cups definitely further immersed me into whatever game I was playing. If a dragon was roaring at me, I actually felt the vibration of his roar. Not to mention that the padding was wonderful at isolation. You won’t hear the doorbell, or even your phone ringing right in front of you with these on.

Sound was also directionally precise, coming out of the 40mm speakers at a 12 degree angle, which means it’s going to be hard for anyone to sneak up behind or beside you, as you’re not missing a scrap of sound from any direction. Adjusting the sliders for specific parts of the volume was helpful, but I never noticed much difference between the game and movie modes.

Conclusion

Although I found the performance of this headset to be wonderful, I wouldn’t purchase them at their $110 asking price. The look and function were all above standard quality, but the fact that I was quite often aware of how painful the headset was to use really deterred me from it. However, there is the possibility that this is an individual occurrence, and may not have the same effect on others. If you are interested in the sound quality of this headset, I encourage you to try them out. It was painful for me on day one, so it should be very telling within a short amount of time whether or not they will be a good fit for you.

Nearly 12 years ago, Blizzard released the second game in the Diablo series, and thus gamers everywhere lost countless hours of their lives. Since the game had such a large focus on online play, the replay value was extensive, with people still playing it to this very day. Thankfully, the next installment in the franchise is due out soon (though we still don’t know exactly when), and with it comes a set of co-branded products from SteelSeries.

SteelSeries has teamed up with Blizzard to release two Diablo III peripherals. Dubbed the Diablo III Mouse and Diablo III Headset, you can imagine the hours that went into just naming them. Also, there are six different mousepads, two simply have the Diablo III logo (one is small, the other medium sized), while the others depict a Monk, Barbarian, Witch Doctor and Demon Hunter.

I’ve spend some time with the mouse, headset and one of the mousepads, and today I’m going to give you a mini review of each. I say mini review, as these are more or less rebranded versions of existing products.

Diablo III Mouse

First up is the mouse, which looks very much like the Sensei, which we reviewed not too long ago. However, it is by no means the same. I would guess that it is more like the older Xai, which has the same basic design.

So what’s different about the Diablo III mouse? Well, the first thing you’ll notice is the branding, along with a pretty cool design on the surface. You’ll also find pulsing red LEDs on the logo, and in the scrollwheel. The wheel also has a slightly different texture, and the surface of the mouse has more of a rubbery feel than the Sensei. If you flip it over, you won’t find the LCD screen that is seen on the other mice. Also, the Diablo mouse feels a bit lighter, almost too light for my tastes.

SteelSeries has made sure to go all-out with the Diablo theme, as your mouse software is even decked out to look as though it is in the game. I’m all for the design, however, the software is what disappoints me the most. Other than remapping the buttons (including adding macros) and changing the DPI and polling rate, there’s not much else you can do here. It’s not really a problem with the software, as I’m able to make all the usual changes to my Sensei with it. Rather, it appears that this mouse isn’t nearly as customizable as its predecessors.

Now, if you’re just playing Diablo, then the software does have some advantages. Namely, it has drag-and-drop support for a variety of functions and skills from the game. This will be cool when the game comes out, but this feature is only good on one game.

It’s worth mentioning that if you’re a lefty, you’ll appreciate the fact that this mouse ambidextrous. Unfortunately, the nature of the design also means that I have to keep at least one button on the right side disabled (right handed, here), otherwise I find myself accidentally clicking it. Also, I have to say that the LED is done rather well. While it’s no surprise that you can set the light to stay on, off or pulsate, I like the “trigger” setting. With this enabled, your LED will only turn on when you click the left or right mouse button.

Overall, this mouse looks great. If you’re wanting something to match your Diablo-themed setup, then this one will definitely fit the part. However, if you’re expecting something that’s got a lot of features and is fully customizable, you’d probably better keep shopping around. With a price of $70, you’re much better off spending the extra $20 and moving up to the Sensei.

Diablo III Headset

If you’ve seen or used a Siberia V2 headset from SteelSeries, then you’re already familiar with the Diablo III Headset. While the mouse resembled the Sensei and Xai, this piece of equipment is virtually identical to existing hardware. In fact, Windows identifies it as a Sibearia V2 D3 when plugged in.

So what’s different? It’s all in the looks. a black headset with red accents has all the right curves and points to give you that Diablo feel. Also, you’ll find 18 red LEDs to light up the earcups and other accents. Remember where I was excited about the “trigger” setting for the mouse’s LEDs. The same applies here, only this time the triggers are sounds. As you play through a game, or listen to music, your headset will pulse with the audio. Definitely a nice touch.

The audio quality is great for a stereo headset. The 50mm drivers deliver quite well, and the noise reducing earcups ensure that not even the smallest detail gets missed. The retractable microphone is always welcome, and during my testing I experienced no issues with clarity when talking to friends. The USB cable is rather short, at just 3 feet, but you will find a 6.5-foot extension cable, which gives you plenty of room to work with.

The software has the same Diablo theme that was seen in the mouse. The only customization you’ll find here is for the LEDs, and for the EQ. If you’re looking for in-line controls, you will find them. The controller is a small box, which isn’t flashy, but gets the job done. From here you can adjust the volume and mute your mic.

I think that the Diablo III headset was done a lot better than the mouse. No features were missing here, and the visual changes look great. There’s a $20 premium over a regular Siberia. I’d say that if the design interests you, it’s worth the extra few bucks.

Diablo III Mousepad

When it comes to mini reviews, this will probably be the shortest in the history of GamerFront. There’s not really much to say about this, other than it’s a mousepad. Specifically, it’s one of SteelSeries’ QCK pads, which is known for being a good overall surface. It’s nice and thin, doesn’t move, and mice glide smoothly over it. If you fancy some sweet Diablo III art, then it’s worth the $15 price (a $5 premium on the regular QCK pad).

Have you ever heard of the German gaming peripheral designer Roccat? Neither had we. However, when some of their amazing PC gear showed up on our doorstep, they made quite a name for themselves. The Kone [+] Mouse, Isku Keyboard, and the Kave Headset looked a bit out of the ordinary, and it was love at first sight.

The packaging alone was enough for us to “ooh” and “ahh” over it, as it had excessively fancy anti-static bags, twisty ties, and Velcro wraps for the cords. Not to mention that the boxes themselves are beautiful. Every aspect of the presentation seemed to be thought out with some of the surfaces of the exterior box being shiny, some matte, and some both silver and shiny. If all this extravagance wasn’t enough, upon opening the box, we found that the first layer of box was a mere shell for the harder box underneath (for the keyboard anyway), and inside of that was a cardboard or thick plastic set which fit the keyboard, mouse, and headset in snug as a bug in a rug.

It may seem a bit silly to get so utterly excited about opening boxes, but when someone takes that much notice, it’s a shame not to at least make mention of it. If you were opening a present wrapped in brown paper grocery bags, then had one carefully packaged to a “t”, I think you’d notice. I had honestly left out the bits about all the plastic covers, regular plastic wrap, and little tape dots. Well, until now anyway. Alright! Seeing as I can’t really rave on about how awesome the boxing of these items are anymore, I may as well describe the function of them. We’ll be getting to the headset and keyboard soon, but let’s start off with the Kone [+] mouse, shall we?

First Look

When I finally got it out of the packaging, the Kone [+] mouse was exactly what I was hoping it would be. It comes with four 5g weights which lets you choose whatever weight you so desire, and is a rather large mouse all in all. This is not such great news for gamers with tiny hands, but there’s a chance that you could still be comfortable using it. There are two curved lines of multicolor LEDs that sit on the outskirts of where your pointer and middle finger rest. A logo for Roccat sits just under your palm on the right side, while the title and logo are hidden just ahead of where your thumb rests on the left side. There are ten buttons in all, consisting of two side keys, two standard mouse buttons, a Windows button, two buttons for DPI, and three for the scroll wheel as it has rocking capabilities. The parts of the mouse that are not covered with smooth plastic have a silky smooth rubber coating.

Setup/Customizing

Quite honestly, this mouse was a bit of a nightmare to set up. It does have settings already in place, but once you realize how much you can customize, you will either be terribly excited, or horridly annoyed by how much work you’ll have to do to get everything just right. Most gaming mice seem to have a standard 5600 DPI max, which not many people use mind you, but this mouse decided to blow that out of the water, just because it could. The max DPI on this one is a whopping 6000, and this is in conjunction with its 10.5 megapixel resolution and 1000Hz polling rate. The sensors do need to be cleared of fuzzies sometimes, but I only experienced this problem twice so far, and it didn’t really inhibit anything.

You can have five different customized settings profiles that are saved in the 576kB of onboard memory. This means that you can configure button assignments, adjust the 5 DPI settings (per profile), and change the LEDs and sensor sensitivities. Another customizable feature that needs a little explaining is the Easy-Shift button. This button is basically a shift key for your mouse, and gives you the ability to have twice the amount of buttons on one profile. Let’s say you’ve mapped all of your essential buttons, but then find you need quick access to at least three more buttons of a different function than what you have available. Simply program one button as Easy-Shift, press down, hold, and voila, you have access to entirely different mapping for your buttons. Each profile contains one set the regular buttons, as well as one of the easy-shift options. Shifting through profiles is also relatively easy, as all you need to do is program a button to sift through profiles. Just don’t forget that you will need to reprogram that same button (or another of your choosing) for each profile. For every change you make, it will take a little time to apply the setting changes, so expect it. By a little time, I really mean only about 20-30 seconds, but it does feel like an eternity when you’re just wanting to change something small.

Another feature of this mouse is that it allows you to move the x and y-axis sensitivity separately, which means you can choose how fast or slow your mouse moves up and down or side to side. Even the lift distance can be customized. You can set how far away from the mouse pad the mouse needs to be before it starts to move your mouse in the game. It’s looking like the only way this thing could have more changeable features is if its body has weights, screws, and extensions like the R.A.T. Mice.

Fun fact- for every time you decide to change profile, DPI, volume, or sensitivity, you will get the voice of a gruff male telling you what has changed. This is great for letting you know which profile you’re on and such, but it scared the crap out of me the first time it happened.

Comfort/Performance

If you like to play PC games for hours on end, it is extremely important to have a comfortable mouse. What with all the weight additions, and rubberized coating, I couldn’t have been more pleased with this mouse. The inset for the thumb was superb, so much so that I found myself petting it rather frequently. (I’m aware that sounds a bit disturbing.) Although I wish there were indents for the pointer and middle finger as well, it wasn’t a game-changer for me.

Once I had all my settings in place, it was time to put it to the test, and it performed rather beautifully, other than getting gummed up with a fuzz at an inconvenient time. Although, you won’t have access to it until mid-February. It seems as though everything was made to be customizable so that any gamer can use this mouse. The setup may take some time if you’re really nit-picky, but once it’s all said and done, you have a gaming machine on your hands.

Final Thoughts

As you can probably tell, this mouse has definitely been a winner for me. There isn’t much that they have missed ranging from packaging to product, and I can’t think of much more that they could do to improve it, unless the physical form of the mouse was adjustable. If you’re looking to take one of these home with you, you’ll have to be willing to pay $79.99.

There are a lot of differences between consoles and PCs. Some gamers will choose the former because of the low cost, while others might choose the latter because of the better graphics. But one of the most fundamental differences between the two is what you use to play the game with. PC gamers can use controllers, if they choose. However, those with a PS3 or Xbox 360 are generally unable to use a keyboard and mouse.

Over the last few years, different devices have come onto the market that will allow console gamers to experience the same controls that PC gamers have enjoyed. I’ve spent a couple of weeks with one such gadget, the Eagle Eye 3.0 from Penguin United. The version I’ve been using works with the Xbox 360.

First Look

In the box you’ll find a 22-page instruction guide, a CD, and the device itself. The device is a small box with a 13′ USB cable, two USB ports and a number of switches. Eight of the switches are for “turbo” and correspond with the buttons on your controller. The other two are for programming the box and switching between one of two different profiles.

Setup

Remember were I said that there was a 22-page instruction guide? There’s a good reason for that. Every page is in English, so you’ll be reading each and every page. To be honest, this is one of the most difficult and time-consuming devices to setup that I’ve encountered. There is good reason for this, as you’re trying to translate key presses and mouse movements into something that your console can recognize.

First thing you’ll need upon setting up this device is an official wired Xbox 360 controller. When they say official, they mean it. I tried using our Batarang controller from Power A, which is officially licensed, but it was a no-go. If you don’t have an official wired controller from Microsoft, you’ll need to add that to the cost of the device.

To program the box, you’ll need to plug it into your computer, and run the software on the CD. You’ll then map each button, trigger, and analog stick to your desired keys. I’d recommend pulling out the manual for the game you intend on playing, as it will help greatly. Once you’ve done that, you can export it to the device. If you have another game you plan on playing, you can flip the switch to “Key Map 2” and setup another profile.

Now it’s time to hook it up to your 360. With the console powered off, you’ll plug in the box, and hook your wired 360 controller to it. Power on the console, and once your controller has been assigned a position on the console (it should be the first and only controller), you can unplug it, and plug in your keyboard and mouse. Now these too, must be wired. Also, neither of them should specifically require a driver to run, as for obvious reasons, you can’t install one. Most wired keyboards and mice will work.

If you’re really lucky, you could start playing your game straightaway, and have fun. However, that isn’t going to be the case most of the time. For this, you will use the F1-F8 keys to modify your deadzone, X-axis sensitivity, Y-axis sensitivity, angle correction, and rotation speed limit. Going through each of these can take several minutes, adding significantly to your setup time. If you’re doing this for the first time, I’d set aside 30 minutes for setup, bare minimum.

If you want to knock off some of that time, you can try going to the Penguin site and downloading a keymap that another user has already uploaded. You’ll still need to calibrate everything for your particular keyboard/mouse and specific tastes.

Performance

This is obviously the most important part. Is all of that setup time really going to improve your game? My answer isn’t exactly a definite one. I’m a PC gamer at heart, so I tend to do better with a keyboard and mouse, rather than a controller. So was my performance better while using this device? I can answer that with yes.

What’s interesting is that playing console games with a keyboard and mouse didn’t feel as natural on my 360 as it does on my PC. After countless hours of playing, I couldn’t ever quite put my finger on it, but something about it always felt off. The mouse was responsive enough, and I was able to make shots that I’d never have pulled off with a controller. However, I feel like I didn’t perform up to par, when compared to how I played on a PC. Overall though, I enjoyed being able to use my favorite keyboard and mouse while playing with friends on my 360, and my kill/death ratio was generally higher than when I’d switch back to my controller.

Final Thoughts

Setting up the Eagle Eye is a pain in the ass, no doubt about it. However, if you have the patience to get through that, it can certainly provide the desired results, to a degree. My personal experience was that I performed better than with a controller, but not quite as good as I normally would on a PC. So is it worth the $60 price tag? That depends on how much you plan on playing with a keyboard/mouse, and how good you are with a controller. Also, if you don’t have an official wired controller from Microsoft, that price just jumped up to around $100.

We’ve reviewed a number of products from NZXT over the last few years, most of which were PC cases. However, today we’re going to take a look at one of the companies latest power supplies. What’s interesting about this particular line is that the company partnered with Seasonic to produce it. If you’re a hardware enthusiast, you know that Seasonic is known for making some of the best power supplies around. So right off the bat, you know that the HALE82 series has potential. Today we’re taking a look at the 850W model.

Features

The HALE82 series features an 80+ Bronze certification, and specifically operates at 82% 85% and 82% efficiency at 20%, 50%, and 100% loads, respectively. It also contains 100% Japanese Capacitors, which are the standard for high-end power supplies, due to their long lifespan and very low failure rate. You’ll also find a single +12V rail

First Look

When you take the HALE82 out of the box, you’ll find a rather hefty black power supply, which is mostly modular. I say mostly, because they have chosen to make the 20+4-pin and 4+4-pin motherboard connectors and a pair of 4-pin PCI-E connectors permanently attached. While I like the idea of having a completely modular PSU (mostly to make installation a bit easier), these connectors are going to be used in nearly every build.

You’ll also find a pouch containing the rest of the power connectors. What I like about these is that rather than going with round braided cables (like the ones permanently attached have), they have chosen to use flat cabling. This is very welcome, as it make routing them behind the motherboard a much easier task. It would have been nice to see the rest of the cables done this way. Here’s a full list of the included connectors.

Inside the unit, you will find a single 120mm two-ball bearing fan. This should provide quiet operation, while still keeping the supply nice and cool. Just make sure that you have a case that allows for airflow from the bottom of the power supply.

Performance

Power supplies can be one of the most difficult pieces of hardware, since you can’t run a few benchmarks, compare them to a different model, and show the results. In order to truly do that, a good bit of specialized equipment is required. Rather than attempting this, we ran the power supply on our test system for a few weeks, during which time it was ran for long periods both under load and at idle. During this, there were no issues to report. Unfortunately, that’s the way power supplies tend to go. Either they work, or they don’t. For those interested in numbers, we used CPUID Hardware Monitor to check the voltages both at idle and under load (using the standard Prime95 load test). Our test hardware is as follows:

CPU: Intel Core i7 950
RAM: 12GB Corsair DDR2
Mobo: Gigabyte X58A-UD3R
SSD: Crucial RealSSD C300 256GB
GPU: Visiontek Radeon HD 5750
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium x64

Warranty

One thing to heavily consider when purchasing a power supply is the warranty offered by the manufacturer. After all, if your PSU dies in a year and they won’t replace it, then your money was not well-spent. NZXT seems to be aware of this, as their new “Less Than Three” program looks to be one of the best in the market. So what does this mean? If, within the five year warranty, your PSU should stop working properly, you can go to their website and get a pre-paid label to send off your power supply. That very same day, NZXT will drop a brand new PSU in the mail, ensuring that you have it in less than three business days. You’ll be hard-pressed to find that kind of service elsewhere.

Conclusion

There are a lot of competitors in the power supply market, which makes it hard for one to stand out from the crowd. Knowing that NZXT has partnered with Seasonic on the HALE82 line does give them a nice edge. However, what I think really makes these a great buy is the warranty service. When your system is down, there’s nothing worse than wondering how long it’s going to take for the company to process your RMA and get a new unit back to you. With the new “Less Than Three” program, you know that you won’t have to wait more than three business days. At $140, there are few other Bronze-certified 850W supplies on the market that are going to beat that price. Add in the value of the warranty, and you’ve got a winner.

If you remember back to last year, we reviewed one of the craziest-looking headsets on the market from Psyko Audio. What made this stand out so much were the five speakers located on the top of the headset, with copper pipes running to each ear cup. At the time, I said that the were “probably the best thing you can do to change your gaming experience.” My only complaints were the high prices, and less-than-stellar performance when listening to music and movies.

Psyko listens to their customers, and when they sat down to design their next generation of headsets, they took both of the issues I mentioned into consideration. The result was the Psyko Carbon 5.1 headset, which I’m reviewing today.

First Look

These look remarkably similar to the original 5.1 that was released by Psyko, with some minor changes. This time around you’ll find a more discreet color scheme, consisting primarily of black, with red accents. You’ll also find that the majority of the headset is covered in rubber, which gives it a more durable feel. Finally, they have chosen to use braided cables and gold-plated connectors to give it a more high-end feel.

Comfort

Other than the cosmetic changes I noted above, the headset has remained largely unchanged. So rather than simply repeating myself, I’ll just defer to my previous review. The short of it is that while they are a bit on the heavy side, I can wear these for hours without any real discomfort.

Audio Quality

When playing games, I would say that these new Carbons perform roughly the same as their predecessor. And to be perfectly honest, that’s a good thing. The patented Psykowave technology comes through and delivers true 5.1 surround sound. This means I know exactly where bullets are coming from, or where someone is running before I even see them.

I’ve tested a number of 5.1 headsets, but all of them merely simulate the effects, except those from Psyko. I will say that there is a real difference between having a couple of drivers in the ear cups, and having the audio piped down to various parts of the cups. I feel like the directional sound is more accurate, which is what matters most when you’re immersing yourself in a game.

One of my big complaints with the original 5.1 headset was that it didn’t perform well with music and movies. This is one of the areas where Psyko has worked on, and it does show. While I still wouldn’t put these in the same category as a pair of audiophile headphones, I’m more happy using these as an all-around device, rather than only gaming.

Conclusion

This review is a bit shorter than usual, but in most respects, these are almost identical to Pysko’s first headset. It’s really a case of “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” The things that they did fix, were necessary. I’m happier being able to listen to music and movies through the headset, and not feeling like I need to keep a second one around just for that. The other issue they worked on was price. $300 for a headset that was only good for gaming seemed a little salty for most people. But $200 for the new Carbons is perfectly reasonable for what they provide. This brings it closer to other high-end headsets that are on the market.

Story

Rather than starring the James Bond of the original, Pierce Brosnan, this reimaged edition stars our current day Bond, Daniel Craig.  And with that, the game’s story has also been changed to take place after Daniel Craig’s movie, Quantum of Solace while still making references back to the original GoldenEye. The story is very much, as a whole, a James Bond story.  You’re a spy sent on a mission to infiltrate a Russian base with your fellow spy, 006.

I don’t want to diverge too much into the story, as saying more than what I already have will just give it away.  But look at it this way, if you’ve seen a few James Bond movies or played the original GoldenEye for that matter, you’ll know how it goes.  As I said, it is very much a traditional Bond story.

Gameplay

My thoughts on the gameplay are that overall was disappointing.  The style of the game was still very much from the N64 era despite the fact that this game is supposed to be a reimaged / remastered game to fit with today’s current games.

The problem that came down most to me is the fact that when you shoot, every gun is virtually the same.  There is no need to aim as hip-firing is just as accurate as looking down the crosshairs.  On top of that, none of the guns have any kickback or recoil.  I can just stare someone down with one of my assault rifles or heavier guns and my aimer doesn’t even budge an inch.  As someone who has played current day shooters like the Call of Duty series or Battlefield 3, this game leaves a lot to be desired.

But wait, it wouldn’t be fair to compare a game like GoldenEye to other games like the ones mentioned but as a current day gamer, playing a lot of games from the past leaves something to be desired when they are “remastered” or “reimaged”.

Otherwise, the controls in the game are fairly simple and easy to use and it doesn’t give me any issues to dislike overall.  As a whole, the games controls are fine despite the lack of a challenge when shooting a gun.

Multiplayer

The multiplayer mode is basically, in what I feel, to be similar to Call of Duty with James Bond, even a fellow friend had to say that, as well.  Which isn’t much of a surprise as Activision was part of this game’s making.  Aside from the lack of a challenge using the gun, overall, it isn’t that bad to play and can be fun to do.

However, unfortunately, I had to try hour after hour for what seemed to be about two days before I could get a match going because it seems like there aren’t really any gamers out there playing online.  Which, I can understand because with better games out there, I can see why one wouldn’t really be trying this game out any time soon.

Conclusion

I don’t know, I guess as a current day gamer, I do find myself at times going back to the classic games and enjoying them. But when they decide to remaster or reimage a game, I do keep expectations of it not only being updated graphics wise but also updating the gameplay and controls to keep up with the current games. Otherwise, the classic is perfect as it is, because that is how we played it when it first game out.

The game in its entirety is not that bad of a game to play.  It isn’t the original and I wished that they had just given it its own name because calling it a remastered edition but changing the story line makes me feel like it could have held a better stance in the gaming world; James Bond can easily have been made into a different game. Overall, it is still a decent game to play.

Since 2008 Intoxicate Studios had been working on a game that really wowed players. Staying true to the vein of games like the Fallout and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, Afterfall: InSanity introduces players into yet another world that’s seen destruction after a nuclear event. The game has received a lot of hype, and its pre-order campaign helped ramp up the game even more though the main goal was left unreached. Poking your head into the world of Afterfall will leave you asking questions, making sure the lights stay on, and checking around every corner with a watchful eye. I’ve looked forward to jumping into this survival horror title, and now that I’ve done so with making it back alive, here’s what I found.

Story and Graphics

Along the ways of a storyline, Afterfall: InSanity has it in the bag. One thing Intoxicate did well was come up with a story that allows the game to fall in line with some of our other favorites, though sets it apart in its own unique way. The game takes place twenty years after World War III in the year 2032. This war was waged between Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States. A truce had been reached between the nations after the war, but by 2012 it had reached an unimaginable end and the world had been brought through a nuclear war.

In order to make all available attempts to survive this holocaust, humanity fled underground from the surface that was left contaminated. They found refuge in giant underground bunkers, which serve as a haven of sorts as well as a battleground against horrible mutants and bloodthirsty mercenaries. Players take the role of Albert Tokaj, a psychiatrist in one of the safehouse bunkers. Tokaj gets chosen to accompany a team of medical scientists in monitoring the mental stability of denizens in the bunker, and keep a watchful eye out for any health risks.

It’s not too long before some odd things start to happen. Tokaj begins to suffer from chronic nightmares accompanied by headaches. A new type of mental case has been diagnosed underground and becomes known as “confinement syndrome.” This instability sees patents becoming claustrophobic and very agitated, sometimes leading them to commit violent acts against one another. As Tokaj, players must search the bunkers for threats, all while surviving by any means necessary while they see the doctor become his greatest patient.

The storyline is rich, and has a great set of ideas behind it. It’s written well enough to keep players interested, though it becomes a bit twisted as time goes on. The player will come across NPCs that sometimes can be a big influence on what happens in the game, and other times can mean nothing at all. The plot line sometimes becomes lost in threaded cutscenes and broken dialogue. I feel that the developers really put some thought into a great story, but somewhere along the way things became muddled.

When it comes to graphics, Afterfall looks like a game that can stand in this age. Character models are polished, scenery has a certain level of detail, and everything seems to move with fluidity. At least, that’s how it looks on the outside. When you get into the game, however, some things become choppy.

Character models do look polished, with the right textures and lighting, but when they interact either in the world or with one another all of that is almost lost. There’s no eye contact during conversations, and character movements come out like robotic clockwork. In the beginning of the game some NPCs are dancing around in a bar. Now I understand that things like this run on a loop, but the models were shuffling back like poor robots. The bar scene wasn’t the only place where this was seen, however. It traveled on to other NPCs across the rest of the game.

Perhaps my biggest issue with the graphics dealt with the collision detection. While the cutscenes in the game were relieving, they came off like pre-rendered video. I always felt like I was waiting for a final version of what I was seeing. Let me give an example. In the early stages of the game, Albert stumbles into a room with a large laser beam shooting through it. A scientist sits at a computer punching commands into a screen. All of a sudden, after watching 5 long seconds of Albert staring off into the distance the scene shifts to a cargo container being carried along a zip line. For whatever reason, the container passes through the beam, and is essentially cut from its tie. When this happens, there’s an explosion that, instead of slicing the container or blowing the sides off, emits from the front of the container like a store-bought firework. The container then falls, retaining its block form and lands in a cesspool of water. There’s no splash, no water displacement, nothing. I’ll remind you that my graphics were set to the best possible setting.

Now, I may just be nitpicking, but these issues legitimately made the game seem out of touch with itself. For a game in development for three years plus, and releasing on the PC platform in 2011, I expected more from the presentation. Still, there were plenty of moments where I was impressed with how the game looked. Like I mentioned, on the surface, Afterfall is a great-looking game.

Gameplay

At its core, Afterfall performs as an action shooter with survival horror elements mixed in. Players will need to search for weapons and ammunition, fend off crazed psychopaths and mutants, and solve puzzles within the game’s world. The game uses a foreboding atmosphere to pull the player in, making them feel imprisoned and restricted. There’s enough mix of different types of gameplay to keep things moving along at a nice pace.

Character interactions are brief, and have little to no effect on the player as a whole. This short span makes it hard for the player to become emotionally attached to anyone or anything they come in contact with. This leads to uneasy progression for the simple fact that players start playing the game because it tells them to – not because they feel empowered to. This is saved only by the story being interesting and fueling the player to see what happens next.

Combat takes a huge role throughout the game, and it becomes apparent early on that you’ll need to fight to survive. Merciless patients and hulking mutants roam the corridors of the shelters, waiting to tear the player limb from limb. In order to make it out alive, these threats will need to be dealt with. For the larger part of the game you’ll be employing the use of melee weapons. Items such as fire axes, pipes, and hammers can be found lying around all over the place, and they can all be put to use. The problem here is the overall presentation of combat as a whole. In Afterfall, you need to stay on your toes in order to keep a one-up on the enemy. This is completely shot down by clunky and slow battle controls. It seems like it takes forever to swing a weapon, and recovery time will almost always ensure that you’ll take damage and be halted. Sometimes enemies attack in combos that leave you a sitting duck to the punishment. Of course you can block, which helps, but enemies can fight through your defense. On top of this, it’s possible to get flanked and outnumbered. This can spell disaster, and most of the time ends in death.

The most frustrating aspect of the combat is its length. Skirmishes can last for minutes at a time, and sometimes the game can glitch out, which makes it stumble on longer. Many times the game would freak out on me and while in combat I couldn’t hit the enemy. My swings would pass straight through them while they’d swing and unload on me. It quickly became frustrating.

You’ll find weapons as well throughout your journey, and they perform well. Each weapon fires on spot, aims well, and the reload times are relatively low, especially considering they’re being fired by an amateur. Ammunition for these weapons are limited, though, so you have to use them sparingly.

When it comes to puzzles, they work out in a simple manner. You’ll either be running between locations hitting buttons, hacking into doors/systems by spinning cogs with the “WASD” keys, or entering correct codes to get into certain sections of the level. At one point in the final act of the game you’ll even need to create paths for travel using pieces of the world around you. These elements come together to help keep the game interesting and inclusive.

Conclusion

There’s no doubt that Afterfall: InSanity is a fun game to play. The problem is that it’s a bit hard to overlook the game’s speed bumps. Combat is slow and disengaging, which is upsetting considering you’ll spend most of your time fending off enemies. With a slow start and bleak character interactions, it’s difficult to stay emotionally involved with any person you meet. Graphical errors make playersfeel a bit let down as you expect more. Still, with these issues in place Afterfall finds a way to perform well and keeping you in your seat for the long haul. There’s a lot of good buried beneath the game’s hard surface, you’ve just got to dig for it. I can’t recommend paying the full $34.90 for the game, but if it’s on sale, you’d better snag it.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge World of Warcraft fan. I play the MMO like clockwork, and I even read the books. While it’s true that video games are certainly my forte, I also like to get into some tabletop and TCG (trading card games) every now and then. Just recently Cryptozoic, a leading producer of themed board and card games, released a new expansion set, so to speak, for the World of Warcraft trading card game. These new products are called “Dungeon Decks,” and they are essentially themed A.I. decks that have players coming together to form raid teams of either Alliance or Horde that will tackle the dungeon and all of its fury. Players can earn achievements, level up their decks, and even pick up some sweet dungeon loot cards in the process to make their decks come out stronger than before. I decided to gather up my time with these new decks in order to bring them to players, so here’s the review.

Setup and Contents

All of the dungeon decks run the same way, and they’re set up all the same. However, in order to get to how the game is set up we’ve got to cover what comes in the box.

First, there are currently three different Dungeon Decks to choose from, each of which mimic actual dungeon instances from in the game. Players can choose to take on:

• Scarlet Monastery – “Can you not see it, brothers and sisters? There is but one way to wipe the Scourge from the face of Azeroth. The Scarlet Crusade offers you the protection that you so desperately desire, and if you will pledge yourself to us, surely we will reach our ultimate goal. Defy us, and you will be dispatched in a blaze of golden light unlike any you have ever witnessed. My father, known to many as the Ashbringer, one of the most powerful paladins ever to walk the path of the Light, fell to my hand. What hopes could you possibly have, if even he could not stand against us?” – Scarlet Commander Mograine

• Shadowfang Keep – “Weakness… that is all you have managed to show me. Genn, you and those other disgusting mongrels that plague Gilneas, I sought death before I would serve you again. Enter the Banshee Queen, Sylvanas. You showed your true nature when you allowed Crowley to leave with his life, and so I took yours instead. You would do well to remember all that I have done, but if you still dare to enter my keep, all you will find is the lonely silence of death.” – Lord Godfrey

• The Deadmines – “Lies, greed, and deception—these are the things that my father stood against. For years, he worked tirelessly, helping to rebuild your devastated city, and what thanks did he or anyone else get for it? Nothing. What choice did they have but to turn on those who the crown favored to get payment, one way or another? Fate, it would seem, has led me down this path. Even with the murder of my father, your foolish attempts to destroy the Defias have been in vain. I am, now more than ever, my father’s daughter, and the Defias Brotherhood will rise once more…” – Vanessa Van Cleef

Each deck comes with its own special cards and contents, but for the most part they are all built the same. Out of the box you’ll see a sixty-card dungeon deck that acts as the main A.I. in the game. This dungeon deck is composed of dungeon allies, abilities, and equipment that can be used by the dungeon hero (we’ll get into turn progression later). Inside the box you’ll also find character sheets. These sheets are used to track progression of your character, or personal deck. The sheets are accompanied by the obligatory rulebook, which is essential to play the game. There are also achievement cards in the package which serve as rewards that grant XP which is later used to level up. Two dungeon boss cards are included, and they serve as the “end boss” for the actual dungeon. These cards look much like the hero cards that players have, as they have their own health points, abilities, and more, but they’re much larger than the normal-sized cards. Finally you’ll find a nine-card treasure pack which contains epic loot cards, allies, equipment, and more. Plus, these treasure cards are all foil cards.

As for the contents, the types of allies and abilities will change depending on the dungeon, but these are the basics for what to expect to see when you open up a Dungeon Deck box.

Now it’s time to look at setup. I’ll break it down into how to get everything arranged, then we’ll head into how the game plays out. When you sit down to play a round with the Dungeon Deck, it’s recognized as “entering the dungeon.” You’ll take out the dungeon hero and place them on the table in an upright, or “readied” position. Depending on what level your personal decks are, they will determine what level the dungeon hero starts out as. As you take on different runs with the dungeon deck you’ll earn experience that will level up your raider decks. As your decks level, so does the dungeon hero. This will determine what level card to use for the dungeon hero himself.

Next you’ll want to shuffle and place the A.I. deck next to the hero, either to the right or to the left (preference doesn’t matter.) Make sure you leave enough room for a discard pile, and spots below the hero for allies and equipment. For the dungeon to function, however, this is all you need.

Then the raiders, the players, set up their decks on the table opposite the dungeon hero and A.I. deck. Things for the raiders will be set up as normal, such as placing their hero at the bottom left of their play space, putting their playing deck to the right, and leaving the necessary space in between for equipment and allies as well. Once each raider is set up, has their dice ready to roll, and has plenty of snacks, it’s time to crack the doors on the dungeon and shake up some mischief.

Turn Progression and Defeating the Dungeon

Now we’ll get into the good stuff. Steady on the draw there, Leeroy, we’ve got some bases to cover before we get into the boss room, such as turn progression. Turns will always progress the same way, only differing depending on the level of the dungeon. Raiders will roll a die to decide who takes the first turn, and turns will progress clockwise from the first acting raider. The only exception to this rule is that on higher dungeon levels sometimes the dungeon will take the first turn.

When a raider takes their turn, they take is as if they were playing a normal game. They’ll play resources, allies, and the such just like usual. The catch here is that they aren’t to target any other raiders unless they are healing or using abilities. You’re not out to attack each other. This really brings in the feel of working in a team, much like with the MMO. That being said, when you sit down to play the dungeon, I’ve found that it’s great to have raiders play roles like within the game. You’ll want to have a player run as the tank, with a lot of protector cards in their deck, one run as a healer who can help injured raiders, and a couple of DPS decks that will deal with picking off the dungeon allies and eventually the hero.

When raiders attack, they always attack the dungeon hero, unless allies are present. When the dungeon has allies on the field, raiders can choose to take them out, or deal straight with the dungeon hero. The exception to this rule is when a dungeon boss ally is put into play. While in play, raiders must defeat the boss in order to progress back to the dungeon hero. Think of these as “minibosses” that will hinder your trip through the dungeon.

After the raiders have taken their turns, it’s time for the dungeon to take action. On a dungeon turn cards will be flipped from the top of the A.I. deck and be put into play, after everything on the dungeon side has been readied. The dungeon hero’s level will determine how many cards to flip per turn. For example: High Commander Morgraine at dungeon level 2 will flip, or play, two dungeon cards per turn. This means two cards are flipped over into play from the dungeon deck. Then the dungeon will take actions.

At this point a die needs to be rolled to determine the raider upon which the dungeon will rain down its fury. This raider is known as the “marked” raider. Once this happens, all available dungeon allies and the dungeon hero will attack the marked raider’s hero. During this time, other raiders can protect to block incoming damage, play instant abilities, and do whatever else is necessary at the time. After all protectors and abilities have been exhausted, damage is calculated. This is where it gets tricky. You see, once the dungeon hero has accumulated specific amounts of damage on each raider, the hero can then level up. Leveling up for the dungeon hero is almost always bad. The damage they’ve sustained and all abilities attached will stay, but they can become very nasty. This is when you’ll want to take them out as soon as possible. To determine when a hero levels, know that it’s always at the start of the dungeon turn after all dungeon cards are readied.

Now that turn progression has been covered, let’s move on into how to actually defeat the dungeon. The dungeon is defeated when raiders have effectively brought the dungeon hero down to zero health. It’s really that simple. Through the course of the game, raiders will need to concentrate efforts into picking away at the dungeon hero’s health. This will mean a successful run, and will help with avoiding getting wiped while playing.

You know what that means, right? You can actually lose when attempting to conquer the dungeon. If the dungeon hero successfully brings each raider to zero health, you have failed the dungeon. At this point you’ll lose a certain amount of experience gained in the dungeon, and have to start from the beginning. It’s a great sense of bringing the game to the table, though it can be heartbreaking.

Lastly, it’s important to note that these Dungeon Decks are designed to be used with Class Starter decks from the WoW TCG. This is how you will level up your personal decks. As you gain experience, you can level up and add different cards to the starter decks. Eventually you’ll move up to starter decks that are forces to be reckoned with. Don’t let that stop you from using your own constructed WoW decks, though. The rulebook has specific guidelines on how to start out the dungeon with these decks.

Conclusion

We fought hard, we were brave, and eventually Morgraine’s might had seen its final hour. The Dungeon Decks for the WoW TCG are extremely fun, encompassing, and stay very true to the MMO. These decks are designed for multiple players, though I’ve managed to get through them with just two raiders. If there’s one thing to note about them, however, it’s the fact that they should not be underestimated. They can leave you begging for a resurrection is mere minutes if not planned out. I am glad these were brought into light by Cryptozoic, and if you’re a fan of the game you’ll enjoy them too. If you play the TCG, you can pick these Dungeon Decks up for around $20 a pop. That’s not bad considering what you pick up. If you’ve got the time and want to add a little spice to your card gaming, be sure to snag one of these decks for yourself.

As you know, IU Gaming’s Winter Wonder LAN is tomorrow, and GamerFront is going to be there. However, things are going to be a little different than in the past. We’re still going to have some gear to give away (see below),  but this time we’re bringing along a lot of the gear that we’ve been reviewing over the last year or so.

So why are we packing so much stuff? Because while we love checking out new hardware and showing it to you on the website, we want to show you in person. Not everything we review is something that you can go to a store and try out. So what we’re doing is giving you a chance to sit down and test out hardware that you might otherwise never get to use, without buying it first.

We’ll be setup at the LAN, along with a table with various items. You can come out and check out all of them, unless they’re currently in use by someone. You’re welcome to pick them up, talk to us about them, and even sit down at one of our machines to test them out. Curious about what we’ll have on hand for you to test out? Here’s a list of what we’ll have:

• Cyber Snipa Sonar 5.1
• Cyborg R.A.T. 7
• Gunnar Optiks
• iCade
• Mionix Naos 5000
• NZXT Avatar S
• NZXT H2
• NZXT HAVIK 140
• NZXT Phantom
• NZXT Tempest 410
• Optoma GT750 Projector
• Playseat Office Elite
• Psyko 5.1
• Razer Anansi
• Razer Deathadder
• Rosewill Blackhawk
• Sharkoon X-tatic SR
• Sharkoon X-tatic SX
• Sharkoon Xtatic Digital
• Steelseries Sensei
• Steelseries Shift
• Thermaltake Shock One
• Thermaltake Challenger Pro
• Tritton AX Pro

Also, we’ll have prizes from Psyko Audio, Raptor Gaming and TekNmotion that we’ll be giving away throughout the event. Remember to thank them, along with the rest of the sponsors. Without them, LANs such as this wouldn’t be able to happen.