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Product Reviews

Reviewer:
Goffik
Reviews:
0
Votes:
10 (70% helpful)

Page 1 of 0

  1.  An Excellent Joystick for the Price

    Posted: 

    The T.16000M is a fantastic joystick, and is probably the best I've owned to date. The unique magnetic sensor system is definitely not just a fad... it is genuinely a far superior system compared to usual joysticks.

    One of the major benefits is the sensitivity and precision the system allows. Unlike other joysticks, there is no 'jumping' whatsoever. The input is extemely smooth, stays exactly where you want it to be, and centres itself perfectly. Another bonus us that the joystick actually calibrates itself, so you no longer have to mess around in the Game Controllers panel every time you reboot your computer.

    The joystick has a total of 16 buttons, which is even more than my old Extreme 3D Pro. Four of these and the hat are well placed on top of the stick itself. The rest are on each side of the base, in groups of six. A minor issue for some people may be the base button placement. They are very close together which can lead to hitting the wrong button by mistake, but this is generally just a case of getting used to it. After a few hours, I had no problems hitting the button I intended.

    The throttle is on the rear of the joystick, allowing you to keep your fingers on the buttons and work the throttle using your thumb. It works fine, but I sometimes find fine throttle adjustment a tad awkward with thumb alone.

    Another of the joytsticks major selling points is that it can be used both left and right handed. The padding, thumb rest and hand rest can all be easily adjusted with the removal of just two screws. Being right-handed this feature doesn't apply to me, but as one of the few joysticks which offer it, it has to be a real option for left-handers.

    My one and only very minor gripe with this joystick is that the green area on the base lights up whenever you move the stick. Its quite bright and although not necessarily distracting, I do not see any reason for it to do it, and so consider it a slight annoyance. Its easily solved by simply using a bit of insulation tape though.

    Overall the T.16000M is an excellent joystick, and a real improvement on regular sticks. At less than £40, I consider it a bargain for anyone that plays a lot of joystick games.

  2.  An Excellent Keyboard

    Posted: 

    The G11 is by far the best keyboard I have owned to date. As well as looking rather nice, the functionality is also spot-on.

    The keys are very smooth and relatively quiet, and the backlighting works perfectly with no bleeding around the edges of the keys. Its not just handy for using the keyboard in the dark either, as it enhances your ability to see the keys regardless of the lighting conditions.

    The multimedia keys are relatively standard these days, though it is nice that the volume control is a dial instead of buttons which allows for more precise control. The ability to disable the Windows key is also quite handy for the gamers among us.

    The G (macro) keys are also a great addition. Using the included software you can perform almost any function at the press of a single button. Don't be fooled into thinking this is only useful in gaming either, as automated macros can be handy in many other areas too.

    It is true that the G11 is a fair bit larger than a standard keyboard, so size may be a consideration for some people. However, I found that it was only 1" larger than my old Logitech 'Internet Navigator' keyboard. So, if you already have a keyboard with a bunch of extra buttons on it, chances are that the G11 wont be much larger.

    Of course the G11 doesn't have the LCD screen of the G15, but lets be honest, is that screen really necessary? A nice novelty maybe, but I honestly didn't see any long-term value in it. Losing the screen in favour of a better looking keyboard with more G keys and blue backlighting (as opposed to orange) is a small price to pay, in my opinion.

    So if you want a reasonably priced keyboard which looks great and has excellent functionality, consider the G11. You won't be disappointed.

  3.  Excellent WWII Flight Sim... and more.

    Posted: 

    Battle of Britain II isn't just your average flight simulation. It is also a real-time strategy game. You take command of either the RAF or the Luftwaffe, and must lead them to victory in the Battle of Britain.

    The action takes place on a map of Britain and the European coast, and each day you decide what missions will be flown, how many aircraft will take part, and at what times the missions will start. As the Luftwaffe your job is to smash the RAF and bomb key installations to bring Britain to its knees. As the RAF, your job is to defend yourself from the seemingly endless attacks.

    At any time you can choose to fly one of the planned missions yourself, or simply jump into the cockpit of a plane already in combat. At this point, BoB II provides what any good WWII flight sim should... realistic controls, accurate flight models, and heart-pounding combat.

    As my primary interest in the WWII air war is the Battle of Britain, I have to say that this is the best WWII flight sim I've played to date. The extra games included are a very nice bonus, but BoB II is worth the price on its own. Well worth buying.

  4.  Good game, but has glaring flaws.

    Posted: 

    Being a big fan of the Gothic series, Gothic 3 was a must-buy for me. However, while the game is a worthy addition, it also has more than its fair share of problems.

    The issues are far too numerous to list here, ranging from graphical problems and poor performance to broken quests and random CTDs. While there are a few official patches available, none of them do a decent job in correcting these flaws.

    The good news is that the community has stepped in, and there are a host of mods and unofficial patches which do a great job of making Gothic 3 fully playable. With them installed you can enjoy great gameplay, plenty of quests, a large world, and a very long storyline.

    Overall, well worth buying for any RPG fan.

  5.  Disappointing

    Posted: 

    I have to say that the latest addition to the Fallout series is a disappointment. Fallout 2 is one of my favourite games, but Fallout 3 simply doesn't compare. Other than the setting, almost everything about this game is different, and not in a good way.

    I think the best description of this game is 'Oblivion with guns'. If you liked that game, then there's a good chance you'll like this one too. However, for real RPG fans such as myself, you will find Fallout 3 to be short, overly simplified, and severely lacking in depth. But that's often the way of games these days...