Xbox One – The New Challenger in Console Gaming

Article by: Yeo Jun Yan In 2013, Nintendo Wii U and Sony Play Station 4 arrived in the Singapore market, marking the start of a new generation of console gaming. These game console giants continue to churn out new models to pique our interests and inspire our desire for them. Yet, the new becomes the old every other year as these products are scheduled to expire every two years. These products are scheduled to expire every two years. On 23rd September 2014, Microsoft Xbox One was launched locally. Considering that the Xbox 360 was introduced nine years ago, a new Xbox might be what the console gamers have been waiting for. Xbox One VS. Xbox 360 The Xbox One console come with a 500 GB hard drive and three USB 3.0 Super Speed ports. These mean a larger internal game storage space and faster transferring of data from your external memory storage as compared to Xbox 360. The Xbox One does not support the games from its predecessor, Xbox 360, so there is little space for consideration if you are expecting an upgrade to your current games on the more efficient console platform with superior graphics. Nonetheless, you will be amazed by the quality of the games due to the eight-core x86 processor and AMD Radeon. The new controller is relatively more comfortable to play with, as the buttons do give a nicer touch when pressed than the previous model. With its updated shape and bulky battery slot (for the wireless version) removed, the Xbox One controllers provided a much better grip. Not only does the new Kinect have a 1080p HD camera, it has increased its motion capturing accuracy. Xbox One sees the introduction of a new way to control the Kinect. Instead of placing your hand unsteadily at a spot as the Kinect calibrates your choice, as was in the Xbox 360, you can now make a selection by simulating the pressing of a button in the air. Dead Rising 3 Dead Rising 3 is a third-person survival horror game that happens in an open world environment. What sets it apart from other zombie apocalypse games is that you can pick up blueprint and items from the ground to make fictional weapons and vehicles. Imagine hilarious and exaggerated combinations like a hammer taped with grenades that explodes once you hit the zombies, and vehicles that allow you to take out many zombies quickly. Other intricate configurations include a motorbike upgraded with a flamethrower alongside a bulldozer front wheel. The wardrobe for the characters are also overthe-top; male characters can wear a Japanese schoolgirl uniform one moment and a shark head in the next. However, some might find it boring to go around just tapping the same buttons over and over to kill hordes and hordes of zombies. Thus, the novelty of the game lies in finding and trying out the different combinations of weapons and vehicles while running around in a weird costume. The developer himself admitted that the map is quite small for an open world concept during the closed-door demonstration, but he praised the high interactivity of it. Verdict: Buy if you like hours of mindless fun and exploration Forza Horizon 2 Forza Horizon 2 a racing game that belongs to the Forza franchise. It is being produced for both Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Besides boosting detailed graphics for the European scenery, weather and car models, the developer has estimated that 100 hours will be needed to complete events on the game. The traction and vision changed by the weather have made the game more realistic than before. However, if you are seeking realism in the specs of the cars, you might be looking at the wrong game because the cars can highly customised. For example, seeing an old model vehicle winning out a new one is not an uncommon sight. The customisation function exhibits an element of role-playing game (RPG) in that players get to play against each other by upgrading their vehicles as if it is a PvP battle. Additionally, there is a new “capture the flag” game mode that has drivers go around an arena taking possession of a flag by knocking into each other. This adds a new refreshing element to an otherwise standard racing game. Undoubtedly, if you are a fan of the Forza series, this is a must-buy. If you are just a casual racing game player, you will certainly be sold by the graphics and the opportunity to rival your family and friends. Verdict: Buy if you love racing games. Dance Central Spotlight Dance Central Spotlight is the Kinect game on Xbox One that comes with the pre-order of the Xbox One Launch Kinect Bundle. The game seems to have become intelligent with the inclusion of the cardio mode that allows player to set up a workout regime based on their body type. Like the other games under the franchise, Spotlight only has a limited number of 10 songs from this decade in the disc. Further additions will need to be downloaded due to patent royalties. With the new Xbox One Kinect comes a new mode for beginners that allows them to switch to practice mode through voice command halfway through the game without messing up their scores. This function is friendly and will mostly likely be favoured by many. Like the previous instalments, besides fans, casual players can certainly enjoy Spotlight as an ideal game for gatherings especially when someone has the new Xbox One on display. Despite the limit of 10 songs, Spotlight can be fun when a huge number of people take turns to play and challenge each other. Verdict: Buy to double the fun at large gatherings.