Sennheiser PC 363D 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset Review

It looks like even Sennheiser, cannot resist trying to get a share of the gaming audio market as it tries to blend its style of audio perfection with the needs and wants of the modern gamer. Enter the Sennheiser PC 363D 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset which is touted by the German audio juggernaut to deliver ‘pure emotion and excitement’.

As you probably can guess, the PC 363D is a 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound headset and it achieves this effect through the use of a USB soundcard. It boasts a frequency range of 15 Hz – 28,000 Hz.

With a (huge) price tag of SGD 419, this pair of headphones is clearly not meant for the casual gamer.

Design & Features

Much like the majority of Sennheiser’s products, the PC 363D looks sleek and elegant with its matte black finishing and velvety ear cushions. Though to be fair, the construction of the headset could use some improvements: though the black matte plastic lends elegance on the headset, the dominant plastic build of the headset can’t help but make me feel that the product falls short of being premium – especially considering the price that Sennheiser is asking for.

As expected of a gaming headset, the cables are rugged, tough and seem to be able to handle quite a bit of physical wear and tear. It comes with two standard 3.5 mm audio jacks for its microphone and audio.

The headset is also pretty light at a weight of 280 grams, making it easy to bring to LAN parties or competitions.

What I enjoyed most about its design was the placing of the volume knob on the right side of the headphones, making it really simple and convenient to adjust the volume on-the-fly. The microphone’s intuitive mute function is a godsend too as one only simply needs to stow the microphone upwards to mute it and bring it down to chat.

Performance

Given Sennheiser’s reputation as a leading audio brand, it is natural that the Sennheiser PC 363D sounds great, easily surpassing rival headsets such as the ASUS Orion Pro with its huge soundstage and rich audio reproduction.  In Battlefield 3, the battlefield cacophony of explosions, gunfire and footsteps can all be easily heard and distinguished from one another – making this pair of headset worthy for the serious FPS player where the approximating of the opponents’ movements is half the battle won.

The headset did well in RPG games as well. The world of The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim came alive with the headset default 5.1 surround sound system. Leaves rustling in the wind, water gently flowing along a stream or the crash of the water at the waterfall… all these sounds could clearly be heard and enjoyed. In combat, weapon strikes and parries also felt more realistic.

I did not really use the virtual 7.1 surround sound feature for gaming as I felt that the virtual-ness of it is pretty distorting and unrealistic. The virtual 7.1 surround sound worked its magic in movies though, as the virtually enhanced soundstage and audio helped make the numerous movies and shows that I watch on my computer much more exciting.

The headset worked great when used for general music listening. As with the majority Sennheiser products, the Sennheiser PC 363D was pretty bass-heavy, making it a warm and mellow pair of headset. The bass was solid thumping goodness while the midranges still remains clear and is not masked by the bass. The treble was warm though I would have preferred a brighter, lighter treble.

Throughout testing, the sound isolation offered by the headset was good while the convenient volume knob on the headphones really made adjusting the volume a much simpler task. The microphone also worked well and was able to capture voice without dissonance and echo. It’s auto-mute function also worked great and saved me the hassle of manually muting the microphone.

Conclusion

So is this pair of gaming headset worth a buy?

With a hefty price tag of SGD 419, only gamers who are also passionate about music beyond the gaming sphere (and have the cash to spend!) should give this gaming headset a listen. Otherwise, there are numerous cheaper gaming headsets out there that can get the job done for the average gamer with no qualms.

The above article can also be found at GX.com.sg here!

Sennheiser IE 800 Review: Portable Audio at its Best

Overall Score: 9/10

Let’s me just get this out of the way: Sennheiser’s IE 800 is probably the best pair of  In-Ear Microphones (IEMs) out there bar custom IEMs – and thats only if you can afford it. Despite its hefty price tag of about 1,100 SGD, the IE800 only utilises a single dynamic driver unlike rival multi-driver, high-end IEMs like Shure’s SE353 or UE’s UE 900 which are also in this price range albeit a tad lower.

Nevertheless, Sennheiser touts its IE 800 to have a frequency range of 8 Hz – 41,000 Hz. For comparison sake, the hearing range of a typical human is 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz – making the IE 800 capable of producing sound that our ears can’t pick up.

Having said that, let’s take a closer look at these beautiful IEMs.

Design & Features

For a thousand dollars, the Sennheiser IE 800 reeks of elegance. The earphones are made of dark ceramic which possesses a rather classy grey-ish hue while the trademark Sennheiser logo is subtly embedded on the sides of the earphones. The earphones also have a unique twin bass port design while the presence of two wire meshes – one in the ear cushion, one in the cone – help to prevent earwax from damaging the interior of the earphones and to facilitate easy cleaning. Those seeking a pair of ‘fashion loud’ earphones (think UE 900’s bright blue colour) will be disappointed as these IEMs are inconspicuous at approximately 2 cm in length. The IE 800 also ships with five pairs of earbuds, making it easy to find a pair that fits your ears perfectly. Though for a thousand-dollar price tag, I was a bit disappointed that Sennheiser did not include complimentary foam eartips in their packaging.

The cables come in a beautiful, intertwining black and green design and are reinforced to prevent breakage. The lower part of the cable is detachable, allowing for easy cable swapping or replacements. As expected of a thousand-dollar product, the cables conclude to the gold-plated 3.5mm jack. Although it is debatable whether the gold plating actually helps to boost sound quality or not, it does improve the overall look and feel of the IE 800.

To protect these babies, Sennheiser has included a sleek leather carrying case reminiscent of leather flip protectors for smartphones. The carrying case is designed to neatly house the IE 800 by nestling the earphones in the middle while the wires are coiled around a groove lining the case. There’s space to house the earphone cleaning tool for those emergency eartip cleanings. Each case even comes with a metal plate stating the model number and serial number of the earphones. Though the leather design may raise some concerns about the extent of protection that this carrying case can provide,  it is hard to deny that the leather carrying case looks elegant and professional.

Performance

Audio is where the Sennheiser IE 800 – or any Sennheiser product, for that matter – shines. On first listen, a casual listener would just note a large soundstage and punchy bass; nothing too outworldly to justify the outworldly price tag. But stay awhile and listen, and you’ll be making a series of discoveries.

The first of which is a vast soundstage that I never knew was possible to attain with IEMs, and the soundstage in these pair is a noticeable upgrade from soundstages found on IEMs in the 600-dollar region. The soundstage is not overly vast and possesses significant depth. Perhaps owing to the dynamic driver, these earphones have excellent layering, separation and hence, clarity. Listening to William Tell’s Overture by Gioachino Rossini, the IE 800’s immaculate layering and separation can clearly be heard; with the violins, clarinets, percussion and solo flutist easily distinguishable yet still maintaining an intimate melding of sounds.

The next would be none other than Sennheiser’s trademark bass. It is without contention that the best part of the IE 800 is its deep, resonating bass that raises the bar for bass response in IEMs. The bass is smooth yet deep, and is probably the closest subwoofer audio reproduction that you can get on a pair of IEMs. It’s depth, warmth and resonance could clearly be heard on Debussy’s Clair de Lune while I found it hard to resist the punchy bass in Adele’s Rolling In The Deep.

The bass-heaviness of the IE 800 comes at a cost, though, as the warmth may turn away classical music aficionados who are accustomed to bright and airy sounds. Nevertheless, it’s no slouch in the midrange and treble department either with extremely clear midranges. It sure looks like Sennheiser has learnt a lesson or two from the treble-poor IE 80 as the IE 800 has a high treble range which is disturbingly reminiscent of UE’s legendary treble production though it still falls short of dethroning UE as the ‘king of treble’ in my book. Having said that, the treble on the IE 800 is sweet, warm and rounded, making it a huge pleasure to listen to. On Bach’s Goldberg Variations, the warmness of these earphones is apparent even from the first note (it’s a ‘G’, if you are wondering) of the introduction Aria and provides an almost subliminal audio experience during the cadences. Though as stated earlier, those preferring a brighter treble would be grossly disappointed.

Conclusion

Honestly, the Sennheiser IE 800 are great earphones with s a sublime bass, clear mids and an absolutely beautiful treble response. The only drawback to this earphones is it’s immense price tag and (possibly) it’s warmth. Still, if one is in the market looking for a top-grade pair of IEMs and have spare cash to boot, the Sennheiser IE 800 sure be at the top of your ‘To-Listen’ list.

I know it would be on mine.

The above article can be found at GX.com.sg here!

Palit GeForce® GTX 770 Jetstream Review

Overall Score: 9/10

The Palit GeForce® GTX 770 Jetstream is probably the Taiwanese company’s answer to ASUS’s own custom GeForce® GTX 770 DirectCU II and similarly offers a quieter and cooler performance as compared to the reference GTX 770 card.  While it is unclear at the point of writing that which company’s custom design of the GTX 770 is ‘superior’, the truth is that the Palit GeForce® GTX 770 Jetstream manages to deliver quality performance while maintaining an acceptable temperature and an almost non-existent noise output.

After all, the GTX 770 is basically a ‘supercharged’ GeForce GTX 680 as they both utilise the 28nm GK104 chip albeit the GTX 770 being clocked faster and is more than ready to take on the most graphically-intensive games right now.

Design and features

Meet Palit’s 2GB GeForce® GTX 770 Jetstream edition which comes overclocked out of the box. Running at an almost insane clock speed of 1150 MHz as opposed to the reference GTX 770’s 1046 MHz, Palit’s GTX 770 Jetstream is 10% faster and is also touted to be 9dB and 15-degrees celsius cooler than the reference card. To top it off, the memory clock has also been increased to 7010 MHz.

In other words, this card is extremely fast and quiet while ensuring that the heat produced is insufficient to melt off those leg hairs.

The card comes with the customary 2GB VRAM for a high-end graphics card which is more than sufficient for those running at the 1920×1080 resolution though those that are keen to run games and programmes at the 2560×1440 resolution should consider the 4GB VRAM variant that will hit markets soon to add that extra juice to power up the games at that resolution.

To deliver a cooler GPU temperature, Palit has utilised a triple fan cooling solution which cover the card in its entirety together. It’s not all about the sizes of the fans as by having each fan rotate in an alternate direction, Palit effectively reduced airflow conflicts in the card, thereby creating an optimised airflow to improve the overall cooling performance of the card. To further aid cooling, the GPU is directly adhered to a large copper base with heatpipes to assist in heat dissipation.

This card is huge though (~10cm in length) and requires three slots, making installation a challenge for those with smaller cases. With one DisplayPort, one HDMI port and two DVI ports, the card supports up to 4 concurrent displays. SLI is also an option with this card as it comes with two SLI connectors, allowing for a Quad-SLI setup for those with the extra cash.

Performance

With all those technical necessities and numbers done away with, this card is one to impress.

Temperature-wise, the card maintained a nice idle temperature of 32°C at its automatic fan speed of 30%. It’s possible to get an even lower idle temperature if the fans were boosted to run at their full capacity. Given the volatile nature of measuring an idle GPU’s temperature, an idle temperature below 50°C is somewhat considered acceptable. When running Assassin’s Creed 3 at the highest settings (1920×1080 resolution) the temperature reached a peak of 58°C while temperatures also peaked at 60°C in Crysis 3.

Performance-wise, the card handled everything thrown at it with relative ease at the 1920×1080 resolution, even in graphically-intensive games such as Crysis 3, Bioshock Infinite and Assassin’s Creed 3.

The card performed admirably in Crysis 3 by netting an average of  59.2 FPS (‘Very High’ settings, 16x AF, 1 x SMAA low, 1920×1080 resolution). The GeForce Experience software helped tremendously by balancing graphical settings and FPS to ensure the best graphical performance while maintaining a respectable FPS.

Bioshock Infinite proved no challenge for the card even at the maximum settings (1920×1080 resolution, ‘normal’ post processing) as the Palit GeForce® GTX 770 Jetstream netted a blazingly fast average of 112 FPS.

For the MMO-junkies, the card yielded an average of 87 FPS in Star Wars: The Old Republic (High settings, 1920×1080 resolution) in a prolonged play session of an instance and running around populated areas.

Throughout the play testing, the card was deathly silent and was inaudible over the in-game sounds. The only way someone could hear the card is if that person placed his/her ear next to the computer chassis.

Conclusion

It’s pretty apparent that Palit’s GeForce® GTX 770 Jetstream is a winner. Despite being one huge and bulky card, its high clock speed of 1150 MHz simply delivers top-notch graphical performance that is only possible on the PC. At the 1920×1080 resolution, this card is more than capable of handling almost anything you throw at it while the 4GB VRAM variant should face little difficulty in the 2560×1440 resolution region.

If you have the cash want a card that could probably power everything for the next two years, this card is definitely one to consider – especially since you could always slap on another GTX 770 for even more power.

It even comes with a bonus. It glows blue.

The above review can also be found on GX.com.sg here!

AudioEngine A2 Review & AudioTrak Dr. DAC 2 Roundup

Overall Score: 8/10

Once in awhile, we’d experience something that would make us stop and think about what it is that makes that particular fleeting moment of life feel more alive than before. Maybe it’s the sights, maybe it’s a talented orator capturing your attention. In this case, it’s the AudioEngine A2 that caught my attention. The AudioEngine A2 is a pair of 2.0 powered multimedia desktop speakers that is a compromise between audio quality and space management.

Design and Features

For a set of speakers that are budget-priced (USD 199), it is apparent that AudioEngine paid attention to making sure that the A2 made an impression right from the unboxing of the product.

The AudioEngine A2 and its cables came packaged neatly in drawstring bags. Included in the box of the speakers are:

• Power supply with detachable AC power cable
• Speaker cable (16AWG), 2 meters (~6.5 feet)
• 1/8” mini-jack audio cable, 2 meters (~6.5 feet)
• 1/8” mini-jack audio cable, 20cm (~8 inches)
• Drawstring power supply bag
• Drawstring cable bag
• Drawstring speaker bags (2)
• Setup Guide
• Product line brochure

The impression I got when unboxing the A2 speakers was that I was getting something more than I paid for. The AudioEngine A2 speakers were also solidly built and sturdy. They are quite hefty (weighing at least 1.4kg each). The speakers come with one RCA input and one 3.5mm audio input that are located behind the left speakers with the volume control knob.

A point to note is that with a volume knob located on the back, users may find it more convenient to adjust the volume of their media via their source instead of reaching behind the left speaker to adjust the volume.

Some may also find the decision to place the volume knob and audio inputs on the left speaker a weird one as m0st speakers are designed with the volume knob and audio inputs on the right side instead. However, this is just a minor deviation from the usual and has no impact its performance.

Performance

The AudioEngine A2 desktop speakers are arguably one of the better sounding speakers for their size and price. Despite not possessing a subwoofer, the bass from these twin speakers certainly impress.

The bass is clean and punchy though it lacks depth due to the absence of a subwoofer. The mids were sweet and clean with the midbass possessing a ‘wow’ quality from speakers of these size. I found the treble a bit too mellow for my liking – though a mellow treble is easy on the ears and allows for long periods of listening.

Going beyond the AudioEngine A2

To supplement the AudioEngine A2 speakers and to further improve the sound quality, I hooked it up to AudioTrak’s Dr. DAC 2 DX Muses Edition which led to a noticeable increase in clarity and eliminated a lot of dissonance.  It is a feature-packed DAC (Digital-Analog Converter) that utilises the Muses amplifiers from New Japan Radio Corporation. The Dr. DAC 2 Muses Edition is perfect for those who want to get more of out their music by providing a very neutral boost. It comes with high quality audio-out ports too, in case you’d like to connect your headphones instead of your speakers.

The AudioEngine A2 comes in black or white editions and retails for SGD 250. The AudioTrak Dr. DAC 2 DX retails for SGD 330.

Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 Review

Overall Score: 6/10

Ever wondered what sniping is like? Drop into the shoes (or boots!) of Private Security Consultant Captain Cole Anderson in Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 – a tactical stealth shooter which touts a realistic and complete sniping experience.

Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 lives up to its promises in the gameplay department by making factors such as breathing control, wind speed and direction, and bullet drop all affect the shots that you take. Sniping junkies are sure to also derive pleasure that each bullet feels real and there is little that is more satisfying than landing that perfect headshot amidst the changing winds. To make things even more realistic, bullets can penetrate weak materials like wood – making it a walk in a part to snipe those guards who think that a plank of wood is gonna save them. Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 does offer visual aid at the lower difficulty levels to the sniper in the form of a red dot that shows where the bullet will hit, removing much of the guesswork that a real sniper will need to do. Seasoned snipers can remove the red dot by playing the higher difficulty levels.

Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 goes beyond connecting the bullet to the target; it demands that you play the role of the sniper well. Stealth and patience are key ideas in the game. Patience is key. Take a shot too soon and you might find that you’ve stirred up a hornet nest. Shoot too late? The target might have gotten some form of cover. You might be tempted to take a shot but patience might flush out enemy snipers, making them your prey instead of the other way round.

Stealth is also tantamount to the real sniper. What is a sniper if he can’t blend with the surroundings and cover his tracks? In Sniper Ghost Warrior 2, stealth is easy enough to understand. How likely you are to get spotted is indicated by a red circle around your minimap with an arrow to indicate the direction that you’re being spotted. Once the circle is complete, your cover is blown and be prepared to hit the restart button. On this note, checkpoints are oddly scattered through the course of missions and hence, be prepared to redo a large chunk of the mission if you happen to die. It doesn’t help that all the enemiesall miraculously know your position once you’re detected and you’re left with a puny pistol to defend yourself.

Sadly, the story in Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 is disappointing, employing the unimaginative, cliche terrorism theme. I will not delve deeper as little is left to be imagined. It is apparent that the developers have decided to focus the bulk of their time into the perfecting of the gameplay. Voice-acting is a tad monotonous while game audio is non-memorable.

Thankfully, the visuals are a tad better than the audio. Powered by the CryEngine 3 which also powered games like Crysis 3, game environments manage to be beautiful though they are definitely not of the same quality as those found in Crysis 3. Still, the game takes us to diverse locations in the world from the lush jungle in the very first mission to the mountains of Tibet.

Despite the audio staleness and lack of a developed story, Sniper Ghost Warrior 2‘s gameplay has pushed to the game to something that is rather entertaining and is sure to appeal to fans of the sniping genre. The question now is that in a world that is increasingly populated by hugely-story-driven games like Bioshock Infinite and Farcry 3, how far can gameplay redeem a game?

The Good:

• Realistic sniping experience
• Beautiful, varied environments
• Cinematic shots of bullets taking out their target make for a satisfying shot

The Bad:

• Unimaginative storyline
• Mediocre audio
• X-Ray vision enemies once cover is blown
• Linear

The above article can also be found on GX here!

ASUS RoG Orion Pro Gaming Headset Review

Formed in 2006, ASUS Republic of Gamer (RoG) is no stranger to providing even the most dedicated of gamers their hardware and peripherals. The ASUS RoG’s Orion PRO Gaming Headset, powered by a 50mm neodynium magnet unit,  does not disappoint with its superb audio delivery and wide soundstage. Priced at S$169, the Orion Pro Gaming Headset comes with the following specifications:

Technical Specifications:

• Weight: 268 g
• Driver Diameter : 50 mm
• Driver Material : Neodymium magnet
• Headphone Sensitivity : 100 dB
• Microphone Sensitivity : -30 dB
• Maximum Input 50 mW
• Frequency Response Headphone : 20 ~ 20000 Hz
• Impedance 32 Ohm ± 3 %
• Cable Length 2.5 meter
• Noise Cancelling Performance : Maximum > 30 dB

To the layman, the above specifications mean that the headset should should really good while simultaneously isolating external noise. The noise isolation capability of the Orion Pro Headset helps to create that perfect audio-bliss during the long sessions of Battlefield 3 by preventing external noise (handphone ringing, friends screaming etc) from distracting you while you focus on the game.

Design & Build Quality

The Orion Pro Gaming Headset is well built. The frame is made of matte black and red plastic. The over-ear areas are extendable and are solidly connected via metal frames. Black comfortable cushions are strategically placed at the top of frame to maximise comfort. The headset also comes with huge 100mm, cushioned over-ear areas that snugly fits over the ear, making the headset really comfortable to wear even during long periods of gaming.

The Orion Pro Gaming Headset comes with a retractable microphone that is located on the left side of the headset. The microphone line is sturdy and gives one the impression that it is built to last despite being retractable. The retractable microphone is also a much-welcomed design feature as it reduces the overall bulk of the headset and makes it easier to carry to gaming events or parties. Last but not least, the Republic of Gamers logo and sign adorns each side of the ear-cups, making the headset look extremely cool and presentable at that gaming party.

The only gripe I have is that my ears tend to get sweaty after prolonged usage of the headset due to the cushions hugging the areas around my ears. However, this is not a big issue as it simply translates to a little more cleaning of the leather cushions – a small small price to pay for a huge amount of comfort. Overall, the headset is well-designed, comfortable and sturdy.

Performance

Audio has always played an important role in games. In role-playing games (RPGs), the music is crucial to creating the right setting, tone and setting of the story. Voice acting plays a huge role in such games. Good voice acting bring in-game characters alive and make them more believable. A good storyline is nothing if the voice acting is subpar. In first-person shooters (FPS), audio such as footsteps, gunfire, teammates shouting for help are all crucial pieces of information that could make or break a player’s game. In short, audio is information in FPS game; and information help win battles.

As such… does the Orion Pro Gaming Headset perform as good as it looks?  The answer is a resounding yes.

Spitfire Audio Enhancer that boosts sound quality

The headset performs well. There is a large soundstage and the audio reproduction is accurate. I could distinctly hear the different sounds – gunfire, explosions, jet engines, tanks manoeuvring – in Battlefield 3 even as they occur simultaneously. In The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, sounds were gloriously reproduced. The sound of trees swaying in the wind, of water drops echoing through caves, the low growl of a bear as it slumbers; all these brought the world of Skyrim alive. The Spitfire Audio Enhancer that comes attached with the headset also gave the sound quality a great boost. With the ‘FPS’ mode of the Spitfire turned on,  footsteps in Battlefield 3 were also distinct and I could thwart those sneaky attempts to get my dogtag.

Music reproduction is generally good. The bass is deep and is punchy while the treble delivers clearly without screeching. I feel that the treble could be smoother sounding though.

Conclusion

So should you buy the Orion Pro Gaming Headset? The answer is a clear yes if you are into (or demand) superb gaming audio. FPS-players should definitely give this headset serious consideration due its superb performance in FPS games.

MMORPG and RPG players should consider the Orion Pro Headset as it is supremely comfortable for long periods of time – all the more perfect to last those raids in World of WarCraft.

Comfortable, powerful, sturdily built, cool-looking, the ASUS RoG Orion Pro Gaming Headset is a clear winner and will perfectly complement amateur and hardcore gamers alike.

Top image & Orion Pro Specifications: [ASUS RoG]

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Review – The Swarm Rises

Overall Score: 8/10

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm is a marked improvement over its 2010 predecessor, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty by accomplishing what expansions should do: throw out what doesn’t work, keep and improve what does work. Heart of the Swarm is a well-paced, engaging game that should keep a few of your weekends occupied.

Although the large draw factor of Heart of the Swarm is arguably the game’s highly competitive multiplayer, Blizzard’s attention and focus on the single player is apparent – being one of the rare games that possesses scriptwriting that goes a step beyond the conventional ‘good or evil’ mediocrity.

It’s rare to have blurred lines in what is commonly perceived by people to be ‘good’ or ‘bad’. This is especially true in video games where the ‘good guys’ and the ‘bad guys’ are firmly introduced in circumstances such that the player wouldn’t need to delve deeper into the motive(s) beyond the actions of the characters. Think along the lines of games like Diablo III where moral perception is absolute; the villains are established to be demons from Hell and the player is the hero who will defeat the demons and send them back to wherever they came from – there is simply no need to question the actions of either party as it is established firmly.

In a nutshell, the campaign in Heart of the Swarm is big, well-paced, solid but short fun fair centered around Sarah Kerrigan – the entity formerly known as the ‘Queen of Blades’ – and follows her journey as she rebuilds the Swarm after the events of Wings of Liberty.

Despite being portrayed by the earlier games as an immensely powerful, unquestionably evil and ruthless entity, the Kerrigan in Heart of the Swarm shows a gentler and sympathetic side that was starkly absent before. Kerrigan is torn between pursuing  revenge stemming from a deep-seated hatred against the game’s antagonist, Emperor Mengsk, or to pursue the man she loves. Kerrigan’s internal conflict serves as a great catalyst to the development of the overall StarCraft story – something that was lacking in Wings of Liberty.

Though it is easy to immediately apply the ‘revenge is bad, forgiveness is good’ adage to Kerrigan (especially since she has immense power at her disposal), the story develops in an engaging, well-paced manner that will leave the player thinking about the personality behind Kerrigan and asking themselves, “Is the Queen of Blades really that bad?’

Aside from the story, the characters Kerrigan encounter through the course of her galactic travels are varied and have a unique touch to them through – making them more likeable than the characters in Wings of Liberty. This is also partly due to the intelligently written, stimulating, well voice-acted conversations Kerrigan can have with them – giving depth to the story and providing new snippets of information that enriches the StarCraft lore; certainly a marked improvement over Wings of Liberty. (I admit! I clicked-spam my way through the dialogues  in Wings of Liberty just to get the achievement).

Despite the attention to the story, there are a few story loopholes and ‘head scratching’ moments in the game. They are not major loopholes, but serve as a small means of entertainment to the discerning.

Gameplay in Heart of the Swarm is virtually identical to Wings of Liberty. You build a base, you harvest resource, you build an army, and you crush the enemy. Now repeat that process 20 times or so until you complete the campaign. It sounds boring but Heart of the Swarm cuts to the chase for a large part of the game by providing you with pre-built bases or bases that you can find and reclaim. This removes a large part of the early grind.

Kerrigan can be customised with skills to suit your playstyle

Units are now customisable and the player can choose to evolve their units in a manner that suits their playstyle. Examples include cliff-scaling Zerglings and cliff-scaling Banelings. Other than opening up new strategic options and tactics, the theme of evolution and adaptability ties in well with the fundamental principles of being Zerg – to adapt, to survive and to triumph. Kerrigan herself is no exception. Just like units, players can customise their Kerrigan with different skills to suit their playstyle. This is important considering Kerrigan is nearly in every single mission. I like the idea of a playable Kerrigan – a centerpiece to center and lead the Swarm – which creates a greater player-character bond than in Wings of Liberty.

The graphics are similar to those employed in Wings of Liberty though Blizzard has included some novelty functions like allowing the skin of the units be changed or giving the units some dance moves. These are unlockables and serve as incentive for the player to dig deeper into the game and achieve certain (tougher) goals.

The audio in Heart of the Swarm is adequate; nothing outstanding nor lacking. It, however, manages to pump up my heart rate when the going gets tough on the ‘Brutal’ difficulty setting.

On the eSports side, Heart of the Swarm is more than just a petty upgrade to Wings of Liberty. As Senior Game Designer Kaeo Milker said in an interview, Heart of the Swarm is primed to open up a whole new array of tactics, strategy and general gameplay through the introduction of new units for each race. As the eSports scene is at its transitional stage from Wings of Liberty to Heart of the Swarm, it remains to be seen how great the metagame will shift (if at all), or if current top-tier players will be able to adapt and stay at the top of their game (literally).

Casual players need not fret for Blizzard has incorporated features such as an unranked ladder mode and tutorials which are designed to expose them to the multiplayer arena. Features include an unranked ladder modes and tutorials.

As it was only recently release, it remains to be seen how the competitive gaming community will react to the changes brought about by this expansion, but as far as the single player elements go, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm is a winner.

The Good:

• Well-paced missions
• Tons of options to customise
• Good storyline
• Less early game base creation grind

The Bad:

• Short campaign 
• Some minor story loopholes
• Only minor cameos of certain characters from Wings of Liberty

Crysis 3 Review: Post-Human

“Welcome to New York City, Version 2.0”

“Assess, Adapt, Attack”

These three words aptly encapsulates the Crysis 3 experience regardless of graphical, gameplay or story improvements. Decked out in a nanosuit that grants superb strength, speed, invisibility and armour, you play as Prophet who returns from a 20-year hibernation to save Mankind once more albeit from the tyrannical CELL Corporation instead of the aliens Ceph that were the primary enemies in Crysis 1.  Crysis 3 sets itself apart from the multitude of First Person Shooters (FPSes) out there by expanding further on the selling points of Crysis – streamlined super-soldier abilities, next-generation graphics and good old ‘shoot-em-up’ fun. The ‘Previously in Crysis’ video history lesson in Crysis 3 allows one to get up to speed regarding the storyline from Crysis 1 through 3 and serves primarily as a primer to the uninitiated.

It is apparent even from the beginning that Crytek had devoted a great amount of time and effort to polish the story elements of the game. The character facial expressions made possible by CryEngine 3 is superbly complemented by top-notch voice acting and dialogue, creating characters that are believable and relatable – something that is becoming increasingly rare in modern FPS games with focus largely being on making killing virtual baddies as satisfying as possible.

Facial features look good. Here’s an angry Psycho as he rants about his mortality

Psycho grasping his hand in pain after punching the large monitors behind him

The interactions between cool-headed protagonist Laurence “Prophet” Barnes and his emotionally expressive teammate Michael “Psycho” Sykes act as a catalyst to the overall development of the story. It is interesting to note their differences in perspective and paradigm. Prophet relishes his humanity ‘stolen’ by the nanosuit and is solely focused on wiping out the Ceph once and for all; while Psycho – having being de-suited earlier by CELL Corporation – has to come to grasp with his humanity… and mortality, wishes to focus his energies in destroying the CELL Corporation instead. Psycho believes that the Ceph possess no further threat to Mankind. The divide between man and machine is further exemplified in the actions that the characters undertake throughout the course of the game; Psycho was unable to kick down a door and injured his leg while Prophet easily brushed the door open with an arm. Psycho has to go around to climb up to a vantage point while Prophet easily accomplishes the feat through a series of super jumps, much to the chagrin of Psycho.

Crysis 3 is good fun. The suit controls have been streamlined since Crysis 1. Instead of utilising the radial suit activation system that was present in Crysis 1, the nanosuit in Crysis 3 only offers two activatable modes – namely the invisibility and armour mode. The strength and speed modes in Crysis 1 have been integrated and activates automatically in the game when the player performs certain actions such as doing a high jump or punching enemies and objects. The result of simplifying the activatable modes of the nanosuit is a great amount of fluidity, allowing you to take out your targets without having to concern yourself with the nitty gritty suit-mode changefests that plagues the overall enjoyment factor. The nanosuit can also be upgraded by certain kits that augments the various functions of the suit, making you an even deadlier foe. You can also hack electronics such as mines, turret emplacements and doors using the suit’s visor through the form of a mini-game, opening up more avenues to accomplish your objectives. One of the more enjoyable ways to eliminate your enemies with a bang is to hack mines and lead your pursuers through them, making for an loud explosive finish. If you’re the stealthy type, you could cloak and pick off your foes one by one with the new Predator bow.

Being human takes its toll, as Psycho soothes his injured leg after failing to kick the gate open

Make no mistake, there will be plenty of explosions, close pursuits and ricocheting bullets and they look good as expected from a Crysis game. Though it is definitely not as bar-raising as its predecessors, CryEngine 3 makes this game one of the prettiest shooters out there with graphics that nears photorealism. The attention paid to graphical details is also apparent, as Prophet’s visor gets wet when he’s in the sewers and dust particles can be seen when the sunlight shines. Facial expressions are accurately and realistically presented.  The audio is also adequate – not poor nor outstanding – with gunshots and whistling arrows sounding realistic and solid. The background music also changes to suit the various sticky situations that Prophet inevitably finds himself in; seldom failing to help up the ante in tandem with the escalating action.

In conclusion, Crysis 3 is one solid pretty shooter that is sure to occupy your weekend(s). It offers a high amount of replayability with its vast open environments and suit customisation options as well as its multiplayer modes. When bullets stop raining and as the dust settles, the beautifully rendered jungle environments of New York is bound to draw you back into its danger-filled embrace.

This article can also be found at http://www.gx.com.sg/news/crysis-3-review/

Razer Ouroboros Review

The Razer Ouroboros is Razer’s latest gaming mouse, featuring a 8200 DPI Dual Sensor System with a dual wired & wireless functionality. It is ambidextrous and is meant to be extremely customisable to suit one’s preference and to obtain a comfort like no other. The options to add the side fins for thumb and pinkie support, coupled with an adjustable length and back arch of the mouse sets it apart from other gaming mice out there. The closest mice by far would be MadCatz’s Cyborg R.A.T gaming mice series.

By sheer luck, I managed to obtain a review set of the Razer Ouroboros and here it goes!

Packaging: How first impressions often count the most

Sturdy plastic carrying case that houses the Razer Ouroboros. The trademark Razer logo graces the sides of the case.

If there’s one thing that Razer really excels at, it must be making resounding first impressions. Razer has always devoted a huge amount of time to the presentation of its gadgets and the Razer Ouroboros is no exception.The Razer Ouroboros came in a black sturdy ‘briefcase’ reminiscent of a toolkit. The carrying case is tough and is devoid of fanciful designs. Instead, only the trademark Razer Logo adorn the sides of the case. The case is fairly heavy but it isn’t much for me to lug it home.

Razer Ouroboros and peripherals packed neatly.

Overall, such a packaging makes for an impression that the mouse housed within is worthy of its (rather hefty!) price tag.

Nestled in the middle of protective hard foam is the Razer Ouroboros itself – surrounded by its optional fins, USB cable, charging/ transmitter dock, a GP 1.2V battery and a USB drive filled with pictures, videos and the all-important instruction manual. Not too shabby, really.

Quality, Design & Comfort: How it suits the weirdest pair of hands just fine

The Razer Ouroboros was designed to be able to comfortably fit all, if not most, sizes of hands and types of grips by providing a range of customisation options such as the adjusting of mouse length, back arch, and the attached of the ‘side fins’ meant to support the thumb and pinky.

The adjusting of the length and archs to get that perfect fit took some time, but the end product was a mouse that was really comfortable to use. I did not use the side fins as I felt they were constricting.

The Ouroboros screams quality. The mouse buttons click smoothly and nicely without any squeaks, while being extremely tactile and responsive.

I also like the finely-textured, hard plastic finish of the mouse – a deviation from the hard rubber that Razer commonly use as a finish for their mice. The hard plastic eliminates the problem of the hard rubber from molding and getting worn quickly. In my opinion, the plastic finish is superior to the rubber one, making the Ouroboros far superior to other Razer mice in terms of grip and control.

The Ouroboros comes with two buttons on each side; as well as 800-DPI clutch buttons on each side. The side buttons were easy to press and responsive. However, the clutch DPI buttons are not easy to press and one side of it would be virtually unused, given that it takes a lot of effort for the pinky finger to depress the clutch button. Razer did allow users to lock either one or all of the DPI clutch buttons, giving even greater control of the mice to the user.

Performance: Does it walk the talk?

The Razer Ouroboros performs admirably well. The mouse tracks well in both wired and wireless modes, and glides smoothly without producing any sound. The adjustable contours of the mouse makes it one of the most comfortable mice that I’ve used in a long time. In its wireless mode, I’ve yet to experience the battery running out despite about six to eight hours to consecutive gaming and hence, I’d reckon the overall battery life is good.

The Ouroboros is lighter than the older DeathAdders (135 grams vs 148 grams) but heavier than the DeathAdder 2013 (105 grams). For those who prefer a lighter mouse, the weight of the Ouroboros can be reduced by removing the battery and playing it in its wired mode, making its weight drop to just 115 grams. In my opinion, the mouse is not too heavy nor too light in its wireless mode.

The Ouroboros with its back detached and battery chamber open

Regretably, DPI on-the-fly switching is sub-par in the Ouroboros as the mouse cursor will stutter momentarily whenever the DPI is changed. This may not be a huge issue to those who are accustomed to playing their games at a fixed DPI (games like StarCraft II and DotA 2 comes to mind), but the stutter will undeniably be a major turn-off to gamers (particularly first person shooter players) who demand rapid DPI switching. It is disappointing that despite having made more than their fair share of gaming mice, Razer was unable to prevent this problem from happening; especially on a mouse that is marketed as an ‘elite gaming mouse’ with a hefty price tag of 200 SGD Perhaps in due time, Razer will release a new firmware upgrade to solve this issue. Meanwhile, I believe the Razer Ouroboros is only suitable to those who do not demand DPI switching, but are looking for a comfortable and customisable mouse.

In a nutshell

Pros:

• Customisable
• Aesthetically different from standard mice
• Comfortable
• Tracks and glides smoothly
• Wired and Wireless modes
• Option to lock the DPI clutch buttons (either lock one or both)
• Long battery life

Cons:

• Mouse cursor stutters when DPI switching
• Mouse only glows green (they should allow us to choose our colours!)
• Hefty price tag

A (Personal) Review on 2011

Make no mistake. 2011 was not an easy year for most. The beginning of 2011 for me was a rough one, as I transitioned from my hectic countdown party 2010 to face the challenges of 2011. It was a year without clear goals or expectations. There was no more school, no more examinations, no more classrooms or schoolmates or teachers. In its place, was the awaiting of A Level Examination Results and the Enlistment into the Singapore Armed Forces in May 2011. 

The route to enlistment, on hindsight, was a very precious one. There were no commitments, no deadlines. Everything was Own-Time-Own-Target. Initially, I thought it was a boring period until I enlisted into the Army whereby the ‘boredom’ due to freedom of choice was something that ANY NSF would treasure dearly. 

As highlighted in my earlier postings, my journey in the Army is rather unique one. Nevertheless, it wasn’t an easy journey at the beginning with the getting accustomed to the rules, the regimentation, the environment and the people – superiors and fellow recruits alike. It forces one to go beyond his comfort zone be it in training or during rest times. It encompasses things like living with people with their own idiosyncrasies and sergeants/officers with mood swings. Yet, after it all, was a band of brothers sharing sweat and (a little) blood together. 

I also got to visit Vietnam for short period of time during Christmas. A pleasant journey indeed, but I truly won’t want to go back for a period of time…

Some Famous Pagoda!

As 2011 concludes and 2012 begins, it is only fitting to talk about New Year Resolutions. Before that, though, I’d like to conclude 2011 by saying that it was a year of hard but necessary lessons. 

Here’s me, signing off.