Rating:

Tested this thing multiple ways and the results were the same.

At first no one responded to me with multiple adjustments on the volume control and mute switch. So I hooked up system link(I have a line in a separate room for when my friends bring their box and they can use the other TV, that’s why we use mics.) and nothing but static and a loud buzzing over the systems. Picks up background noise but not my voice.

The throat piece is not adjustable but comfortable after you adjust to it. But since no one can hear me…well doesn’t matter how it fits.

switched between my turtle beach x1, the extremely uncomfortable stock mic and then this. Same problems each time with the throat mic.

I’ve used the real deal in the military so I thought this was a great idea, and it is, but that’s all this is, a gimmick, and over priced at that.

Ironically the name snow attached to this product link is right on the mark, that’s all anyone hears in game.

Rating:

1) The neckpiece fits nice and snug. It is not adjustable as it’s suppose to be in good contact right by your throat. I’m of average build and it fit perfectly. Even if you’re a bit skinnier or heavier I’m sure it will fit comfortably still.

2) The earpiece also fit nicely. Unlike most earbud headphones, these do no have different sized ear pieces to make it fit any better in your ear. The size you see on the box is the only size you get.

3) The earbud goes to your left ear which felt weird at first being that I was used to an OEM headset for the last 4 years.

I tested it right away and my brother said it doesn’t sounds as clear as the OEM headset but it’s still good.

Overall, I can’t think of any reason not to get it. There are a lot of options for headsets out there that cost less, but none are quite as fun as this one. If you have the 30$ to spend go for it.

Rating:

I had been looking all over (including in Japan) for a cool headset. I didn’t want one that also played the sound from the game (ie. stereo or 5.1 audio),

I have an audio system for that, I just wanted a better communicator headset for talking with friends.

I saw this on a “popular game review site” and immediately went and got one.

I opened it. It felt like quality plastic and rubber. It had a durable feel to it. I was excited. Heck, I could even drink and not have to move the mic.

Perfect, right?

It fit a little tight around my lower neck, but I could deal with that. The ear pod was a little big and was deeper than say a traditional iPod ear bud.

It wasn’t super comfy personally, but again, I could deal with it.

Problem #1

I plug it into the controller. The plug didn’t fit super tight and it did that static thingy in my ear which made it seem like the connection wasn’t all there.

it felt 3rd party-ish if you know what I mean. I was expecting it to kinda plug and lock in there, but it felt too loose for my liking.

Problem #2

So I connect with some friends. They say I sounded bad, too much static, so I looked closely and noticed that it came with the mute switch turned “on” (default setting? really?).

But if the mute was on, why could they hear me?

So I switched the mute to “off”.

My friends said I sounded fine with the throat mic. I was actually surprised they said they couldn’t tell the difference between my voice

with the Mad Catz product and the OEM Xbox headset.

Problem #3

My friends sounded drunk/inebriated. Their voices sounded horrible. I switched over to the OEM Xbox headset and they sounded fine. The ear piece had

horrible audio. It sounded like cheap equipment.

So basically the only good things are I can drink with it on and I sound OK, but the other issues were too much for me.

I can’t express enough how bummed I am that this product isn’t that good.

Oh well, I will repackage it up and return it.

The search continues.

Rating:

The Pros

-Some gorgeous visuals and scenery

-Great looking vehicles

-Lots of action among two campaigns

-Somewhat interesting multiplayer

-A 3d version (only if you have a 3D tv)

The Cons

-Repetitive missions

-Clichéd gameplay

-Bad story

-Choppy controls

-Bad story

Avatar isn’t a really bad game, it’s just one that is lacking creativity beyond the alien landscape of Cameron’s movie. One immediate problems is the lack of binding storytelling. So little focus is given to the setup and characters that there is no real connection to the interspecies war saga. Even worse, Avatar forces you to make a major decision about the plot of your game at the very beginning: whether or not to become a traitor to the human race. It happens right away, there’s simply no motivation to make a decision either way. For what it’s worth, you play a signal specialist — a job description that apparently means badass, one-man army — named “Easy” Ryder.

Luckily for him, Ryder is special. Ryder has just arrived on the planet Pandora and his genetic code gives him the rare ability to take over the body of a vat-grown Na’vi — the humanoids native to the planet. Throughout the game, you are the only capable soldier, everyone relies on you to do everything. There’s almost never a logical explanation for most of what you do. It’s all basic busy work like, “Go find items One, Two, and Three” or “Go kill commanders A, B, and C.” Every location is occupied with people who are helpless without you and who constantly need you to go here and there.

Thankfully, as you travel there are plenty of battles happening around you, which helps make the war zone on the planet of Pandora feel more dramatic. A jungle world, Pandora has a real Crysis vibe to it, only with killer alien plants and animals and 10 foot-tall blue, angry natives running around. Graphically, it looks good in general, although the character models look a bit rough. Also, the scenery is somewhat angular; however, despite this, the game is mostly pretty.

Vehicles play a big role in the action. The maps for each location are relatively large, so grabbing an ATV or buggy to speed up the travel time is welcome. Controls both on foot and in vehicles are tolerable, but it’s way too easy to get hung up on frustrating invisible walls and other obstacles. You can even get completely trapped, forcing a suicide and re-spawn. Likewise, aircraft controls are sluggish and unresponsive and these failed moments render the best portions of the game merely tedious.

There are two separate story-lines in Avatar. The human campaign is exactly what you’d expect — a lone super soldier running around, killing things and completing tasks. Unfortunately, the alien side is pretty much the same. The main change is that the Na’vi have melee attacks and ride native beasts instead of vehicles. These savage natives are bigger, stronger and faster than the humans, so the combat mechanics feel different, but the mission structure doesn’t.

For fans of sci-fi action with lots of substance, James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game is definitely not a must-have title. It’s playable and entertaining in small doses, but there’s so little originality in the game design that it feels like a quick — if not highly expensive — attempt to get the game out in time for the movie. The story is awful and the gameplay is far too repetitive to truly inspire and capture players. This is a real shame, because the source material clearly has a lot of unrealized potential.