Return to The BaDlands #26 - FINALLY Tried An Xbox One

On 02/26/2014 at 09:24 PM by gigantor21

Linked to Article Series: Blog a Day (BaD) 2014

I was at the mall earlier, and stumbled across a Microsoft kiosk--with two Xbox One demo kits set up. I jumped at the opportunity, having seen nothing but powered down display units at other retailers, and got to try Killer Instinct.

It was amazing.

For one thing, the footage on sites like Youtube and IGN (as usual) don't do the game justice. Even at 720p it looks great--the footage at Gamersyde offers a much more accurate picture. The game also runs at a solid 60fps, with no frame drops or lag I could notice.

The new Xone controller is...a mixed bag, compared to the 360 controller I've been using on PC. The D-pad and sticks are greatly improved, but the top bumpers are absolutely terrible; moves that required them felt really awkward. So on balance, it's only slightly better; one step forward, two steps back.

As far as the gameplay itself went, though? I was absolutely hooked. KI destroyed every game demo I tried on the PS4 demo kit last year easily. I simply couldn't put the game down. It offers a great balance between ease of entry and core-friendly mechanics that makes it easy to pick up. The basic systems behind the game took all of five minutes to figure out, but there's so much available to you during play that it didn't feel old once during the 30+ minutes I played. I could see that becoming an issue over time, though, mainly due to the fact that it only has 7 characters (with an 8th, Fulgore, coming in March).

I gotta say, actually trying the game out myself has made me far more interested in a potential Xone purchase. Would I buy one at $500? Definitely not. But I could definitely see myself owning both a PS4 and MS's box down the line, at the right price.

Super Step Contributing Writer

02/27/2014 at 02:43 AM

I'm pissed. So many kiosks I've seen in Wal Mart and elsewhere haven't even had controllers near them, and the one at Gamestop was powered down too far to play. I want to try Killer Instinct, dammit!

gigantor21

02/27/2014 at 09:52 AM

I feel your pain. I've been to 4 different Gamestops in the past few months, as well as 2 Best Buys, and not one had a working demo kit. They have working PS4's, but they've been using the same demo since I blogged about my experience with one...six months ago. -_-

02/27/2014 at 02:43 PM

I was disappointed with the PS4s as well, and that's the one I'm leaning towards anyway and want to try. How was your PS4 experience?

02/27/2014 at 06:15 PM

None of the games really jumped out at me when I tried it, and it didn't feel like the x10 improvement the specs would suggest. It's amazing to me that they still haven't updated the floor demoes yet--although not surprising, seeing as the console's sold like hotcakes anyway.

02/27/2014 at 10:23 PM

So overall, are you more impressed with the XONE or the PS4 as far as kiosk experience and how much do you think that relates to the actual quality of either system?

Matt Snee Staff Writer

02/27/2014 at 08:33 AM

that sounds fun. I've been considering getting a PS4 soon. Maybe in a month or two. The games are getting more common as the year passes.

02/27/2014 at 09:53 AM

Any game in particular pushing you to get one?

02/27/2014 at 10:33 AM

I want to play Destiny when it comes out. My brother has aPS4 and I want to play with him. Plus I want to play FF14. I have a Vita, so playing remote play really excites me, as I like handheld gaming a lot.

jgusw

02/27/2014 at 12:10 PM

I played Killer Instinct on my friend's XB1. It was pretty good. I still won't buy an XB1 though.

02/27/2014 at 06:13 PM

As much fun as I had with it, I still can't see myself buying one anytime soon. That and Sunset Overdrive are the only games I want so far, since Titanfall's coming to PC.

NSonic79

04/20/2014 at 02:24 AM

Lucky! though I've seen Xbox One kiosks in my area, the oddly are only display models that show you the unit but don't actually run off of anything but just a generic screen of what the system has to offer. No games to try out, no features to see. It's very boring just touching the controller and it not working.

PixlBit