Razer, after releasing the Huntsman in 2018, to great response, has now made the Huntsman more esports inclined with the Huntsman Tournament Edition. Let's dive into the Huntsman TE and see why this is the option you need to look at when looking for an esports keyboard.
So small, yet so powerful.
One of the first things that you need to realize when you look at buying a TE version is that you will be looking at a ten-keyless keyboard. This means that it is a keyboard that has no Numpad, and in comparison to gaming keyboards, it also has all media keys removed. Leaving you with only the essentials. The reason for the smaller form is not because someone wanted a smaller keyboard. No, it is, as the name might suggest, to easily bring along to LANs or tournament environments. To ease the packing up process, the cable is easily detachable. The USB-C connector easily detaches from the top left corner of the keyboard.
The biggest thing to remember about having a ten-keyless keyboard is the fact that there is no Numpad, for those of you who are constantly punching numbers into a spreadsheet, this is not the keyboard you need or want. Like all Razer products, it features loads of RGB and linked with the ever-evolving Synapse which, in my opinion, is probably the best peripheral software around. After spending a lot of time playing around in the Synapse software, fiddling with macros and lighting effects, as well as setting up profiles for the Huntsman, of which you can store 5 of them on the keyboard memory so you have your profiles with you even when you don't have your pc, I decided to leave it on ambient awareness. This mode lets the keyboard mimick the colours that are displayed on the screen.
Performance
As the name states, the Huntsman is aimed at the esports gamer. In the esports realm performance, precision and reliability are the key aspects of selecting your weapon of choice. What is very important to know is that there are a vast amount of mechanical switches. From brown, red, blue, green, nearly every colour of the rainbow. Each with their own characteristics, some are clicky, some are not. Having a Logitech as well as a Razer Blackwidow as my daily keyboards, one being membrane, the other being Razer green mechanical clicky switches, both with actuation distances of 2mm. The Huntsman trims down on this 2mm and actuates at 1.5mm. 0.5mm doesn't sound like much, but when you do use it, you will find that even resting your fingers on keys too heavily will have you typing strings of A's in chat.
An easy way to compare is that the Huntsman will type even when you are merely thinking of typing. For twitch gaming, which means games where reactions play a big role, the 1.5mm actuation makes the world of a difference and I could see the improvement in my gameplay once I got used to the light actuation point. For those who will be using the Huntsman for typing, expect many moans and even more backspaces for all the unwanted double letters. I started the review with the Huntsman and quickly reverted to the Blackwidow due to all the typing errors.
The Huntsman makes use of optomechanical switches. For those who are not clued up, this means when you press down on the key it interrupts a lazer underneath the switch. This has two main advantages, firstly it means there is nearly no latency, providing the quickest input possible. Secondly, it means there are less moving parts which mean that the keyboard should last substantially longer. Esports players are particularly hard on their hardware, similarly to players who tend to rage often, the Huntsman comes prepared for such user and should be able to withstand some serious punishment.
Verdict
At first, the Huntsman might seem very pricey for a keyboard that gives you less than other cheaper keyboards. No numpad, no media keys but more price. Don't be fooled by this. The optomechanical keys and precision of them makes this keyboard a near-must for any gamer who is looking for a dedicated gaming keyboard. The small form factor, as well as the removable cable, is a massive plus for the LAN enthusiast. The casual gamer who does do some typing and general work on their computer might have to think twice, as the sensitive keystrokes and minimal actuation distance can become extremely infuriating to those trying to do simple typing. The Huntsman is not a keyboard that is going to make the average gamer a pro. But if you are a player that has some inclination to a certain game and you are that in-tune with the game that it feels like near-telepathic flow when you are playing, the Huntsman will have you playing and reacting as fast as you can think. The Huntsman is ready to be the conduit between your brain and the game!
Special thanks to Apex Interactive for supplying the review hardware
credits: Windows Central - images
Generally, sniper games or even missions would have you creep around and kill off the enemies as you come across them. Upon reaching the intended target you would "eliminate" them and then you would be done. SGW Contracts takes a different approach. Firstly, you will need to choose your approach carefully, stealth is non-negotiable. But your approach can determine how much interaction you will come across. Many of the missions require you to not only eliminate the target but often retrieve intel, or even sabotage a facility. This will have you not only working from behind the scope but thinking about the effect your shot will have on the rest of the mission. This approach often leads to fewer bullets fired which creates intense moments of manoeuvring past enemies instead of engaging! Once your objective is complete you now need to be extracted, this is where your planning comes into play as well as a harsh and brutal punishment for those who think they are able to fight their way out. This is where the large maps can become a hindrance which will see you often backtracking vast distances and hiding and watching for long periods of time. I guess they don't call it GHOST warrior for no reason!
As in most sniper games, pulling off an incredible 1000m headshot on a driving target doesn't just happen. it takes timing, precision and lots of science. While the optics of your gun does provide amazing amounts of info regarding wind and trajectory of your bullet there are still many elements that you will need to contend with, and in this lies the magic of SGW Contracts. Not only are these elements that make this game extremely difficult to play, but it also makes it extremely satisfying when everything works out! The over-the-top kill cinematics of a bullet penetrating a skull and having the brain explode out the back does feel slightly out of sorts in a game that has very dark and moody tone. But it does serve as a relief when the cinematics happens the moment you pull the trigger signalling that you have hit your target.
Being a "ghost" level sniper does, however, come with a few perks. You are provided with a visor that serves as communication between you and your "handler" as well as a host of other gadgets. From the usual bombs and c4 to drones to help mark out enemies and even remote turrets that enable you to perform multiple kill shots at the same time.
SGW Contracts is by far the prettiest in the franchise and playing it on the top tier console or a capable PC will have to checking out the scenery fairly often during your hiding and backtracking to exfiltrate.
With the last outing, Payback, NFS seemed to have found their way back slightly. This placed a large amount of pressure on the next outing, being HEAT. NFS Heat is a fantastic game. With great and vibrant environments that, mostly, feel living and lived in. A really new and fresh day/night mechanic and Police chases that are not simply run away from with pure speed. But where it lacks tremendously is with the cringy cast they selected.
Palm City, the area that plays host to NFS Heat is basically one giant nightclub. With blinding amounts of neon lights, and a seemingly ever-present bassline which possibly explains the narcissism of the characters... Even though other titles like Forza Horizon has done the party-vibe before NFS Heat feels a little too aggressive and in-your-face with it. You are a rookie on the scene in Palm City. After selecting your avatar from a good couple of options and customizing him or her to give them the personal feel you will be tasked with getting cash to spend on your gifted clanger of a car, as well as improve your overall rep in the racing scene. What follows is a rather familiar formula of doing races, smashing billboards and competing in a few drift challenges to build up bank and rep, cringy I know. I found the first few levels to be somewhat slow until hitting enough rep to continue the story.
The races in NFS Heat have two distinct, but contrasting, personalities. By day, races are organized and planned with barriers and the needed all set up and ready to race. These races generate money for you as an aspiring racer. But it is during the night when Heat truly shines. These races are more raw and visceral and these races act as XP races to boost your level so you can unlock cars, races and upgrades. Although, at night you are not the only ones out on the streets. The police turn-up their patrols and bring out their most powerful and aggressive cars. Whether you are simply taking a cruise or mid-race if they spot you they will come after you until you either shake them or they ram you into submission.
Another aspect of the night racing that really adds to the drama is the fact that your rep earned at night only "banks" when you turn into a garage. Meaning that if you get busted by the police before being able to do so, all your hard work of grinding is lost!
The underground-series made NFS famous for the over the top styling and modding. Since the franchise has stuck with the modding and Heat is no different! The majority of the stable of cars in Heat will look rather familiar to players of Payback. One of the great additions is that Ferrari have decided to get back on board and they brought a large ensemble of cars to add to the garage! Toyota, however, has once again decided to skip this outing leaving us wanting some Supra goodness, both mk4 and mk5!
As is par for the modding-course, all the JDM classics from the '90s are here (apart from the Supra). Supercars are in abundance and big American muscle can be found all over! Many European monsters and even some fast Volvo's! There are definitely cars for everyone! These cars also have every fine little detail that their real-world counterparts have. And they look especially great in the rain, as does most of the world of Palm city. With the slightest detail such as raindrops running down body panels and windscreens.
The cars' handling has also been reworked from previous titles. Drifting can now be initiated by taking your finger off the throttle and then ploughing it through your controller to start your skid. For the driver craving more the "realistic" feel this can be troublesome for the times you actually need to feather the throttle through corners. Luckily this setting can be changed back to brake-for-drift. For the first time in an NFS game, the feel between FWD, RWD and AWD can actually be experienced in the way cars handle, even if its only slight!
Engine swops, as in Forza, is one of the key modding features in Heat. This takes away some of the performance ceilings that many cars hit rather early in their tuning life! But what really caught my eye was the way you can tune your exhaust note. Want it loud, brash, tinny, or just want it to sound like a run-of-the-mill daily, you can tune it! The livery system is back and as good as before. Style your car the way you want it. From a classic black on black to the way out pearl paint with minute rims and even those who are into the stance scene, heat has styling options to suit everyone!
I am fortunate enough to have access to both Xbox One and PS4 consoles and spending more time on my Xbox, the charging station that Apex Interactive sent me was a welcome sight! PDP does make cost-conscious products. To most companies, cost-consciousness means a budget product at a budget price. For PDP this is not true! Their range of controllers and headsets tick the quality box as well as the budget box!
PDP also provides two rechargeable battery pack that simply fit inside the Xbox One controller the same way normal batteries would fit. The cover is then replaced by the provided PDP cover which has an opening perfectly slotted to provide great contact between the battery pack and the charging station.
With the PDP battery pack connected the Xbox One controller feels slightly heavier than it does with standard batteries but the weight difference is hardly noticeable and the result is worth the extra few grams. During the time I spent using the PDP ultraslim charge station I put in multiple gaming sessions that lasted more than 8 hours, save for a few bathroom- and snack breaks and the batteries did not skip a beat. In fact, I hardly got past the 50% mark that the Xbox provides to show controller battery level.
At the start of this game, 
The Outer Worlds can easily be compared to the likes of Fallout when it comes to gameplay, which for the most of the time, that means it has rather strong and serious undertones. The gameplay and mechanics certainly take most of its ideas from Fallout. Where it does differ from the Fallout series, is in its storytelling and how it incorporates satire EVERYWHERE! The story and dialogue choices, which are the heart of the storytelling and decision-making that really makes The Outer Worlds great. But drawing too much from the tongue-in-cheek games like Borderlands, does make some decisions more difficult to make. Not knowing whether the dialogue is meant to be satirical or seriously did creep into a fair amount of choices made during my playtime.
Missions or side missions can be tackled much like in Fallout. You can either try to talk your way through them if you have enough skill points on charisma and persuasion, fight your way through, all guns blazing, or try to avoid any type of conflict by sneaking around the enemies.
Although the game tries to make it seem like these decisions have real consequences, unfortunately, they don't do THAT much apart from making certain factions like, or dislike you more which in turn will make them treat you less kindly when interacting with them.
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The above mentioned are the only slightly negative things about The Outer Worlds. Let us start with the skills and upgrades and abilities. In other games, you will find yourself dumping all your earned skill points into a few skills, such as strength, dexterity and vitality. Skills such as chemistry and charisma are often almost pointless. In The Outer Worlds, this is not the case. Quite the contrary. You can build an almost completely non-combat character that will still be able to fight wildlife and marauders, who don't like to reason but be able to almost talk your way out of any situation. This opens up for tremendous amounts of replayability.
The loot, inventory and upgrading system is another feature that really makes The Outer Worlds shine. While there is a vast array of weapons and armour to loot across the many planets in The Outer Worlds, each item can be customized itself. This will encourage you to try a host of weapons and find which work best for certain enemies. Found a weapon that you really like? No need to worry, weapons can be upgraded in many ways, damage, elemental damage and more, making even one of your trusty old weapons relevant throughout the game.
Any type of work is always better with a friend. In the Outer Worlds, these friends come in the form of companions. There are a total of 6 companions to be found throughout the game. These companions each have a skill tree and skillset of their own. Meaning each companion will be useful for different situations. Are you the type that shoots before you ask any questions? Pair up with a companion that has good charisma and you might not have to shoot quite as much. Need someone with good creativity and lockpicking, maybe your companion can help with that!
Some of the skills that your main character can learn have a passive effect on your companion which means you need to take great care when applying those skill points. Not only can these companions be kitted out from head to toe, but they each also have their very own personality and back story. As the story progresses and you find yourself moving to different planets, so the companion story arc evolves as well which makes exploring their story and missions fun and satisfying in their own right!
Although I reviewed The Outer Worlds on the original Xbox One, it still looked wonderful, colours are bright and vibrant, the worlds all look so contrast and the way each towns design and feel just add to the message they are trying to send is splendid. Player models and faces are some of the best I've seen from a game of this type!
At its core, The Outer Worlds doesn't change much from the recipe that Fallout has created, and that shouldn't bother many people, in fact, it should welcome a few of those who are hesitant about this game. What does help its cause is the stellar performance when it comes to the story and the narrative. Not only does it provide a great compelling story which I WANTED to follow and see through to the end. It gives you tons of quirky and fun moments within the story. To go with that is the brilliant cast of characters that you meet and come to love or hate as you go through this game.
Logitech has been known to make real spectacular headsets. From the space-age look of the 6 and 9 series to the more toned down 4 series. The G Pro range takes some design cues from both these and lands firmly in the "perfect" zone. Logitech built a gaming headset with the style and grace as if it came straight out of the 1940s! The G Pro X screams class, without raising its voice. The first, and a most obvious sign that Logitech was being serious with the G Pro X, was the exclusion of any RGB. The flat leather headband is generously padded ensuring hours of comfort. With the simple imprint of PRO on top. Beautifully rounded pill-shaped earcups with a matte black finish around the sides, and flat metallic discs on the ear. Adorning these metal discs is a simple and smooth Logitech logo. The earcups are attached to the headband by strong, solid metal arms which hive the earcups more than enough movement to ensure very good and comfy fit over and around your ears.
Logitech fits these earcups with leatherette as a standard, but provide microfibre alternative if you prefer them. The microfibre ear cushions are very soft and comfortable and can easily be used as the default ear cushions. For those who are familiar with the Astro A40 and A50, the ear cushions are exactly the same. The leatherette cushions, however, are spectacular, not only do they feel really good on, but they also improve noise cancellation tremendously.
Looking at the G Pro X you will instantly see it to be a premium headset, picking it up confirms that. It does have some weight to it but even after long hours of gaming they never seem to feel excessively heavy. The clamp of the G Pro X does, however, feel rather tight at first, but after a few hours of tuning the fit, they become so snug that you forget you have them on.
Another great feature is the equalizers. Logitech, being esports conscious, has given you the ability to download the equalizer presets from some of your favorite Logitech sponsored esports athletes. If you are struggling to find the right mix for Dota2, or need that extra edge when it comes to CS: GO, there will be a preset equalizer for that! And if none of them work you can create your own and upload it so others can use yours instead.
Finally, we come to the main feature. The new microphone. First off, the G hub gives you a feature to record a small voice clip of yourself. Then it lets you free with all the Blue Voice presets and knobs to play with. It has preset settings for a few major presets such as streamer, broadcaster, etc. If you need to sound beefier, there is a preset for that, needless background noise, there is a button for that. The options are virtually endless. In all honesty, the microphone quality is so good that I am envious of the people in my party. Speaking to a person in real life sounds worse than this!
Don't forget about the wonderful carry pouch they supply, for when you need to take your G Pro X on the road!
During games like Apex Legends and Destiny 2, I was equally impressed with how even though there is utter chaos on-screen, the sounds are precise and clear and every crack of a bullet and pin-out of a grenade can be distinguished! The only place the Pro X does become more "normal" is when it is not being used in conjunction with the Logitech G Hub. Using it while playing Xbox did not show up its faults, more so, it shows you that the headset is decent without the magic software. Still delivering top-notch clarity and distinguishable tones but unfortunately no Blue Voice mic.
Trine 4 predominantly focuses on using the 3 characters and their abilities to solve puzzles. Using the thief and wizard, predominantly, you can solve most of the puzzles laid out before you. On the odd occasion, you might need the knight to reflect or deflect things that block your path. There are however a few combat stages that are scattered across the stages. These, unfortunately, do nothing for the game and I found myself wishing them to be over rather than enjoying them. They are also rather straight forward. Simply select the knight and bash and deflect until you have defeated all the enemies.
Trine 4 has the most beautiful and vivid maps and areas that I have come across in a long time. The forests, caves and even dilapidated castles are all spectacular and lovely to see. Even though it is a 2.5D scroller, the backdrops feel alive and vivid. From the birds flying overhead, or the spiders and other animals crawling past in the background, all seem so natural. This gives Trine a wonderful sense of fantasy, much like I felt while watching the Harry Potter series. A sense of a truly living world happening around you. To add to this lovable and enjoyable setting is the way the game challenges you but without frustrating you. There are areas where you will get stuck for a few minutes but they do not hold you back long enough to get you frustrated. I found myself enjoying the odd challenge here and there. The respawn system is also extremely forgiving which will see your fallen comrades not stay downed for very long.
While spending around 12 hours in Trine 4, I never once experienced a "game over". Trine does not try to have you fail. It does not need to keep you playing for longer by making you struggle. It relies on its wonderful storytelling and fun, yet challenging puzzles to keep you hooked. And hooked you will be.
As if that wasn't enough. You can also party up with a friend and have a second character, constantly, by your side. This will see you fly through many of the puzzles but also have the game adjust itself to make it a little more challenging. All in all the game has great replayability if you want to give it a bash solo, or with some mates.
These classes can be upgraded using cybernetic implants, accompanied by a host of high and low tech weapons, you are sure to be having some dismembering-fun in no time! What really struck me was how each of these weapons and armor that is at your disposal has an effect on the movement and flow of your rig. When you are using the Operator rig you feel like you can chain attacks together and bounce between enemies like Spiderman, but on the flip side, you can be sent flying across the battlefield with a single blow.
Blocking and injectables are both new systems that improve Surge 2 dramatically. The blocking and parrying system feels like it has been directly taken from For Honor. For those not familiar with this system, it does take some getting used to but once you are comfortable, it is extremely robust and very rewarding. The block and parry system works extremely well when using the goliath class with its extremely slow attack speed. Guessing the attacking direction correctly will see you parry and counter which is extremely satisfying when done correctly. The newly added injectables also add a whole new dimension to the fighting dynamic. Even though two goliath classes are identical, applying a variety of injectables can because both these Goliath builds to be completely different. This increases the replay-ability of Surge 2.
Executions are very clever and satisfying. As before, you need to target specific body parts and once you have done enough damage, you can dismember that limb. The animations for these dismemberments are spectacular. But what makes it truly great is the way it integrates into the looting system. In Surge 2 most of your loot is collected from downed enemies. Instead of this loot just being random, the way you fight the opponent will determine the loot that they drop. Looking for a very specific piece of armor? You will need to find an enemy wearing that exact piece of armor and dismember it. This gives the player reason to go and hunt down specific enemies. At the same time,it puts an interesting take on the looting and grinding aspect because it puts less emphasis on grinding until you find the item you looking for and rather has you exploring until you find someone with that item.
With the story being told via NPCs and recordings that can be picked up, and the game allowing you to explore areas in any order, the story can become disjointed if you wander into an area and get plot details out of order. When the dust settles on Surge 2, the general feeling was that the incentive of gathering stronger loot is more than what progressing the story was. This is not a negative point but it is something to be aware of if you are looking for a more story-driven RPG.
