The new Logitech range which includes the G733 Lightspeed headset does a lot to find the middle ground for Logitech. Logitech has always made spectacular hardware but they have often struggled to find a balance between their more practical products and their G gaming range. The G733 takes the great performance that is required from the gaming range, needed for gamers to perform at their optimal levels and blends it into the more practical and playful looks that Logitech has often lacked. Still, very much business orientated, but the G733 shows that work can be done even if you loosen the tie and ruffle the hair ever so slightly...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkxeThlKLXc
Design
On most occasions, headsets that are rather lightweight tend to feel and are generally cheaper and not built too well. As a general rule of thumb, with a bit of weight comes better build quality and a stronger structure in general. The Logitech G733 ditches these ideas and gives you a headset that is extremely light. Only weighing a measly 278g, which is a significant weight cut compared to other high-end Logitech headsets. Although 278g might not sound like much, when you are wearing a headset for many hours continuously, you will thank Logitech for making such a lightweight headset.
The comfort does not stop there. The earcups are lined with soft flexible memory foam cushioning that offers a comfortable fit and helps with sealing off the outside world as well as not causing too much heat after wearing them for extended periods of time. The new headband system that Logitech has adapted to for the G733 is simply fantastic. Many other brands have been using it for quite some time, allowing for the weight of the headset to be spread across a band over your head rather than using a single contact point as "traditional" headsets do. The headband makes the G733 feel like it's floating above your head and only attached to your head at the earcups. If for some reason, the headset doesn't fit quite right, the headband can even be adjusted to sit more snug, well done Logitech! Did I mention the headband elastic is reversible if the already funky colour doesn't quite suit your mood for the day?
Although the straight and square design is rather new to the Logitech roster (copying more of the Astro look than Logitech) it is made from all plastic rather than the more carbon and metallic bits are seen on other high-end Logitechs'. The plastic is strong and durable but it always will bring in a sense of cheapness even though, in this case, it is not the case. Being plastic also allows the G733 to be made in bright and beautiful colours such as black, white, grey, and a beautiful blue. The front rim of the earcups is embellished by an RGB strip that acts as two programmable areas for RGB.
Features
Let us start with the controls. Firstly, the G733 connects wirelessly via a USB dongle. This works fine and dandy on the console but the G733 is more at home on the PC. More on that a little later. On the left earcup, you will find the microphone, which now features Blue Voice, thanks to Logitech's purchase of Blue Microphones. On the rear of the earcup, there is a discrete flat button that allows for microphone mute. When pressed you will hear an audio queue acknowledging that you are now muted or unmuted. Extremely handy when you are not sure if you hit the mute button before you start conveying your disgust at a stupid play a fellow teammate made.
Below the mute button, there is a volume dial, this dial can turn endlessly both ways and adjust your PC's main volume. So when turning you should get the volume level displayed by Windows. The last button on the rather barren G733 is the power button, hold to switch on, hold to switch off, a short press will have a lady tell you the battery level in your ear, nice!
The aspect that has really made me fall in love with Logitech is how amazing their Ghub software is, and the resulting performance you get from the headset. The G733, thanks to the Ghub software, can compete with headsets that are much more expensive, due to the customization levels introduced in the Ghub software.
Ghub Customizations
The most obvious customization feature is RGB. Like all the other Logitech products, the G733 features the same options when it comes to RGB settings. Rainbow sliders and the normal options, I prefer to use a screen sampler, which allows the RGB on the headset to mimic what is happening on the screen. Newer game titles are also supported for custom RGB features. While playing Mafia Remastered, I found that when I was being chased by the police, all three ( keyboard, mouse, and headset) would flash red and blue as the police sirens and light would do. That really makes immersion fantastic and with constant games being added to the supported list, this is spectacular.
The G733 features virtual surround sound thanks to DTS. The virtual surround sound that is featured with most Logitech headsets is some of the most accurate I have experienced in any stereo headset. Some other well-known brands seem to sound more like an echo than actually true spatial sound. After tinkering with the surround sound there is more equalizers and settings to fiddle with until you have tweaked the audio to just what you want. If you can't quite tweak it your way, why not simply download a preset that someone else has made and uploaded to the Ghub. Quick and simple, find a setup you think might work and download it and test it out. This is an approach more companies should take. I have become a snob because of this feature and setting my own equalizers have now become somewhat of a pain.
The recent addition of Blue Voice in top-end Logitech headsets is tremendous. Suddenly your Logitech headset can replace the likes of a separate stand microphone thanks to the amazing tech crammed into a small headset mic. Not only can you set your microphone equalizer to allow you to sound perfectly crisp and clear, but there are also presets such as AM Radio, broadcaster, FM radio and presets for soft, loud, high and low voice types! If anyone has ever told you that your voice would not suit radio, the Blue Voice tech can make you sound like you have the sweetest voice on earth!
Performance
The Logitech G733 is a wireless headset, and with that comes certain "problems" when it comes to the audio performance. When there is no audio playing, even at low volume, there is the normal hum. Not a big deal, but to someone who believes in wired is better, this can be very annoying. Fortunately, the G733 makes up for this slight flaw with exceptional audio quality. With the extremely powerful equalizer that can be tuned to make nearly any form of music or in-game audio sound perfect, we were hard-pressed to really find something wrong. So to be completely unbiased I decided to give the G733 to a few people to give their opinions in terms of audio. The G733 is fitted with the same 40mm drivers as the G Pro X which is still our favourite all-time headset. For this reason, the G733 sounds nearly exactly the same. Mids are spot on with highs being at the verge of being too high. Lows are firm and strong but can become slightly muddy when the mids are truly working hard. This was only slightly noticeable during some intense BFV firefights.
The Logitech G733 soundstage is clearly taken from the G Pro X which is intended with esports in mind, hence the stage is smaller and closer than other headsets. This is by no means a deal-breaker because when I took them for a spin in Horizon Zero Dawn the vast openness and gusts of wind perfectly gave the sense of a massive open area.
Verdict
The Logitech G Pro X was easily our favourite headset and our standard to which all headsets are measured. This leaves any other headset that lands in our hands at an immediate disadvantage. The G733 put a smile on our face when we put it on, it is comfortable and light. When we turned it on and started using it our smile increased even more! Chatting to friends online and hearing them say "wow, you sound so perfectly-clear" simply made us fall in love! The G733 takes what made the G Pro headsets so wonderful and adds in some refreshing styling showing that you can be both business while still looking great and fun!
If you are looking for a wireless option and the GPro X or G935 just does not do it for you, why not take a look at something just as good but a little more pleasing to the eye.
Special thanks to Logitech for supplying the review hardware
Opening the box of the Mediabox Maverick you are met with a surprisingly sleek and light. Unlike many of the consoles, *cough cough* this little powerhouse is no eyesore and can easily be placed on your tv cabinet, and no need to try and hide it. It is generally square with rounded edges and is generally the size of ones' palm. The little Maverick might be small in size but what lays underneath the hood is impressive. On the side, it features two USB ports, one being USB 3.0 and the other USB 2.0. As expected an HDMI out and an Ethernet input, some AV stereo jacks, and most surprisingly an Optical SPDIF output for those who want the best possible audio quality. What all these ports mean is that you can link up quite a number of devices to this little powerhouse!
The Maverick comes with a new and improved remote from its predecessor. Very similar in design but functionality, in general, just feels better. the sleek and glossy remote fits comfortably in your hand and having dedicated buttons for Netflix, Youtube, Prime Video, and Google play has you hopping onto the couch and watching before you are even fully settled into your seat. As if these shortcut keys are not enough you can also control the Maverick by voice using the Google assistant that, coming from a Siri user, is REALLY good and accurate in understanding what I want to watch. Simply tell it "Open New Amsterdam in Netflix" (yes I watch New Amsterdam, don't judge me) and the Maverick will have you covered!
I am sure that most of you are more interested in how it works and how it performs rather than what numbers it has under the hood. But for those who are interested, here we go! The Mediabox Maverick features a 2.0GHz quad-core CPU and a Mali-G31 850MHz GPU, what that equates to is a device that runs Android 9 Pie OS while being able to effortlessly manage 4kp60 H.265 and 1080p60 encoders which will ensure that you can watch on-demand and live TV at astonishingly good quality. I used the Maverick on my ancient 55inch Samsung Plasma and I have been contemplating replacing it for quite some time. Thanks to the Mediabox Maverick I have a new love for my old TV and that is thanks to the crisp and colorful images the Maverick displays! The Maverick is also capable of HDR and 4K videos so if you have the hardware that can display it, the Maverick can show it!
On the Mediabox Maverick box, they make a very bold statement, they say it's hassle-free to set up. This is no easy feat as some people are rather technologically challenged so to test Mediaboxs' theory I decided to ask my wife to get our Netflix and DSTV Now up and running. I gave her the remote and left the room, couple of minutes later she triumphantly called to say its good to go, hassle-free setup, check!
Those who have used devices that run Android TV before will find themselves right at home on the Mediabox Maverick. Unlike many cheaper products, the Maverick UI feels premium and works that way as well. It is minimal and smooth and very responsive. From the home screen, where many apps are included straight out the box, such as DSTV Now, Spotify, Showmax, YouTube, RedBull TV, Netflix, and more, but if you still want more, adding any of the other apps are as simple as a few clicks. Mediabox promises that the device is fully supported locally, which means if you had issues with installing or non-functioning apps ( I am looking at you Mediabox Ranger) you can contact the support and they can remotely install or fix problems you might have, or for those who put the "hassle" back in the "hassle-free" setup. Chrome-cast is also built into the Maverick so if you are watching a YouTube video on your phone, or watching something on your PC, you can easily cast it over to the Maverick and enjoy it on a bigger screen.
During my time spent with the Mediabox Maverick, I spent a lot of time between Twitch, Netflix, Showmax, and DSTV Now and I could hardly find any issue apart from a single issue when using Netflix. When in Netflix and watching an episode of any program, the volume keys on the remote don't work, minimizing Netflix and volume up on the home screen works fine but then you need to navigate back, fortunately, Netflix picks up where you left off but this does get annoying but definitely not a dealbreaker!
*price accurate at the time of the article
The TurtleBeach Stealth 700 Gen 2, like most TurtleBeach headsets, do cater for those who wear glasses and the slight indentation right where your spectacle arms go should work wonderfully, allowing minimal sound to escape through those openings. Although the earcup foam is really thick they are also wide, which means the space for your ear is not that big, TurtleBeach has tried to make them fit better by making the opening angled so that your ears should sit inside better.
The boom mic sits on the left ear. It flips up and down, but personally, I feel it could flip down a bit further as I tend to pick it up in my peripheral vision. The mic can also be angled in to sit closer to the face. The rest of the controls, which include the volume roller, a chat mixer, a mode and Bluetooth button, a flush power button, and the USB-C connector for charging.
I have had my trepidations about the comfort of TurtleBeach headsets and the Stealth 600 Gen 1, for one, felt terrible when wearing them. Not so much the fit but the mesh earcups were extremely rough and caused significant irritation around my ears. When the Gen 2 versions came along I was very happy to see that the mesh on the earcups had been changed which dramatically changed the comfort. The Stealth 600 Gen 2 was comfortable, nothing to write home about but not terrible. During long sessions the Stealth 600 would get very warm around the ears, that would be my only immediate complaint. So on to the Stealth 700 Gen 2, we go...
The first thing I notice regarding the Stealth 700 is the clamping force. The headset clamps really tight and that explains the need for the really thick earcups. You need them to counter the clamping force. Some might not like the clamp but personally, I like it as it lessens the force on the top of your head. Fortunately, the Stealth 700 does not weigh too much so there is nearly no hanging pressure on the top of your head and generally it doesn't feel like you are wearing a big headset. The thick earcups do a good job of passive noise suppression but not to the level where you might not hear someone speaking to you. The earcups are also noticeably cooler than any of the previous headsets and wearing them for extended periods of time should not be a problem.
Something to take note of is the fact that the Stealth 700 Gen 2 might come across as a little bareboned. The Stealth 700 Gen 2 makes use of the TurtleBeach Audio HUB which is an app that you can load on your smartphone and use to control many of the settings of the headset. The app itself is rather empty and the moment, but for good reason. The Generation 2 headsets from Turtle Beach are aimed to be cross-generational Headsets, meaning they will work on Xbox One and PS4, as well as Series S/X and PS5. Due to this TurtleBeach has decided to leave features such as surround sound out as the new consoles all feature it natively.
A nice feature of using the headset with the app connected is that you will be able to take calls and listen to voice notes etc straight from the headset which is specifically handy when you need to chat to that pesky telemarketer mid-game! The battery life is also not something to scoff at. turtle beach reckons that the Stealth 700 is good for 20 hours of playback on a single charge, this seems to be an underestimate because during our review we comfortably went past the 20-hour mark with battery life to spare.
The Stealth range also incorporates two forms of connectivity. For Console, the Xbox version uses the Xbox Wireless technology where on PS it uses Bluetooth. Both very acceptable connection methods. On PC the dongle can be used for the 2.4ghz wireless signal or if your PC features Bluetooth, you can decide to go that route as well. Either way, there is no reason the Stealth 700 won't work for you!
Lastly, the microphone quality is surprisingly good. When chatting in discord without noise cancellation active in discord the mic is still crisp and clear and picks up very little background noise. Switching over to the console where there is less software to make devices sound good, the result was very similar. Voices did seem slightly "further away" on console compared to PC but once again it is better than many other headsets
The Stealth 700 Gen 2 is a wonderfully comfortable and easy-to-use wireless headset. The simple plug&play setup and good out-the-box audio is something that users who don't want the fuss of setting up and connecting extremely cumbersome equipment would absolutely love. The Stealth 700 Gen 2 might not be everyone's cup of tea in terms of size and fit but it does sit really snug and the build feels absolutely on point. Considering the features that are crammed into this headset, wireless connectivity, Bluetooth, great audio, and the ability to work seamlessly with the new range of consoles, suddenly the slightly steeper price doesn't seem so bad...
When the Stealth range initially launched there were phenomenally groundbreaking in the features they brought to the table as well as their price. The package looked so good that one could forgive a few simple flaws. A couple of years down the line and with a second-generation being launched one would expect similar leaps and bounds in terms of bang for your buck, and this is where the Stealth 700 Gen 2 currently falls short. Featuring all the features that made the Generation 1 so wonderful and only adding cross-generation support in a price range that will make you think twice before you buy could really hurt the Stealth 700 Gen 2.
In terms of buttons, the Pro X Superlight features the normal left- and right-click buttons that, according to Logitech, won't suffer the same fate that so many other GPro's have suffered. The dreaded double-click of death. Logitech has said that the switches have been redesigned and they are sure the dreaded double click issue has been solved. During my time spent with the Pro X Superlight, I can confirm that I did not have a single clicking issue, that originated from the mouse itself that is, my bad reaction time is another story! The clickable wheel that features a really good looking white accent is wonderfully weighted and just grippy enough to not go on a roll if your finger happens to slide by it. There are two inside thumb buttons that protrude enough for your hand to quickly learn where they are. Even with smaller hands, like mine, I never felt like I had to adjust my grip to ensure I reach the thumb buttons.
Flipping the Pro X Superlight over you will be greeted with the power slider, as well as really large skates, the white plastic skates that adorn the bottom of the Pro X Superlight are there to help this piece of tech slide and glide as smoothly and effortlessly as anyone can possibly hope for. There is also a compartment that can be opened that has space for you to store your USB dongle when traveling. And if the large skates were not enough already, Logitech sends a spare compartment cover that serves as another large skate, no need to worry, the extra skate doesn't add any weight to this feather-light mouse.
The second tab is the option for you to reallocate your buttons to do certain things. If you would prefer your right button to not be aim-down-sight you can easily change it out with another button. This feature runs hand in hand with the next feature, which is the ability to create profiles for each and every specific game you play. If you have an extremely intricate button setup for your favorite game, but that setup does not work well with your other games, Logitech has you covered. Ghub is capable of picking up which game you are currently playing and it will automatically switch to the relevant settings that you have saved.
It is very clear that the Pro X Superlight is aimed at the more serious gamer and the esports player and probably the FPS crowd more specifically. For that exact reason, I thought it would be best suited to test the Superlight in games such as R6 Siege, Escape from Tarkov, and Battlefront 2. The first and most obvious thing that you as the player need to get used to is the weight. It is extremely light but once you have gotten to grips with how easily it moves and slides but it is scarily accurate. The sensor is so accurate and dependable that within a few hours I found myself turning my DPI setting down from 1000 to 600 and instead of small movements I opted for more sweeping arm movements, the results were tremendous!
The accuracy during gunfights in R6 Siege improved my confidence tremendously and I found myself taking on long-range engagements more comfortably. Any person who has spent some time in escape from Tarkov knows that it is not simply just a shooter, although shooting is what will save your life. And the Pro X Superlight did save my bacon more than once in a space of 4 to 5 raids. The ability to scan the surroundings and simply flick to where you spot your enemy and being exactly where you should be has allowed me to pull the trigger first on numerous occasions!
Logitech has taken the benchmark for lightweight wireless mice and moved it once again! Not only has it made a 63g monster that is capable of retaining all of the premium builds and feels it was capable of cramming all the needed features and superb performance into that same package. The Pro X Superlight might look identical to the GPro Wireless but the Pro X Superlight is much more than just a GPro Wireless on a diet. It is testimony to what Logitech stands for. Taking a great product and constantly improving on it and perfecting the near-perfect. The pricetag is what might cause most people to rather consider a different Logitech mouse and with fair reason. The Superlight is not cheap, and with competitors like, the Razer Viper Ultimate sitting in similar price ranges with more goodies in the box is a true competitor's choice. If you prefer bigger mice that weigh nearly nothing is definitely the mouse you need, and yes, it WILL improve your aim, Promise!
Would I buy one, in a heartbeat!
From the moment I placed the Razer Naga Pro in my hand, the first thing that came to mind was the fact that this mouse will get a large number of mixed opinions. The Naga Pro will by no means be a generally-loved or generally-hated mouse. No, it will have a cult following as well as many haters. The design and grip will not be to everyone's liking. The Naga Pro is not much different from the previous generation of Nagas. It is a big mouse that sits rather wide in your palm, filling most of my hand. This might not be ideal for those who prefer the small mice that can be easily thrown and flicked around a mousepad. Each side of the Naga Pro is dressed with ample sized textured grip areas on both the inside and outside. But one of the most prominent things I found was where my pinky finger ended up. The Naga Pro has a finger rest on the outside of the mouse, allowing for your pinky, or ring if you have larger hands, to rest off the mousepad. At first glance, I thought that this could be really annoying and would hamper my way of handling the mouse, but with time spent on the Naga Pro I found the finger rest to be a feature I now search for in every mouse I review.
Taking a closer look at the mouse. Topside you will find the standard left and right buttons. A scroll wheel in the middle that has a faintly ribbed feel which does feel good under your finger. The edges of the scroll wheel do light up faintly with the RGB but nothing too drastic. Just below the scroll wheel, there is a DPI up and down. If I have to be extremely critical this could have been a single dpi button and maybe a profile button, but this is me knit-picking! Flipping the Naga Pro over will show the power toggle, which when in the middle is off, sliding it to one side will give you a 2.4GHz wireless connection, flicking to the other side is a Bluetooth connection. The profile switch is also situated close by and last but not least there are the skates. At first glance, the skates seem like normal plastic pieces. But once you start sliding the behemoth of a mouse around you can instantly feel how those skates do work! The Razer Naga Pro does not slide the way you expect. This monster is light and nimble.
What truly makes the interchangeable side panels so great is that they are swappable on the fly. Simply pull the one you are using off, and slide the other one in place, the strong magnets will do the rest. And there you go, the RGB will take over and Razer Synapse will automatically detect the side panel and apply your settings for that panel.
Did I mention the neatly tucked away space to store the USB dongle that you can reach when popping off the side panel, clever Razer!
Apart from the Razer Nagas obvious features, the side panels, it still has a couple of other tricks up its sleeve. Starting with the 2.4 GHz wireless connection. Razer claims this to be the best wireless connection ever, saying that there is less than 1ms delay in their connection. Whether this is true or not we can't prove it but what I can say is that it is really good, I mean REALLY good! Many other reviewers have noted that they do have issues with the 2.4GHz where it would drop away or fail to connect at times. For the whole time that I spent with the Razer Naga Pro, I did not have a single hiccup. It was simply splendid. One of the other advantages of 2.4GHz wireless is that it uses significantly less power than other connections. Razer claims that with your RGB turned off, you can squeeze an amazing 100 hours of battery life. I did not ever measure exact hours but even with RGB set to ambient awareness I easily kept on fighting and gliding for a couple of days. Maybe I have been spoilt with the Razer Viper Ultimate, but charging your mouse with a conventional cable doesn't quite cut it anymore. Fortunately, the universal charging dock (sold separately) can charge your Naga Pro as well.
The next feature that is easily overlooked due to the fact that nearly all of this generation of Razer mice feature it, is the optical switches. Gone are the days of using green, yellow, blue, brown, and every other color of the rainbow -switches. No, we have reached the time of the optical (queue the epic music). Not only are they even faster and more accurate than any of the mechanical switches, but they also sound and feel perfect. Even going back to my Viper Ultimate Pro felt different and strange. Optical switches are, simply put, the next big thing that could happen to mice and keyboards.
The Razer Naga Pro might seem like it is designed and intended for a very specific audience. And you won't be wrong to think of it that way. Hell, I felt exactly the same way. But once you start using the rather large Naga Pro you will find that it is not intended for one audience only, in fact, it has every single genre of gamers in mind. From the MMO and RTS fans to the FPS players, the Razer Naga Pro is more than capable to tackle literally any game you throw at it. Simply flick the side panel off, using the Green force have the mouse attach its own new side panel and keep playing as nothing has happened. Although the Razer Naga Pro might be a big mouse, that some more hardcore FPS players might frown at, thanks to the wonderful skates it glides and slides like a mouse half its size.
If you are in the market for a mouse and you are looking for an all-in-one mouse, the Razer Naga Pro is literally the mouse you have been waiting for. Great wireless, spectacular buttons, mindblowing side panels that cater for anything and everything and comfort, that once you are used to, will redefine what comfort is to you. Simply put, I can't really think of a mouse I would rather have as my go-to mouse. As long as you can stomach the hefty price tag...
The DeathAdder V2 Pro drops the, often excessive, RGB to show that it means more esports-business than many of the other Razer hardware. The only source of RGB comes in the form of the standard Razer emblem found on the palm area of the mouse. The scroll wheel, which also features ribbed textures, features no RGB and is less protruding than some of the other Razer mice on the market. This creates a much sleeker look which suites the fluent lines of the DeathAdder V2 Pro.
Flipping the DeathAdder V2 Pro over will show one button that allows you to flick between profiles that can be set. A second slider allows you to choose the way you want to connect your Deathadder to your PC. The DeathAdder V2 Pro can connect to devices via Bluetooth which is great if you want to use it on devices that don't support USB dongles to be connected. Another option is the wired method. Using the supplied braided USB cable, called a Speedflex cable in the Razer house, a cable that just oozes premium. Lastly, but my preferred method of connection is using the Razer Hyperspeed which uses 2.4Ghz technology to eliminate the most input lag possible. You will also see two golden pegs, these can be used to charge the DeathAdder V2 Pro via the Razer charging dock, which is sold separately.
The DeathAdder V2 Pro comes with the new optical switches that swap out mechanical clicks for the speed-of-light opticals, in layman's terms, optical is faster and better! The optical switches are also rated for a mindblowing 70 million clicks! Most of the newer Razer mice have started using the Focus + sensor. This new sensor is able to handle DPI settings from as low as 200 all the way to 20 000. As a user, you are able to set 5 DPI steps via the Razer Synapse app. The Focus+ sensor boasts a resolution accuracy of 99.6% which is mindblowing for a sensor that is capable of being that accurate at 650 IPS (inches per second). Did I mention it will be accurate up to speeds of 50G's, your mouth is hanging open, not mine! As if that wasn't enough, Razer boasts even more features such as Smart Tracking and MotionSync to improve accuracy even more.
When reviewing new headsets or mice, there is usually an adjustment period, which, especially in FPS games, can have a devastating effect when playing seriously punishing shooters such as Escape from Tarkov. When I jumped into R6 Siege and EFT I did so with the expectation of seeing my performance drop significantly. When this did not happen I was very surprised. The DeathAdder V2 Pro has such a comfortable feel to it that it feels more natural than even your daily mouse will feel. While playing Siege I found my aim to be great and the way the DeathAdder moves across the mousepad will have you looking down to see if you actually have anything in your hand!
OK OK AMANDA... I'll do this properly. So little hope is a game based on the choices you make, and all these choices affect the 5 characters you play as, while on their way to a field trip their bus has an accident, as in crashes not soils its chassis. This game picks up right off the bat and throws players into a world of misery, fear, and confusion. How do I know this I enlisted someone very near and dear to me a one Dalal light, she helped me interpret all the symbols and even some details other will miss, and hearing her chuckle and then say “well let me tell you one thing right away, someone is not going to have a very good day”, this didn’t set me up well to play this game. I pressed on, only to hear “oh I wouldn’t go that way not with that there”. And after politely thanking and sending miss light on her way I carried on, with a greater fear of the unknown than before.
The game pushes players in 1 direction, both literally and figuratively, a dense fog shrouds the town and any attempt to go backward is futile, the fog simply swallows you up and sends you facing the other way. The players are constantly haunted by noises and quick glimpses of distorted figures in the background, creating a constant tension of what’s going to happen next.
Little hope was a bustling town back in its day, major factories being the town's lifeblood, but when the factories were closed down, the town was deserted and became a ghost town. In more ways than one. The town, even before its heyday, has a dark history. During the witch burnings of Salem, Little Hope did its fair share of witch-hunting and much to miss lights displeasure… Wait, when did you sneak back in? Uhm the brutal murders of supposed witches.
The Dark Pictures Anthology has a rather large focus on the character relations that you can build or break by way of the decisions you make. These actions do not only have a single effect on the storyline. Upset someone now, and have that consequence resonate back to bite you later. This makes every single decision, be it made with the head or the heart, have a massive cause and effect on the story. You will also be persuaded by the demons of your past or the past of a past life… Or the past of a past life’s past life? Ghastly distorted disfigured and mangled visages of what was once human and it's up to you to make the right choices or face the consequences.
And if the game itself isn’t creepy enough, you will periodically meet “the curator” a mildly pleasantly unpleasant person, who will talk you through your choice as the game goes on, being a little more than cynical of your choices if not very judgemental in his opinion….he offers “tips” if you can call them that from time to time but don’t expect a clear-cut answer it’s a riddle within a mystery.
It's up to you to get the 5 lost souls through this horror town to hopefully a good ending, hidden throughout the game are postcards with pictures which provide the player a small vision of what may or may not come to pass, based on your decisions made up to that point, I cannot say if they help or not. But that’s all on you...
The visuals of the game are stunning if not eerie, the music will always keep you in a state of unease, when those violins start up the hairs on the back of my neck start doing backflips… Even if nothing happens… At that point anyway. The fog always there, always foreboding, spurring you on and keeping all the horrors and nasties hidden until the time is right. I kind-of just scared myself there. Little hope has a wonderful if you can call it that, way of building tremendous amounts of suspense. Be that with the eerie soundtrack or perfectly placed silences. If you don't turn in your chair a few times during this game there is something wrong with you.
During this night you spend trying to save these 5 characters you will learn so much about the witch-trails in general. And especially the horrors that would be the reason for so many innocent people to be put to death. Just like the curator will mention on several occasions, nothing is quite what it seems. And that statement rings true throughout the terror-filled night. Whether you care to listen to the voice of reason, or rather dig a bit further, maybe lend an ear to a creepy little girl, you might just make sense of this nightmare.
The Dark Pictures Anthology is so good at telling an intricate story that they are able to take a story, that at first, seems like nothing makes any sense, and have you piece the blocks together to help you experience one of the most "aha" moments ever just before the credits roll...
Logitech has also spoilt the user by supplying every connection type known to man. As standard, the G432 has a 3.5mm connection but supplied, is a splitter that splits audio and mic separately. Along with this splitter is the DAC, a USB device that your 3.5mm jack plugs into. This is a nice touch by Logitech ensuring the headset can be used in any possible way. Not many manufacturers include these adapters in more budget orientated headsets. Good job Logitech!
Although the G432 does suffer from a few minor design flaws that affect comfort, like the loose-fitting earcups, these are all up to user preference. Personally, I think they are reasonably comfortable and don't get too hot when wearing for long periods of time. A colleague however had no issue with the loose earcups but was more concerned about the heat buildup after wearing for a couple of hours. So overall it is an even split.
When you connect via the DAC is when the G432 comes alive and the wonderful GHUB shows its true capabilities. The G432 features a virtual 7.1 surround sound thanks to DTS. Setting this up is simple and has you listening to an audio track and adjusting all the speakers accordingly. Using it in games such as Rainbow 6 Siege and Escape from Tarkov game me such a distinct advantage due to the games focusing a lot on audio. In games such as Mafia Definitive edition, the hustle and bustle of the 1930's city really come to life when you walk down the street and people are speaking and cars are buzzing past.
This is not the only feature. Equalizers are completely customizable and if you are not happy with your personal settings you can simply download someone else profiles from the GHUB community. Noise reduction on both the microphone and the audio is great. Especially if you have a noisy household and you don't want to torture your party members with barking dogs or moaning children. The mic quality is really good for its price range but it is definitely more aimed and multiplayer communication rather than any form of streaming or production worthy efforts.
Well, prepare to be underwhelmed. Graphically Dirt 5 is lackluster at best, with switching between graphics and fps modes not making an impacting change at all. Fortunately for Dirt 5 games are not all about graphics, right? Well, Dirt 5 definitely makes up for the above in its variety.
The career mode in Dirt 5 will have you putting your proverbial pedal to the metal for a significant time. In theory, there are 75 tracks in total. yes some of them are reversed versions of each other but 75 is still a big number. The thing that I found made the campaign so much fun is the fact that the sheer size of the career is broken into many small pieces. None of the races or modes feel too long that you find yourself getting bored. In the same breath, I have to say I immediately turned the difficulty up a notch as to give me a fight all the way to the chequered flag.
In Dirt 2.0 the job is simple. Get from the start to the finish as quickly as you can without destroying the car. Dirt 5, being the quirkier brother, throws in a few fun "challenges" to spice things up. Drift for X amount of time, or trade paint in the air, each race will have these challenges. Complete them and it will add towards your reputation and a few other categories which are needed to unlock more car customizations.
Dirt 5 has a respectable lineup of cars. Compared to the likes of NFS or Forza it might fall slightly short but respectable none the less. NFS has its over-the-top car modifications and Forza allows you to tune every last centimeter of the vehicle, Dirt 5 does not do the same, actually, it doesn't allow you to customize your car, performance-wise, at all! Dirt 5 is more about aesthetics. As you progress through the career mode and complete more of the side missions as mentioned before. You will unlock decals for your vehicle. Some of them in form of stickers to slap literally anywhere on your car. Others will be wraps for your vehicle allowing you to customize your ride to your heart's content.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4iQzwrVdT8
What this means is that each vehicle and I use vehicles because not all contraptions are cars, there are buggies and other off-roading abominations have a specific rating. It is rather simply put. Performance and handling. Closer to A-rating the better. The thing that I was slightly upset about is the lack of variation when it came to how the cars felt when changing between classes of cars. This might upset the more die-hard racing fans because it removes the learning curve for each vehicle, but on the flip side, it allows for a much easier pick-up-and-play experience!
A major game feature is the tech menu, offering a range of gadgets, abilities, weapons, and hacking skills all this is unlocked with tech points scattered around the map, each item on the menu can be upgraded to make it more effective, which can be set to each operative to switch up your playstyle or tackle the task at hand. Another major feature is the combat, now I did play the 1st Watch Dogs and sadly missed the 2nd. DONT JUDGE ME AMANDA!!!! But the combat for Watch Dogs: Legion is based around attacking, grappling, and dodging which can be followed up with a counter-attack its proper street fighting bruv. Combat can be made easier by using an operative with a melee weapon or a nice little gadget I call the "punchy zappy face breaky" thing.
My personal Favorite is definitely the remote control spider capable or hacking terminals, getting into tight spaces, getting you into otherwise inaccessible rooms distracting enemies, and scaring the living daylights out of people on the street, yes my little pet spread TERROR... I mean go get me access to that server over there I need to check my Twitter feed messages.
the storyline follows our ever neighborhood hacking community Dedsec being framed for major bombings all over London by the group known as Zero-day, who have no other agenda than just trying to watch the world burn. Albion takes over and basically eliminates almost every criminal enterprise except 1 clan Kelly, so you have some major factions who aren't particularly friendly towards you, unless, you recruit one of them. YES people you can recruit the enemy to your cause, but you will need to buy the special tech ability to deep dive into their profile and find something that you can help them with to turn that frown upside down and join you, now you have a recruit who can walk almost freely around that factions area, just avoid the other guards and cameras and drones.....so everything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mOVusuXl7E
The game doesn’t limit how you play, maybe you’re like me who likes to sneak around set traps and bring out the inner Sam Fischer in you, or walking right up to some git and bashing em in the face yeah? The help will have thought the game will be from the lovable robot AI Baggly who will help you accomplish all your missions, from getting Intel to finding a location to hacking a laptop and wiping someone's debt..... think I need a Baggly....But 1 thing was REALLY confusing to me.... playing many different open-world games like GTA....being forced to drive on the right-hand side of the road and now I'm on the LEFT like I'm weirded out by this, even driving on the left side IN REAL LIFE, like I can’t wrap my head around now driving on the correct side of the road!!! It’s maddening!!! Well, it is to me anyway... AMANDA I SAID STOP JUDGING ME.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqh4BX8-VR4
