Hi im from australia, and here is one of the jackass reviews the xbox got from www.news.com.au, it is the most factless peice of **** ever to be writen, he's done nothing but nitpick and gives little praise where due. this guy must work for sony as he reffers to sony games on two occasions, and the fact that he says fusion frenzy is much better than halo, project gotham, dead or alive 3, etc.. makes me sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! arghhhhhhhhh!!!
The reason why im so ****ed off is because this is the view of the general public, they are so brainwashed by sony products, not just playstations, anything sony must be better, e.g. tv's, dvd's.
I
Xbox packed to the brim
14 MAR 2002
Review by MICHAEL BODEY, Daily Telegraph
MICROSOFT'S most extensive foray into hardware is here and it's no exaggeration to say it will stun some but bore others.
A few of its bells and whistles (including the broadband capability and 16-player hook-up) are irrelevant or inaccessible to most consumers.
And the requirement that you need buy a remote control to access it as a DVD player is insulting. Yet most of the console's advances add heaps to the gaming environment and gives Sony reason to be scared.
Chief among them are the wonderful graphics. The muscly hard drive allows much of a game to remain on the system, resulting in minimal, if any, load times and some very complex and fluid gaming environments. Even so, as it was with the PS2, the launch titles often don't yet appear to fully maximise this asset.
Other assets, such as the Dolby Surround Sound, mean the console should hold its age (even if the bulky controller seems designed to warn off younger players) and enhance the gaming experience.
So, to the games. And for a launch console, the Xbox has a meaty array. Expect 20 more before Easter and then a deluge. Accessibility to current titles is a major strength.
The lead title is Halo, a first person shooter framed in a sci-fi world. While widely praised, methinks it's been hyped too much. Sure, its graphics are mind-blowing and it dispenses with load times but its gameplay is, at times, unnatural and some graphics remain a little blocky.
It's Jak and Daxter in space with the smarts and adaptability of any number of your PC-based shoot-'em-ups. I'll reserve judgment until further investigation.
Project Gotham Racing is easier to judge: it's Dreamcast's Metropolis Street Racer beefed up. It was one of Dreamcast's best and it is a suitable launch title, being a variation on the Gran Turismo-style with "Kudos" points thrown in for better driving.
Extreme gamers will love Amped, a gorgeous snow boarding game.
Dead or Alive 3 is most able to use Xbox's graphics muscle with some superbly rich detail. At heart though, it remains a leery combat game.
Much better is Fusion Frenzy which should have been bundled with the console such is its ease, wide appeal and graphics punch. A terrific multi-player game full of varied mini-games, it's a great introduction.
