Game Club celebrates the return of Randy to the show and discusses the game Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.
Next time on Game Club we’ll be playing Quantum Conundrum which is currently available on PC. Go check it out and leave us some comments about the game!
Thank you to everyone that listened to the show. Please don’t forget we’re on itunes now and we need feedback and ratings! We hope you’re enjoying the Game Club as much as we are! Thank you for your support!
For almost a month now, we’ve been testing Rosewill’s 5.1 Channel Vibrating Gaming Headset. To be perfectly honest, upon first hearing about a vibrating headset, we thought it was a bit gimmicky, but after only a few minutes with the headphones, they quickly became one of our favorite pieces of PC gaming gear.
Appearance-wise, these headphones are typical of Rosewill form. They’re chunky and not the easiest things on the eyes. Luckily, they go over your ears instead. They’re solid black except for the red ring on the outside ear cup and the blue LED-lit control panel located in the unit’s incredibly roomy 8-foot cable, giving you plenty of freedom to scoot around your office or gaming center.
Detachable microphone? Hell yes.
But the Vibrating Headset isn’t about style. It’s about performance. For their meagre price tag, they are nothing short of a powerhouse. The highs come in extra clear, the bass is extra deep, and the 5.1 audio sound quality will absolutely knock your socks off… and that’s without turning on the vibration feature. The headset comes with simple to install drivers that will allow you to enable a virtual 7.1, but for us, the 5.1 was more than enough to make a difference in our audio experience.
But let’s talk about the vibration feature. Afterall, that’s what truly makes these headphones stand out from the competition. It is, without a doubt, an experience that must be felt to be believed. Once enabled, the vibration has two different settings which are controlled by the switch on the cable. The vibration itself is triggered by super deep bass sounds like explosions, gunfire, and of course, drop d tuned guitars.
PC gamers don’t always have the benefit of vibrating controllers. Without a doubt, this is a comparable experience that is actually more immersive. Dragons roar with feeling, motorcycles rumble appropriately, and of course, explosions give you a lovely kick when they go off nearby. While playing music, the headset mimics the feeling of being at a live concert as the sound of the bass rumbles through your chest.
In terms of comfort, the headset is moderately comfortable and weighs in just under a pound which might feel a bit heavy to some. The ear cuffs are light and soft enough to wear for hours on end without feeling like your head is in a vice or that your ears are too warm. (On a personal note, I always wear my glasses. The first week of wear with the cuffs was slightly awkward, but after some usage, the padding gave in a bit and now they’re much, much more comfortable.)
Despite being a gaming headset, the microphone quality is very good. None of our teammates ever complained about background noise, staticky transmissions, or the like. And for the sake of fairness, this video review is being recorded using the headset’s microphone so you know exactly what it is capable of.
Mute, silence, volume control and vibration control are all accessible from the control box on the headset’s cord.
But not all gamers are online gamers. Online multiplayer is fantastic, but sometimes you want to immerse yourself into a single player world, and for that, you never ever need a microphone. Have no fear, Rosewill is here with an incredibly clever detachable microphone that plugs into a standard 3.5mm jack built right into the set, so you only need to look like a Time Life operator when you have to. That little feature won big points in our book.
Aside from the less-than-sexy appearance, our only complaint about this headset is that the vibration feature can sometimes only be felt when the volume is a bit high for our personal tastes. Otherwise, we are giddy at the concept of developers integrating headset vibration into future games, but that is less than likely.
But well it is all said and done, we can wholeheartedly recommend the Rosewill RHTS-8206 5.1 Channel Vibrating Gaming Headset for full-priced purchase, especially at the absolutely bargain MSRP of $59.99. They are perfect for late or crowded room gaming fests without distrubing your neighbors. These headphones are game changers.
While the free to play world was once only populated with simple games sporting lame graphics and less-than-fulfilling gameplay for some hardcore gamers, that stigma has changed drastically over the past few years. Enter Heroes & Generals.
Heroes & Generals is an ambitious upcoming shooter from Reto-Moto that is absolutely bursting at the seams with potential. Tossing gamers into World War II Europe, H&G is sporting some AAA features, and even a few innovative ideas that even the big dogs don’t have, all for the low low price of free. So if you’re growing a little tired of your Call of Duty or Battlefield matches, or if you’re just looking for something a little different, Heroes & Generals just might be your next shooter.
One of the most impressive aspects to Heroes & Generals is the absolute scope of the experience. While other shooters’ matches are completed at the end of the round, you’re not done with your time in service until the war is over, soldier. Instead of just picking your favorite map to play, you need to select where the action is taking place on a real-time war map to conquer strategic points all over europe, and eventually wipe out the enemy base in their home territory. Freeing up objective points later determines supply lines and spawn points for future maps which will determine if certain classes and vehicles like tanks and air support will be available in future conflicts. Without a doubt, players have more of an impact on the world in this shooter than any other shooter on the market. It is impressive, to say the least, and it makes for one of the most immersive World War II experiences that can be found on the market.
While it is still in the pre-beta phase, H&G is making great strides every day. Graphically, it holds its own with some gorgeous lighting effects, including day and night modes. It has some fantastic weapon and vehicle models. And the conflict maps themselves are highly detailed. They vary in terrain. They feel authentic to the time period. And they’re huge. You can create your own soldiers, modify and customize weapons, create squads, and more. You get all the bells and whistles that you’ve come to know and love with modern online shooters.
Once you’ve enlisted and you’ve been tossed into the thick of it, you can play as any type of soldier and pilot just about any type of vehicle from the time period. Want to jump out of a plane as an airborne infantryman? You can do that. Want to drive a Tiger or a Sherman? You can do that too. Someone destroy your jeep and you need to get to the next objective point to join up with your company and you found someone’s abandoned bicycle on the side of the road? Yea… you can ride that.
Gunplay is fast and furious within Heroes & Generals. You are not a bullet sponge (thankfully) and spawn points can sometimes be pretty far away, so you’ll think twice before sticking your head out into the open without finding some cover first. Weapons features include bullet drop, barrel climbing, and limited ammo. To make matters more dire, excess ammo is spent every time you reload so it’s always choice to wait till the last minute to switch magazines.
Reto-Moto is working very closely with Nvidia for this project and the music is composed by the award-winning Jesper Kyd, the composer of the Assassin’s Creed series soundtracks. The game continues to improve every day with new maps and models being added, and the team continues to tweak bugs, gameplay balance issues, and increasing server support to one day hold 32 vs. 32 player matches. Depending on development, that number may actually increase.
Needless to say, Heroes & Generals is shaping up quite nicely. We can’t wait for the finished product so we can give it a full review. The devs are being very responsive with community feedback and are running an open door development policy to create the best game possible. In the meantime if you’d like to partake in the war (and help the devs create a better game), you can apply for a pre-beta key at the H&G website.
