Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsWhy write a bad review because XBLive was at fault? Write Microsoft.
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2015
I really can't comprehend most people.... This is a review for a Bundle. Yep, an Xbox One, a Special Edition controller and Call of Duty Advanced Warfare (along with obvious basics like power supply & headset).
The console has not a single issue.
The controller is extremely detailed, and it does not have a single issue.
The game is incredible. I won't write a million page review, but it's unreal (detail, acting - everything). I am not a "1 hit kill/Multiplayer" guy. I like a story, or some sort of emotion from what Im playing (think "The Last of Us", Bioshock series etc.). So, I cannot comment on the Multiplayer aspect.
What's with the 1 star reviews?: All of us that got this on release day couldn't download the game because of an Xbox Live issue. An issue with Microsoft that lasted something around 24 hrs, but people are rating the entire system based on this. We all 'did' get to download the game within a day or so, and there is not a single person writing a bad review (because of their impatience) that did not get the game. Everyone has everything this bundle says it has, and there is no malfunction in anything. If anyone wants to get Microsoft's panties in a bunch, contact them, write a review on an Xbox Live Card here on Amazon and tell everyone about your issue with their online network. Do not come to review a network problem when reviewing a product. Would anyone in their right mind say "I hate my house because the water supply was cut off for the first two days after I moved in. Yeah, it has a 4 car garage, swimming pool, and I love the theater room and everything else, but I hate it because the 'Water Company' didn't make it out for 2 days and I will forever hate my house"? If that analogy doesn't make sense I can make many more explanations to help someone comprehend how much it simply does not make sense to bad mouth an entire product because of another issue.
System: The system is great, and I wasn't sure there would be any need for the extra Hard Drive capacity, but after seeing how much data is used by each game, I feel like it was worth it Vs the option of buying and having to keep an external HDD connected if you were to run out of space. I really expected to dislike the Xboe One, because I have had the PS4 (2 - PS4 units) and the controller on the Xbox One looks like it would be huge (doesn't look like it would fit properly in your hands). The controller honestly fits much better than my PS4 controller, and my hands are not big. I also expected the graphics to not be as well based on hardware specs and the fact that some games are only running 720p on the Xbox One. I see absolutely no discernible difference between the two consoles. Im very surprised by that. I figured surely the PS4 would be the better console to purchase a game for if the same game were released on both, and that I would only buy Xbox exclusives that I simply couldn't get for the PS4 (Forza series for example). I actually enjoy playing the Xbox One, more. A friend of mine also prefers the Xbox One. I spoke with my cousin (who is in his mid 30's), and we tried to figure out why we like the Xbox One so much more than our PS4's. Im not bad mouthing the PS4, and I am a SONY guy (SONY TVs are the only brand I trust). Im simply pointing out that if you're on the fence and wondering if the Xbox One is just simply insufficient in hardware specs to be able to compare to the Playstation 4, don't let it veere you away from the Xbox.
Again, between the 2 consoles, I and the only other two people I know (that own the unit) actually prefer using the Xbox One when given the choice. This may not be the case for everyone. If anyone is curious on what I am viewing the 2 units on, it is a new SONY W630B 60" that I sit about 8 feet away from. The color is calibrated (ok, the TV is mind blowing & I have a 2013 model & older XBR2 but that will be another review) and I have it set to expose any imperfection and am not using anything "dot noise" reduction or anything like that. The framerates for the games are the same and I really don't see the PS4 doing anything better than the One. The PS4 is thinner and the controller gives off the impression that it will fit the hands better, but both of my PS4 controllers are shifting on the sides (I had the black PS4, sold it & got the white version and have seen this in both controllers that came with these units). It's kind of a creaking sound where the top and bottom meet. The Xbox One controller feels so solidly built that it feels like someone welded the thing together. It's very very well designed, and I was so disgusted by the idea of the controller (from images Id seen) that I was looking to see if I could somehow connect the PS4 controller up to the One via USB, or find an emulator in the future to allow me to possibly wirelessly sync the PS4 controller to the One. Anyhow, my extensive rambling is just the simple point that even if you don't agree with me once you try it for yourself, I believe you'll still be amazed at just how well the controller for the One does fit, if you're like me and are thinking "Wow... That thing looks like a beast of a controller, and the unit looks kind of massive as well...". I don't think you'll regret buying any Xbox one unit. I think it was money well spent.
I love both consoles, and really my opinions on the controller are pretty irrelevant to the rating, but for those who may be curious, you may be like me and like the Xbox much more than the Playstation. I know that comparison kind of doesn't belong here kind of like everyone should have reviewed Microsoft's services in another area, but what I mentioned were my biggest concerns/fears, and I have had 0 regrets. If you don't like the unit, the controller or anything else, remember Amazon has a 30 day return policy and will even pay to have the unit shipped back. If you're thinking about it and it won't put you in any sort of financial bind, I would highly recommend this unit.
NOTE: One quirk that made me really feel like I have to work to operate the PS4 controller is the difference in the way you turn the controller off compared to the One. The One, you simply hold the Xbox logo down on the controller for 1 second and it makes a very brief vibration & brings up a tiny menu with 2 options (shut down or turn off the controller). On the PS4, there are also 2 options. You can press the PS logo and it will bring up a menu that swallows the entire screen, and then you select "devices" (I believe that's the section) and then it brings you to another screen to turn off the controller. This is extremely annoying when you're with someone and trying to watch Netflix and need to turn the controller on to rewind or fast forward, because you have to go thru the menus every time unless you use method #2. Option 2, you simply hold the PS4 logo for 10 complete seconds. No biggy, right? Wrong. It brings the menu up that swallows the screen and stays there with whatever movie just passed in the background. Many times it's less annoying to run thru the menu and get back to a movie within 4-5 seconds than it is to interrupt it and have to stare at a menu for 10 seconds. It sounds like a very minor issue and dumb to complain about a menu on the screen for such a brief time, but given the option to use the Xbox for streaming or watching BluRays, we choose the Xbox everytime. To top it off, the Xbox One games are often cheaper than the PS4 content, and being that the only exclusive I had an interest in being Infamous Second Son, I have no reason to turn the PS4 on. It's annoying to stream from, annoying to watch movies on and there is nothing that justifies paying the higher cost for the PS4 games. I have my Xbox One exclusives and there is absolutely not one single PS4 game on my shelf right now and I have no idea when a Sony exclusive that I am interested will be released. The PS4 is a sitting duck, and the Xbox has reason to use it where the PS4 has reasons not to.
I hope this helped someone because Im no paid reviewer, and I can only imagine the email alerts Im going to get saying "Someone posted a response to your review on the Xbox One" that will have a different opinion and they will want to be 'sure' I know how they feel about it. Haha! I hope you guys enjoy the unit. Both have their ups and downs. As of now the only downside to the Xbox is the size of the console itself.
