Having being an avid Xbox Gamer since Xbox 1 ... I mean Xbox "Original" since Microsoft decided to name their THIRD console One. Anyhow stupid names aside, even XBone (the one microsoft doesn't like) tonight was GAME Lock-in for Xbox One and my Hands-On experience of it.

Obviously there was queues to get on one of the 8 machines but before that the representatives gave us a little welcome speech. Which included

"Please do not touch the Kinect has it is just there so that you can see what it looks like because it doesn't work."

So what did I get on first? Well that would be Dead Rising 3. Well you got 5 minutes on the game.

First thing I noticed with regards to the controller when I picked it up was that it was definitely smaller. Unfortunately I think they have made the controller that bit too small. Also I thought that compared to the Xbox 360 controller it felt like if I dropped it on the floor it would break. Flimsy is quite possibly the word I would use when comparing it the Xbox 360 controller. Talking to other people that played Forza 5 ( which when watching on screen the frame rate would drop or look like the game was about to crash ) they state that when you go over on the track with the right wheels for example only the rumble feature on the right side would rumble. The second thing I noticed about the controller is the sticks, they are still analog and not digital. Even though the buttons seem to be digital.

Anyhow moving on to the game, 5 mins on Dead Rising 3.

Dead Rising 3

First thoughts of this was that it is more of the same that you got from Dead Rising 1 and 2. All you did really was hack and slash at zombies but the amount like you would get on The Walking Dead. Without any direction on the game though of what your supposed to do etc I was quickly getting bored within 5 minutes. I guess there is only so much you can do without any story or direction in a zombie game. What I will say was that the amount of zombies on screen is amazing the fact the controls on the game feel much better than what I remember them.

Then it was back to the back of the queue to wait for my next go on a game. While in the queue the guys from Xbox were wandering back and forth. Every time I tried to speak to them they walked past me has I was wanting to ask some questions but they wouldn't entertain me.

Killer Instinct

One of the games that I was amazed with and over the moon they were bringing back out. For one I had this on the SNES and remember many nights me and my friends would gather round the console doing the whole winner stays on thing. Xbox One Killer Instinct. Well the only thing that is different is that the graphics has the game plays exactly the same as the SNES version. If you want to know what that is like pull out a SNES get a few friends round and play it old school. Game 2 verdict = Still not impressed with xbox one.

After being at the back in the queue for 10 mins I was back on the final game I wanted to have a "bash" on.

Ryse: Son of Rome

Microsoft's new IP Ryse the last game I wanted to play test at the Lock-in. I was told by Xbox guy to not to touch the console controller till he was there. When he came over he stated what each of the buttons did, then it was onto the game. Apparently according to the Xbox guys everyone loves Ryse. Me I thought it was a mediocre game that was nothing to boast about being a must have IP. What it did feel like was something like what people would call an old school side scrolling beat'em'up but extremely repetitive.

Final Thoughts

Going into the Lock-in with an open mind with regards to the Xbox One and being an Xbox fan (having owned Xbox 360 all this generation) I was hoping that the negativity surrounding XBox One would be washed away with the Lock-in..... Sadly this was not the case. The controller has been shrank too much which I don't get when all they had to do was have the 360 controller with the improved things like the way the have done with the digital buttons ( which are great by the way and more responsive ) and the rumble feature works.  I found that the loading screens seem to be longer than the ones on the PlayStation 3. My thoughts are that it must be down to that DDR3 Ram that is in the machine. Getting a look at the Dashboard first hand I could clearly see how much advertising is going to be in it. The 360 dash is littered with Advertisements and locks or freezes quite often because of this. Yet another negative to Xbox One. Watching Forza 5 frame rate drop dramatically to the point where it looked like the system was about to freeze up is also another negative point especially since it is supposed to be a First party title.

So I leave you with these thoughts IF Microsoft can make such a good GAMES machine with the Xbox 360 then go into the Next-Gen completely blinded by arrogance. It didn't work with Sony and PlayStation 3 so what makes them think it will for them. XBone IS an entertainment machine first and GAMING seems to of been made second.  Their slogan or selling point: