So finally got my hands on the controller and a couple games. Went to the mobile version at Eagan Minnesota. First thing that sucked... because it was parked at a Wal Mart (their rules) we received no Killer Instinct. So we had Forza and Fifa but I was mostly interested in the controller and also the rumble triggers when playing Forza.
First off I met a couple fellow gaffers and that was awesome. All of us were just gamers and were looking forward to both systems. I did not catch their names but it was great to speak to you guys if you happen to see this.
I was at this event as well, though I don't think I spoke to you. It was disappointing about Killer Instinct.
My impressions:
Fifa: I've never played a Fifa game before, I don't know how to play Fifa. I played for about 10 minutes, though I didn't really know what I was doing. Game ran well, and looked sharp.
Forza: There was only one track available to play, Leguna Seca. The available cars were: Audi E-tron, Mclaren P1, Ferrari F12, Ford Focus, and Mercedes gullwing 300sl. If you enjoy the Forza series, you will like this game. I played about 15-20 races (20-30minutes), and tried out every car at least once. Great simulation racing feel. The gameplay was super smooth. Graphics were great, especially when in cockpit view. One of the big differences in graphics that I noticed in this versus Forza 4 is the amount of detail in the environment and landscape. Like others have said, the rumble in the triggers is subtle and great.
Controller: The 360 controller is my favorite controller ever, so I was interested to try this one out. Overall size is just slightly smaller (I have size L/10 hands), but was still comfortable for me to hold. The pads on the sticks are smaller than the 360, though the edge of the pad seems a bit taller; that along with the texture on the lip make moving and keeping a grip on the sticks much better. The travel of the sticks seemed to be about the same distance as the 360, but they were a bit looser. Overall I think the new stick design is an improvement. The face buttons felt largely the same. The bumpers are probably the biggest change from the 360, they have an arched shape that's meant to be pressed by the length of the finger, rather then the finger tip. My initial impression was that I didn't like them as much as the 360, but after using the controller for around 30 minutes, I found them very comfortable, and didn't have a problem using them. I need more time to decide if I think they're better/worse then the 360. The triggers are great, I really liked the rumble feature. Using them feels very much like the 360 triggers. They are wider than the 360 triggers, the outward facing sides slope up to the top of the button, my fingers rested on the slope up to the top of the trigger - so while being wider, they weren't uncomfortable. I found the triggers to be a big improvement overall.
Overall I think the new controller to be an improvement over the 360 design, with my favorite parts being the sticks and the triggers.
