Xbox One Review: Everyone Else Is Wrong

Microsoft's new console benefits hugely from the diminished expectations I had after the mixed messages prior to the launch. I had every expectation this console would be terrible. I watched youtube videos where 360 owners, sore after years of Kinect 1.0 not working, hurled abuse at the Xbox One's integration of the Kinect 2.0, an accessory which they expected not to work and so possibly didn't play around with to the small extent that I have. I never got Kinect for my 360, because I was primarily a PC an Playstation gamer during the last generation, but since it comes in the box with every Xbox One, I set it up under my TV.

Or, I should say, didn't really need to set it up at all. It just sort of recognised me. I have no idea how this happened, does someone at Microsoft know what I look like? And then when it doesn't recognise me, all I do is smile and ping, it says hello and signs me in.

I don't want to know how the process works, I just wanted people to know that unlike what I heard about Kinect 1.0, it does work. And unlike Kinect 1.0, its basically plug and play, like most of my Xbox One experience.

There are areas that are not, for example the Achievement system is cumbersome, and requires a separate App to be launched just to see the details of the Achievement that just popped. Oh, and "Xbox On" will not work, no matter what accent I try.

But why am I most pleased with my purchase? "Xbox Go Home" and "Xbox Turn Off" are fantastic and convenient; Dead Rising 3 was more fun than I had with any PS4 launch title (I played Contrast, Resogun, Assassins Creed 4, and Killzone) And the Suspend and Resume feature, missing from PS4 at launch, is so great. You can turn the console off for the day and as long as you want to play that same game you were playing when you shut it off yesterday, you can jump right back in without any loading times.

An incredible feature for making you feel like your time is valuable, and reducing that delay between wanting to play and actually playing.

And talk about launch titles: Dead Rising 3 and Forza Motorsport 5 are incredible. The latter really sells the programmable rumble motors in the triggers. That controller is superb. While I wait for developers to think of any positive use for the PS4's touch-pad, the 360 controller has no useless buttons and better sticks and better triggers. Both are superb controllers, but the PS4's sticks are not as grippy, and you might find yourself sliding off them like last gen. But most of all, I'm grateful to the Xbox One for giving me that thrill of driving through a proper street full of zombies with a vehicle made from combining a motorbike with a steamroller: The Rollerhawg. Absolute system seller.

So while everyone else seems to be moving from Microsoft to Sony, I feel like I'm the only one moving the other direction, into a land where games are fun again.