Ok, I know a few people have been asking me to review this peice of gaming gear, and I finally decided to do it. I got the White Limited Edition Bundle (Model 4904 of 5000 if anyone cares) with the pistol grip. Here is my honest opinion of the thing:
Table of Contents:
1. Use in Solo Gameplay/Gaming Immersion
2. Use in Competitive Gaming
3. Hardware (How the thing is built)
4. Summary
1. Use in Solo Gameplay/Gaming Immersion
This is where the Falcon really shines. The gaming forces are superb, with the exception of the avatar forces. Thats the only force I could deal with being full, the avatar forces are insanely wierd. For example, if you hit a wall with them at full, the grip would jump out of your hand, which shows how powerful this controller is. The other forces however were awesome, especially the recoil. The game that I was playing was Half-Life 2 (More specifically Haptics-Life 2, which is the Falcon mod for Half-Life 2), and this is where I learned why automatic weapons are more accurate in short, controlled bursts. It felt like I was firing a real gun (I mean it didn't have the kick of a .44 magnum, but it was strong. For those wondering, yes I have fired a .44 magnun, and I hit myself in the face with it)
Anyways, back to the gameplay. Getting shot was a very strange feeling, like in the video that Novint made, you could turn on a dime, because you knew exactly where the hits were coming from. Which brings me to my next point, turning and aiming. Turning and aiming are very different from a mouse. For example, turning with a mouse keeps the same speed as constant to how fast you move the mouse. The Falcon however, turns slowly in the middle, but when you get to the edges, it's hard to control.
For the intended purposes in gaming immerison, it excels. With headphones on, you could barely tell what was real or not, with the recoil, and the fact that you were holding a gun's grip instead of a mouse. It's very well suited to solo gaming, if you are looking for a truly realistic gaming experience.
Use in Solo Gameplay/Gaming Immersion Rating - 10
2. Use in Competitive Gaming
Now, Novint is convinced that the Falcon is just as good, or better than a mouse for competitive gaming. I do not agree. My testing in competitive gaming was in TF2, just on our servers. I played with no forces except the shot directions forces, as said by Novint is the reason why it is superior to a mouse. Now, that was very useful in itself, but it does not compensate for the other inferiorities of the Falcon. For example, when you are running in Dustbowl from your spawn to the "forward base" before the second point, there are times where you can take your hand off the mouse because you only need WASD to run. With the Falcon, if you do that, you look straight down and become very vulnerable.
The Falcon takes a lot of time to get used to, especially because of the strange turning and aiming methods that I mentioned earlier, but after a while (around 5 hours), I began to get better with it, but still not to the point where I would use it in a competitive leauge. Strangely, Scout was the easiest to play with it, I expect because the faster running went well with the faster aiming of the Falcon. I do not recommend using the Falcon with classes that use secondary fire a lot (namely Demos and Heavies) because the alternate buttons are kind of awkward to reach. If you hotkey the secondary fire to another key on your keyboard, then using it should be fine.
This is a category that I'm very mixed about. It's a new experience, and it definitely brings something to the competitive table, but not much.
Use in Competitive Gaming Rating - 6
3. Hardware
The picture shows the main Falcon controller, then (from left to right) the standard ball grip, limited edition ball grip, and the pistol grip. The main body is very sturdy and well built. It doesn't shake or wobble when you use it, and the Falcon can last during long gaming sessions, assuming your arm doesn't get tired. The controller can put out a lot of force, especially with recoil and vehicles, you know when something is happening. And this thing is built to last, I doubt it will ever break.
The standard grips do what they are supposed to, they allow you to control the Falcon, but they are very uncomfortable, as there is no rest for your hand. That is why I mostly only use the pistol grip, which is very comfortable, because it supports your hand. It feels like a real gun does, and I'm very pleased with it.
Overall, I very much like the hardware of the controller, it's very well built, and meets its uses.
Hardware Rating - 10
4. Summary
The Falcon as a whole, is an extraordinary piece of equipment, one that I'm glad I have the chance to use. It is very advanced for a personal gaming controller, and I feel that it will lead the way for more advanced technology. It is a must for a hardcore gamer that is looking for extreme realism, but for the average gamer, save your money. It takes a while to get used to, but once you do, it will amaze you.
Overall Falcon Rating - 8.7
Would I Recommend the Falcon to a Friend? No
The Falcon is only needed for hardcore gamers looking for the ultimate immersion into a game, not for the average gamer just looking for some more entertainment.
Well, thanks for reading my review (if you read the whole thing, that is, lol), and I am open to any feedback you have on it.
Table of Contents:
1. Use in Solo Gameplay/Gaming Immersion
2. Use in Competitive Gaming
3. Hardware (How the thing is built)
4. Summary
1. Use in Solo Gameplay/Gaming Immersion
This is where the Falcon really shines. The gaming forces are superb, with the exception of the avatar forces. Thats the only force I could deal with being full, the avatar forces are insanely wierd. For example, if you hit a wall with them at full, the grip would jump out of your hand, which shows how powerful this controller is. The other forces however were awesome, especially the recoil. The game that I was playing was Half-Life 2 (More specifically Haptics-Life 2, which is the Falcon mod for Half-Life 2), and this is where I learned why automatic weapons are more accurate in short, controlled bursts. It felt like I was firing a real gun (I mean it didn't have the kick of a .44 magnum, but it was strong. For those wondering, yes I have fired a .44 magnun, and I hit myself in the face with it)
Anyways, back to the gameplay. Getting shot was a very strange feeling, like in the video that Novint made, you could turn on a dime, because you knew exactly where the hits were coming from. Which brings me to my next point, turning and aiming. Turning and aiming are very different from a mouse. For example, turning with a mouse keeps the same speed as constant to how fast you move the mouse. The Falcon however, turns slowly in the middle, but when you get to the edges, it's hard to control.
For the intended purposes in gaming immerison, it excels. With headphones on, you could barely tell what was real or not, with the recoil, and the fact that you were holding a gun's grip instead of a mouse. It's very well suited to solo gaming, if you are looking for a truly realistic gaming experience.
Use in Solo Gameplay/Gaming Immersion Rating - 10
2. Use in Competitive Gaming
Now, Novint is convinced that the Falcon is just as good, or better than a mouse for competitive gaming. I do not agree. My testing in competitive gaming was in TF2, just on our servers. I played with no forces except the shot directions forces, as said by Novint is the reason why it is superior to a mouse. Now, that was very useful in itself, but it does not compensate for the other inferiorities of the Falcon. For example, when you are running in Dustbowl from your spawn to the "forward base" before the second point, there are times where you can take your hand off the mouse because you only need WASD to run. With the Falcon, if you do that, you look straight down and become very vulnerable.
The Falcon takes a lot of time to get used to, especially because of the strange turning and aiming methods that I mentioned earlier, but after a while (around 5 hours), I began to get better with it, but still not to the point where I would use it in a competitive leauge. Strangely, Scout was the easiest to play with it, I expect because the faster running went well with the faster aiming of the Falcon. I do not recommend using the Falcon with classes that use secondary fire a lot (namely Demos and Heavies) because the alternate buttons are kind of awkward to reach. If you hotkey the secondary fire to another key on your keyboard, then using it should be fine.
This is a category that I'm very mixed about. It's a new experience, and it definitely brings something to the competitive table, but not much.
Use in Competitive Gaming Rating - 6
3. Hardware
The picture shows the main Falcon controller, then (from left to right) the standard ball grip, limited edition ball grip, and the pistol grip. The main body is very sturdy and well built. It doesn't shake or wobble when you use it, and the Falcon can last during long gaming sessions, assuming your arm doesn't get tired. The controller can put out a lot of force, especially with recoil and vehicles, you know when something is happening. And this thing is built to last, I doubt it will ever break.
The standard grips do what they are supposed to, they allow you to control the Falcon, but they are very uncomfortable, as there is no rest for your hand. That is why I mostly only use the pistol grip, which is very comfortable, because it supports your hand. It feels like a real gun does, and I'm very pleased with it.
Overall, I very much like the hardware of the controller, it's very well built, and meets its uses.
Hardware Rating - 10
4. Summary
The Falcon as a whole, is an extraordinary piece of equipment, one that I'm glad I have the chance to use. It is very advanced for a personal gaming controller, and I feel that it will lead the way for more advanced technology. It is a must for a hardcore gamer that is looking for extreme realism, but for the average gamer, save your money. It takes a while to get used to, but once you do, it will amaze you.
Overall Falcon Rating - 8.7
Would I Recommend the Falcon to a Friend? No
The Falcon is only needed for hardcore gamers looking for the ultimate immersion into a game, not for the average gamer just looking for some more entertainment.
Well, thanks for reading my review (if you read the whole thing, that is, lol), and I am open to any feedback you have on it.
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