Turtle Beach offers a recently updated series of three Xbox “Earforce” headsets. The X1, X31 and X41, priced at $50, $100 and $200 respectively.

EDIT: Turtle Beach has recently added a $29 low cost headset, the XLC to their line up.

Although the X41 features Dolby 7.1 surround sound, the benefits of a headset are just as noticeable in simple stereo for most non-audiophiles, and it’s hard to justify the price tag, especially when the Xbox 360 only natively supports 5.1 surround.

This leaves the X1 and X31 as budget-minded choices. Both perform similarly, save for a few differences. The X31 features toggle-able bass boost and stereo expander effects, and it is wireless. Being wireless, as we’ll find out, is a double-edged sword. If you don’t mind the wires, save some money and frustration and go with the X1.

I find the added effects on the X31 only occasionally make me think “wow, that sounded good!”, and often throw off levels to the extent that you can’t hear certain sounds/speech. When playing FPSs like Call of Duty, I keep these effects turned off by default for the most accurate audio reproduction anyway. None the less, I’ve got a lot of stuff going on between the console and I, which meant going cordless was a much more tempting option.

So I decided to splurge and go with Turtle Beach’s middle-tier X31. You’ll still get some cords though. Three, in fact. Two cables come out from the RF broadcasting unit, a USB power cable and the RCA (red/white) jacks which get the audio. You’ll also have to attach a line from the headset to your controller if you want to chat.

Being wireless, the X31 also uses 2 AAA batteries. They last a good ~15 hours, which is decent for even a heavy gamer. When the batteries run out, a loud and incredibly annoying screeching sound is occasionally heard before the audio cuts out. The feature of squeezing every bit of power out of a battery may increase play time, but the whole battery changing ordeal is still very annoying and frantic in the middle of a game session. You should have an extra set of AAAs on hand regardless. And of course, I’d recommend rechargeables in this situation, even if they won’t last as long.

The piggy-back RCA jacks allow you to plug into any line of audio, which means that although the microphone won’t function, you can use the headset to listen to any aspect of your theater system that it’s tapping into.

Having a headset of any kind will almost assuredly up your game, and give you that bleeding edge. It can also provide a better audio experience for those without a nice surround/hi-fi system. At the very least, it’s a great way to play late at night, or in the middle of it all without bothering, or being bothered, by anyone else. These benefits go without saying, and are definitely present in the X31 and it’s counterparts.

Besides the battery changing issue and the interference, we’ve got a nice solid product in most situations, although I’ve still got some… annoyances.

The new series of Earforce headsets has addressed some problems with the first series, mainly the fact that since chat audio is now coming out of the same speakers as game audio, it’s hard to differentiate. “Chat Boost” is a feature that monitors the game audio, and adds gain to the chat audio whenever it gets loud.

However, during explosions or loud events it’s still often difficult to tell what your buddies are yelling, or screaming at you. Turning down the actual game audio allows you to hear chat just fine, but at the sacrifice of those all important footsteps.

More complaints come from the line that connects the controller to the headset. For one, the lower connection is a right-angle plug, which seems to get in the way no matter what angle you turn it. The in-line chat volume/mute switch is also overly sensitive, and located in a spot that’s simply too inconvenient to get to during gaming. Xbox got it right with the selector being attached right at the base of the controller, why can’t we see a more similar design?

And finally comes the fact that like most wireless tech, the X31 operates on the same old 2.4GHz band. The same as your controller, your Wi-Fi, and your home phone. Get all these devices working at once, and it’s going to get awfully crowded, meaning something’s going to drop faster than an off-guard sniper using tactical layout. I’ve experienced controller disconnects upon receiving a phone call… although this kind of problem depends on where you’re living.

The audio quality of the transmitter is clear and crisp, even with all this airborne congestion – up to a certain extent. When we upgraded from a wireless G router to a wireless N, the interference got unbearable. (N uses up much more of the spectrum). Even with the router in an opposite room, a good amount of strategic positioning was required to get them to stop interfering with each other.

Beyond those flaws, the X31 really shines as a economically-viable pro gaming accessory. It feels comfortable once you get used to full-ear headphones (at least for the first 5 hours), looks good (when your girlfriend isn’t around) and provides crisp, performance-enhancing audio. Not like you’ve never heard that phrase on the internet before.

If the next iteration of these headsets fixes the chat-line issues, and maybe ditches the audio-effects in favor of a lower price tag, Turtle Beach will have a main-stream/hardcore gaming  gem. Until then, the X31 is a fine choice only for those who need wireless connectivity, for most, the inconveniences that tag along with it really seem to bring this headset down.

!The X31 features a solid, comfortable, but slightly heavy build.

!Digital RF delivers great quality, but can interfere with stuff like Wi-Fi.

!Have fun trying to adjust this damn thing in the heat of battle…

Most info summarized from GameTrailer’s video
of the recent multiplayer presentation in LA.

>>Hey people! Now that the game has been released, the guys over at MW24/7 have done a good job of getting everything cataloged.

A single kill has a base score of 100 XP, so expect much higher numbers. The level cap will be 70. Prestige has been reworked and will be rewarded.

Callsign
MF2 features a much more customizable “identity” for the player, which will pop up for all to see if you achieve in-game feats, like killstreaks, objectives, or shooting down support elements. This pop-up info pane, or “callsign” will include your gamertag, and custom backgrounds along with a few other new features.

Your title, which defaults to your rank (starting at “FNG”, SSGt, etc.) is selectable and more novel ones will be unlocked depending on your play style. Appears very similar to Street Fighter IV’s profile tags.

Your emblem also defaults to your proper rank insignia, but can also be any number of avatar-like pictures, unlocked in similar ways to titles.

Killstreaks
Killstreaks are now customizable. It appears as though you can select 3 to be active at any time, unknown whether or not this number can increase. Ranking up will earn you unlock credits, which you can use to unlock your choice of killstreak rewards beyond the default 3. This list is not complete ~

3 Kills – UAV Shows enemies on minimap.
4 Kills – Care Package Airdrop random killstreak or ammo.
4 Kills – Counter UAV Temporarily disables enemy radar.
5 Kills – Sentry Gun Airdrop a placeable Sentry Gun.
5 Kills – Predator Missile Remote control missile.
6 Kills – Precision Airstrike Call in a directional airstrike.
7 Kills – Attack Helicopter Call in a support helicopter.
9 Kills – Pave Low Heavily armored assault helicopter.
11 Kills – AC130 Be the gunner of an AC130.

Perks
There are 3 re-done tiers of perks, as well as selectable death streak “rewards”. Perks can also be upgraded by completing certain challenges.

Tier 1
Marathon Unlimited Sprint?
Sleight of Hand
Scavenger Full resupply from dead enemies.
Bling 2 primary weapon attachments.
?

Tier 2
Stopping power
Lightweight Move faster
Hardline Killstreaks require 1 less kill
Cold Blooded Undectable by UAV, air support, sentries, and thermal.
?

Tier 3
Commando Increased melee distance
Steady Aim
Scrambler Scrambles enemy UAV?
?
?
?

Death Streak
Copy Cat Steal your killer’s class in killcam. (4 Deaths without a kill)
Painkiller Big health boost when you spawn. (3 Deaths without a kill)
?
?

Weapons

Assault Rifles
M4A1 Fully automatic all-purpose
FAMAS 3 round burst
SCAR-H Fully automatic all-purpose
TAR-21 Fully automatic all-purpose

Sub Machine Guns
UMP45
MP5K

Light Machine Guns
RPD

Sniper Rifles

Riot Shield

Attachments
Yes, that’s a shotgun attachment.

Grenade Launcher
Red Dot Site
Silencer
Shotgun
Heartbeat Sensor

Secondary Weapons
You now choose from a list of secondary weapon categories, not limited to handguns. Each have their own attachments, for some the ability to wield “Akimbo”.

Machine Pistols Like SMGs, but weaker, less range
PP2000, G18
Shotguns Can now utilize silencers
Spas 12,
Handguns For fast-swapping, lots of attachments
USP .45, .44 Magnum
Launchers Some can lock on to aerial targets
AT4, Thumper x2

Equipment
In place of your frag grenade selection, you can now choose from a varied list of uses for your right-bumper.

Frag
Semtex sticky
Throwing knife hell yeah
Tactical Insertion choose where to respawn
Blast Shield protection from explosives, sacrificing minimap

Special Grenade

Flash x2
Stun x2

The console, which I have set to start on the dashboard, immediately notified me of an available update. After quickly downloading some files using the old-school dashboard, it booted into the new one and finished downloading/installing the rest. The entire process took about 4 minutes, although I’m sure had I been on a day early during launch the strain on the servers would have been heavier.

XBox Avatars

After agreeing to a new privacy policy, I was immediately instructed to “abduct” a new avatar. Seriously.
As far as avatar customization goes, it’s pretty much the Mii creator with a little more variety, and accessories. I’m sporting some slick fuzzy gloves and an awesome battle scar.

The left stick very intuitively adjusts your avatar’s head for a better view while customizing – it’s good to see a character generator finally get this right.

You have the option of taking a snapshot of your avatar and using it as a gamer picture.

Your friends list now also puts their created avatars front and center – which allows for some very interesting social revelations, especially for those friends you don’t know in person or haven’t seen for a while.

Hey M$, you know what you should be able to do? Use your gamerscore to buy new clothes. Or at least let gamerscore have some sort of positive connotation…

There are also arcade titles now available that use your Mii in-game. Oops, sorry, I mean your avatar.

Look, Feel, and Sound

It’s like a titanium-coated Wii interface on ice. Coverflow meets analog sticks. XP collides with Vista. It’s attractive and unique. Although one could say it feels very similar to an Apple UI, this has a distinctly Microsoft feel to it.

The navigation is faster and more fluid, more intuitive, and visualizes many layers deep, allowing you to find where you want to go before you’re actually there. It’s also worth noting that this dashboard is a LOT faster than the old one. At least on my system, things were getting quite laggy. Thumbnails, menus, and everything else pop up at a rate that is no longer complainable in the least.

The sound is simple, crisp, and subliminally makes you want to play chess. Although I’m going to miss that whooshing sound of the slides going back and fourth on the old dashboard…

Here’s a double edged sword – there are no more blatantly placed advertisement banners, in fact, it’s now impossible to tell exactly what is an advertisement and what isn’t. The new Xbox experience is fraught with slick product placement. That’s the future, might as well get used to it.

Finally, the Xbox guide button functions similarly, but brings up a different menu. This menu turns out to be a minimalistic re-design of the original dashboard.

New Features

Having a Netflix subscription just got a whole lot more attractive, with access to instant streaming.

Parties of up to 8 can get together and chat, or “roam from game to game”.

Taking a page from the book of Sony, you can now install full games onto your harddrive. The disc will still be required to play. But your load times will be decreased, and your disc drive won’t be making as much ruckus.

You can also now shop the Xbox LIVE Marketplace from your PC, via http://marketplace.xbox.com. Stuff can be downloaded upon your next sign on.

10/16: Level cap raised from 11 to 24. Hardcore and Search and Destroy playlists added.

Perks
Most of CoD:4′s perks have returned, some renamed and some modified, along with a number of new ones.  A fourth tier of “Vehicle” perks has also been added.

Tier 1
Special Grenades x 3
Satchel Charge x 2 Functions like C4
M9A1 Bazooka x 2
Bomb Squad (Unlocked at lvl 16)
Bouncing Betty x 2 Land Mines (24)
Bandolier (40)
Primary Grenades x 2 (44)
M2 Flamethrower (65)

Tier 2
Stopping Power
Fireworks Higher explosive weapon damage.
Flak Jacket Reduces explosive damage.
Gas Mask Protects against Tabun Gas.
Juggernaut
Camouflage Radar Jammer (12)
Sleight of Hand (28)
Shades (32)
Double Tap (36)
Overkill (56)

Tier 3
Deep Impact
Extreme Conditioning
Steady Aim
Toss Back Resets fuse of picked up grenades.
Second Chance The new “Last Stand”, only this time you can be revived after being downed.
Martyrdom Yeah, it’s back. (20)
Fireproof (48)
Dead Silence (52)
Iron Lungs (60)
Reconnaissance (64)

Vehicle Perk
Water Cooler Decreases turret overheat.
Greased Bearings Increases turret rotation speed.
Ordnance Training Faster main-cannon reload. (12)
Leadfoot (28)
Coaxial Machine Gun (40)

Maps

Castle is a small, fast paced map very reminiscent of an Unreal Tournament arena. A good blend of indoor/outdoor combat, with hotspots for every class and an ironically peaceful Japanese tea-garden aesthetic.

Makin makes you feel like you’re going to get weird mosquito-borne illnesses. It’s a good map for close range combat, but with enough open space over water and from rickshaw to rickshaw for rifles too.

Roundhouse is a large, round Gears of War looking map peppered with trains and rubble, a few high sniping points, and multiple tanks.

Kill Streak Rewards
Apparently Treyarch did their homework and determined that UAVs, Jets, and Minigun-toting helicopters weren’t in wide use during WWII. The 3, 5, and 7 kill streak rewards have been modified accordingly. The Recon Plane functions identically to the UAV. Calling in Artillery is also similar to the airstrike, although it’s a more sustained, radial target area. Finnally, the helicopter has been replaced with calling in Attack Dogs. Believe it or not, man’s best friend has the capacity to be more lethal than that helicopter ever was. The dogs (at least 4 or 5, maybe more) start running from outside the map when called and will seek out, while barking, nearby enemies. They are a small fast target, so they’re hard to kill, even with a well timed melee. Although they do give you +3XP should you choose to defend yourself and envoke the wrath of PETA, you’ll usually die after the second maul. At the very least, the pack of dogs will get the entire opposing team firing their weapons, distracted and giving away positions.

Vehicles
The only vehicle available in the beta is a stubby little tank on Roundhouse. It’s a noticeably slow moving and slow reloading with room for two; driver/gunner and mounted gunner.
The vehicles look like they’ll be more tactical tools rather than an exercise in brute force this time around. Vehicles have armor that can be blown off to expose weak spots. The driver has a HUD that displays damage to various areas. This tank can take quite a beating if the opposing team doesn’t focus on where they’re hitting it. The cannon takes some practice to be effective with, but the mounted turret is vicious, although it overheats quickly and exposes it’s user.

Weapons, Unlocks and Challenges
All the challenges are back in the barracks, both Marksman (kills) and Expert (headshots) for most weapons. The expert challenges, which previously unlocked camo patterns, now only grant XP.

Bolt Action Rifles aren’t what they used to be… Even with power-enhancing perks, you’ll find yourself bested by a semi-auto in many situations. Springfield, Arisaka, Mosin-Nagant (21), Kar98k (41), PTRS-41 (57).

• Sniper Scope Increases accuracy and range.
• Bayonet Increases melee attack range.
• Rifle Grenade

Rifles Fire as fast as you can pull the trigger, and my choice for most of the levels in anything but rambo situations. SVT-40, Gewehr 43, M1 Garand (17), STG-44 (37), M1A1 Carbine (65)

• Flash Hider/Suppressor/Silencer
• Aperature Sight The low-tech alternative to your red-dot reflex site.
• Telescopic Sight Think ACOG
• Rifle Grenade

Submachine Guns Always useful with or without the steady-aim perk. Thompson, MP40, Type 100 (25), PPSh-41 (53)

• Suppressor
• Aperture Site
• Round Drum/Dual Magazines

Shotguns Have been nerfed. The range and damage on the one available is low, although it’s still a surprise one hit kill. M1897 Trench Gun, Double-Barreled Shotgun (29)

• Grip
• Bayonet

Machine Guns Both light and heavy MGs are dangerous/annoying when in the right hands. Type 99, BAR, DP-28 (13), MG42 (33), FG42 (45), Browning M1919 (61).

• Bipod
• Bayonet

Side Arms

• Colt M1911 Too slow for comfort.
• Nambu You got Nambu’d Betch!
• Walther P38 Sean Connery would be proud.
• Tokarev TT-33 (21)
• .357 Magnum (49)

Primary Grenade

• Frag “Anti-personnel device that destroys the target with a burst of flying shrapnel.”
• N 74 ST Sticky. Looks like a coconut. “Device designed as an anti-tank grenade. Beware, very dangerous.”
• Molotov Cocktail “Incendiary device that harms the target with a radius of fire.”

Special Grenade

• Smoke
• Tabun Gas Lasts for a few seconds after exploding and gives passers-by intense shell shock.
• Signal Flare (Like that bright thing in Halo 3)

Boot Camp contains many of the same novelty challenges, with a few extras including “Sticky Kill”, “Self Defense”, for shooting an attack dog, “Swan Dive” for falling into water, and “Bartender” for kills with the Molotov Cocktail.

Prestige Mode now unlocks extra custom class slots at certain intervals on top of your default 5, so you’ll have a total of 10 available after your 10th level of prestige. Meh.

Gametypes, Leaderboards, Parties!
The first 5 are available in the beta, the rest are as listed on the leaderboards.

• War New momentum system adds a multiplier to flag capturing speed.
• Capture The Flag
• Team Deathmatch
• Pick Up TDM (no parties)
• Free For All
• Sabotage
• Search and Destroy
• Domination
• Headquarters
• Hardcore TDM
• Hardcore FFA
• Hardcore Search and Destroy
• Hardcore War

Leaderboards can now be accessed filtering just your current group of players via the “Lobby Leaderboard”. It also lists time played in each specific gametype. You can create or join an existing squad during a match. This changes the member’s nametag and radar colors HUD colors, maybe more. You can also customize how overhead nametags appear; as the full Gamertag, an abbreviation, or just an emblem.

Afterthoughts
More than anything else, World at War captures a gritty realism never before seen in a war sim. Call of Duty has always been good at doing that, but this installment blows limbs off, literally. And that’s just the relatively non-immersive multiplayer. The eastern-theatre is a refreshing backdrop for the common WWII shooter, and the new environment, along with a potentially ground-breaking flamethrower and remarkable ambient audio goodness, should add enough unique changes to skin the greatness that was CoD4 with a whole new level of depth. CoD4 nailed the hybrid arcade arena/tactical gameplay with the Modern Warfare theme, and although it appears that WWII era weapons don’t fit in quite as well as their 21st century counterparts, Treyarch has tinkered with the gameplay just subtely enough that we’re all in for a treat of refinement. I’ll take my Pullitzer now. CoD:WW releases on November 11ish in North America. Something would have to go horribly wrong for the campaign to suck, but you could still pick it up for the multiplayer alone.

Hey, maybe I’m a sap for game review sites, but these journalists discuss undeniably good points, and bring up the flaws that subtly remove the incentive to invest time or money into playing Too Human.

Somewhere around mid-August was a difficult time for me. It was a time when, so help me, I was almost convinced to begin playing World of Warcraft. I had managed stayed away from MMORPGs for years, but at that point I had broken down enough to actually download the 10-day trial and create a combat-speced Undead Rogue. I was searching desperately for some reason not to pick up this RPG, some sort of alternative in which I wouldn’t find myself repetitively clicking, waiting for cooldowns, and clicking again.

Too Human looked like it could do it. The main draw of MMORPGs is the fact that you can showcase your avatar. The time and effort you put into a game is directly translated into the abilities and gear that your avatar wields in the virtual world. Great, I thought, Too Human and it’s thousands of customizable weapons and items can have the same appeal, while at the same time maintaining a richer, less point-and-click style of gameplay that would last for a long time. But what happened? Too Human decided to focus elsewhere, and didn’t give the elements that would have made it satisfying in this way enough attention.

Too Human makes you grind similar enemies in an attempt to deck out your “Baldur”. This would be fun if you could do it with more than one other person. Alone, or with a friend, you feel as though the effort you put into Too Human hits a dead end with your own personal satisfaction. Sure, you could film a blurry off-screen video of your epic level 50 character and put it on YouTube.. But rly. Too Human also ramps the level of enemies along with you. This means the challenge of combat stays roughly constant regardless of your gear or level, greatly devaluing the illusion of progress.

At the very least, Too Human could have utilized a system similar to WoW’s Armory, an online breakdown of a specific avatar’s stats and equipment to show off and mash-up with the world. But… nah.

Alright, so Too Human is going to suck up my time and never spit it out in any tangible way. I’ll just stick with another 5 months of Gamefly, and allow my time to be sucked with more variety and ever-changing multiplayer opportunities. But still, I need to get that RPG withdrawal out of my system…

Enter Castle Crashers, the Behemoth’s Alien Hominid-esque beat-em-up RPG sidescroller, available on the XBox Live Marketplace for $15.

Let us quickly peruse this comparison chart between Castle Crashers and Too Human.

Action RPG from Respected Developer	X	X
Epic Soundtrack	X	X
Character Attribute Customization	X	X
Repetitive Enemies	X	X
Good Graphics	X	X
Enemy Juggling	X	X
Multiplayer Co-Op	X	X
Lots of Items/Unlockables	X	X
Shit-Propelled Deer	X

These two action-RPGs are oddly similar, however, you’ll notice that even with the price difference out of the equation, Castle Crashers still has an edge on it’s first-party big brother. What Too Human has in firearms Castle Crashers makes up for with magic, and the Norse god’s battle cries are akin to a less adorable animal orb buff.

Castle Crashers is the ideal sort of arcade game, combining both the old-school simplicity of a true arcade cabinet, the witty writing and art expected from The Behemoth, and the lasting appeal and satisfaction of an accessible RPG that you can easily share with friends. And after all, who doesn’t want to ride on a shit-propelled deer? Regardless, Too Human is still a fine experience. Silicon Knights has planned a trilogy, and future installments will hopefully address what this first game lacks. Until then, I’ll be button mashing in 2D.

Tuesday September 2, 2008 (PM)

8:00 Finish Vacuuming the Carpet
8:05 Begin playing “Hey There Delilah” on acoustic guitar. Real guitar is for losers though, so I stop promptly.
8:18 Key players start arriving.
8:21 XBox won’t connect to live. Accept the fact that our achievements won’t be time stamped. Morale low.
8:25 Play a few warm up songs.
8:29 All instruments set to HARD difficulty. This was discussed beforehand and determined to be possible while still maintaining player swappability.
8:30 Begin the Endless Setlist. Everyone gets a kick out of the pre-gig message.
8:32 I miss my first note. This is perhaps the second most unsatisfying note to miss other than the last one in “Won’t Get Fooled Again”.
9:00 Day 2 of Republican National Convention Ends.
9:04 Self-restraint goes out the window and even the guys have no fear going falsetto to hit the high-pitched bridge of “Creep”.
9:13 Pizza arrives. We have an employee in our midst so it’s all good with 50% off two large Peperonis with pan crust.
9:16 After trying to sing “Blood Doll” as angrily as possible to no avail, we realize that this setlist does indeed include the bonus indie songs, and in turn begin fearing the inevitable inclusion of “Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld”.
11:30 Half-way. We complete Suffragette City (after failing a few times).
11:35 Take shots of Endorush, an energy drink found at the local health-food store. After reading the warning label, you just have to drink some.
11:55 Banana Freefall has lost all 503,000 of it’s original fans. At least we can’t lose any more!

Wednesday September 3, 2008 (AM)

12:04 After perfect combo execution of most of “Dani California”, guitarist hits XBox guide button. Tension rises.
12:15 Our liter of generic-brand grape soda has lost all carbonation. It could now be considered, as Dave Chapelle would put it, “Grape Drink”.
1:30 People start leaving. We make fun of our younger friend who has to return to High School in the morning.
1:45 Jokes about the console overheating, although funny, are also profoundly unsettling at this point.
2:00 Talking and laughing ceases. This is no longer a party. This is a war of attrition.
2:13 Can’t handle “Next To You” on drums. Auxiliary bass pedaler deemed necessary.
2:30 Fingers begin hurting. Drummer cannot feel right shin. The only remaining girl has fallen asleep and we have to listen to a guy singer attempt the hardest songs on the list. Not cool.
2:39 Repetitively pound snare in attempt to survive the drum part of “Run to the Hills”.
2:45 Final and 58th song, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” begins.
2:52 Long interlude tricks less experienced Rock Banders into thinking we have finished. Problem resolved by yelling at them.
2:54 Final notes hit, everyone stands and roars.
2:55 Cool pyrotechnics. Achievements unlocked, gold legendary status granted.

All in all, somebody unlocked a city shirt. We got about $23,000 each, and gained 900 fans.

Yes, 900 fans.

But hey, it’s only a video game. I think.