First off, packaging is nice. Everything is compartmentalized making it very efficient use of space. There doesn't really seem to be any empty, unused space in the box meaning that it's "green" in a way. The box is sturdy though making sure to house it's contents protectively. The finish is nice and shiny and the colors very vivid.
Next, the contents. A copy of the standard edition of Gears of War 3, 2 Gears of War 3 themed controllers (with 2 batteries for each controller), a Gears of War 3 themed, slim, Xbox 360 console, composite cables, power brick and a black Xbox 360 headset.
A standard copy of the Gears 3 game is most definitely acceptable, but a limited edition version of the game with the limited edition console makes more sense in my opinion. Inside the game case were some Gears of War 3 stickers, the game, 2 codes; one for Adam Fenix multiplayer character and the other for the Infected Omen weapon skins as well as the "Instruction Booklet". The "Instruction Booklet" is one page, folded in half. Its content is the controls to the game with a picture of the 360 controller as its main imagery. Not much there, but I guess it's once again being "green" by having practically no content. I'll leave reviews of the game up to the people who are doing that, but my two cents is that if you liked Gears 1 or 2 or both, then you'll be happy with 3. If you haven't played either before, as long as third person shooters are your thing, you'll like it as well.
The two Gears of War 3 controllers are very nice. I guess the new controllers Microsoft is selling now have a modifiable directional pad. You twist it around and it changes how the D-pad feels; either more like a + symbol or like the original 360 D-pad. I kinda like the + symbol myself. Oh, plus the D-pad is chrome on these Gears controllers. The surface is smooth to the touch (like a piano) where the face buttons are and has some texture on the bottom half (the side where your your fingers go). Just like any Xbox 360, wireless controller, these have great range. The Gears 3 graphics on them are pretty much the same as what is on the console itself, but that's a good thing as I find it very appealing. The controllers are already synced up to the console too making set up that much easier.
Speaking of the console, it's quite sexy. I upgraded from a Modern Warfare 2 edition to this one and there are a few things I am enjoying right off the bat. First off, if you still have the older 360, the slims in general are quieter. If you copy the games to the HDD, then it's almost silent....very nice! Also, with this console also comes the Gears 3 sounds. When you touch the On/Off Power button directly on the console, you will hear a little sound bite from the Gears games (if you've played any of them before, it should sound familiar). Also, when you touch the Open/Close button directly on the console, you'll hear a different sound. The only thing I have found to be an issue with the sound is the built in speaker in the system that plays them is cheap or in a bad spot in the console. When the sound comes out, the system itself or the speaker rattles a little bit making the sounds come out slightly distorted (picture having a radio up to loud). FYI, when turning the console on or off or when opening or closing the tray using the controller, the sounds do not play. The 320GB HDD is more than enough room for all your stuff and can hold plenty of games burned to the HDD if that's your thing. There are more USB ports on the backside of the console too (I think there are 3 or 4 on the back and 2 in the front). I generally don't use the USB ports on my 360's for anything, but the fact there are more is a plus. There's an HDMI port in the back if you can use it, but you'll have to purchase your own HDMI cable (you can find them really cheap on Amazon btw). Wireless networking is built right into this thing so you don't have to go out and purchase an additional adapter to go wireless. And just in case you missed my comment earlier, the same graphics and smooth finish on the controller is also on the console itself.
As for the remaining contents, they are pretty much self explanatory. Overall, I think right now the price is justified considering what you are getting. The only thing that kind of ticks me off is that it took Microsoft so long to get the 360 right. Reports of RROD have fallen (at least from what I've seen and read online)and the console seems to be at its peak in performance and reliability. If you haven't purchased a 360 before, now is the time and getting this edition of the console is a safe bet.
PROS:
1) Gears of War 3 graphics are nicely done.
2) Gears of War 3 sounds.
3) 2 controllers versus 1 (with batteries and synced)
4) Copy of Gears of War 3 (with DLC codes)
5) The Slim 360 is way better than its previous predecessor.
6) 320GB Hard Drive.
CONS:
1) Gears of War 3 themed sounds come out a little distorted (maybe it was just my console too).
2) Gears of War 3 LE should have been included (this is more of a personal preference and I can understand if the packaging didn't allow for it to fit or if they would have lost money on the deal, just saying....)
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I already own the first XBOX 360 (the white one) and the XBOX 360 Elite (the black one). The Elite started giving me the one red light and I brought it in to a local shop to get it fixed. Now it happens every two months or so and I'm getting tired of it. Plus, it is loud...no joke.As a big fan of Gears, I needed a new console and the game and this was a perfect buy. Checked with the commander (wife) and funds were available for my new toy. Ordered this bad boy on the 19th of September and was at my doorstep the next day right when I came home from work I was so excited. But, as life would have it, the console was never installed until that Friday night and the game played until Saturday afternoon. Priorities...
REVIEW on the CONSOLE:
This console is much smaller than my XBOX 360 Elite and now fits perfectly in my home theater shelf. It is also quiet...finally. Oh, it looks freakin' awesome. My purchase came with the game, 320Gb hard drive, two GOW controllers, $40 amazon credit and a bonus GOW skin. All in all, great bang for the buck when you consider the controllers are $65ea at Target.
The negatives...the sound effects are cool, but the sound quality is an epic fail. Maybe they saved money by using old laptop speakers from the 90s. The lack of HD cables and the controllers DO NOT come with a rechargeable battery pack or cable. BTW, I bought the Xbox 360 Charge Base Black so I don't have to keep replacing the supplied AA Duracell batteries.
REVIEW on the GAME:
Gears of War...love it. I've played GOW1 and GOW2 and still play them to this day. My home is networked, so my boys and I system link and GAME ON. Game play is good as 1 and 2 with more goodies. There are new weapons like a sawed off shotgun, digger (rolling underground grenade launcher) and retro lancer (it stabs not saw, great melee effect but accuracy when firing SUCKS big time). Oh, and incendiary grenades?? Yup, watch those aliens burn...burn baby burn. One more thing: the lancers seem stronger and more accurate now well, it feels that way to me.
There are some changes that make the game a little harder. If you pick up a sniper rifle, or boltok pistol or any other non-COG weapon, refilling ammo is a PITA. When you find an ammo refill pack, it DOES NOT replenish these weapons! To get more bullets for your sniper, for example, you'll need to grab it from an enemy that you killed as it lays on the ground.
CONCLUSION:
Console is perfect, definitely worth the purchase. If you're looking for new or to replace your old one, this this is the way to go even if you're not a Gears fan. The box itself is cool looking.
The game, yup it still rocks. If you haven't played Gears 1 or 2 yet, do it....you won't be dissapointed.
AMAZON.com rocks!
Best Deals for Xbox 360 Gears of War 3 Limited Edition Console Bundle
I think the mass of drooling reviews for Gears of War 3 speak for themselves, so I'm going to focus on this console. Beautifully painted in Gears' iconic crimson, it's a great tribute to the series. As one of Microsoft's new models, it's much quieter than the first generation Xbox 360s and a bit smaller. No complaints about the important hardware; Microsoft's definitely figured out what they're doing. The only thing I can nitpick is that the speaker for the custom sound effects is pitiful, and they are only activated when the physical buttons on the console are used. Also, make note that these new consoles apparently only come with the old RCA composite cable, as opposed to the better component cables once included. Otherwise, go for it!Honest reviews on Xbox 360 Gears of War 3 Limited Edition Console Bundle
First, I have to tell you, my review will be mostly about the console, it's been almost a year since Gears 3 came out, so I'm sure most of you already played it and like me, are looking to buy this console, first for its looks, second, for its larger HD. I already own a 360S with the 250GB HD, but recently had an offer for it and so I decided to sell it and buy the gears console, anyway, the review....First, connections, the console comes with the standard 360S ports, which include:
5 USB ports, two on the front and three on the back.
A dedicated "Kinect Port" which powers up the device. The port comes marked with an orange stripe above it.
1 Ethernet RJ45 style port for wired internet connections, such as direct to router or modem.
1 HDMI port (but NO HDMI cable included) When will MS quit being so cheap?
1 Standard video/audio connection for the 360S included cable.
That's about it for ports. Now its features.
The console comes with a built-in wireless WiFi adapter, but sadly, this adapter does NOT SUPPORT "N" NETWORKS, so if you have an N router, you are pretty much left with 1 of 2 choices, the obvious, which is not to use N or to buy the external wireless adapter Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter A/B/G & N Networks, but be WARNED, that wireless adapter is made for the OLD Xbox 360 shell, you can still use it with the 360S, but you won't be able to attach it to the console's body. In my opinion, not having an N capable adapter in the 360S is a step backwards, this being a special edition and all.
The HD, huge space for games, videos, etc. If you have a 360S, you will need to buy the Xbox 360 Hard Drive Transfer Cable which works with both the Slim and Older 360. You will be given a choice on your screen to transfer from/to either the HD or console. Very easy to do.
Now, the looks:
The controllers: absolutely beautiful. They were carefuly painted, the Gears of War famous logo is on the right side, the red has a nice dark tone, like a red wine shade. The D-pad is a cool feature, but not very useful; you see, the D-pad does stick out by twisting it to the side, but the entire piece is still the same at the controller's base/board. It also makes a "clicking" sound, but this may go away with age. The battery housing is the standard from other controllers and it is black, so if you use the Nyko battery: Xbox 360 Power Pak Black you should have no problem matching it to the one shipped with these controllers. By the way, to use the battery mentioned above, you will need the charger as well: Nyko Charge Base 360 S for Xbox 360, I have both and they work flawlesly.
The Console....this I didn't like very much. The console DOES NOT MATCH the controller's colour. It is at least 1 to 2 shades lighter. From the pictures, it can't be seen, but it is noticeable. The controllers, as mentioned above, have a nice dark red tone, well, the console doesn't, it is more of a bright red, not too bright as to ruin it, but bright enough to see the contrast difference between it and the controller. Also, because it is brighter, you may want to think about it, before buying this console, if your home theather set-up is all black, like mine, where I have my PS3, black Wii and all black chargers, etc, all inside of a dark cabinet; this console sticks out like sore thumb. Aesthetically speaking, this can ruin the looks of your system. So, again, think about it, of course, if you don't care about that sort of thing, then ignore what I just said. Don't get me wrong though, the Gears of War logo and other graphics do still look amazingly detailed and carefuly drawned.
The custom sounds, these are ok, not great. They only work when MANUALLY turning the console on/off and when opening/closing the disc tray. The power sound is the best IMO. The tray sound is the same for both open and close. I did not notice the distortion that other gamers have mentioned, so I can't complaint about it. I don't know who decided that the sounds should only work by manual actions, but it doesn't make much sense, none whatsoever.
In conclusion, is this console worth the $350+ price? It depends. If you are a HUGE fan of the series, then by all means, buy this bundle, but I wouldn't pay more than $400 for it; its original price was $350, plus taxes. So if you keep it under $400, then it is still a good deal, you get 2 of the newest controllers available with custom paint on them, a 320GB HD and a copy of one of the best games out there. If you are looking to upgrade from an older 360 model, again, this is a great deal, a regular 250GB console will cost you $299 with one controller and no game, so it's a no brainer, but, again, if you care about the looks of your home set-up, think about this console's colour and whether you can live with it or not. If you already have a 360S with a 250GB HD, but need a larger HD, then it's just a matter of having the extra cash for this bundle, if not, you can simply upgrade your HD for a lot less money Xbox 360 320GB Hard Drive.
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I won't review the game here, since if you're looking at the console bundle, you probably have your mind made up about getting the game. SO, on to the Console. First the fact it comes ready to go for (local co-op) gaming right out of the box, is awesome! System, tv cables, power brick, Gears 3 game, and 2 controllers w/2 a set of batteries each. There is even a chat headset for online gaming.System Pros:
-Sleek and Sexy, red w/a black Omen
-Much quieter than the older model 360s
-Touch pads replacing power/tray buttons are nice and responsive
-Built in wifi adapter
-Cool Gears of War sounds upon turn the system on/off as well as open/close disc tray
System Cons:
-Special Gears sounds are quiet and sound like they are from cheap speakers. I wouldn't be surprised if there are no sounds in a year or less.
-Built in WiFi does NOT recognize the 5Ghz channel on a dual band router (I'm using a Linksys 2500), if you want to use the 5Ghz channel, you must use the black wireless adapter (so much for my open USB slot.)
Controler Pros:
-Match the Console perfectly
-Changeable directional pad
Controller Cons:
-Black battery case? why not red to match the rest of the controller? (minor gripe but still)
Overall the system is VERY awesome for any Gears of War fan. Is it worth it? For me, heck yes. I have been a huge Gears fan for years, and this custom system is just the icing on the cake for me. I would have really liked to have known that the internal WiFi doesn't pick up on 5Ghz channels (if it does let me know how, Xbox support has told me it does not). The special sounds are a little weak, but those aren't that big of issues with me. I wanted a cool looking, quieter 360 with a bigger HD, and that's what I got. I'm happy.
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