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Product Features

Genre
Accessories
Publisher
Microsoft
Release Date
November 10, 2010
Available Platforms
XBox 360

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Xbox 360 Kinect Sensor with Kinect Adventures

Easily hook up with friends with Video Kinect, no headset required. Sign into your profile by just stepping in front of the sensor Kinect games give you the freedom to jump, duck, and spin your way through a unique adventure. Kinect uses cutting-edge technology to provide a whole new way to play Kinect Adventures game

  • George Orton April 30, 2012 360
    ****

    Microsoft's Kinect is a revolutionary accessory for the Xbox 360 that allows you to play games without the need for a controller of any kind. Through a small rectangular bar (which features a camera and other sensors) that can be mounted on top of or next to your TV, the Xbox picks up your movements and translate them directly onto the screen, allowing you to control characters simply by waggling a relevant part of your body, jumping, or otherwise moving about. Whilst it sounds like a simple concept, it's an accessory that has transformed my console from being something that's used only to play adult-oriented games and movies into something that's become a hub of entertainment for my whole family (and has left our old Nintendo Wii gathering dust at the back of the cupboard).

    The Kinect comes packaged with 'Kinect Adventures', a disc that contains a series of mini-games that demonstrates some of the possibilities of this technology (which, as an ageing thirtysomething, still seems wildly futuristic to me). It also functions as a fun 'party' style game that's particularly well-geared towards group play, making it an excellent introduction to the Kinect for families. The games here are fairly simple fare (just like the Wii Sports game that was bundled with the first Wii consoles), but there's a decent variety of game concepts to choose from. You can plug leaks, pop bubbles, and throw balls at targets - all using your own body, remember - but my personal favourite is the "River Rush" game, which allows you to assume control of a raft as it navigates increasingly dangerous rapids.

    Kinect's technology functions pretty effectively - it seems to keep track of your movements pretty comprehensively once you've calibrated it correctly (which is pretty quick and easy to do), and there are also voice control options in places that add to the feeling of complete control. What's more, if you want to have the whole family play, there are no expensive extra controllers to buy like there are for the Wii or Playstation move - instead, new players can simply step in and out of play in a way that feels very organic and natural (and is far more simple than it could have been).

    Having only played a few games using the Kinect, I'm already excited for the potential that the accessory offers. The possibilities seem limitless, and the overall feel is that Kinect delivers the kind of direct-input technology that was the stuff of science-fiction when I was young. I get the impression that it'll be particularly good for sports games, dance games and exercise-oriented applications - but I can't deny I'm also very excited at being able to use the device to explore the Star Wars universe in the recent Star Wars game that has been released for the system (which I'll review separately). I'm also hoping that there will be some slightly more complex, adult-oriented games released for the Kinect in future, because so far the emphasis seems to have been more on novelty or children's titles.

    One final note: some people I know have been surprised by how much room you need to use a Kinect effectively. I'd say you need at least a 6-foot by 6-foot square, and probably more if you want to have two or more players use it at the same time. However, if you're worried that the size of your front room might prevent you from being able to enjoy the device, there are a range of 'zoom' accessories available that enable you to use the Kinect in a smaller space. I haven't used any of them, so I can't vouch for them, but the option is there.