So we did something crazy...I rented COD3 for 360 and Xeno rented COD3 for Wii and we played 'em at the exact same time, right next to each other on different TVs. We both knew the 360 one was supposed to be superior, but we really wanted to see what the difference would be. W/ 2 friends also watching, it was quite the enlightening experience.
First, let's list the visuals the Wii was missing. LOTS of missing elements...no Nazi flags, no fires on the landscape, no soldiers running in the fields around tanks, even water. The Wii soldiers also didn't have facial expressions up close. I'm sure you know of the lack of contrast due to the low texture maps and lack of normal maps, but the "greying" effect really makes one environment look just like the next. We were stunned by the amount of objects that were left out. What WAS in the 360 version, however, were faster load times, real time lighting, bump mapping, better quality sound. Yes, these things make it more fun.
Now, for the Wii controls...kinda neat and disappointing at the same time. It's funny how everyone expected the Wii to be the best thing for FPS's since the keyboard and mouse, when it feels VERY unwieldly, even when you've gotten it down. I've never had more trouble navigating a house. Of course, I'm left handed, so I can't figure out if I want to do movement with my right hand (which feels unnatural), or do aiming with my right hand (which feels unnatural). This didn't engross me that much more than otherwise w/ a controller because I wasn't physically aiming at my target...I was moving the Wiimote to aim the crosshairs up w/ what wsa on the screen. There's a big difference.
Here's another letdown...Xeno is albino, permenantly near-sighted. Therefore, he needs to be relatively close to the screen. Therefore, the control is shakey as hell when he's the minimum distance from the TV. If he turns down the sensitivity, then he gets really slow turning rate, severely hampering the experience. Kind of a lose-lose situation in that aspect.
So in conclusion, this was a pretty enlightening experience. Since COD3 and Red Steel have been failures of representing the FPS on the Wii, Metroid has a LOT to proove...but even if they hit a home run in the presentation, I don't know how they could fix the control issues mentioned. Hell, at this point, I've almost written off the FPS being "Wii territory" and still being well inside the court of the 360 and PC. In case you're wondering why I didn't mention the PS3, well...I've kind of written off the PS3 as a contender at this point. I could be proven wrong, but Sony has to convince me of that first.
First, let's list the visuals the Wii was missing. LOTS of missing elements...no Nazi flags, no fires on the landscape, no soldiers running in the fields around tanks, even water. The Wii soldiers also didn't have facial expressions up close. I'm sure you know of the lack of contrast due to the low texture maps and lack of normal maps, but the "greying" effect really makes one environment look just like the next. We were stunned by the amount of objects that were left out. What WAS in the 360 version, however, were faster load times, real time lighting, bump mapping, better quality sound. Yes, these things make it more fun.
Now, for the Wii controls...kinda neat and disappointing at the same time. It's funny how everyone expected the Wii to be the best thing for FPS's since the keyboard and mouse, when it feels VERY unwieldly, even when you've gotten it down. I've never had more trouble navigating a house. Of course, I'm left handed, so I can't figure out if I want to do movement with my right hand (which feels unnatural), or do aiming with my right hand (which feels unnatural). This didn't engross me that much more than otherwise w/ a controller because I wasn't physically aiming at my target...I was moving the Wiimote to aim the crosshairs up w/ what wsa on the screen. There's a big difference.
Here's another letdown...Xeno is albino, permenantly near-sighted. Therefore, he needs to be relatively close to the screen. Therefore, the control is shakey as hell when he's the minimum distance from the TV. If he turns down the sensitivity, then he gets really slow turning rate, severely hampering the experience. Kind of a lose-lose situation in that aspect.
So in conclusion, this was a pretty enlightening experience. Since COD3 and Red Steel have been failures of representing the FPS on the Wii, Metroid has a LOT to proove...but even if they hit a home run in the presentation, I don't know how they could fix the control issues mentioned. Hell, at this point, I've almost written off the FPS being "Wii territory" and still being well inside the court of the 360 and PC. In case you're wondering why I didn't mention the PS3, well...I've kind of written off the PS3 as a contender at this point. I could be proven wrong, but Sony has to convince me of that first.





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