Xbox One Tour – Shoreditch
With the debate looking to run and run on which is better the PS4 or Xbox One, London Life UK checked out the Xbox One Tour in Shoreditch on Saturday.
After the launch event of both, there was an argument that the PS4 was the better gaming machine, while the Xbox One was seemingly caring less about games and more 
about dominating the living room. However at the Xbox One Tour this was purely about the games, with no mention of its extra functionality, apart from the new Kinect of course.
Set in a large disused building minutes from Boxpark and Shoreditch High Street train station, which gave the tour a very underground feeling to it. This felt in part like an attempt by Microsoft to win over gamers, who understandably felt that they had missed the point with the launch event, which focused more on the whole eperience.
There are two things to mention at this point, firstly you are expected to put bags etc. into the cloakroom, while this isn’t a major shock, do factor it into your visit, especially if you are not planning to stay for long, as it will eat into your time. Secondly if you look a bit on the young side, take I.D. a few guys were told they couldn’t enter the over 18’s section because they didn’t bring any with them, you have been warned.
While our busy schedule meant we didn’t have long, we did get to try out several games including a Forza 5 demo and it was exactly as we expected. Basically Forza 4 but with better graphics and by that we mean more going on in the background and more realistic detail on the cars when they were damaged. So much so that the damage we inflicted on the McLaren P1, made us feel like we should do a runner before its owner came back. The new controller felt fantastic, a definite improvement on what was already a great controller. Our favourite enhancement was the independent feedback we got from each of the triggers, which made the driving experience more immerse and felt like it helped.
Next we tried Killer Instinct, a series that we’ve never liked since the original came out in 1994. However we were surprised by the quality of the graphics and the game play felt much slicker (but you’d hope so after 19 years of evolution). To the point where if we had the spare cash after buying the other must have games on release day, we’d actually consider buying it.
Understandably the likes of Battlefield 4, FIFA 14, Dead Rising etc. were jam packed full of gamers so we simply stood and watched. The sheer number of zombies in Dead Rising 3 took us by surprise and the amount going on Battlefield 4 really showed us what to expect with next gen hardware. While FIFA 14 we’d really need to spend some time playing as it didn’t scream next gen to us, but the noise from the people playing it suggested otherwise, so we will reserve judgement for now.
Finally as we were leaving we were persuaded to try our hand at a Jet Ski game which is part of Kinect Sports Rivals. The game play and graphic style reminded us of a certain Nintendo ‘classic’ Wave Racer. With so many people walking past we wondered how well it would fair, but it was more about us getting used to it, than the other way round. Holding on to handle bars that weren’t there and stamping our feet to active the boost got us a respectable 2nd place but probably made us look pretty stupid outside the safety of the living room.
From the stand point of ‘is it worth visiting’, if you are a gamer, then it’s a definite yes, the venue wasn’t jam packed full of people, so you felt as if you could get a game of everything if you didn’t mind the odd bit of waiting. Should you buy the Xbox One when it is released? Well we are fans of the Xbox 360 and it felt like a good evolution from what we experienced and we are far more tempted to upgrade than we were, but really it isn’t for us to answer. However if you are on the fence and you have the money to burn this might help you decide.
To check out the slots still available until 3rd November visit: xboxonetour.com or just risk it, you might manage to ‘sneak’ in.
If you can’t make it there aremore opportunities to check out the Xbox One, both in London and around the country in the run up to Christmas, you can find out more here
