Nex Machina... reviewed!

Nex Machina is the type of game that grabs you by the coin yelling "Lets hit the Arcade!".

This game brings you front and center (top side down to be exact) in an action-packed twin-stick shooter... that does a visually stunning job with voxels. I'm in awe when I play it. Now that they've made the game playable on older PCs... I've had the opportunity to play it on my older (but much stronger desktop) and surround sound. I've played it on a laptop using the HyperX Cloud Stinger headset... and I only wanted to play with the headset on. The Sentey Harmoniq Pro do a bang up job also, but when using the surround sound in the office... that takes the cake (it just feels right).

I won't tell you to go into Nex Machina... expecting depth. Only go in expecting arcade action that gives you plenty to enjoy as you take down enemies, rescue survivors, find hidden ones, and then some as you avoid dying to build up that almighty score. They threw in a little story there, but (meh)... doesn't really matter... it's sort of just there to give you a reason why the worlds exist. When you jump in, if you know what you're doing and aren't just dodging with no plan of killing the enemies stalking you... the game will go on and on like that theme song from Lamb Chops Play-Along. Other than that you fly from one area to the next taking down enemies, switching weapons, dashing, (possibly) uncovering secrets and taking on the bosses from each world.

Modes include:

Arcade - Which is the basic game from start to finish and you can go at it easy with infinite continues or challenge yourself to beat it with the basics.

Online Arena – Is the mode that delivers the biggest amount of replay value. Basically, you start off at the initial stage and work on racking up the biggest score possible... before you bite the digital dust to see how you match up against other gamers. Use secrets to your advantage, along with score multipliers and that should help set you apart, but it can be tricky... because even if you know where all the secrets are... if you die easily... it won't matter.

Single World – (Not to be confused with a dating show) That allows you to play any world you've unlocked in Arcade.

Local Co-Op – Which I haven't had the chance to enjoy yet (and hope they deliver an online co-op).

You also get... not 10, not 20, not even 50... 221 in-game achievements to accomplish & 39 Steam achievements... so achievement hunters looking to invest some hours into a game, this is chock full of em'.

Price wise... at $19.99, it's on point. The praise would probably be increased at $14.99 (because then it would be a steal), but nearly everyone that has played the game... thoroughly enjoys the award-winning experience at the retail price which has great value.

Online co-op would've been wonderful, but the Local co-op & Online Arena makes up for it.

Overall, if you remember the days where most gamers were about the highest score and being the local, regional or world top scorer in a really challenging arcade game... then this one is for you. If you're even curious about it, check it out... its a change of pace and worthy of being added to your library if you like these sorts of games.

Fun factor: 5
Visually: 5
Replay value: 5
Price: 5

“5 / 5 Cool Points”

 Brought to you by the... Baby Fu Clothing Co.

Sentey Harmoniq Pro Gaming Headphones… reviewed!

Recently the noise coming from my office was a bit too much, and my studio headphones were not going to cut it at all. Even turning down the volume wasn’t going to work, so I had to figure something out.

There was no way I was going for really expensive headphones, but I couldn’t just go for any headphones either, so the best choice for me was the Sentey Harmoniq Pro gaming headphones.

The quality was there, along with the reasonable price, and I’m not talking about the $120 retail price. I was able to score them for $49.99.

The box is quality, something I don't really expect from headphones in this range, but Sentey didn't hold back on in their push to win gamers over. The headphones are solid and the cord is threaded with a nice length. Just a heads up though, these headphones have a USB connector, not the standard audio jack. Another thing is... if you get these used and there isn't a driver CD included (or you lack a disc drive) you might have to fish around online.

After listening to various surround sound tests I can say that these headphones deliver well. The swappable ear cushions are comfortable also, and you have two ear cushion options (if you’d prefer not use the leather ones), and there are some cool features like the surround sound volume controls. Don't get caught off guard thinking that your PC volume is separate from the headphone's master volume. You control the PC volume from the headphone master volume, so learn from my mistake because I had to snatch the headphones off one day after the sound hit my eardrums hard.

I like that they have lights on the headphones in certain areas without overdoing it. I probably would’ve had them on the logo only, but that’s just me in regards to the basic design. One specific light that I do appreciate over the others (that could stay as far as a revision is concerned), is one that serves a purpose...  and that's the light on the tip of the mic light. When it's on you'll know, instead of checking to see if a switch is on or off.

One of the biggest things that stood out for me to make the purchase was a simple one... and that was the tolerance to wear them for a long period of time. I can wear them longer than my other headphones, and it just made sense because I needed that. A cool look doesn't cut it if headphones aren't good and comfy. 

They go over the ears, not directly on them, which I love because my ears have a low tolerance when it comes to being pressed, and for those of you with a piercing on the upper areas of the ears... trust me when I say... it doesn’t feel too good to have them pressed for a long duration of time. You shouldn’t have to take earrings off just to enjoy your headphones. We all have our preferences for the type of headphones we may like, while some prefer no headphones at all, but if you need them (in order to keep the noise down) and you want a comfortable pair of headphones with good quality sound that go over the ear, I think you’d be pleased with the Harmoniq Pro.

One option I would’ve loved to have in at least an alternate version of these headphones is a wireless feature. So if I could suggest anything to Sentey, it would be to create a wireless version that can also be connected by a cord. Even a non-wireless pair with a detachable cord just in case it gets snagged, but for what its worth I’d rather have quality headphones with an attached cord instead of a detachable pair that completely suck.

I played a little Borderlands 2, and you definitely know what direction an enemy is coming from (most of the time). I prefer playing the sniper role, and then I run and gun close quarters when I have to, but being able to hear if an enemy is approaching from behind is always a plus. Either way, the sound is really good so far, and I look forward to playing more games and seeing how awesome they are with movies.

You get true 5.1 surround sound, and that's what you see on the package, but if you access the software settings you also get 7.1 digital surround sound, along with other features like a voice changer.

Quality: 5
Price: 5
Comfort: 4
Visual appeal: 5

4.75 / 5

Brought to you by the... Baby Fu Clothing Co!