Customer Reviews

XBOX Controller

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I bought a Game Stop controller at a local Game Stop retailer to replace a damaged Type S XBox controller. Once I opened it and plugged it in, it seemed like a decent controller. The weight seemed just right, and there was no flimsiness that one would find in some third party controllers. I found the Game Stop controller to be adequate for general game play that did not require precise analog control, such as driving, some platforming, and some shooting. However, once I began to replay my favorite game, Splinter Cell, I noticed that there was too much slack in the thumb stick movement causing the character on screen to twitch. This is where it gets ugly.

Splinter Cell requires extremely subtle, precise movement. The looseness of the Game Stop controller's thumb stick makes it extremely difficult to know how much pressure to apply to make your character move at your desired speed. When you are the slightest bit off you will either see your character move stupidly fast, alerting all guards to your location, or you will see your character barely get off to a crawl. Worse yet is when you find your on-screen persona spastically shaking when you attempt to move, as if he is having some sort of seizure, which also, unfortunately, results in you getting caught by a guard. This happens all the time, and it is maddening.

These are problems that I never experienced with the official Type S Controller. As you push the thumb stick to walk or crawl, it seems as though Sam is stuck between speeds, twitching and jerking as he moves. This only happens when you want to go slow. It is extremely frustrating.

Infuriated by this, I am barely able to keep myself from smashing this controller to bits. If it wasn't for the fact that I cannot seem to find a good affordable replacement for the sole purpose of playing Splinter Cell on the original XBox, I would have shelved this abomination long ago.

If you need a second controller for your XBox, the Game Stop controller isn't that bad. However, you should find something else if you require pinpoint precision for stealth games. For most people, however, the XBox is a distant memory. Consider yourself fortunate if you have moved on to the next generation of consoles.