Infinity FPS Freeks For Xbox 360 Review

This game was reviewed on Xbox 360

I’m more than happy to admit that I’m a pretty terrible FPS player.  Although I’ve completed a number of Call of Duty titles on Veteran difficulty, have put plenty of hours into Battlefield 3, and one of my first games was Doom II, any real success that I’ve had  with any of these games is due more to my perseverance than any natural skill.  And so, when I was asked to review the Halo 4-inspired Infinity FPS Freek control sticks from Kontrol Freek, I figured it couldn’t exactly harm my chances of victory in FPSs, so why not?

At first glance, the FPS Freeks don’t seem like they would make a whole lot of difference to your gaming prowess. Standing at about half an inch in height, the control stick extenders clip onto the top of your controller’s existing analogue sticks (either PS3 or Xbox 360), and serve to add a little more range to your aiming and movement.

In fact, I initially found that the FPS Freeks did harm my chances of victory, even with the extra range.  This was not through any fault of the Freeks themselves, but instead due to the fact that my controller suddenly felt entirely foreign to me; seven or so years of playing with an unmodified Xbox controller and developing muscle memory from having my hands in a certain position had gone out the window, just from the difference of less than an inch  that the FPS Freeks added to the top of my controller.  After a couple of games, however, I began to adjust to the FPS Freeks, and my aiming and movement steadily began to change for the better.

Although the sticks won’t give you better reflexes or instantly make you an expert gunman they give you the ability to become a better shot with a little bit of practice.   The Freeks work by adding a little extra length to the analogue stick, giving you a greater range of motion — meaning that any particular movement of the stick is lessened due to the altered leverage.  It’s fantastic for being able to fine-tune your aiming, and while it might not drastically change your K/D ratio, it will certainly help.

Design-wise, the Infinity FPS Freeks are, as mentioned, inspired by the upcoming Halo 4.  Featuring a design on the top based on the series’ UNSC logo and coming in a cool blue hue, the stick extensions are certainly easy on the eyes.  One minor complaint I have is that, with a black controller, the sticks can look a little out of place,  though they certainly make it easier to tell your controller from a friend’s.  The designs also double as thumb grips, and to this extent, they do a good job of keeping your thumbs from slipping off of the sticks and are actually pretty comfortable for extended play sessions.

The only real issue with the FPS Freeks can be broken down into two parts, both with the same reason behind them.  First, the FPS Freeks aren’t ideal for gamers with smaller hands, as the extra reach that they require may be a little too much to be comfortable after long periods of play.  As an extension of this, even with fairly large hands myself, I found it a little difficult to utilise functions assigned to the clicking in of the analogue sticks (such as sprinting or holding breath while sniping), particularly on the Xbox controller, as they required just a little too much reach.

For those of you who spend most of your game time playing FPSs, want a little hand up to avoid getting left behind by your friends with better skills, or even if you’re looking for a small present for a gamer for the upcoming holiday season, the FPS Freeks come highly recommended, especially when you take into consideration their reasonable cost.  They have a particularly sturdy build, and to be honest, I can’t imagine myself going back to playing FPSs without the Freeks.  It’s almost a case of the sticks being something you don’t realise that you need, but once you’ve experienced them, you can’t do without.

The Infinity FPS Freeks score an almost perfect shot of 4.75 out of 5.