Games

EVERY NOW and again it’s nice to see something live up to the hype.

It doesn’t happen very often, especially in gaming.

Kinect (Xbox 360; RRP €149.99) really is a brilliant piece of technology, one that represents the future of interactive entertainment. In short, it bridges the gap between gamers and everyone else. The idea is simple enough – a camera scans your body and allows you to control games without a traditional pad. When you jump your on-screen character jumps too – when you bend your knees or wave a hand, so does your avatar.

While this might sound like a gimmick to traditional gamers, the truth is that Kinect is a huge step forward for the industry. The sensation of controlling menus with your hand, of ‘kicking’ a ball on-screen, of having the camera recognise your face when you step into view (and log your profile in automatically) – all these are incredibly cool experiences that make traditional controllers seem positively redundant.

Kinect’s real success, however, only becomes apparent when you ask non-gamers to step in and play. Suddenly people with no previous interest in gaming – the Wii included – can join in without the need to explain what’s going on. It’s a completely natural, physical method of interacting with digital entertainment. Better still, it’s just loads of fun.

You’ll need at least six feet of free space for the camera to work properly, eight feet for two players at once. Also, the camera can only detect a handful of joints on your body, so controlling games like Call of Duty with just your fingers isn’t going to happen on Kinect.

Still, if you can afford the price, Kinect is a thrilling taste of what the future holds and superb family fun.

Rating: *****