Remember that kid on the neighborhood basketball court who would give his Reebok Pumps a squeeze or two every chance he got? Everybody knew that whatever boost in performance, confidence or air time he gained from his costly sneakers was purely imaginary. But that didn't stop him from keeping his kicks totally inflated.
That's how I felt when I unpacked and installed FPS Freek – a pair of analog stick extenders for Xbox 360 and PS3 controllers. According to the maker, these add-ons are meant to improve accuracy in first-person shooters. By adding more length to the analog stick, the player gains a wider range of motion.
I test drove the extenders while playing Halo 3: ODST (Legendary, co-op) and had a hard time noticing the difference between my new longer stick and my old short nubs. In a way, that's a good thing. I quickly adapted to the extended sticks, integrating them into the way I played. In fact, I never bothered taking them off when it came time to play a mess of Brütal Legend multiplayer this weekend. Again, no noticeable difference in performance. The sticks felt comfortable and natural.
Many say that FPS Freek improves their sniping skills. And I did manage to cap quite a few grunts at long range with my pistol. But I was able to do that before I ever used the FPS Freek. Anybody can. Scoring a headshot with the pistol's long site is no miracle; it's practically a given. So don't expect a day-and-night difference in skills when you fork over the $10 for these add-ons.
That said, I'm going to keep them attached to my controller. You know. Just in case.
Image courtesy Kontrol Freek
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