If you had $200 to spend on your computer, what would you buy? More RAM? Some new games? Me personally, I’d buy the 3rd Space Vest from TN Games. For a long time gamers have seen gimmicks come and go. This is not your Dad’s rumble pack or force-feedback device. With eight pneumatic impact cells,located primarily around the front of the vest, with two positioned at the back, the vest performs just as you would imagine. The impact cells provide a significant jolt that is in perfect sync with in-game effects and gunfire. Shoot your M4, feel the recoil. Walk across a mine and feel the shrapnel pierce your body.
I started with Call of Duty 2 that was included with the vest, and let me tell you, IT WAS AWESOME!!! Gaming has never been better. In my opinion, this is the greatest video game accessory ever made. It’s not easy to impress me either. I played Quake/Quake II with an S3 Virge video card. I play with a standard Microsoft mouse. And 1024×768 video resolution. I resist upgrading. But the 3rd Space vest. Yeah, if I’d buy one. Loading up Quake 4 and then Unreal Tournament 3 and running through a corridor, taking that first barrage of enemy fire, I knew exactly what direction it was coming from. That first hit from the impact cells will make you jump. Oh, how good it feels to be shot with the chaingun or the flack cannon!!
But does it hurt? Not at all. What you feel is equivalent to getting poked by your wife trying to get you to stop snoring at 3 A.M. As a hemophiliac (Factor VIII Severe), being bruised while playing a marathon session of Quake 4 was of great concern. I am happy to note, I suffered no injuries, at least in real life, playing against n1njr on the other hand…
My only complaints about the vest are the length of the USB cable & air tube and the noise factor. I mean really, you market something to a gamer, make sure it’s easy and compact enough to take to a LAN party. I would like to see the next version have the compressor on a longer air tube and use wireless USB. After a quick succession of hits the compressor needs to build up a reservoir of compressed air again filling the jacket, which is distracting. The noise is acceptable though since most of us wear headphones while playing games, at which point with a good soundtrack running you wont hear the compressor or the impact cells refilling.
The vest is initially aimed at gamers who play first-person shooter games on their computer, but I spoke with John Ombrellaro, brother of creator Mark Ombrellaro and he let me know that while the vest currently only works on PC, they should be releasing an attachment, near the end of 2009, that will allow users to connect the same vest to their 360, PS3 and Wii systems. In addition, TN Games has plans to release a G-Force version for all you racing fans, the HTX Helmet and, this is where I got excited, sleeve and legging attachments for the vest. Talk about total immersion.
All in all, the 3rd Space Gaming Vest is worth every penny. No, really! Skip watching porn for a month and buy one today. You won’t be sorry, maybe a little horny, but it will be worth it.
Originally published June 19, 2009 on GamersRevenge.com
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