Scuf Classic - A Review by an Average Gamer

 I’ve never considered myself particularly good at gaming and FPS games in particular, and of course I’d heard all about other brands of controllers other than the standard Microsoft ones.

It would be fair to say that for the extra cost, I was dubious as to whether any of them would make a difference to an ageing gamer such as me! So when a friend offered me a Scuf Classic to try, I did so with a little bit of trepidation as to what it might bring to the table.

I had solely used the original Microsoft Wireless controllers for my whole Xbox gaming life prior to this, and this Scuf was wired, although given that I sit quite close to my TV, this wasn’t really a problem!

The first new feature that I had to get to grips with was a domed right stick, not much to write home about you probably think, but I immediately felt at ease with it, and found myself moving with ease especially when aiming. All in all a small yet incredibly useful addition.

The major feature of Scuf controllers is the paddle system – either 2 or 4 paddles on the underside of the controller that allow you to use them as you would the A,B,X and Y buttons, but without moving your fingers from the natural grip of the controller. My Scuf had just 2, mapped to replicate the A & B buttons. This was an area of the controller that I had most apprehension about; would I even use them, would it feel odd, what advantage would I gain? After all, I very rarely drop shot and as for jump shots…..well lets say I leave that to Halo players! However, given that I mostly used the pad on Black Ops 2, the ability to use the B Paddle to dolphin dive onto Capture Points/Flag Points, and to use the A paddle to easily jump up to areas whilst on the move proved to be a really handy thing over a standard controller.

Another major benefit of the Scuf Pads are the addition of ‘Trigger Stops’. These are inlays in the Left and Right Triggers that stop any unnecessary movement of the trigger and saves split seconds in getting a shot off in a game such as Call of Duty. My pad however, did not have these on, so I will not comment on this, suffice to say any saving on time in a CoD firefight would be massively welcomed by me!

Complimentary to this feature is the Adjustable Hair Trigger mechanism. This allows the user to adjust small screws on the pad that alter the sensitivity of the triggers, again a highly useful feature for the FPS player.

So, I hear you ask, “Did the Scuf Classic Pad make you a better CoD player?”  I’m not sure I’m in a position to answer that, but what I will say is that all the features rolled into one package, makes playing games a more intuitive and confident process. I felt more in control and felt that I had more of an edge than I had with my previous standard controllers.

I now even use it for playing Fifa with! OK so I might not use the paddles, but the unit as a whole just feels so nice to game with, that it would be stupid not to use it.

So, in summing up, well done Scuf Gaming! At roughly £50 for the base version, it’s not even that much more than an official Microsoft Wireless pad, so decent value for money too!  Scuf might not have improved my meagre skills as a gamer, but you have certainly given me a chance of achieving more than just mediocrity when gaming! A top quality product for ANY gamer.

Give them a follow on Twitter too! @ScufGaming

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Peas out chaps! 
Neil