Fresh off the presses and just in time for the release of Gears of War 3 comes the newest product from Kontrol Freek come the FPS Freek EPIC edition.  For those unfamiliar with the products, FPS Freek is a 3rd party controller modification.  This specific model of controller modification is a thumb stick extender.  The FPS Freek clips onto the top of the thumb sticks on your controller giving you a greater range of motion without having to replace or permanently modify your controller.  Additionally, the FPS Freek is coated with a silicone like material giving your thumbstick a better surface for gripping.  The FPS Freek fits both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 controller right out of the box.  The FPS Freek EPIC edition specifically is branded and colored for the new Gears of War game due out soon.

Let me start out by saying that I have very large hands.  I have always preferred the Playstation 3 controller because the contouring of the thumbsticks and it seemed to fit my thumbs better than the 360 controller.  I always liked the size and weight of the 360 controller but the thumbsticks were a deal breaker for me.  When I put the FPS Freek EPIC edition on my 360 controller I found that it made the controller much more comfortable for my hands.  With the added height of the stick, I found that I didn’t have to constantly re-adjust my thumbs to keep them center on the stick.  Moving around and gaming in general was much easier for me and a lot more comfortable which I wasn’t used to on the Xbox 360.  I also found that the coating on the stick was far superior to the material the original thumbstick was made out of.  All the detailing in the logo on the stick not only had a nice look to them but it made my thumbs stay where I needed them to stay.

With the added length came greater precision in the movements close to dead center.  Whenever you wanted to move the stick just a small amount, it was far easier to do that with a longer stick.  This really plays into the sniper’s favor so if you like to snipe in your FPS games, this is the product for you.  Run and gunners won’t see as much of a performance increase but the comfort factor made a difference for me as I am sure it could make for others.

The FPS Freek EPIC edition, as I mentioned earlier, was specifically branded and colored to coincide with the release of Gears of War 3.  In the middle of the gripping surface you’ll find the Gears of War skull logo and the color of the surface is red as opposed to the normal grey or black standard edition.  They look especially nice with the Gears of War 3 special edition controller which they seemed designed to match.

All in all I felt the FPS Freek EPIC edition is a solid and worthwhile controller modification.  Obviously no controller is perfect right out of the box but with modifications like these available for a reasonable price you can customize your controller to how you want it to feel.  Personally these add-ons made the Xbox 360 controller much more comfortable and I plan to keep them on my controllers for as long as I can.  I would highly recommend this item for FPS snipers, people with larger hands or those that find the thumbsticks on your controller undersized or slippery.  Anyone considering these add-ons should give them a shot, they make quite a difference.

Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ 

 

The FPS Freek EPIC edition is available for purchase at Kontrol Freek for $13.99 which was the lowest price found.  This product was provided to New Gamer Nation for review.

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About The Author

Joe Marchese is the founder / Editor in Chief of New Gamer Nation. He has been a gamer for his whole life but has been focusing on his passion to deliver the industry's new to New Gamer Nation. He is an expert of video game culture and has been featured on Fox News Online. Don't be shy to reach out and let him know what you think!