Product Review: Bloody Multi-Core Gun 3 Mouse

For gamers the world over, one of the most important aspects to how you perform is the hardware you are using. When your a PC user, the type of mouse and keyboard you use is equally, if not more, important than the machine you built to play your games.

(NOTE: Video of test will be added shortly)

Some peripherals are great; some, not so much. Nevertheless, it’s all about comfort and usability.

While many companies have to often times sacrifice one for the other (looking at you, Logitech), A4Tech wanted to have both with its release of the Bloody 2 Multi-Core Gun 3 V7 gaming mouse earlier this year. Needless to say, they didn’t disappoint.

The Specs:

Basic Parameters:

Multi-core system
Button No.: 7 keys + Wheel
Direction of wheel: one way direction
Tracking: Optical engine
Type: Wired
Mouse connection: USB (2.0/3.0)
Hardware system requirements: Windows
Software system requirements: Windows XP / Vista / Windows 7 / Windows 8
Mouse size: 125 x 64 x 39 (mm)
Cable length: 1.8 m
Mouse weight: 155 g

Technical Parameters:
Resolution: 200 Dpi to 3,200Dpi (5 ranges adjustable)
Image processing: 368 mega pixels / sec
Acceleration: 30g
Tracking speed: 75 inches / sec
Report rate : 1,000 Hz(4 ranges adjustable)
Key response time: 1ms
160K onboard memory

Design/Feel:

The first thing you notice when you first use the Bloody 2, as it’s known, is just how comfortable it feels on your hand. The design of it allows your hand to cup the mouse in a way that puts no strain on any of your hand muscles whatsoever; the groove on the left-hand side of the mouse allows your thumb to cradle it in a natural position.

The seven buttons don’t require any major contorting of the hand to reach. Even the hardest to reach button — the middle “3” button — requires just a simple bend of the middle finger. In the thumb groove, there are two buttons for quick access to different tasks that can be set in the software settings.

It’s not the lightest mouse on the market, but it moves about the surface like it is. Because of it allow your hand to naturally rest on it, the mouse moves flawless as you use your pinky finger as an anchor of sorts.

If comfort alone is what you want in a gaming mouse, then this would sell you on it 10 times out of 10.

Usability:

Sure, it’s nice to have a mouse that fits perfectly into your hand while you use it, but what about when you actually go to play the games you bought it for? That matters a lot too, you know.

Before this goes any further, remember this mouse is specifically designed for shooters. If you like RTS and think this mouse will make you a king at Command & Conquer, think again.

Now, back to what matters: it’s use.

Where to begin with this. This is where the mouse shines, and becomes worth the cost.

When it comes to response, there is absolutely no lag time when playing. If you click a button or move the mouse, it will do that action simultaneously. Of course, if you want a delay, you can set that up in the software which will be covered later.

As mentioned earlier, all of the buttons are easily accessible and the positioning of them become almost second nature after just a short game session.

Features:

The main feature of this mouse involves the three buttons that are placed just under the scroll wheel.

Made for shooter titles, the Bloody 2 gives gamers options right at the click of a mouse button to choose the style of shot they want. The best part is, it’s all coordinated by color so you always know exactly what firing mode you’re in.

1 (Red): When the scroll wheel is solid red, you are in “single shot” mode which allows one bullet at a time…or all the bullets. Double clicking the “1” button will make the scroll wheel flash red. It brings up the CPI (Counts per inch) right away. It allows to you change the setting to make it easier to get precise accuracy when sniping, for example. It does however, make the mouse extra sensitive (It likes to cry).N (Green): No idea why it’s called the “N” button instead of “2”, but this will put you in “two burst shot” mode.

3 (Yellow): This button puts you in “three burst shot” mode.

Software:

The software contains some really good options, and a really bad option that stops this from being a perfect gaming mouse.

First the good. Although you have to go to their website in order to download the software, the accompanying software with the Bloody 2 provides a boatload of customization settings to make the mouse work exactly to your liking.

The settings software, called Bloody 4, allows you to choose what core your mouse is in, what each button does during general use, the sensitivity and delay of the device, and ways to limit interference among others. It’s really a great program to make sure the mouse works how you want.

And, once you’ve set up your mouse, you can even download a shooting test program to test out your new configurations before taking them into a game.

When the software is downloaded, you’ll notice that when it first launches it will give you the option to change the core of your mouse to one of three core settings.

Core 1: This is a basic mouse operation. It will work as a regular mouse, but with extremely fast response time. This is the default mode the mouse is in. 

Core 2: This mode allows you to take advantage of the middle buttons that allow different shot modes. You have to activate this mode in the software before you can use it.

Core 3: This mode allows you to do everything you can in Core 2, but then adds awesomeness on top of it. Not only is there a strafe mode feature, but you can full customize the “N” and “3” buttons to work how you want with different guns. Want to make a gun a five burst shot? With the core 3 mode activated, you can. However, there is a catch.

Want to use this core3 feature? It’s going to cost you.

While you do get 1000 tries to test out the core 3, if you want to continue using it, your going to have to fork over an extra $20 for the feature. While some may spend the extra money because of the affordability of the mouse itself, it would be nice to have a feature you talk about included in the base package.

A move like that is sure to rub people, like myself, the wrong way.

Verdict:

The fact that you have to make a purchase to get full use out of the mouse that you also purchased is a real downer for me. However, it’s not a deal breaker in any way, shape or form with this mouse. With a price of $40 for the mouse and $20 for the Core3 abilities, the Bloody 2 is still one of the most affordable options out on the market.

It’s feel in your hand, response time, and features that come with the base package are worth the $40 price tag alone. It’s one of the top gaming mice on the market today, and any PC shooter player should give this thing a try. You may just get hooked.

Final Score: 8.5/10 — Great