Product Info

Brand: A4Tech
Model: Bloody Ultra Core 3 V5
Review Unit Provided By: A4Tech

Review

Everyone seems to want to get into the high priced gaming mouse market these days and usually all that it takes is a black mouse with extra buttons, sleek design, and a few glowy parts. Most claim macros and precision in ad space that looks to be the first person shooter’s version of a beer commercial but the Bloody Ultra Core 3 V5 actually promises more. The V5 is based on what A4Tech labels as a 3 core system. Each core changes mouse functionality drastically by increasing the level of “assistance” it gives gamers. To change cores, gamers must use the Bloody 2 software that will actually change the drivers for the hardware that are registered in the operating system on the fly. Bloody 2 also handles the settings and the scripted macros for the mouse making it the go-to application for the V5’s customization.

The V5 is a large mouse and that is a good thing. It feels good and has curves in all the right spots to fit the contour of the hand. The large size also has the benefit of giving the gamer a bit more precision due to feeling in control of the device. The V5 experience also has the bonus of A4tech’s patented holeless design and their lagless technology pumped through a quality braided cord. The response time found in the V5 is one of the best I have personally experienced.

The mouse uses 3 buttons labeled 1, N, and 3 located right behind the wheel to switch through the different modes each core has. Core 1 is used for normal mouse usage and non-FPS games. The 1N3 buttons do nothing while in this core. After playing a bit of Starcraft 2 while in this mode, it is clear that even with none of the extra benefits that the V5 is a quality mouse. There is no noticeable lag creating a smooth experience.

Core 2 is where things start getting interesting. 1 acts as the normal clickity clack mouse mode but N creates 2 round bursts in a single click of the left mouse button. 3 is where the money is though because it is the 3 round burst mode and as any first person shooter veteran will tell you, 3 round bursts keep you accurate with high recoil weapons. The great benefit of the core 2 modes are that it saves you those extra clicks and adds to your precision in a kind of set and forget about it way.

Core 3 enters the shady territory and adds a little bit more assistance to the modes. As with the other cores, 1 is the bread and butter nothing mode. N starts using hardware and software to manipulate the mouse position to keep recoil to a minimum. 3 brings in the 3 round burst mixed with the auto recoil suppression and makes a noticable difference while playing shooters. The Core 3 was given a test run in the new standalone expansion for Sniper Elite V2, Nazi Zombie Army (which you can read about in our review). Without the Core 3 modes, it would take several sets of bursts to drop a zombie. With the 3rd mode of Core 3, the undead were dropping within 1 or 2 bursts to the head.

The Bloody 2 software adds in macro usage and provides an editor and scripts that feature traditional program control structures such as conditionals and loops. It is a great way to automate more tedious processes in games such as MMOs but this feature will be limited for most to their own programming prowess or the effort of others.

Score: 5/5

The V5 will not make a bad player a great player but it might make them an average player. The purpose of this review is not to argue the ethics of using such a tool but to quantify its quality and claims. The V5 accomplishes what it sets out to do and provide top notch gaming hardware. While it is not as useful for games outside of shooters, it is still worthy mouse for other gamers.