At E3 2015, we had the opportunity to chat with PC peripheral maker Bloody, an A4Tech Company that specializes in gaming mice, keyboards, and headsets. They were kind enough to grant us a few of their items to review and among them was the Bloody ML16A “Commander” Laser Gaming Mouse designed for MMO gamers and the Bloody B070 “Offense Armor” Mouse Mat designed for faster response time and accuracy. Do these latest offerings from Bloody offer anything that their stiff competition does not or do they fall in line with every other gaming mouse on the market? Lets find out.
Out of the box, this mouse looks and feels amazing. The design contoured to my hand almost perfectly and its so lightweight that, were it not for the buttons I'm pressing, I wouldn't notice it was there. Bloody have done an incredible job in making this mouse as accessible for gamers as it is for general use. For years I have wanted a mouse that has the ability to do everything I want not only in an MMO, but in overall PC gaming and general computing as well and this mouse delivers in spades. The rubberized left mouse button grip is a nice touch, but sometimes feels like its going to peel off if I push it back and forth too hard. Perhaps this is just the model I received, but it was worth noting as my finger naturally brushes up and down on it during normal use.
The first thing I noticed about the Commander gaming mouse is the number pad where the right mouse button should be. This was an amazing design choice by Bloody, as it frees up your hand to move your mouse left and right during intense MMO battles. Instead of using your right thumb to push the buttons on the mouse and losing all ability to move to the left or right of your screen, you press the buttons with your middle or ring finger while having full control over your mouse. It took awhile to get used to once I started playing with the mouse in both Star Wars: The Old Republic and Elder Scrolls Online, but now I can't ever see myself playing an MMO without this mouse by my side. It feels like a natural extension of my hand and that is no small feat. The metal feet on the bottom of the mouse are also an incredibly smart design choice by Bloody as they are promised to never wear down unlike other companies mice that use plastic or coated feet that wear down over time and cause jitter and stuttering of your mouse movements.
The mouse also has two side buttons where your right thumb rest that can be used for virtually anything in game as well. I personally have mine set to Tab-Target and Auto-Attack and can't think of any other way I'd rather play an MMO. I almost don't use my keyboard anymore except for the occasional movement correction and for in game chatting.
Every button on this mouse is re-programmable to do anything you see fit. From pressing a button or key on the keyboard, to opening a shortcut, to using an in-game macro. This amount of customization is thanks to the Bloody Software that you download upon purchasing your mouse. There are four basic profiles to get those by who just want to jump in and play a game with their new mouse and these profiles work incredibly well, For those of you who are macro heavy however, or those of you who want to delve into the world of mouse modding, there is plenty for you to like and do here. I won't go into the specifics here but I spent a good two hours customizing the different buttons and profiles to suit my style and unlike other gaming mice I've used in the past, I didn't feel like it was a chore. It was actually fun; something I never thought I would say about mouse programming. Switching between profiles you set is a breeze. You can adjust your profile with the click of a button on the middle of the mouse all without your hand ever leaving its natural position.
Paired with my Commander Gaming Mouse is the B-070 Offense Armor Gaming Mouse Mat; an incredible piece of mouse mat technology. At 16.9 x 13.7, this mat is massive, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Its huge, smooth surface gives me more than enough space to navigate any situation I find myself in. Bloody calls this coating a “Reflex Enhanced Surface” and it really has helped to improve my accuracy. The mat is also as durable as can be with a stich-edged seam protecting the top surface from cracking or peeling, while still maintaining flexibility to be rolled and stored in a bag or the case it comes in for travel purposes. I haven't noticed any cracking, peeling, or other distortions in this mat as I have with previous mats or pads I've used from other companies. You can really see the detail and quality put into each piece Bloody makes which is more than I can say for a lot of the other products I've tested from other companies. It just goes to show you that a little effort and a personal touch goes a long way into making an amazing product and I wish that more companies would adopt this idea.
Overall, both of these pieces deserve a place in everyone’s gaming hardware line up as far as I'm concerned. They're well crafted, gorgeous to look at, and do a better job at what they're supposed to do than PC hardware that costs twice as much. You can pick up the Bloody Commander Gaming Mouse from their website for $69.99 and the Offense Armor Mouse Mat for $24.99.
Be sure to stay tuned to Senshudo TV for the latest in Bloody technology as we get them!