Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The Spectre is my fourth mouse from the Razer brand. While I won't make any claims regarding whether it has improved my SC2 game (I'm a firm believer that only practice and strategy can do that), it definitely adds a little fun-factor to the game and is a surprisingly well designed mouse. As a side anecdote: I wasn't sure if this would live up to my previous mouse, the Razer Mamba, but am now seriously debating which one I like better. I also use the claw style grip for mice, so the Spectre's design got my attention right away.
General Comments:
-Size: As someone with larger hands, the mouse is a bit smaller than others I've used. It's fairly flat and low profile, and your thumb and pinky will be dragging on the mat as result. If you favor a "claw" style grip, this should be right up your alley.
-Lightweight: This mouse is surprisingly light. It feels like it weighs half as much as my Mamba. For some gamers who like to play heavy handed, this may not be ideal. I actually find this preferential in SC2, as this is a small, light mouse you can whip around easily.
-Symmetrical (mostly): You could very easily use this mouse left handed if you chose to. There are two side buttons on the left area of the mouse that would become difficult to use in doing so, but it would feel comfortable otherwise.
Pros:
-Quality: The mouse is sturdy and well made. When you hold it in your hand, it feels solid and free of squeaks and creaks. It's basically a hard plastic top with a slightly rubberized base. As with my Diamondback which I've had for 5 years now, this mouse feels like it will go the distance.
-Lighting: It's pretty over the top, and definitely the highlight of the item. Once you download the Razer Starcraft 2 driver from their website you can customize three regions of the mouse to be separate colors. So if you want red white and blue lights on your mouse, you can make it happen.
-APM is You can make the mouse change color during an SC2 match in accordance with how active you are in game. Also, you can adjust the APM threshold for color changes, so it's a fun feature that can be pared down for beginners. Can't hit that 100 APM mark that turns your mouse green? Just bump it down to 75. You can also set flashing alarms for various in-game events, examples including your base being attacked, units being finished, etc. Kind of hard to see while you're playing, but still pretty cool.
-Smooth Glide: I'm using this mouse on a SteelSeries 5L mousepad, which is basically a hard cloth pad. The glide feels very similar to the DeathAdder and the Mamba; very smooth with no resistance. It has 3 large feet on the bottom like the Deathadder/Mamba, but they are much larger and feel more effective. The weight reduction took some adjusting as there was a slight bit of overcompensation, but otherwise it feels like it's gliding on air.
Cons:
-Expensive: Make no mistake, this mouse won't make you any better at SC2 than you already are. You're basically paying $80.00 for the bling and shiny lights. It's a vanity item that won't improve your play or give you any real advantage over a mouse you could pay $10 for.
-Side Buttons: I can honestly say that the side buttons on this mouse are inferior to the Deathadder and Mamba's IF you don't use a claw grip (their placement seems to be geared towards placing your thumb just under them). The buttons are small and require a little more deliberation to find and press. They aren't useless, they just aren't begging to be pressed like the ones on the Deathadder/Mamba.
-Left Click Resistance: Don't buy this mouse for that feature. Honestly the difference between the three settings is nearly indiscernible. A pretty worthless and all together stupid feature.
-Comfort: It's just not as comfortable to hold as a Deathadder/Mamba or many of the Logitech mice, as is often the case with symmetrical/ambidextrous mice. If you don't use a claw grip, you might want to shy away from this.
In summary, the Specre is a great mouse for gamers who prefer playing with a claw style grip and want a mouse that's fast and accurate that they can whip around the screen. If you like resting your hand on the mouse and want something more comfortable, there are a slew of better mice than this, including Razer's tried and true Deathadder (which I honestly feel is a generally superior mouse). For the price, it's also not a great value, but for Starcraft fans or people like me who love pretty lights its a really fun item.
*EDIT 12/16/2010*
This product does make use of the Phillips Twin Eye Laser system, and any potential buyers should be aware of this. While using the mouse, I have noticed that the cursor does consistently skip towards the southeast direction on the screen if it's lifted off the mat, moving on average about 1/2 inch on each lift. I have not noticed any jitter or movement while pressing buttons on the mouse while it is on the mat. It's important that you use a hard mat if you plan on buying this mouse, preferably a large one so you won't have to lift it often. The mouse can track poorly if it's not on a good pad so keep this in mind. If you like to lift the mouse off the mat a lot, this is probably something that would get annoying; otherwise the mouse does not jitter and seems to track properly.
After a week of use and play in SC2, I'm of the same verdict. This is a solid mouse, but doesn't do anything a Microsoft IE 3.0 or Deathadder doesn't already do better (except having really pretty lights).
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Razer Spectre StarCraft II Gaming MouseTournament ready and designed exclusively for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the Razer Spectre StarCraft II gaming mouse is a lightweight, five button mouse that is ideal for gamers that prefer precision and control for an RTS. The adjustable button force combined with the ultra-large non slip buttons allow a substantial increase in your APM (Actions-Per-Minute), which will be monitored by the newly developed multi-color APM Lighting System. Whether you're Protoss, Terran or Zerg, the Razer Spectre StarCraft II gaming mouse gives you exactly what you are looking for in an RTS mouse.
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