Nice jacket for all conditions
Just got the jacket, and upon initial inspection, its a great deal. The gore-tex outer shell isn't overly hard, and it is a quiet jacket. Instead of pit-zips, OR uses a pair of large chest zippers to vent heat for the Axcess, and IMHO this approach is much easier to operate, especially when wearing gloves. Additionally, the two zippers also acts as a secondary entrance point to the 2 large internal pockets - you don't need to open the main center zipper to get to things stored inside anymore, brilliant! One of the selling point of this jacket is the integrated balaclava. This is stored in a pouch inside the jacket to the back, and is connected to the jacket via a zipper when not in use. Its cute, but not overly useful. The hood is not detachable and can be customized for fit, again, nice - but not great. And that's the overall impression of this jacket, for a full Gore-Tex jacket, its reasonably priced, functional, fits well, and have some thoughtful features.

Great jacket
I shopped around and looked at a number of jackets. Could not be happier with this what I got. Warm, waterproof, and with the built in balaclava, it nice to be able to pull it out when needed. I also really like the front zip vents, which is are way more user friendly than the old pit zips. I purchased the black jacket because it was on sale, but I like the brown a lot.

Great jacket
Bought this jacket for my son. He loves this jacket.Says it is one of the most versatile jackets found. The fabric keeps him warm and dry without being bulky. The front venting zippers are easier to use than pit zips. Great cross air venting. He especially likes the balaclava that stored in a hidden zipped compartment. Like this jacket so much I bought my other son the same jacket for Christmas. Highly recommended.

Best Ski Shell I have owned!
I love this jacket. It is the perfect weight, not too heavy for warmer days and not too light, easy to layer underneath and plenty of venting. Everything you need and nothing you don't!

Not bad
I bought this Jacket for convenience around town since managing the layering under my OR Mentor can become complicated while going to the store or when I am in a hurry. I really like the internal balaclava which zips out so that it can be washed without having to wash the entire jacket. It feels less breathable than my usual combination of the Mentor with the OR Camber underneath, but in all fairness, the Axcess is less expensive overall and has synthetic insulation. I usually walk briskly when I am outside in the cold, so this jacket is almost always enough where I live; however, if I was to stand still outside at temperatures under 10 degrees Fahrenheit, I would probably be too cold. The plastic piece which holds the front left hood adjustment cord from pulling through the grommet on the hood came undone while I was adjusting the hood. Luckily its design was such that I could reattach it without much effort and in a way that it should not come undone again. If you don't want to spend a lot of money on layering and a good hard shell, you might consider this jacket as it can accommodate a pretty wide variety of conditions.