We live in an age where competition is everything, be it in the world of sports, academics, or multiplayer computer games. Since I find sports and academics rather boring, let's focus on something a lot more interesting, namely computer games (shooters mainly). How often do you connect to a multiplayer match of say, Counter Strike or F.E.A.R Combat, and actually have a lot of FUN? If your answer is 'quite often', you’re probably part of the extremely talented individuals who can plant headshots from miles away. For the not so gifted gamer competitive gaming can become a real drag, since getting slaughtered round after round isn’t really fun, so to answer their prayers, Valve corporation (father of the twitch based Counter Strike) has joined forces with Turtle Rock Studios to give us Left 4 Dead for PC and 360.

Simply put, Left 4 Dead is a multiplayer cooperative survival horror game. The game puts you and three of your friends in the shoes of the last known survivors of a zombie infestation. You have to slaughter your way through the thousands of 'infected' that come between you and your means to escape (which will usually be via a rescue helicopter). These 'infected' are humans that have now been converted into mindless zombies (but how that’s happen isn’t quite clear as of now). Be careful though; these infected aren’t the slow moving, retarded zombies that you see in most games (Dead Rising for instance) and Hollywood flicks; in Left 4 Dead, they’re fast, cunning, and have to ability to pounce on you when you least expect it. However, they’re not too threatening in one-on-one fights and you can take them down with a single well placed shot. This doesn’t make the game simple though, since they come in large numbers and can slaughter your team in no time, if you don’t coordinate.

War is everywhere in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (WAR), the new MMORPG from the creators of Dark Age of Camelot®. Based on Games Workshop's popular Warhammer® fantasy war game, WAR features next generation Realm vs. Realm™ (RvR) game play that will immerse players in a world of perpetual conflict.

Realm vs. Realm Upon entering WAR, players must determine their allegiance and join an Army. Those inclined towards the side of good may fight for the Armies of Order as an obstinate Dwarf, noble High Elf, or loyal human soldier of the Empire. Those inclined towards darker deeds may side with the sinister Armies of Destruction as a savage Greenskin (Orc or Goblin), corrupt Dark Elf, or marauding human worshipper of Chaos.

RvR combat takes place on three fronts where ancient foes wage an unending war - Dwarfs vs. Greenskins, High Elf vs. Dark Elf, and Empire vs. Chaos. Players begin the game fighting their ancestral enemy, but are free to journey to other fronts to help their allies in their ongoing struggles.

The ultimate goal in RvR combat is the sacking of an enemy's capital city. To do this, an army must invade and take control of the opposition's homeland. Deciding battles take place on objective-based battlefields and in instanced scenarios - point-balanced battles that make use of NPC mercenaries known as Dogs of War.

For the first time, WAR's RvR system integrates both Player vs. Player (PvP) combat and Player vs. Environment (PvE) quests on the same map. Every aspect of the game, including PvE missions, is geared towards the greater war in some important way. However, players are not required to participate in PvP combat, and may aid in the RvR war effort and enjoy the game in its entirety via PvE content.

Drawing from a quarter century of highly detailed source material, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning will bring Games Workshop's fantasy world to life in a way that will allow players to create characters destined for great deeds and glory on the field of battle.