Probably one of my top 5 games of all time, this zombie infested shootout title has been given a fresh new injection of content from creators Valve. The Sacrifice was released on the 6th October as a free DLC for anyone that owns either L4D or L4D2. In true valve fashion the developers have taken in community requests and complaints and created, what I believe to be, a totally epic DLC. If you're a regular visitor of the L4D Steam forums you would notice quite a few topics that repeat themselves. "Can we get the old survivors?" "Why can't we play L4D maps on L4D2?" "Can we get more maps". In todays society you're lucky if a developer even includes one idea from the community but valve have delivered on every area.
The Sacrifice update includes :

*No Mercy - L4D campaign fully converted for L4D2 including the new item/weapon spawns as well as allowing the new Special Infected (SI). The maps have had a few edits here and there to make sure the new SI aren't over powered but every change is tasteful and logical. They've even made a few changes to aid the new infected, the Jockey can "ride" survivors into a car alarm and it activates, creating a whole new spin on the old Smoker to car trick. Fans of the first game will also be happy to hear that the invisible walls seen so often in L4D2 do not appear to such an extent in the remake of No Mercy, holy news for any of you big hunter fans out there.

*New Campaign - The original survivors return (Including more famous "I hate" Francis quotes) in The Sacrifice, a 3 map campaign with no restrictive skybox and plenty of new SI ambush locations. The campaign is great but does feel a little short as the 3rd map in the campaign was already in L4D2

*Updates - Multiple fixes to tanks, weapons, zombie spawns and much more. Really polished the game up nicely.

There has never been a better time to purchase L4D2 as Steam is currently having a huge sale of 66% discount, with the final purchase price of $6.79 (£5). The game offers a large variety of game modes from survival scenarios to exciting dashes for survival, this has to be one of the best multiplayer games available and is great fun to pick up and play with a few buddies.

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The keyboard is definitely a strange piece of hardware as far as gaming goes. Just when a standard keyboard seems to obviously do the job perfectly, we also witness so many releases of "superior" keyboards, but in what ways could they be superior? Are all of their features really worth it? Or are we once again getting tricked into buying something we don't need? Let's take a look at what features these gaming keyboards have that put them "above" the ones we receive with our computer when we buy it and that seems to be fully functional for gaming, despite not being specifically designed for it.

Backlighting

Let's start by talking about gaming keyboards with a positive tone, as backlighting is a feature that's pretty much universally welcomed amongst both casual and competitive gamers. A backlit keyboard has a light located under the keyboard that goes through the keys, allowing you to clearly see them at all times.

Of course, we don't expect it to be a game changing functionality because a keyboard is a keyboard, but backlighting is still a fun and useful feature. Clearly seeing the keys can make sure that each time you realign your hands on the keys, that you will be right on spot, no matter how dark the room or venue is. For some reason, being able to easily realign your hands with the right keys even in the dark feels really good for any gamer. And if you REALLY like the way backlit keyboards allow you to realign your hand in the dark, you can also go pick some even more expensive keyboard that allow you to light specific keys separately, so you can light your A,W,S and D keys to quickly come back to them if your hands wandered off to type some trash-talk during a dark LAN Party ;)

Extra Keys

This is where the subject of gaming keyboards can start to get a little ridiculous to some. From keyboards that have a few extra keys on the side, to keyboards themed towards a specific game like ZBoard, the additional key features of many gaming keyboards are getting quite out of hand. We barely need extra keys, we already have a ton. Even companies like Razer have started to jump on any major game release to release an associated "specialized" keyboard. Somehow, despite a standard keyboard being totally enough for anyone to perform, you can now "control your units like never before in Starcraft 2 with the Zerg Keyboard" or "kill your enemies like never before in Call Of Duty by selecting your gun with the sniper rifle key". Unless you're really willing to spend some extra bucks to display that you're the ultimate fanboy of your game or for collection purposes, I strongly recommend that you don't get caught in the extra keys feature thinking it will make you play any better.

Portability/Slimness

This is an aspect that you shouldn't neglect when looking for that new keyboard to buy. A keyboard that fits easily in your bag on the road is nice, but there’s more to good portability and slimness. It is mostly useful when you want to fit in your BYOC slot at any LAN Party. It has happened at least once to all of us to arrive late at a LAN Party, only to find out that the players in your row have all spread out over your spot, leaving you with little room to work with no matter how many times you tell them "move a little bit more please". The Fatal1ty keyboard is probably your best shot at such a keyboard, and that's why it's been copied by companies like Everglide. You will be thankful when you will be able to fit on that small table and immediately start playing at your friend’s house for a bootcamp.

Key Smoothness

Last but not least, key smoothness is what will separates a common gaming keyboard from your favorite keyboard. It is indeed hard to know how smooth are the keys of a keyboard before you buy one, but you can still get an idea by reading and comparing a few online reviews for what you're about to buy. One extra element to look for, and you will need your gamer friends to do that, is how the smoothness disappears over time. You want a keyboard that will stay smooth for years. If you have a clanmate who you know have been playing for years with a keyboard, try it out and if you're perfectly satisfied with its smoothness, you probably have your hands on a winner that's worth your credit card number.

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Numen: Contest of Heroes is on sale at Steam for $2 only (80% off). It's an interesting RPG game set in ancient Greece with some clever little things that make the game stand out from the rest of games in the genre. At this price, there's no reason not to get the game if you are a fan of Role-Playing Games.

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This week on Steam's Weekend Deal, Batman Arkham Asylum is on sale with a 66% discount ($13.60). Arkham Asylum is by far the best Batman experience you will ever get (until Arkham Asylum 2 that is). Click here to read our review on it.

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With all the consoles fighting to get the top titles out for Christmas, we take a look at the top PS3 titles coming to your console over the month.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011
10/19/2010
Many are convinced that Pro Evo can't compete with some of the new Features of its Fifa rivals, with full 11v11 online play, but when it comes to actual football, Pro Evo still tops the charts. Thankfully they decided to do away with the awful passing system from last years title and replace with a fluid, intuitive manual passing system allowing for complete control and freedom. The new animations adds reality and style to an already popular football franchise, this game is sure to impress Pro Evo fans after lasts years abysmal attempt.

Gran Turismo 5
11/02/2010
A PS3 exclusive, GT5 offers the worlds most anticipated driving titles. The graphics are as crisp as ever as they deliver next generation visuals that really do impress, the new vehicle damage model adapts depending on the location and velocity of the crash, mangling your awesome car in so many different ways you'll find yourself in tears as your baby is ripped to shreds. As if the typical GT features aren't enough, this time round they expand into the online gaming scene. Allowing players to play together through several modes with up to 16 players, you can acquire credits and score to challenge even the best drivers in your area. Sure to be a huge success, there is no other vital driving title that belongs in your collection as much as Gran Turismo 5.

CS Secrets Revealed - Counter-Strike Pwnage Guide