Ladies and gentlemen, a new Warhammer Online update is now available, and the list of fixes and improvements is HUGE! Patch 1.1a became available less than a day ago, and while the list of changes is pretty boring to check from head to end, I will try to give you the most interesting parts of that list below...

- Two New Careers: The Knight of the Blazing Sun and the Black Guard have joined their allies and are now available to play for everyone!
- Open RvR Influence System: Players who participate in this part of WAR will now have additional incentives for fighting for their realm. As part of this patch, we have also made quite a number of changes and fixes to oRvR places and NPCs as well.<-125x125 Button - right->
- Easy Public Quests: PQs are great, but sometimes it's hard to get enough people together to complete them, especially in the lower tiers. So, we are redesigning one PQ per chapter so that it can be completed by 1-3 people.
- Player Statue System: Nothing says "you've made it" more than having a statue with your name on it in the capital city of your realm.
- New Content: Whether it is new lairs, new quests and changes to items, this patch is full of lots of fun new content additions to the game.
- User Interface: Lots and lots of fixes, changes and new additions to our user interface and API functionality, new additions to the chat system and graphic options incorporating community requested features a channel flashing on activity, the ability to turn the chat bubbles on/off, a gamma slider and so much more.

If you're really a professional mint rubber and can't find anything better to do, the details about this latest Warhammer Online update can be found here. Go grab a six-pack and a pizza, because you'll have plenty of time to enjoy them while reading...

Last night, a big event took place. This time, it's more than just a game - it's an entire world. No, we won't be able to run and destroy another planet, evading the mess mankind has thrown itself into, but PlayStation 3 owners will be able to enjoy Sony's virtual world simply called "Home."

So, the PlayStation Home countdown is over, but what can you get from this new virtual world? After all, this could be a great idea, or "just another failure," as it happens these days with a lot of interesting projects.

"I am so very happy to announce that PlayStation Home has now officially entered into Open Beta. <-180x150 Small Rectangle - right->Restart your PlayStation 3, and you will see the PlayStation Home icon under the PlayStation Network column of the XMB. Click on the icon, and you are in," Home director Jack Buser wrote on the PlayStation blog, so this is settled - PlayStation Home countdown is over for those who enjoy trying out "Beta" stuff, while for the others, the wait will be only a bit longer.

"For those of you that are new to PlayStation Home, be sure to plug in a USB keyboard (or pair your Bluetooth headset) and start meeting your fellow PS3 owners. And remember, even with all the spaces, rewards, items, and activities available today, what you see now is just the beginning. Home will grow, change, and evolve very quickly – and it is all based on your feedback. This is your community, and we are listening," Buser concluded.

Any impressions? Did you manage to enter "Home" just yet? I am looking forward to find out more from all of those PlayStation freaks out there, so be sure not to disappoint me! ;)

I don't know how to explain it right, but I feel the gaming world needs to return to its roots. What do I want to say with that? Ideas, ideas, ideas! First of all, a game needs a good idea, then a good execution, always keeping in mind that graphics and sound are a support for the story, not the other way around. Today, we'll talk about a game that managed to give me a bunch of headaches so far, simply because my feelings about it are extremely mixed up: Left 4 Dead, PC version.

Currently available for PC and Xbox 360, Left 4 Dead is a zombie shooter that made me sometimes feel like in a horror movie, and only after a few seconds I felt like the gunner of a tank hunting ducks, if you know what I mean. Just for the record, I played through the single player campaign on "Normal" difficulty mode and that's exactly how I felt, so serious FPS players won't find any special challenge in this game, as far as I can figure out.

The story of the game... well, that is the problem - we have no story, only four playable human characters without any special skills to make one different from the other - Francis (voiced by Vince Valenzuela), a tattoo-covered biker; Zoey (voiced by Jen Taylor), a college student and horror movie enthusiast; Louis (voiced by Earl Alexander), a Junior Systems Analyst in his company's IT department; and Bill (voiced by Jim French), a former Green Beret and a Vietnam veteran.

One of the good parts is that we have extremely decent Left 4 Dead minimum requirements, and if you consider how good can this game look with all graphics settings pushed to the max, this is one good reason to try it, especially since you like to shoot first, and ask no questions later.

As I was saying earlier, all the characters in the game are, basically, the same - no special skills, no weapon specialization, so it doesn't really matter if you're playing Francis, Zoey, Louis, or Bill, because you'll be able to handle the same weapons - single or dual pistols, a shotgun, a submachine gun, an assault rifle and a rather useless sniper rifle(well, it looks pretty nice when you're blowing some zombie brains and watching it through the scope...although you'll be shooting zombies at point blank most of the time).

If you're still wondering about those system requirements, then let me tell you that I played the game with everything pushed to the max(including 6XMSAA) at 1280X1024 on my AMD X2 4000+@2.4GHz//2GB 800MHz DDR2//ATI X1950 Pro 256MB DDR3 system and I enjoyed optimal performance, and since we're talking about a game based on the latest version of Valve's Source engine, performance is not a problem with Left 4 Dead...

...but the single player campaign is...and it's not a problem, since the campaign could be considered a mini TV series with the same theme - survival. Unlike usual shooters that require you to go through a level and move up, in Left 4 Dead you're moving backwards, since zombies are coming from all corners, and your goal is to escape, not push forward. Anyway, Left 4 Dead deserves to be appreciated for its atmosphere and, above everything, the feeling that you're actually one of the characters in a horror movie.

With a ESRB RATING of M(Mature), this game will stay away from most children, and I think this is a bit unfair - Left 4 Dead is, beyond depressing and scary, fun, fun, and - once again - fun to the max! After all, you're only shooting zombies, you're not solving differential equations!

Before moving on to my ratings, I have to tell you that, despite the fact I was really impressed by the looks of the main characters, I found some really disappointing things in this game. Just think about this - you're facing a team mate, and if you go in his direction, you will pass through him, but if you shoot in that direction, you will harm him. What about this? Come on, guys, this game has been in the making for 3 years!!!

One more annoying thing - why would you be interested in hearing your team mates saying "Reloading" over and over again? Beats me, but I think their calls for help when being overrun would have been enough... and overrun will you be if you're not thinking as a zombie - don't use bullets, just hit them with the butt of your rifle, that's all!<-180x150 Small Rectangle - right->

I know the above may sound a bit stupid, but that's the reality - as I was saying, Left 4 Dead is like shooting turkeys with a tank, no strategy, just boring zombie killing, and that's all. Now, let's get to my ratings, shall we?

Story: 4/10
Graphics: 7/10
Sound: 6/10
Gameplay: 4/10
Originality: 8/10
Tilt Factor: 8/10
Overall: 5/10 (not an average of the above)

Why? Why take something that could have been great and turn it into turkey shooting? Left 4 Dead could have been a new Doom 3, but ended up in being "Solitaire with zombies," at least for me. I know, I know - multiplayer can really be addictive, but you'll get bored pretty soon if this is not your first computer game, I can assure you of that!

I know all the above may not be your opinion, so feel free to drop your comments below and curse me. Maybe I'll wake up in the middle of the night dreaming about zombies and I'll change my opinion...