Focusing on the left hand side of the keyboard we find all the keys normally associated with the standard ingame FPS configuration. The vertical space bar implementation is included to accommodate a more relaxed thumb position. Yes there are a total of 40 keys in this section, all with varying positions and sizes according to importance within a game. It is quite clear considerable research and development have gone into this product.

The WASD keys are black to draw more attention as they would be the primary movement keys ingame with control and shift also being highlighted. The WASD keys are also around one third wider with deeper spacing than a standard keyboard, it might not sound like a big deal but the idea is to give your fingers more room to breathe and to offer a more relaxed gaming position for sustained periods.

I am particuarly fond of the Arc layout on the top of the WASD section which would allow for weapon selection in game, in practise it did take a little time getting used to this but technically it reduces the index finger stretch from the WASD area to button 8,9 or 0.

Gaming

Firing up several first person shooters such as Quake 4, F.E.A.R. and Serious Sam 2 was a breeze with little to no "learning curve" required. The Wolf isn't such a drastic design change that you need to rethink how you play, perhaps initially for the first hour you find yourself accidentally hitting a hit you would normally do with a traditional keyboard but after a short period of time it becomes second nature and I certainly felt the design implementation and keyboard shape worked well for my hand.

One of the main points i would like to mention would be the thumb freedom available with the Wolf key positioning, due to the shape your hand naturally falls into when using this keyboard your thumb is free to roam under the centre arc of WASD to the Z,X and C keys. The E and R keys are handled via the index finger as it would naturally stray to the right from the D key. There really isnt much more to say about gaming on this keyboard, it is not revolutionary, it is not mindblowingly different, but it works, and the design makes it work well. It is a natural transition for any gamer and I think it would suit most people.

Everyday Use

Some of you might have a Ideazon board for gaming, but lets be honest, they are at best an average keyboard for everyday use, most of the guys I know who have one of these with a battlefield2 keyset use another keyboard for working with, such as one of the high quality models from Logitech or Microsoft. I can therefore safely say the Wolf Claw is a much better keyboard for general use, the most noticeable difference is the keys, they are quiet, soft and do feel like a quality standalone keyboard from one of the top traditional manufacturers. The Wolf Claw is silent and may well be the saving of many marriages if you guys game in your bedroom while your wife lays in bed reading a book. That said, this may in fact be a negative for those of you who like noisy keyboards with audible clicks !

There are some downsides, the right shift key is smaller there is only one control key on the left side and obviously due to the WASD key section on the left, there is no numpad. I guess they could have included a numpad as well, however the board would be gigantic! Those of you who like typing numbers with the numpad (as it is quite natural) may very well find issues with the board and if I was being anal, I could mention the home, page up and down keys are arranged in a row down the far right, making a very dramatic break from the mould.

Conclusion

The Wolf Claw keyboard is not in the traditional mould of novelty gaming keyboards, in that it is built to very high standards.

As a gaming keyboard it is first class with extensive development and research having gone into the design and keyboard layout and implementation. Not only that, but you will find that it has purpose as an everyday keyboard so you dont need to continually replace your traditional keyboard or be forced to attach gamesets. It looks like a high end product and thankfully this is backed up in use, with responsive professional keys the foundation of the whole experience. That said, I still wouldn't rate it in the same league as the top Microsoft or Logitech keyboards for general use.

It is comfortable over extended use, and with the stylish duotone keyboard is very appealing to those of you who like your hardware exuding class. With the Arc layout on the WASD section it is clear this is geared for diehard gamers who want minimum movement ingame and who demand instant access to a specific weapon rather than using the mouse scroll wheel, after all those few vital seconds wheeling from no2 to no7 could mean the difference from delivering a headshot to being on the end of one.

This is not a $10 keyboard you will pick up at your local retailer, with the quality comes a price, $50 to be precise. It's not a huge outlay but to some it may be outside their budget. Personally however after using it for around a week now, I would consider it an investment. Highly recommended for all those FPS fanatics out there.