Overview
Today we are going to check out the Wolfking Warrior XXtreme. I hesitate to call the Wolfking Warrior XXtreme a game pad, but it's really not a gaming keyboard either. The device is a combination of the two and offers up many more buttons than your typical gamepad. Read the full Wolfking Warrior XXtreme review for all the details.

Hands-On Review

Features & Specifications
The Wolfking Warrior XXtreme has a 49 key keypad on the left side that wraps commonly used keys in FPs games around the WASD directional control keys. The keys are labeled with standard function key designations, letters and control and enter keys just like a normal keyboard.

The right hand portion of the keyboard has 40 other keyboard keys in a circular arrangement. The overall design of the keyboard is to enable one handed access to the commands you need in FPS and RPG games so you can keep your other hand on the mouse at all times. In addition to the keys we already talked about the Wolfking Warrior XXtreme also has keys for volume up and down, mute, escape, www shortcut key and a K-lock.

The K lock key keeps the K key activated. This key is often the voice communications key in games and locking it allows continuous communication without having to press K each time you want to talk. In the center of the k lock arrangement is the key to turn the blue backlighting on and off. The top of the Wolfking Warrior XXtreme has a pair of USB ports and on the bottom is a pair of stands to make the rear of the Wolfking Warrior XXtreme higher. Wolfking used a silicon membrane behind the keys for quiet activation. The lifespan of the keys is 10 million activations.

Unlike some gamepads out there, the Wolfking Warrior XXtreme has no programming options. The way the keys are labeled is the way the keyboard is used. If your games don't use the keys that are where you need them to be, you simply remap the control in game.

In Use
Connecting the Wolfking Warrior XXtreme requires one USB port. Once connected turning the backlighting on and off is easy with a button just for the task. The backlighting around the left side of the keyboard is nice and bright. Oddly the right side of the keyboard has none of its own backlighting and simply has to make do with light that spills over from the left side. If you are going to backlight a keyboard, you should backlight the whole thing evenly.

The keys have a nice tactile feel, though they are stiffer feeling than the keys on say the Razer Lachesis or Logitech G15 gaming keyboards. The keys are arranged well, though you do have to get used to where the keys are in the circular layout. Once you find them they keys on the left side are much easier to reach than in a standard linear gaming keyboard.

I'm not so fond of the right side of the Wolfking Warrior XXtreme. The layout of the standard QWERTY keys is split from a normal keyboard and then stacked. The layout really makes no sense to me. I am sure you could get used to it, but I found myself having to really search for the buttons I need. If you do lots of in game typing be prepared to be much slower until you get the hang of the odd layout.

Verdict

Pros

• Commonly used keys easy to reach
• Backlit keys
• Dual USB ports

Cons

• Backlighting much dimmer on right side
• Odd right side layout

Verdict
Despite a few quirks in the layout of keys, the Wolfking Warrior XXtreme is a nice gaming keypad. It's very near the size of your average gaming keyboard so you won't save much in space. However, the keys are much easier to reach on the left side. FPS and RPG gamers looking for a keyboard alternative may find the Wolfking Warrior XXtreme is perfect.

I4U Rating: 8.5/10