Hands-On: Left 4 Dead

GamePro editors Travis Moses and Sid Shuman list what works -- and what doesn't -- in the latest version of Left 4 Dead, Valve's upcoming zombie shooter.

There are zombie fanatics, and then there are zombie fanatics. You can count the staff of GamePro in the latter category. Our street credentials span George Romero's Night of the Living Dead trilogy, modern zombie flicks such as Zach Snyder's Dawn of the Dead and Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, graphic novels The Walking Dead and Marvel Zombies, fine literature including The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z, classic games from Resident Evil to... well, in other words, if it involves undead, we already own it and love it.

There's no doubt that Left 4 Dead is the best zombie game premise yet; we were sold on the concept from day one. That said, after playing the latest version of Valve's zombie shooter Left 4 Dead, we were left with more questions than answers. Here are our updated impressions of the game, which has both huge potential as well as a few possible rough patches.

NOTE: These hands-on impressions are based on an unfinished build of the Xbox 360 game; Valve staff members confirmed that gameplay fine-tuning would continue right up to the game's November 18th launch.

As one of four survivors, in the competitive multiplayer mode, you face off against a horde of basic A.I. controlled zombies while the other four human players control "boss" zombies with special abilities. Your goal is to survive the zombie onslaught against your opponents and make it to the safety zone. The zombies' objective is to stop the survivors from doing so.

Left 4 Dead

What we like about Left 4 Dead:

The premise is a zombie fan's dream come true. To a zombie fan, Left 4 Dead's hook is irresistible red meat. In this cooperative-focused shooter, you play as one of four human survivalists who battle hordes of zombies in a post-apocalyptic city. What's more, four other players can play as powerful zombie lords in a 4-on-4 competitive mode that pits living against the (un)dead. It's the perfect shooter setup...when you play as the survivors, at least.

Scary Games Galore

Playing as the survivors is the highlight. Left 4 Dead gets this part right big-time. This is the game setup that horror aficionados have always dreamed of. With three human (or computer-controlled) buddies, your mini-army of survivalists must work together to blast hordes of screaming, sprinting zombie attackers. Cooperation is key: if one player falls behind or gets separated in the chaos, the other humans may not be able to save him if he's surrounded, knocked down, or otherwise incapacitated. When playing as the survivalists, we screamed at our teammates for help when we ran low on ammunition, or when the more powerful "boss" zombies entered the fray (see below). Cooperation and communication is the key to survival.

The graphics are impressive. It's hard to believe that Left 4 Dead is based on the four year-old Half-Life 2 engine -- the game looks razor-sharp. The devastated environments radiate menace and isolation, and you rarely encounter two zombies that look alike. The zombie appearances even change based on your surroundings. While blasting our way through an infested hospital, we battled zombies wearing stained hospital gowns and medical uniforms. The visual detail is impressive and immersive.

Left 4 Dead

Hordes of zombies onscreen at once. When we say "zombie hordes," we're not kidding -- you'll easily battle 20 or 30 foes at a time. If you make too much noise, or your flashlight shines down the wrong hallway, you'll be greeted with a flood of the undead. Despite the massive enemy numbers and the slick visuals, we never spotted a single hiccup in the frame rate.

The weapons just feel right. In a game where you're shooting dozens of enemies at a time, your arsenal is a key consideration. Luckily, Left 4 Dead's weapons feel satisfying: The shotgun packs a massive punch, and the submachine gun feels like rapid-fire death. There are also several clever grenade types, such as a pipebomb that attracted the zombie hordes with its blinking red light.

The controls are simple and the party interface is intuitive. Helpful onscreen hints, such as seeing the outline of buddies through walls and contextual reminders, make it easier to find your friends when they're in trouble, as well as navigate the sometimes frustrating ins and outs of Left 4 Dead's competitive multiplayer mode (see below).

What doesn't work in Left 4 Dead? on the next page.

Left 4 Dead

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