Left 4 Dead

The Spice of the Afterlife

Okay, we've covered the why, what and who -- let's talk about L4D's strongest asset: the gameplay. From the get-go, players are given the option to choose from one of four gore-filled Campaigns, each chronicling the Survivors' quest to simply make it from point A to B in one piece. Sure, this sounds simple enough on paper, but throw in an army of fast-running, grossly-mutated, insanely-relentless zombies that put George Romero's imagination to shame and you've got yourself a bit of a challenge. The Campaigns can be played episodically; either with AI controlled allies watching your back, or, ideally, a group of friends over Xbox Live. Now, when I say that Left 4 Dead is the definitive reason to subscribe to Live, I mean it; this is a game you're going to want to play with friends, then spend the next day talking about how much fun you had the night before. While the AI does an adequate job of keeping you enthralled and interested, nothing beats fighting off a mob of Horde as you try to resuscitate an incapacitated friend, or the classic "Behind you!" that you'll no doubt hear screamed time and time again through your headset.

The cooperative aspect of Left 4 Dead isn't just for show, believe me; one member of your party wandering off could cost your Survivors their lives. Thankfully the Survivors all have a bright blue aura about them that lets you keep track of their whereabouts at all time. Incapacitated or injured teammates share a green glow, cueing you for when it's time to bust out the med-kits. One of my favorite aspects of Left 4 Dead is the absolute unpredictability of each level. You can play any of the intricately designed levels from the game's massive Campaign a number of times, but with random spawn points and numbers for both enemies, items and weapons alike, you're almost guaranteed to never experience the same level twice.

Left 4 Dead

Dead Aim

All in all, I can't recommend Left 4 Dead highly enough. With an intense, pulse-pounding Campaign mode, a brilliant twist on convention with the game's Versus mode and an overall mind-blowing experience from the moment you pick up your first gun, you know that Valve's delivered another amazing product that's more than worth a look.

PROS: Tight controls, amazing variety, pulse-pounding gameplay
CONS: Slightly dense AI allies, campy dialogue, can get repetitive
Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead

Comments [45]

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mstrmrdr82

only thing that sux is i beat it in one sit down but thats not what the game is about so its cool

RockaTiki

I wasn't expecting much from this game but the reviews have been great. Know I have too many games and not enough time to play them all. GOW 2, COD 5, Fable 2, Fallout 3 and now this. What a great problem to have.

donkeykong57

The demo was a lot of fun. I about shat my pants when I accidentally set off the car alarm. Lol, bad thing to do.

I'll picking this up for sure.

Cherokee44

Damn, I was thinking that this game was going to be a disappointment, but it looks pretty bad ass. I'll guess that I'll pick it up after I finish Gears II and Fable 2.

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