All right, so I picked this up out of a need to sate my hunger for new games. I'm saving up for the ION Drum Rocker, and I haven't played anything new in a long time. But when I picked this up, and started playing it, I knew it would be great.

During the "crescendo" events, you press a button, call for an elevator, or something else that makes a lot of motion or noise. Thus, hordes of "infected" come flying at you, including special infected: Hunters, that jump on you and leave you pinned and helpless while ripping out your intestines; Boomers, fat zombies that vomit on you (and that bile attracts the horde) and, when they are killed, cover anything within five feet of them with bile; Smokers, constantly-coughing zombies that lash out with their tongues and drag you away from your teammates; and finally, for the last special infected that actively seeks you out, there is the Tank, a behemoth reminiscent of a zombiefyed Hulk that swats you aside like flies. These crescendo events provide an intensity not seen in many games today, but even when you're just walking around, it's freaky.

For the last special infected, there is the Witch. You are alerted to her presence by a special kind of music and the sounds of constant sobs. Turn off your flashlight and be careful with your aim, because although the Witch looks like an innocent little girl (albeit with glowing eyes), she is deadly in her own right. Disturb her, and you WILL be incapacitated.

"So," you might say, "wouldn't that eventually get boring?" Perhaps, but what if each level changed every time you played it, based on factors like your accuracy, health, etc.? For there is an AI "Director" that determines where to place zombies and what types of special infected to throw at you. Whereas you found a Witch hiding in a closet the last time you played this level, she might not even be present if you're sucking. However, if you are bombing through a level with no problem, watch out: a Tank/Hunter combo will be waiting for you around the next bend. Players can never truly get cocky, because yes, you owned that Hunter no problem, but you sure won't last long when a Smoker constricts you and a Boomer vomits on you (true story).

All this combines to make an intense, fast-paced, and even sometimes funny (Zoey's quips are priceless) gem of a game that all 360 gamers need to pick up immediately. SO GO BUY IT!

I would've given this game 4 stars if it was longer and if it was as good a single player as it is a multi player or online play.

Brain-dead Computer AI is a joke, by the way.

Ok, if you're a zombie fan, this game is a must. Its the absolute best classic zombie game installment since nothing. Its the first (not funny) zombie game done well. Its creepy and times, but the most entertaining feature is the gameplay. Given, it can get repetitive, but the multiplayer can deliver unique experiences every time. Its fast paced, shocking, and gruesome. I covers every zombie escape cliche well and has a most impressive capability for zombie numbers. When you're being flooded with zombies...you're convinced. I admit, I am bias because i love zombie movies, but i am also a tough critic. This game is suitable for both zombie lovers and multiplayer lovers alike. Give it a rent AT LEAST! Likely, you will see that its worth purchase after.

I traded in Counter Strike for a 40 dollar loss after 2 day's of owning it. But this game is tremendously fun! It's great single player, and multiplayer. It also has so many way's you can beat the game. It needs a little help with the story, but the pure excitement and replay value of this game is outstanding! A mus own!!!

Now, I'm a huge fan of Counter-Strike, and a Huge fan of Resident Evil... and pretty much anything else involving zombies/un-dead. So naturally Left 4 Dead is going to be a orgy of goodness for me.

I've been tracking Left 4 Dead, since it was going to be a PC exclusive, and when I saw the first screen shot and game play description, I said, "This is going to be.... the best Game EVER!".

The Best part of Left 4 Dead is that it lacks nothing, It's a full out 100% blow the s#@! out of every thing that looks dead... and it still manges to scare the living piss out of you. No Game has ever been able to do that for me. Dead Rising came close, it was pretty scary, but it lacked that "Horror" part to it. It was pretty much just a Get to point A to point B in this amount of time and do this.

Left 4 Dead, it's a pretty much "On Rails Shooter" there is no adventure to it. Which can get annoying, but in Left 4 Dead the "On Rails" is a good thing. It's how they get you. Instead of just having some zombie come out from the corner and make you go "AH". They plan it out, so some creature will burst out of a certain door and make you shit bricks.

Left 4 Dead also has amazing graphics and Sound. It truly sucked me in, enough said.

The only BAD thing about Left 4 Dead is it's story.... mostly because it DOSN'T Have one. All you really know is, there's been an outbreak that's causing the dead to become alive again! And You got to survive!

God, it sounds like every frickin' zombie movie on earth.

Ultimately, Left 4 Dead didn't do anything original. It's just how it did it. It has enough re-play value and enough *good* multi-play modes that will keep you playing this game for months, that's why Left 4 Dead gets a 5/5.

We all know the premise of Left 4 Dead, but to refresh your memory:
A mutated form of the rabies virus infects the local population and they turn into zombies. You take control of either a biker, a buisnessman, a girl, or a vietnam vet. Basically, weapons here are the standard anti-zombie type. Shotguns, Uzis, Pistols, rifles, etc. And the enemy variety is not so large, but its the right size between small and large. There are 5 "special" zombies, the morbidly obese boomer (whose vomit and blood attract the Horde, which is a ridiculous number of zombies that rush you at the same time), the pouncing Hunter (which looks like a hobo.), the ensaring Smoker (who uses his tounge to grab survivors), the Hulk-like Tank (if you encounter this guy on single-player, you're screwed), and the prostitute-looking witch (who is a great example of the AI in this game). The Witch can be awakened by gunfire, car alarms, flashlights, and prolonged staring. In expert, as soon as she touches her victim that character is dead. Multiplayer is excellent, as you can join with 3 other players (or bots) to beat the campaign. The campaign is basically split between different "movies."
This game is great but not perfect, the AI is some of the most advanced I've ever encountered, and expert is a great challenge for anyone, just play with friends k?

Left 4 Dead is a game that defies what you think it should be: a short, mediocre shooter with a bunch of zombies. But, despite the simple concept of the game, it has this special "it" factor about it that makes it a great game, and an ultimate party game for you and a few friends.

Explaining what makes L4D so good, is rather difficult. It doesn't really offer anything innovative as far as shooter controls or concepts. There aren't a lot of weapons. There are not a lot of characters to choose from. The graphics are only OK. There are only 4 chapters to play through, and the campaign is not very long. So, from that list, you could wonder what it is about this game that is just so special.

Well, with everything the game lacks, it makes up for it in fun. And that fun comes from having 4 Live buddies (or system link friends) to share the experience with. Its obvious that this game is meant for co-op play. Teamwork is essential, and you have to work with your friends in order survive your last stand moments as your team waits for the evac vehicle to pick you up.

While 4 chapters doesn't seem like enough, the game makes every experience different from the last if you decide to replay. The majority of the time, the games AI director will be pretty random with boss placements and large horde attacks. Depending on how well you or your team are doing, the Director seems to scale things accordingly, making survival tougher or easier for you and your friends.

When a game relies so much on teamwork and cooperation, it can be be problematic depending on your circumstances. If you're playing with friends that you know will stick with you to the end, then all is fine. But playing with random strangers over live can be hit or miss at times. You may occasionally come across a group that's willing to work together, but there are also times that you will find people that like to Rambo their way through the game and do their own thing. This of course leaves you and/or your teammates at a disadvantage and makes it harder to clear through a chapter.

Also, be aware that you will also come across people without mics in online games, which of course makes it hard to communicate things properly. Of course, there is a way boot people who are less helpful or just annoying, and the game will let bots take over until someone else jumps in. Although the bots are helpful at times, they tend to have a mind of their own in crucial moments.

The single player is pretty much the same game as the online co-op. But if you have a Live connection, there really isn't much of a need to go through that unless you just want to play alone. Of course, doing so will take away half of the fun this game provides. On the other hand, for a change of pace, there is the online versus mode which allows you to play as the survivors, or as the infected. As the infected, your job is to wear down the survivor team and keep them from making out in one piece. Its a nice adittion to the game, and should offer some more funny moments between friends.

Overall, L4D is a game that has the potential somehow suck you in and keep you coming back for more. Its not full of content, and its not the longest game in the world. And there are people who will be turned off by paying 60 bucks for this type of game. However, if you have a gold subscription to Xbox Live, you owe to yourself to play this game with a group of friends, even if you have to rent it. You'll at least be able to get some enjoyment out of it, and should come away with a satisfying good time and great stories of how you survived.

Left4dead is the most recent release from Valve, in which you three other players are given the seemingly simple task of survival. With 4 classes of weaponry, 2 types of healing items, and 3 other companions, it seems like an easy task, eh? Determined to give us a hard time, Left4Dead employs the AI Director, an omnipotent artificial intelligence God who gauges how well you and your partners happen to be doing and changes the environment from there. From the placement of ammo, weapons and health, to the number and level of zombies bring throw your way. The normal zombies can sidle their way towards you like the original Night of the Living Dead zombies, or the extremely fast zombies of the remake of Dawn of the dead, and they swarm over you with twice the ferocity. Every so often the AI director will place "boss zombies", which are essentially like the uber zombies of the Resident Evil series, each with their own quirks and specialties. And make no mistake, if you seem to be doing better than you should, the Director isn't averse to cheating as they'll have zombies break through the drywall or bosses explode from the ceiling if they have to.

It's precisely this feature that sets Left4Dead apart from the rest of the competition, in that it is completely unpredictable, and every play through will be unbearably different. To vary it even more, you have the four different characters, with the possibility of four player online cooperative, or 2 player local play. And this is where the game shines, playing a game with 3 other strangers. You begin to take on the characters yourself, and your choices have far more weight here than in games like Fable II, which tout that ability as a main gameplay aspect. If you don't give the health to Bill, he might not be able to help you fight against the Tank. Will that shotgun come in handy against the hordes, or is the M-16 the last word in zombie eradication? When it comes down to four people asking these questions, it becomes an interesting experience, to say the least.

But of course, if you don't have any friends, the AI for the survivors is still great. The only problem here is that your comrades can and will fluctuate heroic leads, to brainless zombies themselves. Despite this, they're generally helpful (if not a little too passive), and will rush to save and help you when the need be. They actually remind me of my dog from Fable II, or maybe even Epona from Ocarina of time.

I also dabbled in multiplayer, but it still follows the same formula as the campaign, except now you have the ability to play as the boss zombies as well. There are two teams, each trying complete their campaign, and then stop the opposite team from doing the same. It goes in a pattern of playing one level as the survivors, and one as the zombies. I'll admit, that it is engaging and interesting at first, but I'll honestly not play it again after this.

My biggest issue is that there are only 4 campaigns in co-op (only two levels available for multiplayer), and though varied and interesting, still become a little stale after a few play-throughs. I'm sure we'll see some new DLC soon, but I would have liked at least 6 different campaigns to start. I'm also not wild about the audio. The voice overs are great, actually, but get boring after some extended play. Also, I've never been crazy about Valve's choice of music, which is admittedly better than the techno-nonsense in the Half-Life series, but not great enough to compel me not to turn on custom soundtracks.

Besides all this, I highly recommend the game to all Xbox and PC gamers, and I personally think it's a wonderful game to bring your girlfriends (or boyfriends) into video gaming, if not also a great party game. Take Gears II out of the disc tray for a moment, and give this a try, you won't be dissapointed.

I started playing this game in the evening and it scared the sheet out of me. The zombies came from every direction and in hordes. One thing, if it says some cars have alarms that means don't shoot them. It attracts every zombie even close. It is freakin' awesome go play it.

I am a beta tester. When I got this game I was..... 1st Gotcha MotherF**kers This game is gonna suck c*ck and you f**king know it, anyway that is why I will love it.