Left 4 Dead

"Welcome to the Zombie Apocalype"

We have all sat there watching a zombie movie with our mates and had that conversation about what you would do in the event of a full-scale zombie apocalypse. Personally, I would go to the nearest gun shop, get some protection and get the hell outta dodge. That is, in effect, all there is to this game. You arm yourself with a variety of different weapons and do your best to be evacuated out of the infested area. Does it sound dull? Well it isn't.

The game is split into four self-contained campaigns. Each of these is split into five maps. The final of each is an insane final fight whilst you wait for that campaigns mode of escape. You spend your time fighting from safe house to safe house through a maze of back alleys, open streets, sewers and houses. Along the way special ‘boss' zombies will beset you and they will need your attention as to ignore them can really ruin your day. These range from the simple hunter that creeps up on you in the dark before it pounces on you. To the infamous Tank that can level your whole team if you are not being careful. At each safe house, the game moves to the next map and you continue on your way.

I have read in a few places that people worry that this will make it short. Interestingly I would agree on principle. You can speed run this game and get through from one end of a Campaign to the other in say 45 minutes to an hour. There are a couple of points to remember. First off, you cannot do this on advanced or higher unless you are a team of God-like FPS player. Secondly, this game is not there to be played once and to be shelved. It is a multiplayer game and it is designed to be played repeatedly. Just for a different reason that other multiplayer games like Team Fortress 2 and Counter Strike.

This does bring up the most important point of this game. It is a co-op Survival Horror game. The beauty of adding those words together is that you will have a million times more fun with a couple of friends (three to be precise). You can go through the whole game accompanied by computer-controlled survivors if you wish, though you really shouldn't (unless you don't have a choice). Often the boss zombies will catch you out and you will need help. This is where the co-op elements step in. Your teammates can literally pick you up when you are down, share medical supplies and provide covering fire for you when you need it. You don't even need to worry about uncooperative squabbling over who plays as the best character (unless you all really want to play as a grizzled Vietnam veteran!) as all four of the survivors are identical in all ways except looks and voice commands.

This is all well and good you're saying but why should I put my time into this game? If the pure thrill of helping your friends survive through such a horrific event is not enough then I will say this. Verses mode and AID (you remember him from earlier right?) All the parts I have mentioned above would be great alone but the game would feel hollow at its core. This is where the AID comes in. Gone are the days that we are so familiar with where walking past an invisible barrier will spawn X numbers of enemies from door number 1 and X number of enemies from door number 2. We have all had that moment in a game where we have inched forwards to trigger the next part of the level. One of the brilliant parts of this game is that this doesn't happen any more than a handful of instances in this game. Even when it does, the AID changes where you get attacked from and what attacks you. The AID watches you and decides how best to pick you apart. If you are doing badly it may take mercy and give you a moment to catch your breath (or not). If you are doing really well it may amp up the difficulty in an attempt to stop you.

Let me make this clear.

The AID controls the Sound effects, the original zombie placement when the map starts and swarms that turn up, the arrival and direction of ‘boss' zombies. Not to mention the placement of weapons, health packs and pain killers. This means that you are going to be playing a nearly different game every time. The AID will see if someone runs off alone and it will try to pick them off. It will see that you team are kicking its heels and will attack you in an effort to get you running again.

The Versus mode allows players to step into the squishy shoes of the zombie bosses with the simple mission of ruining the survivors day. This adds even more to the longevity of the game as no matter how diverse the AID director is it still has set places to spawn from. A human can be much more vindictive with his ideas for respawn and his ways of messing with those poor survivors.

The graphics and sound in this game do a great job of drawing you into this modern day nightmare and keeping you there. I really cannot say more other than the graphics are gritty and the lighting is excellent. When you see a screaming zombie loom up in front off your flashlight, it is highly effective. Our very own Maestro, the AID (AI Director), handles the music and sound effects though more on him in a minute. The Valve team have even incorporated a few filming tricks to keep you immersed in the environment. I won't go into details here but if you're interested, they are all on the Left 4 Dead website.

There are minor criticisms. The AID could have been tweaked more to give it even more control over its tools. Weapons for instance only spawn in a few set locations. Also there are a few set pieces and whilst they are fun it does detract from the brilliant control that the AID has. Knowing you will set off the hoard every time does dull that little area slightly. The sound effects for each event (e.g. A hoard coming) are always the same so you will soon learn when you are about to be pelted with a zombies horde.

These are such minor flaws that all they do is pull this down to a 9/10. Other than these, it is a beautifully wrought game with excellently presented co-op features and great locations. Couple those with the fact that the AID will keep you on your toes and you have a game that does a great job of capturing the feel of a Zombie apocalypse. Oh and one last point. I have played this with two friends since it released this morning. Guess what? We are still enjoying every second.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/18/08