Left 4 Dead

"Get down with the sickness... and swear at your friends."

Valve has a history of quality team-based shooters, including Counter-Strike and the Orange Box's Team Fortress 2. It's my pleasure to say that without qualification, Left 4 Dead lives up in every way to the company's prior games.

Gameplay
The basic game is divided up into four campaigns (which are sub-divided themselves), each treated as a different zombie movie scenario. A four-person team of survivors battles through wave after wave of infected in each scenario. L4D boasts the great gunplay of any Valve shooter and a interface that provides all the needed details without obscuring the action.

You'll encounter zombies throughout the game's many locales, however, they work best when dozens of them start pouring in from all directions. The horde will sometimes attack at random, or they may be drawn by a car alarm, also, throughout the game there are numerous locations where the players must activate a device to bypass a barrier. The horde will begin to strike as soon as the players flip the switch.

Ingame, a player's death can be counteracted only through outside help. Rather than simply respawning, a dead player will reappear locked in one of many closets strewn throughout the levels, and it's up to the other players to open the door and bring them back into the fight.

The mob of fast running, insanely numerous infected in this game is supplemented by the smaller numbers of boss infected. The smoker, boomer, and hunter are all fairly fragile but can do quite a bit of damage to the unwary, thanks to their special abilities. The smoker will lash out with it's long tongue and render it's victim defenseless until another survivor takes it out or the victim dies. The boomer vomits and upon death, sprays a liquid that clouds the victim's view and attracts all infected towards them. The hunter's pounce will knock a victim down and rapidly begin chipping away at their health. The tank, another boss, is encounter much more rarely and can take a ridiculous amount of damage. It can knock survivors clear across the screen and throw chunks of pavement. Finally, the witch is somewhat similar to the tank, except faster, harder to hit, and even more damaging. Normally just weeping, when a player annoys them by shooting, staring, or lingering around them, they flip out and can cause extreme damage.

You can choose to play through the campaigns online with up to three other players or locally, with AI substituting for the missing team mates. Take note that the AI players follow your lead; therefore you will always be the one sticking your neck out to maneuver through the levels, and cooperation and coordinated planning is largely out of the picture. However, it should be noted that the AI, being focused on your actions, will always save you whenever it can, and act uniformly. Online team mates don't. While a well-coordinated team that looks over eachother's back, rescues team mates from danger, and heals their wounded will greatly increase the fun factor; one or two bad players can drag the entire team down with them and make you wish they were bots. On the whole, however, the Zombie Apocalypse is best experienced through online play, especially when all players have mics, allowing for coordination, banter, or all out arguing over who should've saved who.

The variety of weapons and explosives in the game is somewhat limited, though I typically pick a favorite and stick with it throughout the campaign. Also, the auto-shotgun and assault rifle play largely the same as the pump shotgun and SMG, not counting the increase in power. That said, this is a miniscule gripe in a game with so many great qualities.

Finally, the versus mode is a very interesting feature; eight players are divided into two teams of four; with four players as survivors and four as boss infected. Each round has the survivor team battling through a scenario, then when the survivors escape or are all killed, the teams switch places (survivors become bosses, bosses survivors), and the scenario is replayed. Success both as the zombies and the survivors requires better aim, teamwork, and coordination than the opposition. Unfortunately the versus mode is only playable on two campaigns.

While the survivors all play the same, the infected must adopt strategies based on what form the director chooses. Boomers must close the distance and cover the survivors in bile, while hunters and smokers benefit from sticking to the shadows and attacking survivors when opportunity presents itself. Finally, when the game selects a player to take on the role of the tank, serious power can be brought to bear (in fact it must be; tanks will die if they don't deal damage).

Graphics
L4D is not the prettiest game on the 360. However, the scenery will draw you in and its beautiful in its own way. From derelict hospitals to a holding action inside a church bordering a graveyard, the variety of environments never fails to impress. The world of L4D is desolate and dingy, creating a perfect atmosphere for end of the world zombie slaying. The sheer number of infected that can pour out from everywhere at once without load times or performance issues is astounding.

Special mention should also go to the character designs. The survivors are all memorable, and while the normal zombies tend to get old fast (you'll be fighting more than your fair share of undead soldiers and could've sworn you killed that dark haired guy five minutes ago), the bosses are fantastic in my opinion.

Sound
Sound design is another one of the games better parts. While I previously mentioned the lack of variety in the arsenal, each weapon makes it's own distinctive sound; you'll be able to figure out what your fellow survivors are bringing to bear against the dead simply by listening.

The infected also are top-notch in their sound effects. Whether it be the basic moaning of the horde, the gurgling of a boomer, the dull thud of a tank's footsteps, or the shriek of a pouncing hunter, you'll be able to tell what's about to bite your face off simply from sound. It's always tense to hear something bad that is both nearby, and somewhere you can't see. Special mention goes to the witch; as soon as someone hears her trademark sobbing and musical sting, the whole team is sure to hear something along the lines of "**** man! Turn off your lights!".

The music isn't really a factor, you'll only notice it when something bad, be it an army of the dead, or a boss infected, is about to appear.

Story
If there is one thing that L4D is to be criticized for, it's a barebones plot. All campaigns have the same basic outline: the survivors start at one place and have to get to rescue someplace else. The endings simply show the evacuation vehicle leaving, followed by a score screen that plays out like the ending credits of a horror movie.

That said, while there are no twists, turns, or deeply allegorical symbols ingame, the survivors are all given their distinct personalities; with their quips throughout a campaign fleshing them out. Bill's the 'Nam vet determined to survive, Louis is the office worker in over his head, Francis is a biker who's not entirely upset at having to crack zombie skulls, and Zoey's the college student who's seen enough horror movies to grant her sufficient survival skills. They are all interesting characters without requiring hour-long cutscenes to show us why we should care.

Replay Value
Aside from achievements, the primary replay value in the game is the promise held by the AI Director. The Director tailors each game to the performance of the players at that time. If the survivors are skillful, this means more zombies and less frequent health and explosive pickups. More leniency is given to a team that's doing badly. However, this neither makes the game impossible or takes away the intrinsic challenge of the game.

Adding to the variety of player's you'll meet (and the gap between skills of some), the director ensures that although the game will only take place in one of the four campaigns (each one running about an hour long), the challenge for the survivors will always be different.

Summary
Valve's given us a great first person shooter that works best with a team of players desperately battling hordes of zombies and specialized bosses. With high replayability, a system that provides a fair challenge for skilled and unskilled alike, and truly great online play, this is one of the best games of the year; and considering how many other great releases there've been this fall, that is high praise.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/26/08

Game Release: Left 4 Dead (US, 11/17/08)