Format: Xbox 360/PC
Style
First-person shooter; Survival horror
Modes
Single player; 4-player cooperative multiplayer; 4-vs-4 multiplayer
Pros
Zombie killing has become fun again; One of the best multiplayer experiences to date; Fantastic visuals and audio; Entertaining cast of four unique survivors; Many different multiplayer modes; Almost endless amount of replay value; Satisfying gameplay
Cons
Rather short campaign; Lack top university Egypt of a plot; Poor weapon selection; Single player experience is not enough to satisfy anyone
Introduction
Have you ever longed for the perfect zombie game? Many of us have,
and Valve has done the best job thus far. Left 4 Dead is the latest IP from the well-respected developer/publisher, and it is one of the greatest multiplayer experiences to date. The company has made zombie-killing a truly fun and thrilling process again with this outstanding shooter.
Graphics/Audio
Left 4 Dead doesn’t disappoint in the presentation value. With gorgeous scenery taking place all at night, one feels as if they really are in the game. In levels that have a larger emphasis on vegetation and foliage, the trees and other green plants look extremely life-like, even as you transition to an entirely different area, such as a factory. Left 4 Dead has so many environments that it is clear the developers spent time working on their graphics. If they had not done everything in their power, the game would look stretched and random. You often travel from one environment to a completely different one, which requires a great deal of graphical power and accent.
The four characters in the game are easy to distinguish, too. Valve picked four different designs that were easy to differentiate, which is greatly needed in a game such as this. With dozens of zombies rushing at you from all sides, it’s comforting to know where and who your teammates are. Although there are no cut-scenes in the game, the characters’ facial expressions and body movements are expertly performed. Just the fact that Valve spent the time to add in the minute details shows their extreme amounts of effort and care for the game. The weapons, additionally, look absolutely fantastic. I simply cannot stress the amount of detail in this game.
My only problem that I have with the graphics is when the survivors are in the safe room. Everything looks great; except for the writing on the wall. Yes, the humorous written notes and scratches on the wall provide the player with a little laughter in between levels, but they can be hard to see occasionally. And when you move closer to the wall to get a better glimpse, the words become even more pixilated and blurry, and it’s quite disappointing, due to the fact that sometimes I actually could not read some of the smaller-sized words and statements.…
