Left 4 Dead (PC, 2008)

Graphics: Good 8/10
Sound: Great – 8.5/10
Gameplay: Spectacular – 9.5/10
Replay Value – 9.5/10
Overall – Must Buy 9.5/10

Graphics: Good 8/10
The graphics are good for being built on an engine that was developed in 2004 by Valve. That being said, they have learned how to really use it and make it flow, both graphically and visually (speed). The textures, maps, and lighting are just right to put you in the mood that the apocalypse is really occurring, and you are a lone survivor. I will say that the speed that this game plays, you don’t notice that it is not the most beautiful game – but it is just right for what is being presented.

Sound: Great – 8.5/10
The sounds, music, effects, and voices take you immediately into the game. The voice acting, along with the zombie screams, yells, and cries, really push this game. With a 5.1 surround sound set-up, and a dark room, the sounds put you in the mix.

The voice acting and one liners are a nice touch and really play into the game well. The characters shout items locations, so that there is not too much chatter of non-sense.

The reason for the sub-nine ranking was actually do to the weapon sounds are actually the weak point. This is being picky, but I will say that overall, this is a good sound outing.

Gameplay: Spectacular – 9.5/10
Smooth animations, huge world design, and interactive and smart A.I. The A.I. in this system never does the same thing twice. That, with the fast, frantic, and yet fun shooter that this is, makes a great gameplay experience. There were times I was waiting for an attack, and the zombies that were there before, were not coming in that direction, but from behind. They did a great job of area and weapon change-ups and creating a game where co-op is needed (both computer aided and human) to win, and to survive.

The single player is fun, and will take a normal First Person Shooter (FPS) player roughly 6-8 hours to beat all the missions on normal or advanced. Where the real gem lies is the multiplayer – to be described in detail in the Replay Value.

Replay Value – High 9.5/10
Here is the real breakthrough. The multiplayer is fun, fast, and there is always a game to jump into. The servers link up fast.

Playing both in a game with strangers and friends, it is a real treat to see this co-op experience. Your team quickly learns not to go off by themselves, or they have to face the consequences. Also, if one of your teammates is acting up, you can vote to kick that person out of your group, and the computer A.I. will take over. Great planning on Valve’s part.

The versus mode is fun, especially on the Zombie side of things. Chasing after someone in undead mode is great.

Overall – Near Perfect 9.5/10
I like playing games online, but more often than not, like to experience the game alone because of the way people act online. With this co-op mode, people come together and don’t revert to name calling or yelling. This is a game where you have to work together.

It is so engrossing that others will want to watch you play and see just how you fight the zombie horde. The game is not perfect, but close to, and it is primarily because of the multiplayer and the A.I. never creating the same game experience twice.

If you are a fan of the undead, and movies like 28 Days Later, and the Dawn of the Dead remake, then this is the game for you. Play it a couple of times and you will try to get your friends to pick it up.

I would recommend this game to anyone. This is a very amusing, fun and entertaining game. It's one of the finest zombie/human games of it's generation. Another fantastic release by the Valve team! Great job on everything. If anyone likes zombie games, then this is a must buy at any price. You can either buy the PC games or go to www.SteamPowered.com, create an account and then buy the game online and play it on any computer.

About The Game: You can play in campaign mode. Which means, you and 3 of your friends (or bots can play also) complete missions. Each mission lasts between 1-3 hours depending on skill and achievement. You fight against zombies and monsters. In Versus Mode, you play with 8 people. 4 humans vs. 4 monsters. Yes, you get a turn to play human, and then a turn to be one of the monsters. This is very fun! The graphics are nice and the game play is fantastic. There are many different weapons and levels in the game for different type of skill.

Cons: There are currently only 4 Campaign maps, which last an average of 2.5 hours each. Though, versus mode and difficulty change can make months and months of playing. Not to worry though, Valve has announced the release of new maps and are working on them presently. Thanks for reading my review!

Left 4 Dead is truly a great game, with only a few flaws that are due to its nature.

The game is set just after a zombie scenario has all but wiped out a fairly sizable region, and players take control of one of four survivors attempting to reach rescue locations.

The game itself is composed of four different scenerios, presented as movies, where the four survivors have to race to the rescue zone, hordes of zombies at their heels. Good pacing and emphasis on survival, rather than horror, keep a great atmosphere, and levels range from city blocks and sewers to forests and a farm. However, the "special infected" are what add to the challenge. Rather than mindless brutes, each of them is relatively frail while possesing a unique and powerful ability to incapacitate a player - some can drag unwary players off the beaten path, while others can pin and tear apart potential survivors.

Now, as far as the bad aspects; the game is built for replayability, but at the cost of depth of content. Four hours or so will just about introduce you to the maps and enemies, and there is no new content beyond that. The workaround for this was designed in L4D's nature, however; multiplayer.

While a single player mode exists, this is built to be a multiplayer game - there's even a versus mode with some players becoming most of the types of special infected.

What this means is that, while this is an excellent game that is fun, fast paced, and with excellent polish, the ultimate amount of enjoyment you can get from it is limited to the collective expierence. Although, yes, there are bad players out there; more often than not, you can easily find a game that has teamwork oriented, capable players looking to play a good round, as well.

Also, this game now includes a special "survival" mode, where the four unlucky heros are trapped within a small section of map or building and have to simply try and survive, fighting off wave after wave after wave of zombies.


If you enjoy zombies, first person shooters, and are willing to work in an online cooperative envirnonment, then Left 4 Dead is a title that you shouldn't leave behind.

L4D is really a great zombie shoot 'em up. You want zombies you got 'em in this game. Fast action, blood, gore and plush scenery. The Graphic in this game are fantastic. The characters have their own individual personalities and inter act well with each other including you. Ellis is a young man ready and eager to kill zombies and if need be protect the other survivors. Coach is a big muscular man with not much to say but heavy on action. Bill, good old Bill, he looks like a left over from Nam. He may be older but he is hell on wheels. He can back me up anytime. Now we come to Zoey, WOW! She is knock down drag out HOT! Zoey is always there with the guys holding her own against the infected. A couple of things bother me abut the game. One is you clear room then somehow a horde of zombies come charging out of that roo. When going back and inspecting the room no walls busted through, no ceilings collapsed. So where the heck are they coming from? Issue number two I like this the least. It's something they call 'Steam' this is where you register your game and join in on line gaming. Well if you buy L4D that's it.You can't sell it or give it away because once that serial number for that game is registered, that's it. It cannot be registered again. I own the game who the heck are they to tell me I can't give it away. They don't say you can't give it away but what good will it do the person you are giving to. These gaming software people are getting just a little too control happy with your property. Stop treating everyone like crooks. They (software people) complain about piracy, well the things that steam and others are trying to pull is not going to help their case.
Enjoy the game but when you have played it out, it becomes nothing more then a box on a shelf.
Don't be side tracked by my rantings. Great game...now go kill some zombies.

Graphics: Great 10/10
Sound: Great – 9/10
Gameplay: Spectacular – 9.5/10
Replay Value – 9.5/10
Overall – Must Buy 10/10

Graphics: Good 10/10
The graphics is what gives Left 4 Dead its apocalyptic atmosphere and suspense. Although the graphics are not the high-end high-resolution textures that we might see in games like Crysis, this allows Left 4 Dead to be played on a greater variety of hardware, so all your friends can probably get this game, not just the one with the best hardware, and would you want a beautiful game that runs like a slideshow, or a game with good-enough graphics that runs at playable speeds? And being based on the Source engine, it has HIGHLY optimized for almost all setups. The lighting, textures, shadows, all come together to convey a feeling of loneliness and the occasional goosebumps.

Sound: Great – 8.5/10
Each zombie and survivor come with their own unique voices and sounds. The game is largely dependent on sound, as each of the special zombies produce a distinctive sound that allows you to identify when one is nearby. Even when playing alone, the conversations that the survivors engage in give you a sense of community and the occasional humor. With a 5.1 surround sound set-up, and a dark room, the sounds put you in the mix. The only thing that is perhaps missing is the lack of a variety of weapon sounds.

Gameplay: Spectacular – 9.5/10
This is perhaps one of the most fun multiplayer and singleplayer game I have encountered in a long time. What makes the gameplay so amazing is the A.I. Director, the name given to the AI in the game. The Director sets up each game so that you will have a different experience each time you play it. Zombies will spawn in different places each time, and the amount of zombies and their actions will change depending on your health, how fast you move through the map, how close your group members are to each other, etc. The game forces you to cooperate with your other group members in order for you to survive, which I have rarely seen in a game. The single player will take roughly 6-8 hours to beat on normal or advanced, but the main value is in the multiplayer experience.

Replay Value – High 9.5/10
The multiplayer experience is the real gem of this game. It allows anyone to keep replaying the game without getting bored. Finding a game takes about a few seconds, and there is always one to join. You don't have to worry about griefers, as you can vote out people who are ruining your multiplayer experience and the computer AI will take over. The versus mode is also extremely entertaining and fun. Finding ways to destroy the Survivors never gets boring.

Overall – Near Perfect 9.5/10

This is a great game for any PC gamer to pick up, even if you are not a fan of multiplayer. This is one of the only games I have seen online where cooperative play is required and is the essential cornerstone of the game. The game experience is constantly changing and never the same. If you want a fun and entertaining game that you can play with anyone, especially your friends, then definitely pick this up. Even if you are not a fan of zombie games, you should try this anyway. And knowing Valve, more updates to Left 4 Dead will probably come that brings even more replayability and features to the game.