The Run Down:
Developed for both the Xbox 360 and the PC, Left 4 Dead is based on an apocalyptic setting where four survivors are pinned against hordes aggressive infected people; or zombies, as we might call it. There are three modes in which the player can choose to play: a single player mode where the allies are controlled by AI; a four player co-op campaign mode; and an eight player versus mode.
The main focus of this game is cooperation and team work. During gameplay, there are situations where players must help and depend on each other. When a player falls off a cliff, he or she will be automatically hanging on until another player rescues the player on time.
One of the unique aspects that this game presents is the dynamic AI system for the game which is also known as "The Director." The way this works is that instead of having fixed spawn points, (fixed places where the zombies will appear) The Direct places the zombies, and items in different positions based on the player's current situation. In addition, the second Director controls the music which keeps the music interesting through the game. This way, players will not get tired of the same gameplay over and over again when continuing their gaming experience.
The Review:
Initially, I thought this game would be boring. Although the whole theme of first person shooters and zombies are my favourite bunch, I thought it seemed too cliché to grasp my interest. Of course the simplicity that I had made out of it deceived my own perception, so I never took it serious. That is, until I tried it myself.
Left 4 Dead offers a very unique gaming experience for those who enjoy their first person shooter games. Normally when we think of first person shooters, we generally think of your typical “shoot em’ up” game. What makes this game different from other shooters? One thing I find unique about this is the AI. In your regular shooting games like Resident Evil, F.E.A.R or HALO, we can play the game until we finish, and decide to play again. But when we play again, we’re already aware of where the items are or where the ‘villains’ will appear. For Left 4 Dead, the way the AI works is that the results will always be different as you progress along the game. You can play the game over and over again and yet have a whole new experience again and again. This way, the game never gets repetative or predictable.
Another interesting thing I found about this game is the versus mode. When you’re play online in versus mode, you and three other people take control of the Infected. Each player is assigned a Special Infected where they may be able to go against the Survivors. During gameplay, both sides of players will be able to switch Survivors and Infected in turn base.
Lastly, the cooperation in this game is heavily depended on, which also offers a fantastic experience. In other shooter games, players usually tend to play for their own benefit. They just pick up a gun and shoot the other team until they die. In this game, if one person dies, that’s one person less to fend off the hordes of zombies. Players will see the need to keep each other alive as well as help each other. This offers a unique experience especially for players that play online. Being able to play with your friends with a headset offers the real game-life experience. If you really love the whole zombie scene but you can’t fend off in real life, this is as close as you’ll probably get.
The Raters:
Mark Galura:
It’s fun.
9/10
Raph Sanchez:
You get to kill zombies, hordes of them. The AI is very smart for knowing when to send hordes of zombies at you and when to send a special one to strike you. Another thing about the AI is that they cooperate with each other, the special zombies. They act like you're up against real people. The bad thing about this game is that during online play, it takes long to find people. And because there's no storyline, its just like playing Counter Strike with a zombie mod.
8.5/10
Justin Tan:
The game gets pretty boring after a while. When you don’t have any friends to play with, it gets pretty dull. It’s fun to play for the first few weeks but after a while it gets too boring.
7/10
The Rant:
The one thing that this game lacks in is the story. For many players, the story is one of the most important pieces as it helps give a meaning towards the game. As players continue to progress in this game, they may find it dull to finish a level, and then basically do the same thing over again that they previous have done. A story or a plot to the game would add some “spice” to the game as players would continue to enjoy their gaming experience even more.
Another downfall about this is the waiting time. If you don’t know anyone else who owns this game, it may take a while for you to get a game started with others online. Of course once the waiting is done, there won’t be anymore waiting throughout the gameplay…until you die.
Left 4 Dead truly offers a unique experience for those that enjoy online shooting. It may not have a well developed story like F.E.A.R or Half-Life but the well developed AI will definitely grasp your interest. If you’re a fan of fps games, this is definitely something you would want to add to your collection. For gamers that don’t normally play fps but enjoy the whole zombie scene, you may want try this particular game. Players will definitely feel the adrenalin rush as hordes of zombies will come at you from every side in super fast speed, just like in the movies. Being able to play online with other people offers the whole ‘survival’ theme. If you really love the whole zombie scene yet you can’t find any zombies in real life, this is as close as you’ll probably get. But don’t get me wrong, I think I’d rather stick with the gaming experience of hordes of zombies trying to eat you rather than the real thing.
