It feels like a good game. It just plays like crap on my computer, and that has tainted the experience. I think it's a nice CO-OP to play with your friends, but once you get it done once or twice, it's not really as good. You have to play it on the highest difficulty, because otherwise you'll complete it, and then you'll be satisfied - if you're keep on trying to beat it, the fun lasts longer. I don't think the versus mode is going to add much in terms of longevity.

I'm a TF2er, as many of you know. Is L4D going to pull me away? I'll probably get the game, so I can play with friends, but from what I'm looking at now, it's going to be a 1 month hit, and then it will disappear if Valve or the community do not make some *good* maps and additional content. This is the sort of game that will only go as far as Valve adds content, because I don't see hospital or something turning out like de_dust2 or 2fort, a map that's just played over and over. But I was cynical to begin with, so I may have bias. I still think I'm going to remain a TF2er until a game like Battlefield 3, or maybe Quake Live, Battlefield Heroes, or Starcraft II, comes along. I haven't played it *that* much, so my opinion still may change.

This game is broken without friends, period. Actually, to put it in more general terms, it's broken if you do not have a microphone, and everyone doesn't have a microphone. It just isn't as fun if you don't. It's the sort of game that requires teamwork to succeed, and not only that, since its smaller than TF2, it's easier to have teamwork.

So what should you take away from this review? Well, it's definitely going to be a good game. So go download the demo, now. But I can't help but maintain some doubt that this game will be the multiplayer success its predecessors were.

It feels like a good game. It just plays like crap on my computer, and that has tainted the experience. I think it's a nice CO-OP to play with your friends, but once you get it done once or twice, it's not really as good. You have to play it on the highest difficulty, because otherwise you'll complete it, and then you'll be satisfied - if you're keep on trying to beat it, the fun lasts longer. I don't think the versus mode is going to add much in terms of longevity.

I'm a TF2er, as many of you know. Is L4D going to pull me away? I'll probably get the game, so I can play with friends, but from what I'm looking at now, it's going to be a 1 month hit, and then it will disappear if Valve or the community do not make some *good* maps and additional content. This is the sort of game that will only go as far as Valve adds content, because I don't see hospital or something turning out like de_dust2 or 2fort, a map that's just played over and over. But I was cynical to begin with, so I may have bias. I still think I'm going to remain a TF2er until a game like Battlefield 3, or maybe Quake Live, Battlefield Heroes, or Starcraft II, comes along. I haven't played it *that* much, so my opinion still may change.

This game is broken without friends, period. Actually, to put it in more general terms, it's broken if you do not have a microphone, and everyone doesn't have a microphone. It just isn't as fun if you don't. It's the sort of game that requires teamwork to succeed, and not only that, since its smaller than TF2, it's easier to have teamwork.

So what should you take away from this review? Well, it's definitely going to be a good game. So go download the demo, now. But I can't help but maintain some doubt that this game will be the multiplayer success its predecessors were.

The 360 Demo's pretty hard out.

The Left 4 Dead demo on the PC was pretty awesome, the game looks good, plays good and the enviroments all feel atmospheric. When your in the subway station, walking down those escalators only to find a horde coming from behind and infront, you really do start thinking "oh shit, oh shit!".

Saying L4D looks like a 1 month wonder is perfectly acceptable, it might just turn out to be just that. But i think once you get a chance to play the 4 vs 4 matches online and pump the difficulty to expert as you and 3 friends attempt to get through the entire campaign together it will be worth it. Then of course there is the fact its a Source game and we all know Source games are at their best when total conversion mods and such are created for them.

I don't see it pulling me away from TF2 completely either, but i do think its a strong competitor for online team based games. TF2 requires a lot of team work but success can be had by a minimal amount of it, L4D however seems like its entire gameplay requires a group to know exactly what they are doing to have a chance.

Doesn't take much to get me from playing TF2, probably because I don't really like it. Love L4D, though.

Well, I've played it more - expert is being a real bitch. It looks like a good buy. I now think it's main problem is that to have an optimal experience - you need to play with people you know. Steam buddies. Not everyone has many....

it took maby 10 minutes to beat the demo on normal so the entire game could be beaten easily in a single night.

im going to wait a year or two till valve gets a solid amount of content udates out.

I downloaded L4D and played it with a bunch of my mates online and I can say that it was one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences I have had all year. It's a great game especially if you play it on the hardest difficulty, it's not graphically amazing but the graphics aren't that bad. However, I have only played the 360 version and do not know what the PC version is like.

How are you able to play the Stalker series well and not Left 4 Dead? me no undrstend

I've been playing the L4D demo and loving it.  Downloading the pre-load this very moment.  First few times I played I had no mic plugged in and I found it fairly easy to function as a team with the little amount of communication they gave you with the quick responses.  Mic does make the game better though.

BiggerBomb, I can't play the STALKER series well. I also get pretty poor FPS in that game.

I just played some of the PC demo and that game seems awesome. It's awesome playing with three other buddies who have mics and just mowing down zombies.