Left 4 Dead

most first person shooters are designed to transplant gamers into other worlds, times or places of imagination. picking up new weapons, you take on the role of one-man army leading other non-playable characters to checkpoint after checkpoint until you reach the ending that will culminate in another sequel.

and then, there’s left 4 dead.

you still have checkpoints, or safe houses, that break up the sections of each campaign giving you and your online buddies a quick breakdown of statistics as well as a well-deserved break. you deserve it because you’ve spent the last — well, you don’t remember because everything’s a blur.

shoot that moving thing there. run for cover here. pick up your fallen comrade. throw a pipe bomb, and laugh as the zombies huddle around it. it’s you and three others against a town full of zombies from the movie 28 days later. you might catch a few of the zombies swaying silently, but an errant bullet, a car alarm, or vomit from a boomer can escalate things in a split second.

there are a lot of things going for left 4 dead. the game advertises a unique a.i. that responds to your level of skill. it doesn’t just mean more zombies within a given area — you might get a boss in an open field that you took for granted on your previous pass. having zombies spawn randomly keeps the game fresh — there’s no routine way to clear an area. quick thinking, precision aim (friendly fire is always on), and teamwork are your best bets in surviving.

besides campaign mode, there’s a survivor mode that pits you against horde after horde of zombies. versus mode puts four survivors against four zombie players. there’s also a solo mode for people who can’t get online or don’t want to. you won’t have to deal with lag or heroes who go off and get themselves killed.

still, i’d rather prefer online modes. this is one game that really gets me using the headset — it’s difficult staying alive in the middle of a horde rush, and there are plenty of zombies with particular capabilities that can incapacitate a lone survivor. screaming “BEHIND YOU” with a headset makes it that much more enjoyable on an otherwise quiet weekend afternoon.

graphics: 
the game uses the source engine. it’s not the prettiest game out there, but it doesn’t need to be. lighting is beautiful and levels are atmospheric. zombies can claw their way through doors and wood paneling just so they can see you cry.

soundtrack:
the a.i. adjusts the music as you go along depending on how much stress your character has gone through. sound effects are great. characters will talk to each other, comment on their situation, and shush each other when a witch is around. be careful around those witches — that inclination to help the little crying girl will only get you killed.

playability:
i wouldn’t recommend this game if you didn’t have xbox live and a good connection. it’s just not the same with computer characters who move only when you do. the a.i. is designed to keep every game fresh — sometimes you’ll get health packs, and sometimes you don’t. the other modes will keep you going — it’s like counterstrike with zombies.

overall:
it’s great. i can’t give it a perfect because there are some issues with movement, and picking up items can be difficult especially when precision timing is necessary. i wish there were more weapons. why doesn’t this game have a rocket launcher?

rating:
4/5

here’s a video(link) from a japanese show where kids are told that zombies are coming for them. hilarity ensues.