LEFT 4 A DILEMMA!

Welcome to my Blog folks,

I hope everyone is doing ok in videogame land. We've been having some beautiful weather here in dear old England and I've been spending quite a bit of my time sitting outside either reading a good book or enjoying a Nintendo DS game. But this fine Spring weather as also got me thinking about some of the odd things I do as a human being, relating to videogames of course this being GiantBomb an all. But I've come to the conclusion that I've often been either stupid or simply confussed when it comes to playing the games I want to be playing, let me explain myself a little more clearly.

So as you might have guessed from the title alone, this blog partly surrounds Valve Corporation's zombie-fest Left 4 Dead available for PC, Xbox 360 and of course PS3. Now Left 4 Dead as been out for a good many months now, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the demo on Steam. So with this in mind, I happily made the purchase ready for both myself and friends to go zombie killing whenever we all got the time. Sadly that's where I stand, except the problems lies with yours truly in that I simply can never get around to loading Left 4 Dead up. I've wondered if this is a psychological issue rather then anything else for on a number of occasions I have been given a chance to play with a friends but then suddenly change my mind and go in favour of playing another different game instead, that other game usually being Rock Band 2. Even when I want to play Left 4 Dead, I never actually get around to clicking on the little icon on my desktop and enjoying the true madness that is so many gamers have enjoyed, why is that?

This issue as also made me wonder if other such gamers suffer such an odd fate, do they really want to play a specific game that they of course also own. But simply never get around to doing so even if they do have the time. So as many of you will no doubt know, Left 4 Dead receieved a boost in the form of a 'Survival Pack' which I am informed, is a little bit on the disappointing side. Though it's worth keeping in mind that it is free afterall, and in these days of paid DLC. It's rather nice to see us getting some extra free new content from time to time. Yet even this as not pushed me to finally getting online and enjoy some Left 4 Dead, even as I write this I want to play the game yet I know I won't get around to doing so. So at this point I suspect you think I've gone a little mad, but I believe part of my issue lies with playing with strangers. Sadly not many of my friends play to much Left 4 Dead nowadays as they all got their fill at release time and let's be honest, Left 4 Dead is no World of Warcraft.

Now I would usually be fine with playing with strangers, but Left 4 Dead is one of those games where having players around you who talk, work together and don't go miles ahead can make it a brilliant experience. Yet from my time playing the demo with teams filled with folks I did not know, I found it to be a horrid time. From a player going miles ahead telling everyone 'how I'm going to dominate this map' to a very odd experience from one player who decided to spend their ammo shooting at me and my fellow team mates as much as possible.... well you get the point! what I'm basically trying to say is that I'm more then reluctant to play online with strangers when I know I could enjoy it more talking verbally with folks I know I could work together with and enjoy the game. So that's one of the issues I currently have that's stopping me from enjoying what Left 4 Dead offers. I know in all honesty that I'll eventually get around to spending a good couple of days or so playing this much loved first-person shooter and hopefully that will be sooner rather then later. But I'll keep wondering why I took so damn long to actually play the full retail version in the first place. I already think I'm a little mad.

So here I am, still yet to play a game I still really want to play and I only have to click a little icon to do so. I would fully understand if you think I've lost my marbles and gone a little insane, especially when one considers that Left 4 Dead is such a great game.... well how do I know, I've yet to fully play it. The more I think about it the more insane it seems, yet part of me wonders if it's my simple lack of patience with strangers within the world of a videogame. I'm terrible for not getting along with people and even though I'm not a nasty person in anyway, I find certain groups of people to be rather unpleasant and won't try to like them in any way possible. It's wrong of me I know, but I've always been someone who enjoys my own personal company and I honestly believe that is playing a part in my decision to not play Left 4 Dead. Thinking about it afterall, maybe it is a psychological thing. I've never been good at mixing with people and I can't see myself improving as I grow older, it's just the way I am. But I know I need to give Left 4 Dead a go soon, and the many players who enjoy it a chance to win me over. Who knows maybe I can get some friends to actually get their backsides off Call of Duty 4 and go kill some zombies, no one can say no to that! 

Have you ever had such an experience?

Thanks for reading, I do appreciate it!
Joseph Bayliss (TrueEnglishGent).

Left 4 Dead is definitely a team game, and if you arent playing as a team then your enjoyment is going to be hampered. Its a shame because it only takes one person to screw things up, and brilliant as the AI is, it really doesnt compare to a human counterpart, especially in the insanely hard Survival mode. I guess the best thing you can do is recruit some giantbomb kids to play with, there are plenty with the game. Scour the forums or get into the IRC.

Nice blog dude.
Love Sweep