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Left 4 Dead, as a game, is a one-trick pony.
But when that trick is zombie killing, one trick is more than enough.
The game is constructed around four person gameplay. You join three other players online — your only goal is to get from one safe house to another, killing zombies all along the way. A player can jump in and out of a game at any time.
And these zombies aren’t your “lurch about aimlessly” zombies. They have a purpose — killing you — and are fast and deadly and great in numbers.
Playing alongside three other people requires everyone to work together, if the team is going to succeed. Communication is important, but the game creators also factored in the gamers who don’t talk online much.
Whenever a player finds health or weapons or ammunition, the character automatically announces the find to the others.
This auto communication is also handy when specialized zombies attack. These include:
The tank — an overly large zombie that is tough to bring down and can knock a player right out of the game.
The witch — a fast, hard-to-kill zombie that can be avoided if everyone is quiet.
The smoker — equipped with a long tongue that can ensnare you. Once caught, only your teammates can save you.
The hunter — a super-quick zombie that can grab you and hold you down. If your teammates don’t rescue you, you die.
The Boomer — a large, slow zombie that can vomit on you, which draws a horde of zombies to you.
At all times, you can keep track of your teammates, as their silhouettes show through even walls. Blue silhouette indicates no danger and red means they need help.
The second online mode is Versus mode, with two teams battling each other — one as survivors and the other as specialized zombies.
The game is designed around the old zombie flicks, with each level having a name that sounds like a movie, such as “Dead Air” or “No Mercy.” Each level is preceded by a movie poster announcing who is playing each part. There is the grizzled, gruff old guy (Bill); the biker-type, with tattoos and attitude (Francis); the black guy (very reminiscent of the hero of the classic “Night of the Living Dead” movie)(Louis); and the sure-of-herself, college student woman (Zoey).
You can join a game in progress, providing that the four slots aren’t already taken. You can also specify the difficulty and level desired.
Single-player gameplay is set up like online, except you play alongside three computer-controlled teammates. This can prove both frustrating and helpful, as they are quick to help you when needed, but if one teammate gets hung up along a wall or fence, it can be impossible to “un-stick” them, necessitating restarting the level.
Left 4 Dead offers plenty of replay, but with only four scenarios, each with five levels, hopefully downloadable content, with new adventures is in the offing. One ina mall, though not terribly original, would be nice.
Rating: Mature
Score: 9 steaming chilies
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