Format: Xbox 360/PC

 

Style

 

First-person shooter; Survival horror

 

Modes

 

Single player; 4-player cooperative multiplayer; 4-vs-4 multiplayer

 

Pros

 

Zombie killing has become fun again; One of the best multiplayer experiences to date; Fantastic visuals and audio; Entertaining cast of four unique survivors; Many different multiplayer modes; Almost endless amount of replay value; Satisfying gameplay

 

Cons

 

Rather short campaign; Lack of a plot; Poor weapon selection; Single player experience is not enough to satisfy anyone

 

Introduction

 

Have you ever longed for the perfect zombie game? Many of us have, and Valve has done the best job thus far. Left 4 Dead is the latest IP from the well-respected developer/publisher, and it is one of the greatest multiplayer experiences to date. The company has made zombie-killing a truly fun and thrilling process again with this outstanding shooter.

 

Graphics/Audio

 

Left 4 Dead doesn’t disappoint in the presentation value. With gorgeous scenery taking place all at night, one feels as 구로 안마 추천 if they really are in the game. In levels that have a larger emphasis on vegetation and foliage, the trees and other green plants look extremely life-like, even as you transition to an entirely different area, such as a factory. Left 4 Dead has so many environments that it is clear the developers spent time working on their graphics. If they had not done everything in their power, the game would look stretched and random. You often travel from one environment to a completely different one, which requires a great deal of graphical power and accent.

 

The four characters in the game are easy to distinguish, too. Valve picked four different designs that were easy to differentiate, which is greatly needed in a game such as this. With dozens of zombies rushing at you from all sides, it’s comforting to know where and who your teammates are. Although there are no cut-scenes in the game, the characters’ facial expressions and body movements are expertly performed. Just the fact that Valve spent the time to add in the minute details shows their extreme amounts of effort and care for the game. The weapons, additionally, look absolutely fantastic. I simply cannot stress the amount of detail in this game.

 

My only problem that I have with the graphics is when the survivors are in the safe room. Everything looks great; except for the writing on the wall. Yes, the humorous written notes and scratches on the wall provide the player with a little laughter in between levels, but they can be hard to see occasionally. And when you move closer to the wall to get a better glimpse, the words become even more pixilated and blurry, and it’s quite disappointing, due to the fact that sometimes I actually could not read some of the smaller-sized words and statements.

 

The voice acting in the game is what gives the characters life. Due to the absence of cut-scenes, all lines are spoken during combat. The voices for all four survivors are done completely perfectly, in a hilarious yet realistic manner. The script is absolutely brilliant, as the four characters’ lines and words all fit the situation nicely, and give the characters an unforgettable personality.

 

Story

 

The story in Left 4 Dead is by far the game’s weakest attribute. The opening cinema reveals that the game’s first campaign (there are four total) takes place approximately two weeks after the zombie outbreak. However, there is literally no explanation as to how or why everyone is turning into the undead, or how the survivors met each other, or, for that matter, how there are infinite piles of ammunition and weapons. Now, I realize that all this was done, for the most part, on purpose. The game’s focus is not at all on story or plot, but rather on gameplay. Although it really would have been great of Valve to do a little bit of explaining on their part.