Set in a modern day survival-horror universe, the co-operative gameplay of L4D casts four “Survivors†in an epic struggle against hordes of swarming zombies and terrifying “Boss Infected†mutants.
GenreFirst-Person Shooters
Platforms xbox360
DEVELOPER Valve Software | PUBLISHER Codemasters | RELEASE DATE
Left 4 Dead Reviews xbox360
variety.com review
"Left 4 Dead" is divided into four campaigns with B-movie titles like "Dead Air" and "Death Toll" that are populated with a quartet of stock characters — the grizzled Vietnam vet, the horror film-loving college student, etc. — a creepy soundtrack full of staccato piano notes, dark rooms lit only by flashlight, and amusingly cliched dialogue ("I can’t believe we made it!"; "Son, we just crossed the street."). Anyone familiar with survival-horror pics knows exactly what they’re getting, which is the point. Rather than spending time developing a plot, Valve drops players into one so familiar they can fill in the details themselves.
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armchairempire.com review
Players can fight through the game in versus mode, where two teams of four alternate between Survivors and Infected. The Survivors are trying to cover as much ground as possible while the Infected try to inflict as much damage as possible or stop the Survivors altogether. The two sides, though so different, are pretty evenly matched, depending on the level of teamwork each side musters.
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msxbox-world.com review
So there you have it…Left 4 Dead is a breath of fresh mountain air in a fall quarter that has been filled with sequels that offer incrementally better graphics yet multiplayer gameplay that is essentially the same as yesteryear. Yes, there have been a lot of great games that have come out this year, but I believe that Left 4 Dead is going to be the one that is remembered the most.
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darkzero.co.uk review
Individually, these unfortunate individuals present no great danger, but en-masse they can overwhelm an unprepared group. Of greater concern are the five Special Infected creatures, which can quickly decimate a seemingly-prepared team. The most frequent of those are the Hunter, an agile hoodie-wearing youth who will leap great distances to tear someone’s throat out, and the Smoker, a lanky shambling thing with an extraordinarily long tongue which he uses to ensnare and drag survivors away from their allies.
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g4tv.com review
Then there’s versus mode. In this four-on-four multiplayer experience, each squad plays through a campaign alternating between survivors and special zombies. The score is tallied by zombie damage done or how far you manage to survive in the level with bonuses for surviving. There are five classes of special zombies in L4D, four which are playable in this mode: the Boomer, who douses survivors in zombie vomit, summoning the horde; the long-tongued Smoker who pulls survivors away from the pack; the pouncing hunter who pins and mauls its victims and the Tank, who has massive hit points and deals ridiculous melee damage. Your zombie class is randomly selected for you and every so often, one of your team members becomes the Tank, which can often make or break it for the Survivors. No, you don’t get to play the witch, but we guarantee you won’t care.
ztgd.com review
Left 4 Dead is one of the most visceral and enjoyable experiences you will find on Xbox 360 this holiday season. If you love classic zombie movies and/or love the idea of co-op shooter there simply is no better game. While the content may seem slim the replayability is unmatched thanks to the dynamic AI director. If you are planning on hopping online there really is not a better co-op experience this winter and this will keep you playing long into next year. With a promise of new content on the horizon Left 4 Dead could easily be the sleeper hit of 2008 as well as being the base of comparison for all cooperative games from here on out.
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oxmonline.com review
It’s amazing how quickly civilization can go straight to hell — like when a freak windstorm hit Bellevue, Washington, a few years back. “We had 10 days where people didn’t have power,†says Valve’s Chet Faliszek, part of the large team behind the zombie survival shooter Left 4 Dead. “It was this weird thing — you could go into the city and be okay, or you could stay out by my house and wait three-and-a-half hours for gas. And all someone had to do was tell those people, but they were angry, they were fighting…it was bizarre.â€
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gamingexcellence.com review
Left 4 Dead isn’t really a coherent gaming experience like other games. Instead each scenario stands entirely on its own, with a starting point and ending that are unconnected to the other scenarios. Stepping into the role of one of four survivors who are apparently immune to whatever infection has gripped the land you will be trying to make your way to safety. You’re not told much else about the world, how far the infection has spread or anything. The information you can find on walls is more about setting mood than explaining things. If you’re dedicated you can piece together some of what’s going on but it’s a moot issue. The point of this game isn’t the strong storytelling that has held up Half-Life 2 but its team based gameplay.
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extremegamer.ca review
The next great thing is the locales. Each setting is done with perfection, offering an almost movie like experience while in the game. Flickering lights, rain, even the darkness is eerie. When it’s dark, which most of the time it is, your flashlight becomes imperative. It only shines in the small area you’re looking at so quick back and forth room checks are a must. The sound adds to the atmosphere with very eerie music that comes in at the perfect time, thanks to the director, crazy noises when dozens of undead are running at you and great sound effects when they get shot. Another great thing is the gore. When a group of undead run at a pipe bomb all you see is a cloud of blood when it explodes. Along with the blood splatter on the wall this offers a great deal towards the game.
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planetxbox360.com review
The survivors have a standard fare of weapons at their disposal but limited ability to carry them. You choose one main weapon and you get a pistol. Each safe house includes a selection of weapons, first aid kits, explosives, and infinite ammunition. The basic weapons consist of a, sub-machine gun and shotgun. The sub machine gun is a medium ranged weapon with medium fire power. The shotgun is a close ranged weapon with high power. The pistol, which you can dual wield, has medium range and low power but it also has unlimited ammo. You can upgrade to a second tier of weapons as you make progress through each movie. The assault rifle is an improved automatic weapon. The Auto shotgun is (you guessed it!) an automatic shotgun that holds a few more rounds. There is also a hunting rifle with scoping capabilities but its use falls to the way side. There is always so much going on that trying to snipe is inefficient. First aid kits can be used on yourself or your allies. There are also Molotov cocktails and pipe bombs. The latter emits a beeping noise that attracts the infected causing an explosion of curiosity. The survivors can also melee infected damaging them and pushing them back. I was disappointed that there were no designated melee weapons. It would be a blast to dismember infected with axes, baseball bats, or standard kitchen appliances.
gamezone.com review
So Left 4 Dead has been on a lot of gamers’ radars for quite a while. It’s made by Valve, the folks who made one of the biggest game franchises of all time, Half-Life. So yes, the bar was set rather high. So, the first thing I will say is that you need to throw any pre-conceived notions out the door. This is a rocket-fire, high-octane style first-person shooter and it has no real brains about it, like Half-life. But don’t let that stop you from playing, this is a phenomenal multiplayer game.
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gamingtarget.com review
Left 4 Dead redefines how teamwork can excel in the internet age. A solid action game to begin with, L4D adds a few twists to the formula that encourages – nay, demands – cooperation amongst your group of four survivors. Between decent action, the definitive cooperative experience, and an AI that changes the game each time you play it, Left 4 Dead is bound to keep spinning in your 360 for months to come. George Romero should be proud.
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ign.com review
Let’s not worry about that now, though. What we’ve got for at least the next weeks is one of the finest zombie games ever made, and one of the finest co-op games ever made. The potential for everything to go so, so wrong without warning, or conversely to pull off the most spectacular escapes against all odds, means this is an online shooter you can tell your finest anecdotes about without boring everyone else to tears. Everyone loves a zombie movie, after all. Hooray, then, for Left 8 Dead.
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gamefocus.ca review
Left 4 Dead is a co-operative title that you can play as a single player with 3 AI controlled friends, or your friends can play one of the 3 other characters. The AI is smart in the game, but not smart enough in some cases. Your AI team mates will almost never leave you on the ground dying and will rush back to save you, but sometimes they will stand around and they can not seem to find you to help you in your time of need.
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teamxbox.com review
The other two “specials†in Left 4 Dead are the Witch and the Tank. The former is a whimpering waif of emo curled up on the floor who really just wants to be left alone, though the whiz of bullets, the flicker of flashlight (it seems that OSHA rules maintain that zombie workplaces should be poorly lit) or even a wandering survivor getting too close will send her into an offensive frenzy on whoever irritated her first. The tank is the opposite in that it’s a hulking beast with its phasers already set to Frenzy, and it takes quite a lot of lead, flame or explosion to turn it off.
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gaming-age.com review
The gameplay is top notch from the controls to the button mapping for weapons, objects, and maneuvers. It’s always great to see when you put a group of four players together how they can overcome what seem to be impossible obstacles. The A.I. can be set for your standard difficulty, but the game will still take into effect how well you are playing and keep the game interesting by playing fair at your level. What’s more, if you are playing single player or even multiplayer with bots, you can be happy to know that they aren’t completely useless. They of course will still run into friendly fire, go down a wrong flight of stairs, or get trapped behind a door and not know it, but for the most part you will have very little issues with the A.I. of your partners. Not only are they good at the trigger, but they will even help in times of need such as healing and helping you out when you may be pinned down by zombies and about to meet certain doom.
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1up.com review
Simply put, every time the Director brings down a swath of Infected, who then pound me into hamburger, and every time my team and I manage to survive against incredible odds until the end, and we hoot and holler about besting the Director, I do the same thing: I jump into another lobby and wait for a match to start. I love this damn game.
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gamingnexus.com review
Ammo is sparse so you’ll get into spots where you’ll have to rely on your pistols, which have unlimited ammo, heightening the feeling of suspense. You won’t be entirely vulnerable having just your pistols out but it’ll be a lot tougher this way. You can also use some items laying around to take down the infected. Throw and shoot at a gas can to ignite the area and toast the rotting flesh off of the undead. Some areas will also house a minigun that heats up red when unloading the ammo on the charging horde. If you are getting surrounded by zombies, you can always use your melee attack to push them off or bash them with the gun. I would’ve liked to have seen some bladed weapons but alas the few weapons that are available will have to do.
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videogamer.com review
A horde of crazed infected would have made for a fun, hugely enjoyable experience, but it’s the special enemies that raise L4D to another level. They’ve been designed with the express purpose of forcing the team to work together, helping one another out. You could survive an attack from standard infected without too much trouble, but these special enemies can completely immobilise you until a friend steps in to help you out.
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