Left 4 Dead hungers for human players. Adding one person makes the game more enjoyable, especially online. I don’t now if I will be going back to the campaign mode after experiencing the joy of its tactical versus mode. In this mode four players take up the human side and four others take up the infected side. While versus is just two of the movies, ten total maps, it’s a delight. The object for the survivors is to reach the safe room and the infected are trying to stop them. Each team takes a turn on the respective sides with points being awarded to the survivor group. You get points for health leftover, surviving members, distance traveled and other tidbits. Your hud displays your health along with your teammates health, their weapons, and items. If a player drops out, a bot steps in until another player joins up. The only flaw in the multiplayer is a lackluster party system. You can make a public lobby with friends but there is no true matchmaking. Random players are assigned to public lobbies all over Xbox live. It makes forming groups tedious.
The smoker, hunter, boomer, and tank are all playable during versus mode. However, the tank is randomly assigned to an infected player every so often. Furthermore, Left 4 Dead uses silhouettes so that survivors can see each other through walls and the infected can see both survivors and infected. This allows for consistent clashing on both sides as the humans rush across the map. Since one survivor can’t stop an infected boss (if a smoker or hunter get a hold of him its game over) and one infected can not bring down four survivors, strategy takes precedent. My friend and I would wait in bushes or behind doors for an unsuspecting bystander to pounce or puke on. The infected side has a distinct advantage over the humans with the ability to re-spawn wherever they like when out of sight, maneuvering up pipes or walls, and their enhanced vision. Playing on the human side is extremely intense. You never know where the next boss or horde rush will come from while constantly having to acknowledge that they know exactly where you are. Don’t worry though; excellent controls dictate that the only thing you need to worry about is your aim.
The controls are quick and reactive. The feel is unrealistic and the learning curve is above average but veteran FPS players will fall neatly into place. Firing and melee are mapped to the triggers and items are equipped via D-pad. Switching items can be frustrating thanks to the 360’s awesome D-pad. Jumping is awkward but the game never forces you to use thanks to the plentiful ladders. There were a few moments where I wouldn’t immediately move up a ladder or around a doorway. These became irritating when escaping from harm but never occurred enough to hinder gameplay.
Left 4 Dead is a minimalist. Its graphics are toned down for next generation titles but it’s for optimization. The game runs smoothly with 20+ infected on the screen and slow down occurs in extreme circumstances. The times that it is unbearable its frame rate dips but only for a few moments. The lighting is fantastic with dark rooms offering no illumination save your flashlight. The muzzles of the weapons produce flashes and battling the horde in dark alleys is exhilarating. The sound focuses on intensity. Eerie music haunts you during lulls and sound cues alert you to danger. A siren sounds off assaults of the horde, each boss emits noises when close by, a musical cue when attacked by a smoker or hunter, the tank is preceded by rumblings, and the witch’s sobs amplify as you approach. The combination of dimly light rooms and perfectly implemented sounds create a welcome tension.
From the opening cinematic to the end of a multiplayer match Left 4 Dead never takes itself seriously. It lacks a lengthy campaign, which has little to no story, but its intended purpose is accessibility to groups of players. To fully enjoy the game you need to play with other people. The lack of maps and variety in the weapons may keep some casual players at bay. Hopefully Valve will offer DLC to keep it fresh. Its mastery of teamwork and tactical demands will keep players online until then.
