Left 4 Dead

[Glorb]

So, what's the verdict? Personally, from what I've experienced with the demo's single-player, this game rules hard, and can only get better with human players. Basically, it's what you'd expect from Valve: awesome graphics, control, gameplay, difficulty balance, and system requirements (Source Engine FTW). And the game really does feel different each time you play. Areas that were once swarmed with zombies are eerily different the second time through, and various crazy-powerful zombies like Tanks and Witches appear at various unpredictable locations - or not at all. And teamwork really is required to survive. In fact, I intend to buy a good microphone exactly for this game.

[Suffix]

I enjoyed the demo, but this is exactly the kind of game that would give me nightmares. Also, playing it on expert was really irritating, especially with incompetent teammates.

Some things I liked about it:

• Visually, above even HL2E2
• No more floating camera; you've got legs
• Simple, easy to use inventory
• Horde swarms were exciting but not impossible to escape from

[WarpRattler]

I've only had a chance to play through the first half of the single-player portion, but I could tell just from that how awesome this game is. However, I probably won't be purchasing it for two reasons. One, Internet connection...blah blah blah, no multiplayer. Two, my computer barely meets the basic requirements, which are higher than any of the other Source games I've played (as in, the minimum requirements are equal to the recommended requirements for TF2, and I had to set the former to the absolute minimum for it to run well, including resolution).

[Glorb]

Personally, I think the game would benefit from a few more horror-esque bits, as I never came across or have heard of any scenarios where you would barricade a fort or anything of the sort, although I think that might bog down the game's flow.

Basically, I'm counting the days until a multiplayer fort-barricade game comes out.

[TEM]

The glimpse of gameplay given by the demo has made me really excited about Left 4 Dead. I had already decided to buy it before the demo released but it was still great. The only downside to the game is that so few of my Steam mates are getting it.

[ShadowBrain]

I don't have a PS3/360, but even if I did... I dunno. The multiplayer aspect sounds promising, but if you've played one game with twenty-somethings fighting off deformed dead people, you've played them all.

[TEM]

Also, for people playing the game on PC: type openserverbrowser into the developer console to look at servers like the other multiplayer Valve games.

ShadowBrain: There's a third option.

[ShadowBrain]

Oh, yeah, forgot about that... well, I'm a console man, anyway.

[Lizard Dude]

Oh, yeah, forgot about that... well, I'm a console man, anyway.

I don't have a PS3/360

Uhhhhhhhhhhh

if you've played one game with twenty-somethings fighting off deformed dead people, you've played them all.

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[ShadowBrain]

Not every console.

[Suffix]

I initially had my doubts, but Left 4 Dead is unlike any other undead-shooting-game I've ever played before. Even the normal zombies seem different, with their constant scrambling around like drunken track runners.

[bobman37]

I wasn't impressed by the demo, but I suppose it was entertaining. I liked how weak and stupid the zombies were... during a wave, I could take out my shotgun and pump it until the zombies stopped coming. I also liked how you could go at whatever pace you wanted. I could run around and blow zombies' heads off with the shotgun, or I could sneak around quietly and pick them off from a distance with my (unlimited ammo!!) pistol.

But I still probably won't get it. Not immediately, anyway.

[Glorb]

The multiplayer aspect sounds promising, but if you've played one game with twenty-somethings fighting off deformed dead people, you've played them all.

Dude, the multiplayer is the game, and from what I've played of it, it's nothing like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Dead Rising, or Half-Life.

If I have one thing to be disappointed about, it's that I likely won't have many (any?) people to play it with on day one. I gotta get more of my friends turned onto Steam.

[MaxVance]

Uhhhhhhhhhhh
Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Looks like Lizard Dude is one of the zombies.

[Glorb]

Nah, if that were tha case, it'd be:

RRRRAAAAAAAAIIIIAIGHJAasdfgzsa