Left 4 Dead Review. The Apocalypse is Upon Us

Battling through a zombie apocalypse as a survivor or being a flesh-hungry zombie chasing down the tender flesh, Left 4 Dead offers you perspectives from both sides. This game is for those who have yearned for a different type of zombie experience.

Graphics: 4.5

Left 4 Dead combines a rich post-apocalyptic setting, and the characters are modeled almost to perfection. With different environments set against various urban, suburban and rural backdrops, you’ll never get too bored with one scene. Different maps are provided which are well contrasted. Enemies are also dynamic and change their looks, so you don’t end up feeling like you are in a recycled battle. The FPS occasionally dips which might take away from the experience, especially if you are handling a weapon.

Gameplay: 4.5

In this first-person shooter game, you battle through a zombie apocalypse as one of four characters who are survivors. You can play as a single player, or you can choose the all-exciting multiplayer mode. What’s thrilling about Left 4 Dead is the fact that you can also play as a zombie trying to chase down and kill survivors.

The 4 survivors battle through the apocalypse together, trying to find health packs, weapons, ammo and other tools. Teammates can revive each other when injured and are particularly effective when it comes to killing enemies in combat. However, defensive strategies and capabilities of AI teammates are terrible at best, and they aren’t particularly inclined towards perching out on high ground looking for enemies or using explosives.

The game spans five levels, the first four of which end up in safe houses. The fifth one ends in suspense as you wait for your rescue vehicle to arrive and save you from the inundating zombie hordes.  

Controls: 4.5

Handling the different weapons including shotguns, assault rifles, Molotov cocktails, and explosives is all a breeze in Left 4 Dead. Shooting is thrilling, and you can promptly unleash bursts of fire while ducking the enemy. I did find the RT/LT action for melee and shooting and the RB/LB buttons for crouching and spinning quite handy, especially for fast-paced battle scenes. For a first-person shooter, the controls are quite convenient.

Replay Value: 4.0

The game is excellent in multi-player mode, and you’ll enjoy playing this game in co-op. Single player is a little lackluster, and this is the key downer in the game for the replay value. You’ll also get disappointed by the few maps available. The game lets you play as either a zombie or a survivor, which is the ultimate thrill. For multiplayer, versus mode is exhilarating, and teams of players will enjoy the fast-paced action and increasing difficulty for hours on end.

Conclusion

Left 4 Dead is the ultimate zombie franchise for me. Whether you are playing to survive or hunt down survivors, you will thoroughly enjoy the game. Tactical attacks and strategy are part of this game, so you might not think too much about the limited map selection. The graphics are exhilarating, and you are certain to get completely lost in all the action. For a second you might think that you are in an actual zombie apocalypse.