• Video Game Review: Left 4 Dead

  

  Written by Zeromage 29 Comments
  Last Updated:: November 18, 2008

  Valve releases Left 4 Dead with as much fanfare as any game before it. For the past couple of weeks all we keep hearing from our readers is “Review Left 4 Dead, review Left 4 Dead”. Well, we have played it, and we’re reviewing it now. Unfortunately for this game though, there wasn’t much to review as it replicated most of the modern day first person shooter video games that we’ve played so many times before. You’ve got guns, you’ve got zombies, and you’ve got dark rooms. Snore Fest even after playing through the first scenario.

  Left 4 Dead plays almost identical to Resident Evil. Not only does it play like the earlier game, but it looks almost identical to it also. There is no improvement in the graphics either, which is a disappointment for a game that obviously gets its inspiration from the Playstation games of the genre. Left 4 Dead though does have quite a few more explosions and quite a few more zombies to kill. But you better have great vision because much of this game leaves you in the dark with only a spotlight trying to kill zombies who act just like zombies from past games.

  If there is something to be said about Left 4 Dead, it is the extremely smooth controlling in the game. The switching of guns and character movements are pleasing when trying to kill a room full of zombies in optimal time. The movements are quick and react perfectly with the controller. The same can’t be said for other games in this genre, like most of the Resident Evil games. If there’s one plus to this game it is that it’s too much like the Resident Evil games, except for the better controlling

  Your character in Left 4 Dead dies much of the same way that protagonists die in previous games in the genre. Zombies come out of nowhere, jump on you, and blood comes gushing out, which can be scary if this is the first “zombie shooter” you have ever played in your life. If you’re reading this article though, we’re pretty sure that you’ve played them all. The zombies die the same, you die the same, your partners die the same. Everything is just (*sigh) the same.

  This is not to say that someone who immensely enjoys killing zombies with a numerous amount of guns will be disappointed with this game. The continuity between the different areas is seamless, and will give the gamer a sense of satisfaction knowing that they’ve passed an area even though it doesn’t say so on the screen. You’ve got your partners healing you, you’ve got your big guns making machine gun noises, and you got zombies that are either meager and easy to beat, or ones that are so difficult that you’ll end up using all the ammo of your assault rifle to destroy (women zombies to be exact!)

  The most disappointing part of the game is the graphics, and not just the lack of use of the 360’s full graphical capabilities, but the lack of creativity that went into the scene making. The graffiti looks plain, the characters look average, the zombies look like obvious hunched-backed humans. Nothing stands out visually in the game, which is a must for a game that tries to capitalize on an already successful genre of video games. The few creative moments are not visual, and come down to throwing a molotov cocktail to block off zombies from attacking you from a specific area. If you can’t get enough of this type of game play, then you will enjoy Left 4 Dead. If you’re looking for something new in the first person shooter genre, then this game is nowhere close to the ingenuity you’re looking for.

  Our Rating:

  Click here for an explanation of our rating system.

29 Comments

1. #1 Bubs says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 8:28 pm

   Thank you for the review. I am thoroughly enjoying the game, but it’s definitely not the 9+ that many reviewers have been giving it. I am glad that you called the game out on the lack of content, the “same old same old” style of gameplay, and the poor graphics.

   Bravo.
2. #2 Themountains says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 11:56 pm

   I’m going to try it out before concurring with the review. Does look pretty standard 1st person shooter to me though.
3. #3 resident evil fan says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 12:05 am

   “too much like resident evil” is this guy serious? how can he compare two drastically different games that only have in common are zombies. a third person puzzle horror and a choatic first person shooter. this retard has lost all his credibility imo. docking off points because of graphics and not gameplay is just shallow. zeromage you should stop reviewing games and go play DD in your moms basement.
4. #4 jimjones says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 12:06 am

   bad review this game is off the hook.
5. #5 bonzer says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 12:11 am

   Did you play the game in multiplayer mode?

   Doesn’t look like it judging by the review.
6. #6 robbie says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 2:16 am

   Going to have to agree with some of the comments. I’ve been playing this more than I really should, and it’s blowing my mind. Comparisons to the Resident Evil franchise? Uh, no.
7. #7 mikes says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 4:40 am

   I am guessing this reviewer has not tried co-op with friends.
8. #8 Jesus says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 4:57 am

   Ok, so I think I understand the rating system.
   Minus 4 if it’s not on Nintendo, plus 1 if it’s too good and is just killing you that it’s not on Nintendo
9. #9 ednorton says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 10:45 am

   terrible review is terrible.
10. #10 Doug says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 12:02 pm

    Personally I tried the L4D demo and it didn’t get me all excited either.
11. #11 Wild Bill says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 12:03 pm

    The game is good, but it doesn’t deserve 9+ scores. It is a short game that is boring unless you’re playing co-op, and I do believe that plenty of games (like Warhawk, Frontlines, and SOCOM) have been hammered for only being fun if you’re playing it online.
12. #12 Joe says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 12:04 pm

    A review of an Xbox360 by a Nintendo fanboy. Who cares?
13. #13 Roger says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 12:06 pm

    FINALLY! A decent review highlighting the many flaws in this mediocre game!
14. #14 Hugh says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 12:08 pm

    OMG!!! old wizard.com gave it a 5/10,…wait who are they again? Let’s look at what everyone else said
    :
    9/10 ign
    9.5/10 oxm
    9.1/10 teamxbox
    4.5/5 gamepro
    9/10 1up
    9/10 games radar
    etc. amassing a 88% average.Ya it’s really crap
15. #15 Andrew says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 3:03 pm

    Try playing on the PC graphics are so much better. Also try playing on expert since thats where the real game/challenge comes in.
16. #16 joe says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 5:31 pm

    This is insane. L4D is the best shooter i have played all year, the AI is amazing, the game is so intense, and everything is UNSCRIPTED. I played “No Mercy” for a full two hours yesterday and cannot wait to play more, b/c every time the whole level changes, you cannot prepare for something that happened last time like GOW2. Graphics could be better but i would rather have 70 zombies on screen that look good than 30 that look great, just so intense…
17. #17 Sam says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 8:03 pm

    “…plays almost identical to Resident Evil”. What’d you do, compare the box art?

    I’m not going to champion this game and say that it’s a 10 (it’s not, more like an 8.5) but just because there are zombies and guns does not make them the ‘almost identical’.

    Stick to the entertaining “Top” lists and while you’re at it get off of Nintendo’s jock. The SNES had great games but there are other consoles that had some pretty spectacular games.
18. #18 Repox says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 12:39 am

    Can you please play this game with 3 other people then go and review this?
    Please?
    You realize this is why everyone thinks it is good, also, if you did play with other people, play with people you know.
19. #19 Hervé says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 10:41 am

    I don’t agree for the “poor graphics”. “the characters look average, the zombies look like obvious hunched-backed humans”: Characters animation is the best I have seen so far, and not only for the zombies who don’t look generic at all, but also for the survivors. You can even see how they feel just by looking at their face. At one time, Louis was close to death and I looked at his face, it was obvious that he was terribly tense Also once Zoey was very bad, she was liming very convincely. And that’s the same for their A.I., its very convincing.
    “lack of creativity that went into the scene making” : what ?? Did you REALLY play this game ? What’s your meaning for creativity ?
20. #20 guy says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 10:10 pm

    Great review!
21. #21 Colm says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 10:49 pm

    Good review. I noticed the MSM reviewers mentioned the repetitive play, rehashed ideas and overall lack of product only in passing. Sure it’s a fun game, but it’s not a game in the sense that Gears of War 2, Resistance 2, or Bioshock is game. It’ll have about two months of huge popularity before the FPS masses realise it’s a one trick pony.

    We should remember that this game came from one of the premier FPS makers in the business. Unfortunately these guys have taken to creating brief mini-games in search of the dollar. Releases like this are what will drive me away from HL Episode 3.
22. #22 Indigo says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 11:48 am

    Fine. You don’t like FPS’s (because you suck at them), don’t review FPS’s, don’t choose the second best of the year and then act all “oh, is that it” when it gives you exactly what it advertises. How about you review games you claim to love – 2d Platformers. So now is the point where you review LittleBigPlanet and say it is the greatest game of all time and that it eclipses Super Mario 3, because it allows the creation of Super Mario 3 and so much more, unlocking the deepest channel of creativity in gaming culture and proving that the Ps3 is truly the best, or actually turn in all credibility as gamers, and as human beings.
23. #23 ubldakj says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 2:22 pm

    Ya it totally “plays exactly like Resident Evil.” Know what else play like eachother? Mortal Kombat Mythologies and Ninja Gaiden Black, since they both have a Ninja as the main character. Moron.
24. #24 Jared Miller says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 4:14 am

    Zeromage may know an abundance about good music, but clearly knows nothing about Left 4 Dead.
25. #25 One Eyed Willie says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 4:45 pm

    Hugh:

    Where did OW give the game a 5/10? Haha. What a moron.
26. #26 Megagamer200 says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 2:28 am

    Ahahaha. Reading the comments, they all say that you never tried the multiplayer.

    A good game shouldn’t really need multiplayer.
27. #27 Journeythroughhell says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 7:34 am

    “Left 4 Dead plays almost identical to Resident Evil. Not only does it play like the earlier game, but it looks almost identical to it also.” Are you serious? You never mentioned the athmosphere, the fun of playing with friends, the infected gameplay. Have you even seen someone play the game?
28. #28 Journeythroughhell says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 1:32 pm

    Oh come on, guys, this review is so bad. And I don’t mean “biased”-bad. This is clearly an uneducated opinion. See for yourself.
    “You’ve got guns…” In a FPS? Damn, those uncreative bastards.
    “Left 4 Dead plays almost identical to Resident Evil” Are you shitting me? Now this is wrong. You can tell me that it is all opinions, but Resident Evil is as far from Left 4 Dead as Call Of Duty is from Il-2 Sturmovik.
    “There is no improvement in the graphics either which is a disappointment for a game that obviously gets its inspiration from the Playstation games of the genre.” Which Resident Evil game are you comparing it to? You know, it is amusing that you can’t recognize the traditional fucking Source engine. And didn’t you say that graphics shouldn’t matter?!
    “If there’s one plus to this game it is that it’s too much like the Resident Evil games, except for the better controlling” Stop comparing it to fucking Resident Evil, Left 4 Dead is Resident Evil not.
    “Your character in Left 4 Dead dies much of the same way that protagonists die in previous games in the genre. Zombies come out of nowhere, jump on you, and blood comes gushing out, which can be scary if this is the first “zombie shooter” you have ever played in your life.” That’s not a point, that’s just whining. And which exact zombies come out of nowhere. They don’t spawn behind you like in Doom 3.
    The zombies die the same, you die the same, your partners die the same” Now that is wrong. You can be dragged, pounced on, vomited on, slapped to death by witch, hit with a car. If you review Left 4 Dead, you HAVE TO mention the special infected because otherwise it doesn’t work.
    “The continuity between the different areas is seamless, and will give the gamer a sense of satisfaction knowing that they’ve passed an area even though it doesn’t say so on the screen.” The hell?
    “…ones that are so difficult that you’ll end up using all the ammo of your assault rifle to destroy (women zombies to be exact!) “ Don’t you mean the witch, a special fucking infected that you have to AVOID.
    “The most disappointing part of the game is the graphics, and not just the lack of use of the 360’s full graphical capabilities, but the lack of creativity that went into the scene making.” Again, you were the ones saying that graphics don’t matter. Who plays a game for the fucking graphics? The Source engine is just fine and it succeeds in representing the zombie apocalypse.
    “Nothing stands out visually in the game, which is a must for a game that tries to capitalize on an already successful genre of video games.” It’s not the visuals that should stand out.
    I have no idea how the writer could miss out on the somewhat-tactical aspect of the game, the infected gameplay or the spectacular campaign ending battles. You could not like L4D and that I respect but this a bad, uninformed and outright stupid review.
    P.S. I’m waiting for a response from Alberto or Delta since they can clearly offer an interesting discussion.