Left 4 Dead – I would leave it that way

Last night I finally got to play “Left 4 Dead”, a game that I have been waiting almost a year to play. The premise is simple. You and a group of three others are stranded in a city over run with zombies. But not just zombies all manner of other evil incarnations built around the theme. You have to get out of the city, and the only way you are going to be able to do that is by working as a team. You must stick together, help each other, or there is no way out. With emphasis on team work, you are supposed to play the game online with three friends, and make a real team effort. Having waited so long for it, and coming from a developer like Valve, I though this would finally marry my love of First Person Shooters and Zombies in a glorious whole of a game that could not be beaten. Unfortunately I was very wrong.

Technically fine

As you would expect from a developer like Value the game engine and mechanics are very strong. Based on the Half-Life 2 engine the world looks good. Not as good as Gears of War 2, But good enough that it stands up. The real winner is the lighting effects. Shadows are cast with very effective realism from the torch on your gun and from the lights in the game.

The weapons (the few I saw in game) worked well. Hand guns have unlimited ammo which I think is excellent. I wanted the game to be fun, not a case of having to scavenge for bullets, or running out just when you want them. Each level ends when all your group are in the safe room at the end of the level. This gives you a chance to restock your weapons replenish your supplies.

Something else I thought was great is the fact that the other members can heal you at any point. So you can quickly restore your health before the next wave attacks.

But for me this is where I have to stop. So you have a competent engine to run the game (you have had that for a long time now Valve), you have a promising idea, and guts to try and do something new. How could this possibly go wrong.

Zombie lore

The problems start when you meet your first Zombies (spoiler: they are behind the first door you open). They are shambling around as you would expect, easy pickings seeing as you are carrying a shot gun. But the moment this “Zombie” sees you, he runs at you. But he is not just running, he is sprinting like someone has pumped him full of steroids and been given a good zap with a cattle prod. So all you can do is start blasting away. Then his friends hear the noise and they are all just as fast.

If you are going to have Zombies, there are rules you have to follow. Simon Pegg has it right. These things are dead. Being able to move at all should be an astonishing feat. But being able to run like an Olympic athlete? These things should just react to stimulus and hobble there way towards there meal. Even though this makes them individually much less of a challenge (that’s that point) in large groups they are a formidable, single minded opponent.

Army of Darkness

I have no doubt with Bruce Campbell on my side I would win the day, with a health dose of humor and visceral carnage. But not even the mighty Bruce can change the fact that you can barely see anything in this game. I know that is supposed to make it more intense, and add to the fright factor. But when all you can see is a dark room with a single (well rendered but small) light shining from your touch. You start to get a little sick of it. You know the Zombies are there, but you just can’t see to shoot them. Even if they are standing right next to you, you just can’t see them. “But this makes it more intense, you never know what is going to happen”. No this makes it monotonous. I want to pick my targets off from 100 yards away, not let them get right next to me, because my character has such bad night blindness.

Expanding the idea

So you have a city to escape from. Check. You have filled it with Zombies. Check. You have added a load new enemies with no explanation. Check… wait.. what? Lets be honest for a second. Is a game just centred on Zombies going to work?… yes it is, but it would get dull after a while. So it doesn’t hurt to add a little extra spice to the mix to make it more interesting. A back story perhaps on how it started. Other parties in the mix somehow involved. Have the army start bombing the place. There are many things you could do.

But Valve decided Zombies were not enough, it needs more. So they have added a selection of different types of enemy. That, as far as I can see, have not relation to the Zombie theme. You have these massive brutes, and witches (what?), and these things with long tongues that try and eat you by wrapping there tongue around you and pulling you in (you would start carrying a knife at some point you would think). OK, that’s all well and good, but it is not enough for Valve. Lets add one more, something really cool, I know.. these massive fat guys who explode when shot. Attracting more of the Zombies to you and covering you in gunk as you get attacked so you can see even less. That would be hilarious!

It was at this point I decided that Valve have gone so far from the game I wanted its just not worth playing it.

Conclusion

Technically it is a fine game. The engine is good, and I am sure Valve will have an interesting plot in the full game. But if you were expecting a classic style Zombie apocalypse shooter (like I was), this is not it. I might consider it when I see it cheap, and played with friends it might be a whole lot more fun. But for the time being I would say save your money, and lets see if Dead Island is any better.

I still have my fingers crossed for Dead Rising 2.