Left 4 Dead

 PC
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 4339 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,834 out of 4339
  2. Mixed: 339 out of 4339
  3. Negative: 166 out of 4339
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  1. JohnMunzo
    May 1, 2009
    4
    "Fun, but monotonous," would be my headline for this game. For something that was so hyped up, the gameplay sure feels rather lacking, and the latest update is, to put it bluntly, a great disappointment.

    It's rather difficult to express my sentiment on this game, as so much of my disdain for Left4Dead revolves around my admiration and praise for other titles in the "Co-op" genre.    "Fun, but monotonous," would be my headline for this game. For something that was so hyped up, the gameplay sure feels rather lacking, and the latest update is, to put it bluntly, a great disappointment.

    It's rather difficult to express my sentiment on this game, as so much of my disdain for Left4Dead revolves around my admiration and praise for other titles in the "Co-op" genre. To begin, things I thoroughly enjoyed about this title was the innovation of the infected, the overall graphical quality of the game, and the ability to play as the infected in multiplayer combat.

    In this particular title, the zombies are anything but the slow, doddering fools we've all become accustomed to. They sprint, scale walls, tear open windows, anything necessary to tear you apart. They're fast, and reaction time is absolutely required to take down each and every one of them. This is a refreshing break from the "walking targets" zombies usually are in other titles.

    The graphical quality of this game is absolutely phenomenal. The lighting, the atmosphere, the detail put into a brick wall on the side of a building. The attention spent on visuals in this game makes for a truly visceral experience. My only gripe is with the weapon models, in which it appears that the weapons are incorrectly scaled to the player's hands. The guns seem more like toys, and this only becomes increasingly apparent with the larger, more powerful items.

    Finally, the ability to play as the infected. Nothing is more exciting than leaping from rooftop to rooftop as the Hunter, or plowing through a level as the Tank. It's especially satisfying to play as the infected, especially once you've exhausted the Story Mode gameplay.

    This leads me into the numerous qualities of this title that left me feeling rather disappointed. Namely, the short-lived novelty of Story Mode, the terrible representation of Survival Mode, the "Matchmaking" system required for online play, the absolute requirement for you to stick with your team, and the overall lack of "fear" that should be paramount in any survival-horror game.

    First, the Story Mode gametype is extremely exciting for the first-time player. Everything is new and fresh, and the fear aspect really kicks in when you hear a sound just around the corner and you're forced to investigate it in order to push on. However, once you've completed your first level, you've essentially played them all. Monotony is the cornerstone of this title. Each level is essentially the same (save a few scenarios) and once you know what to listen for, the special infected become less of an intense conflict and more of a minor annoyance.

    Second, the "Survival Mode", if you can call it that. Personally, when I hear the word "Survival", I think of just that notion, the ability to survive a scenario and walk away victorious. However, Left4Dead's "Survival Mode" would better be described as "Let's See How Long We Can Last Against Unending Waves of Enemies" mode. The Survival Mode is nothing more than a last-stand scenario, in which you and three teammates hold out against the onslaught of infected for as long as possible. There is absolutely no closure to this mode, only a ticking clock at the top of your screen, measuring how long you survive before you and your team are finished off. This irks me, because I like to feel like I've completed something when I play a game. Survival Mode leaves me wanting more...

    Next, the Matchmaking system, as required for all types of online play. This system requires you to log into Steam Friends and, rather than using a standard server browser, syncs you up with a populated server at random. This system would be fine, were it not a complete failure 50% of the time. More often than not, I find myself connected to servers where my latency would be well above 200ms (were there a latency measurement system in this game). This leaves me with terrible lag, a general inability to effectively communicate with my team, and frequent disconnects that leave me frustrated and unwilling to try to reconnect. The only alternative to a random selection of servers is to play with your friends on your Steam Friends list. This system, however, is also broken. Once you and your friends have joined a lobby, the game proceeds to randomly select a dedicated server for you to play on, which again results in a terrible connection 50% of the time. All of these scenarios require you to be signed into Steam Friends, which simultaneously comprimises your privacy as a player. Suppose you wanted to just have a carefree game of Left4Dead with nobody to bother you. Thanks to the matchmaking system, this is relatively impossible.

    The absolute requirement for you to stick with your team is perhaps the most frustrating aspect of this title. When I think of "Co-op" gameplay, I think of a multitude of people working together in order to achieve a common goal. With the added requirement for you to stick together at all times, this effectively compromises individual exploration (teammates scouting ahead to see what's coming next and reporting back to the team) as well as the ability for your team to work on multiple tasks simultaneously. If you split up, the AI Director immediately recognizes this, and before you know it, an unending horde is unleashed on your team, and everyone is slaughtered. This inhibits players from working on separate tasks, and forces the team to play through the entire scenario as one big bunch, shooting in all directions in order to survive. Simultaneously, the ability for special infected to cripple your player, requiring that someone free you from their grasp, is the final nail in the coffin for individual exploration. God forbid that you branch off from your team to explore a secondary location for items, a Hunter will pin you and that will be the end of your character. The single saving grace of individual play was the ability to melee constantly, forcing the infected off of you, and giving you ample time to react and save yourself. This feature, however, was removed with the latest patch, rendering your individual contributions useless.

    Finally, the overall lack of "fear" is what made me put down this game for good. Because of the linear gameplay, you and your team are required to push ahead, since you are inevitably traveling from Point A to Point B. Due to this singular requirement, it seems less like you are being hunted, and more like you are hunting zombies. If you hear something just around the bend (like a Smoker cackling and wheezing), you can't hunker down and wait for him to find you. Instead, you must push on ahead, wait for him to pop out, and then dispose of him. For me, the fear aspect of Co-op survival games comes from the ability to have creatures pursue you, rather than you pursuing creatures. Running away, and knowing that something is chasing after you, is absolutely terrifying to me. Left4Dead misses out on this entire notion, as each scenario requires you to push ahead, hold your ground until the area is secure, and then continue pushing ahead. Overall, the lack of fear results in a lack of immersion, and Left4Dead just assumes the role of "casual game" rather than "pulse-pounding thrill ride".

    Overall, I was initially pleased with Left4Dead's gameplay, at least for the first few hours of gaming. However, once I became more experienced in the game mechanics, the excitement drop-off was intense, and now I find the game rather dull and uninteresting. For the initial $50 I had spent on this title, I can assure you that it's not worth it. If you purchase during one of Steam's 50% off weekends, however, I'd say it's a pretty decent game at $25 or less. All I can say is, don't believe the hype like I did. It will leave you disappointed.    … Expand
  2. RL
    May 7, 2009
    4
    This game is basically a overpriced HL2 mod with a good "Director" AI system. I woudn't say its bad (its gameplay was really origional back then) but I woudn't say its worth even $20 when i got it during 2008 thanksgiving. Why? well, its mainly because players easily get sick of the same gameplay after a while (its like play HL mod SvenCoOp with the same map over and over This game is basically a overpriced HL2 mod with a good "Director" AI system. I woudn't say its bad (its gameplay was really origional back then) but I woudn't say its worth even $20 when i got it during 2008 thanksgiving. Why? well, its mainly because players easily get sick of the same gameplay after a while (its like play HL mod SvenCoOp with the same map over and over again), valve had made it such that the game has "ALOT" of restrictions, and very very little freedom to explore new tactics. for example, there's hardly any weapon to choose from except the assault, sniper rifle and shotgun. One of the most annoying thing is that there's NO melee weapons! NONE! (except pushing zombies away with ur hands). After 5 months of casual time to time playing, I've convinced myself that Valve isin't going to make any map or content update that would make the game worth my time. The survival mode is just...rediciluously hard and "Bad". OH, and did i mention...NO CUSTOM MAPS, NO MODS, NO MAP DEVELOPING TOOLS, HORRIBLE SERVER BROWSER. In terms of gameplay....The zombie verses has been balanced (you konw, for fairness) such that the Hunter can basically pounce on a player without landing on him/her, the smoker and tank takes a considerable damage before they die, the smoker can pull somebody miles away...the list goes on...basically, what valve tried to balance for verses mode didn't really translate well into the survival mode. eventually the gameplay became "ANNOYING" and boring for me. trust me, if you are looking for a fun zombie game, try some CSS zombie mod or perhaps "ZombiePanic Source" (i havnt tried that yet). Save your money, save you time, its not worth $20 unless valve opens up its custom developing tools for modding. (even if they did, i wouldn't strongly reccomend it).… Expand
  3. AnonymousMC
    Nov 20, 2008
    4
    Over Priced, game play is boring over time, gets old very quick and ive only played it for at least 2 hours, not to mention how buggy it is, and this hidden server browser which barely works is CRAP UTTER crap. I wish i didn't buy it gollydamnit I should refute the charges.
  4. Panchogul
    Jun 28, 2023
    4
    No veo la gran cosa en este juego, es muy simple y se vuelve aburrido y repetitivo muy pronto, para mi fue un martirio terminar una sola campaña ya que al tercer capítulo ya me había hartado.
  5. matts
    May 3, 2009
    3
    The game was good when it came out, then they hade to F up the game buy changing alot of the crap that they think it was necessary after it came out. what happened to the people that test the game out for bugs or people testing out the games? I play alot of games out there and I here people getting pay for testing games out. After a game comes out they change alot of the crap. wish i can The game was good when it came out, then they hade to F up the game buy changing alot of the crap that they think it was necessary after it came out. what happened to the people that test the game out for bugs or people testing out the games? I play alot of games out there and I here people getting pay for testing games out. After a game comes out they change alot of the crap. wish i can test games out and tell them what they need to fix and what they need to upgrade.… Expand
  6. GebS
    Jan 1, 2009
    3
    This game was fun for about 30 hours, but now all the low ping servers are always full, and everyone is too good at versus except me, since I still like to play more casually instead of pro. I rated low to try balance out the vast amount of 10s. I do not think this game deserves a 10, probably a 8.0

    I was very disappointed that it did not ship with an SDK, I was hoping it would. When    This game was fun for about 30 hours, but now all the low ping servers are always full, and everyone is too good at versus except me, since I still like to play more casually instead of pro. I rated low to try balance out the vast amount of 10s. I do not think this game deserves a 10, probably a 8.0

    I was very disappointed that it did not ship with an SDK, I was hoping it would. When the SDK and DLc come out, I'll start playing again, but until that time it's back to CSS    … Expand
  7. AnonymousMC
    Jan 7, 2009
    3
    This game is worth to playing but I think free demo will be enough. Old Source engine, mostly tiny maps and rutiin gameplay with free CS:S mod gameplay in mind totally ruin all Valve's attempt to make this mod anyhow better. You are damn lucky person if you don't get totally bored of this game after 20 hours of total game time.
  8. NB
    Sep 27, 2009
    3
    When this first came out i thought it was the best thing ever, however there's not enough in it to keep you going and you are painfully forced to follow the same set route replaying the exact same experience. Horde left, tank in 20 seconds through that door. witch either here or there. yawn. Easy is just way too easy so you play expert but everyone just hides in a closet on expert, i When this first came out i thought it was the best thing ever, however there's not enough in it to keep you going and you are painfully forced to follow the same set route replaying the exact same experience. Horde left, tank in 20 seconds through that door. witch either here or there. yawn. Easy is just way too easy so you play expert but everyone just hides in a closet on expert, i don't want to play a closet simulator. Verses is the best feature but everyone just wants to be zombies so as soon as its your turn to be zombies all the survivors leave the game. I think the absolute worst bit is the fact that you can't even aim/zoom your gun. Ever since Killing Floor came out with its forever changing game play and real world weapon physics all i can do is pity L4D for being beaten by a MOD… Expand
  9. EddyH
    Nov 2, 2009
    3
    Good Graphic but not much more I thought as i was playing the demo it's a good game but it wasn't it was only a waste of money -.- I mean the zombies are hiting me they doesn't bite like classic zombies, c'mon that sucks.The only thing i like on this game is the versus mode.
  10. MLoy
    Feb 17, 2009
    3
    After four days I am already bored with this game. It has great graphics, high action and great potential. But all that potential is lost in a botched execution. It's the same thing over and over again, all the levels play the same even if they do happen in different settings. And the zombie rushes come at predictable intervals and again they are the same every time.
    There is no    After four days I am already bored with this game. It has great graphics, high action and great potential. But all that potential is lost in a botched execution. It's the same thing over and over again, all the levels play the same even if they do happen in different settings. And the zombie rushes come at predictable intervals and again they are the same every time.
    There is no suspense in the game, no way to develop any kind of strategy aside from killing everything that moves. This is like being in a Rob Zombie mosh pit.    … Expand
  11. GeoffH.
    Nov 28, 2008
    3
    I have been a fan of many of the Valve games up to now, especially Hl2 and Portal. In comparison, I find this game very disappointing. The plot is non-existent. The number of weapon types is limited, as well as, by definition, the types of baddies. All the "campaigns" seem the same and I was pretty bored after an hour. There's no character development of the four protagonists and noI have been a fan of many of the Valve games up to now, especially Hl2 and Portal. In comparison, I find this game very disappointing. The plot is non-existent. The number of weapon types is limited, as well as, by definition, the types of baddies. All the "campaigns" seem the same and I was pretty bored after an hour. There's no character development of the four protagonists and no story. Just shoot all the Zombies in sight. Valve, I expected better from you and wish no I had saved my fifty dollars for Fallout 3 or GTA-IV.… Expand
  12. HelpU
    Jul 19, 2009
    2
    The fact that you play as a team holds you back. It takes only one bad player on the team to make a crappy score in survival. The other mode makes you wait for the action when survival throws you in it so I pick survival. In this game the only reliable player is you. When you think someone has a good score sometimes its because they glitched so you can rely on that either. This game The fact that you play as a team holds you back. It takes only one bad player on the team to make a crappy score in survival. The other mode makes you wait for the action when survival throws you in it so I pick survival. In this game the only reliable player is you. When you think someone has a good score sometimes its because they glitched so you can rely on that either. This game isn't for people who want to become good at it.… Expand
  13. ConnorBeard
    Jan 2, 2009
    2
    Iam Giving this game a 2. I think this game is overrated and for the frist time Valve have done a Bad job.i went on the demo with some friends, COMPLETED it on my first Attempt on Expert on our first go, both missions.I Honestly thought it was too easy.its just shooting zombie after zombie after zombie.but despite this i thought oh well there is sure to be more levels/wepons/monsters. IIam Giving this game a 2. I think this game is overrated and for the frist time Valve have done a Bad job.i went on the demo with some friends, COMPLETED it on my first Attempt on Expert on our first go, both missions.I Honestly thought it was too easy.its just shooting zombie after zombie after zombie.but despite this i thought oh well there is sure to be more levels/wepons/monsters. I aleady have the Valvepack so i dont have to pay for Valve games. and iam glad Because i wouldnt pay for the game. i went on it same everything apart from somemore missions.i Mean theres no bosses. no extra monsters for the full game. ALSO Theres 4 Wepons!?!?!?!?! i mean 4 wepons? i was expecting;- more shotguns,RPGs maybe? More machine guns maybe baseball bats and crowbars.ao thats the reason i scored a 2/10… Expand
  14. Adrian
    May 2, 2009
    2
    Let's start off by saying that the asking price when I bought this game was $60CAN. Now the real price this game is actually worth content-wise is $5. Only a handful of weapons, 4 playable zombie classes, and even less than a handful of playable campaigns with less than mediocre level design. Then again, I guess anything would be considered gold if it had zombies in it.
  15. MarkH.
    Feb 12, 2009
    2
    WOW! This game sucks! I was bored with it after the first day. I spent at least a month on BioShock. That makes it thirty times better! The levels were fun but there are so few of them. I am left asking, "was that it?" Where are the new levels I can try? Co-op mode sucked too. Most everyone I tried to play with sucked and the game has bugs too. When the zombies die they remain standing WOW! This game sucks! I was bored with it after the first day. I spent at least a month on BioShock. That makes it thirty times better! The levels were fun but there are so few of them. I am left asking, "was that it?" Where are the new levels I can try? Co-op mode sucked too. Most everyone I tried to play with sucked and the game has bugs too. When the zombies die they remain standing but just stop attacking. You still have to push them out of the way. They move like cardboard cut-outs too. I expected way more. I want my money back.… Expand
  16. Ginger
    May 1, 2009
    1
    The first run was good, the second better, but after the 5th totally boring, even on advanced level, no massive multiplayer part really dragged down my score for this game, had it 1 day and am board of it already, glad i got the friday free try for 24 hours, not worth buying in the lest, thank god i did not spend the 45+ tax for it.
  17. BrianM
    Dec 7, 2008
    1
    I wish that I could have played the demo before buying the game. However, that is not how Valve set it up. Otherwise, I would not have made a purchase.

    Playing online with other people depends on the luck of the draw. You may be in a good group, or maybe not. I wish that I could play with people who have had actual training. Playing with the bots means that you are in a    I wish that I could have played the demo before buying the game. However, that is not how Valve set it up. Otherwise, I would not have made a purchase.

    Playing online with other people depends on the luck of the draw. You may be in a good group, or maybe not. I wish that I could play with people who have had actual training. Playing with the bots means that you are in a cooperative, but mediocre, group. The bots seem to have an attraction for being in front of my gun's muzzle.

    I wish that Valve would get guns right. Firing pistols two-handed is actually the worst thing you can do. In the game, it's second to an M-16. When you want to throw a molotov or pipe bomb, you have to stare at it a bit, like it's some kind of art object. There are no speed loaders for the shotguns, so shells are stuffed in one by one. Firing the pump shotgun is slow, when in practice it's quite fast. The pistols are actually the main weapons in the game, as they can fire nearly as fast as a machine gun and never run out of ammunition.

    The game play is very simple: kill the zombies, again and again and again. The action is very intense, and the "director" AI will keep you on your toes, maybe a bit too much. The bots will jump around, once in a while appearing to ricochet around a room, so not hitting them with "friendly" fire is difficult. A player or bot can be incapacitated by a "special" infected. Multiple times the player bots have left me to "die," so I have to listen to my character's pitiful cries for help until the game resets. I wish that I could direct the player bots to a location, instead of just hoping that they would follow me. The characters occasionally chat amongst themselves, so you learn that Francis hates everything, except dentists.    … Expand
  18. EivindB
    Apr 26, 2009
    1
    One of the most hyped titles! Sure, it's a great game.. for the first hour. After that you've experienced it all and it'll get really repetitive, with the same monsters and the same guns to fight 'em with. The mod, Zombie Mod, is 10 times better and it's free. It might arrive some updates for L4D, but that's not an excuse coming out with a game with almost no One of the most hyped titles! Sure, it's a great game.. for the first hour. After that you've experienced it all and it'll get really repetitive, with the same monsters and the same guns to fight 'em with. The mod, Zombie Mod, is 10 times better and it's free. It might arrive some updates for L4D, but that's not an excuse coming out with a game with almost no content and expexting 50 euros for it.… Expand
  19. CharlesB
    May 22, 2009
    1
    While excited about the thought of a good zombie shooter, I found myself really not liking this game. I enjoyed the single player aspect of the game very much. The problems began when I started to play the multi-player version. It seemed that people were kicking others out for no reason. One guy got booted and did nothing wrong. I couldn't save him because we entered the safe area While excited about the thought of a good zombie shooter, I found myself really not liking this game. I enjoyed the single player aspect of the game very much. The problems began when I started to play the multi-player version. It seemed that people were kicking others out for no reason. One guy got booted and did nothing wrong. I couldn't save him because we entered the safe area when the vote was called. Had another person kill other players as soon as they got in the game. I would rate this game much higher if I had RL friends to play this game with.… Expand
  20. Left4Deadpplsux
    Jul 7, 2011
    1
    Ten hours played and only a few times was it any enjoyable, the rest was ruined by a bunch of a-holes. Try to go through a few games without encountering someone that'll complain and whine about their team while they run ahead of the pack solo.
  21. Sylak
    Feb 19, 2009
    0
    I installed the game not thinking too much about it and the next thing I know, I have some online console and an hour and a half wait while it downloads content!! WTF? I just want to play. This slow downloading crap is a waste. I won't be doing this online Steam junk anymore.
  22. DavidN
    Jan 6, 2010
    0
    Absolute rubbish. No continuity. Just MODS slapped together and called very loosly 'campaign' with no saved games. Extremely bad pathfinding. You go round in circles trying to find an exit meanwhile they darken it more so you spend 90% indoors searching for an exit. Repetitive. Just a very poorly designed bunch of MODS they fooled people into thinking was a GAME. I have sent an Absolute rubbish. No continuity. Just MODS slapped together and called very loosly 'campaign' with no saved games. Extremely bad pathfinding. You go round in circles trying to find an exit meanwhile they darken it more so you spend 90% indoors searching for an exit. Repetitive. Just a very poorly designed bunch of MODS they fooled people into thinking was a GAME. I have sent an official complaint to Valve that this is not a game but MODS strung together. Guns and player movements are copied and pasted from Counter Strike. NO originality. No story. No campaign just endless, boring, repetitive shooting and killing of the same sprites. Not a game. No skill required or used. Just hold your mouse button down and shoot. No strategy, no talent at all required. RIP OFF. Be very careful of Valve releases in future. They have a MOD look about them and are rushed out to rake in the $$$$ but are really other games MODDED. L4D2 is Counter Strike MODDED that's all.… Expand
  23. KrisztianK
    Dec 1, 2008
    0
    In short it sucks!
    In long ... OK at first when I started playing I actually got that feeling I had so long ago when Half Life 1 came out and I emptied 2 clips on a head crab out of genuine fear. And I felt the same thing in this game for about the first 15min of play. Then it became retarded. If you stand around pop zombies heads off with a rifle 1 by 1 or throw a pipe bomb and    In short it sucks!
    In long ... OK at first when I started playing I actually got that feeling I had so long ago when Half Life 1 came out and I emptied 2 clips on a head crab out of genuine fear. And I felt the same thing in this game for about the first 15min of play. Then it became retarded. If you stand around pop zombies heads off with a rifle 1 by 1 or throw a pipe bomb and have them all run to it like a shiny red ball you will never get rid of them all. Somehow there is always more coming like a respawn wave. Witch at first seems scary because you don't know when the next wave will come but then becomes stupid because you can't hold any ground. In any movie I have ever seen on zombies they can always hold their ground and there are always just a finite number of zombies. There is a LOT of them but not infinite. If they would have made it like the movie I am Legend where you tag 1 or 2 here and there then there is a huge random group it would have been great. Or say you start out in a city 4 of you and 178,567 of them and there is a city population counter going at all times I could have lived with that. But the way its setup now is just cheap. No rime or reason just zombie waves coming at you every 5min like clock work. Some triggers them like a car alarm or throwing a pipe bomb but mostly it's just retarded. Say it wasn't so linear and I could collect items and throw them like we used to in the first counterstrike games then when you have a good number of ammo and bombs you go up on a roof top in a building that you have CLEARED maybe 1 or 2 still hang around that you missed but its god damn cleared and set off that car alarm from the roof by firing at the car and see 5,000 zombies collect around it all confused on why there are no brains to eat then you start chucking bombs and empting shells on them and watch that population counter drop like a rock. And be able to get in that car like Carmagedon and roll over zombies till your car is trashed from all the zombies punching it or you get in a group that's way too big and they tare the car apart with you in it like say towards the end of Resident Evil Extinction or on the docks in I am Legend.
    I don't know maybe im asking too much of my zombie games :(    … Expand
  24. AFarren
    Feb 2, 2009
    0
    UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE. Campaign lacks challenge. Versus - are you on a team of rage quitters, lacking cohesion or playing against the opposing team that brings no challenge to your consistent team? Probably both at least a few times. Not to mention how glitch, exploit and lag ridden the game is. Avoid like the plague, another tired Source Engine game.
  25. JohnS.
    Nov 21, 2008
    0
    Oh dear what has Valve done here? Even though this review is based on the demo it is pretty obvious to see that what you see is what you get, except of course the full version of the game will have more levels(but thats nothing special). As a huge fan of the Half-Life saga and an obessive online player of TF2, Valve have always impressed me with a great range of well developed games. Then Oh dear what has Valve done here? Even though this review is based on the demo it is pretty obvious to see that what you see is what you get, except of course the full version of the game will have more levels(but thats nothing special). As a huge fan of the Half-Life saga and an obessive online player of TF2, Valve have always impressed me with a great range of well developed games. Then along came L4D and what a dissapointment this turned out to be, this is far from Valve's epic work and have produced something that has been done before by other devs(in terms of zombie survival horror). This zombie shooter is not original in any way, boring beyond belief killing zombie, after zombie after zombie, very repetative, no story to keep you gripped it is just an average "arcade" shooter. There are a lot more better zombie shooters out there, with more original ideas, a plot and better action. I respect Valve for what they have attempted here but dispite being a fan of their work I am going to have to turn away from this horrible game. I will just sit tightly now and wait for HL2:Episode 3 at least that will be something good to look forward to :) P.S. This game is overated I've decided and Valve could have done a better job.… Expand
  26. MattS
    Dec 3, 2008
    0
    First,
    I think this game is about 7/10. I rated it 0 because of all the extremely unrealistic 10/10s.
    The Good I won't say much about the good, since everyone else has for me. I absolutely love zombie games and this game has a lot of potential. I love how team play is emphasized. If your team has stragglers, a boss zombie will no doubt take advantage. There are several instances    First,
    I think this game is about 7/10. I rated it 0 because of all the extremely unrealistic 10/10s.

    The Good
    I won't say much about the good, since everyone else has for me. I absolutely love zombie games and this game has a lot of potential. I love how team play is emphasized. If your team has stragglers, a boss zombie will no doubt take advantage. There are several instances where conservation of health pickups and grenades can save a team in the most unsurvivable situations. Graphics were good, and I was impressed with the level of detail in the maps.

    The Bad
    This game was highly touted for its AI, but I was not impressed. Even with all the random spawning, maps are still incredibly predictable. This makes the replayability low for some people. Especially since there is only 4 maps. What's worse is that each map plays almost identically as follows:

    Start with crappy weapon, horde, boss, rest, horde, boss, rest, flip a switch, horde, boss, rest, second pistol, horde, boss, next level, horde, boss, rest, horde, boss, rest, better guns, horde, boss, rest, flip a switch, etc...

    While the end of each map is a fun 10 minute king of the hill game, it's exactly the same with each map. I really wish they had thought out the objectives. It's sad that you can get better objectives from some Joe Nobody making a map on zpanic than with this $50 glorified, "end all" zombie game.
    While the versus mode is cool, the wait time for the zombie players in game is very annoying. And the lack of choice of what boss you are is additionally frustrating. It'd be nice if you could play as a regular zombie as you wait for boss spawn. Also, a custom spawn limit for boss zombies might be nice to give survivers a better or worse chance.

    I am really hoping that as updates and mods come out, we will see different objectives, more than basic weapons, and more playable zombies (and zombie choice).

    All in all,
    Buyer beware, this game is NOT worth $50, but with good updates may be in the future.    … Expand
  27. SteeleX
    Nov 25, 2008
    0
    First of all, I would have given this game a 6-7 out of 10, but to balance out all the other guys who gave 10, I had to put a 0. When I first saw this game I thought it might be interesting, as we've all played the zombie mods in CS and CS:S. Now finally a full mutiplayer game is released for shooting zombies. But the game worked differently than what I thought it would be. Before I First of all, I would have given this game a 6-7 out of 10, but to balance out all the other guys who gave 10, I had to put a 0. When I first saw this game I thought it might be interesting, as we've all played the zombie mods in CS and CS:S. Now finally a full mutiplayer game is released for shooting zombies. But the game worked differently than what I thought it would be. Before I even finished loading my map my teammates already ran away from the starting point, leaving only myself at the starting point. Even when I join them nobody seem to be cooperating at all. Nobody types, nobody uses the microphone, and everybody just press the voice message, "laugh". Unlike all of the other zombie shooting games, where the humans are suppose to be the weak ones, trying to hide from the zombies, in here, everybody tries to find and kill zombies wherever they can. It makes me wonder sometimes, are the zombies hunting us or are we hunting the zombies? The missions are extremely linear, by the first time I finished the first mission I already got bored. Because the second time I play it it's the exact same thing over again. We all know which monster is going to pop out from where and where are the medic packs are located. But of course the game is not at all a failure, it has many interesting features, like having temporary health which will decrease over time, being pinned down, the ability to heal other people, and the automatic voice commands. Though, after the first time through, even the zombie level in CoD:WaW feels a lot more fun and exciting, despite the fact that we all know we'll die in the end.… Expand
  28. DK
    Nov 27, 2008
    0
    This game is deserving of a 6 but like others, I have decided to give it a 0 to balance out the people giving it a 10.

    The game is fun for about a week before it starts to get mindlessly repetitive. Valve games are usually an excellent value, however, the amount of content in L4D makes it more of a mod than a full priced game. There is no storyline, only 6 weapons, and only a few    This game is deserving of a 6 but like others, I have decided to give it a 0 to balance out the people giving it a 10.

    The game is fun for about a week before it starts to get mindlessly repetitive.

    Valve games are usually an excellent value, however, the amount of content in L4D makes it more of a mod than a full priced game.

    There is no storyline, only 6 weapons, and only a few different types of infected. Versus mode is an unbalanced gimmick. Also, there is no official support for a server browser for PC users. As a result, PC users must use a consolified matchmaking system that is barely functional.

    A very disappointing game from a company that usually delivers great games.    … Expand
  29. chinesephoneme
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    I purchase 1 and 2 together, and I run 1 first. However, it can't even display anything on my screen. Then I play left 4 dead 2, and there is very little fun, so I decided to delete both of left 4 dead 1 and 2...Now I regret my purchase...

Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best PC Game of 2008
4
#4 Most Discussed PC Game of 2008
10
#10 Most Shared PC Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 58 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 57 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 58
  3. Negative: 0 out of 58
  1. IGN
    90
    There's absolutely no doubt that Left 4 Dead is one of the most social and exciting multiplayer games that we've ever played. It's almost pitch perfect in how it captures the tension and the action of a Hollywood zombie movie.
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  2. GameSpy
    90
    The inventive and highly entertaining competitive multiplayer mode just adds to the experience, and we're looking forward to seeing what Valve's got planned for the game's future. Out of all the titles that have shaped the Year of Living Cooperatively, this may be the best experience of them all.
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  3. IGN UK
    92
    One of the finest zombie games ever made, and one of the finest co-op games ever made. The potential for everything to go so, so wrong without warning, or conversely to pull off the most spectacular escapes against all odds, means this is an online shooter you can tell your finest anecdotes about without boring everyone else to tears.
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