This doesn't have much of a narrative... it picks up two weeks after first infection(by something like rabies, in Pennsylvania), so it'll be a fortnight before Cillian Murphy wakes up in an abandoned hospital or Sandra Bullock is done with rehab, and no less than 26 weeks before the pertinent question on people's minds regarding the Rage virus goes from being "what does it do to your humanity to be among the only survivors" to "wait, did those people possess some telepathic ability?" and chronicles the battles of the four(yes, hence the number in the name) immune survivors, going through the 6 campaigns(except in Survival, where it's about holding out for as long as you can in a small, enclosed area against increasing waves of foes), the ones(all but two) with 5 chapters(15 minutes or so per; 21 total) taking 75 minutes, going from one safe house(each with text on the walls, giving glimpses into others who have tried to make it) to another, culminating in reaching rescue(with every nifty concept of such explored, and in general, this does everything you'd want the definite entry in the subgenre to). Zoey the college student, Bill the grouchy Vietnam vet, Francis the smart-ass biker and Louis, who works with computers(details vary on the source). These are your playable characters(controlled by the adept AI when off-line, or if a player leaves... trust me, you won't want less than you can have by your side in this), and they have personalities without being obnoxious, occasionally automatically reacting to situations(such as calling out when reloading, or having found ammo... you can carry the right amount of that, leaving you neither hopeless nor arrogant) and enabling you to communicate(and you'll need to, to coordinate your efforts) easily through the simple pre-recorded audio commands/orders, their voices(acting is good) distinct(that, and their appearances, are the only differences between them) enough that you can tell who's calling for help, etc. This completely evokes the feeling of being in a zombie flick. The atmosphere is tense, with creepy score(which follows what has happened to you, and is thus unique to every person, down to that specific try... you read that right), post-apocalyptic gloom(you move through an urban area, towards an airport, traversing woods, very alone, finding remains of civilization), and truly feeling like the world is overrun with those taken over by the pathogen... there is no "winning", the best you can do is live, and get to somewhere they can't get you. They are fast(yes, not the classical approach), agile(climbing walls, breaking down doors, windows and the like to get you), weak and easy to take out... in a horde, literally dozens(talk about intense) at a time(playing for an hour can easily result in 2000 of them dead!), they can overwhelm you if you aren't careful! And those are the regular ones(look varying depending on where you are... police ones, patients in a hospital, the list goes on). There are 5 boss versions, as well. The witch, who is deadlier(and thus, the only one you can't play as(with a lighted view, vertical scaling of many pipes and more making navigation a breeze) in VS, where, yes, one of the two teams(8 people total) play as these!) than she looks... leave her sitting, crying, do not disturb her(for example with the flashlight that is attached to every weapon(dual pistols, SMG, shotgun(pump-action or semi-automatic), sniper), and that you'll want to have on at all other times... well, keeping in mind that they're all attracted to it! Did I mention that some start out standing idly in a room, or even lying, like the countless bodies you come across? It's not until they slowly "reawake" that you realize they're there, sometimes!), lest you may be knocked down(requiring one of the other three to assist you up; this goes for all situations like that). The Tank is a hulking brute, strength and size of multiple men and temper to match... it'll knock you(or any vehicle in its way) back, or rip a chunk out of the very street and toss(potentially breaking some of the physical environment when it hits!). Smoker uses his long, lizard-like tongue to pull you to it. Hunter pounces you, tearing at you when you're down. And Boomer vomits/explodes into(when killed) bile, that attracts countless more to attack you... and blinds any that it hits, as much as three at a time, forcing anyone not covered to protect them all! The only way to do well at this is co-operative play, and it has perfected that style(sacrificing some of the currently expected FPS realism for said focus... you can see outlines of your buddies if you aren't in the same room, colored based on whether they're in trouble and what their general status is). If you don't stick together, heal each other(since all of you can carry one medkit, that takes time(cover me!), and one glass of pain pills, that are temporary) and aid the others, you won't get very far. Every so often you'll even have to defend an area while a generator powers up, an elevator reaches your floor or similar, with many angles to defend. All 4(also the amount of difficulty settings, providing a challenge for a wide spectrum) players always have something to do, some way to contribute. It doesn't take long to play through, but the replayability is very high, with the computer "Director" providing a dynamic experience, carefully pacing the open levels(only a set start and finish, several routes through), choosing where and how much to spawn of enemies as well as items. No two attempts will go the same way, creating unpredictability that has you constantly on edge(without pushing it into frustration), and looking out for your allies. Graphics are great, with incredible weather FX of rain and mist. Highly addictive, satisfying. There is constant, bloody, gory, disturbing and violent content, as well as a lot of mild to moderate language, in this. I warmly recommend this to any fan of the concept. 9/10
Review of Left 4 Dead
