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Left 4 Dead Xbox 360 Game Reviews
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Outstanding co-op gameplay makes this game stand out from the rest, 3 May 2010
Main Game:
I LOVE Left 4 Dead. When my friends still played it I played every time I got the chance. Alas it's better to play with friends than alone, I've been forced to migrate to L4D2 for the mere fact that I haven't played it so it's a new experience. But just like L4D1, after playing it alone for a while it's not nearly as fun as playing with friends. That is where Left 4 Dead shines, co-op with friends. The infected aren't too hard nor are they too easy. The survivors are likable and everyone has their own favorite. Mine is Louis. I have been looking for Left 4 Dead gamers to play with again. Either PC or 360. Yes, I loved this game so much I bought it twice so I could broaden my playing field. However there are a few nagging problems. Like the survivor AI.
They're mainly useful for saving your own rear or carrying medkits. When in Expert my friend and I would keep the AI on the ground when a horde or Tank came. Made it easier for us to take them out. And if we were low on health but not low enough to be healed we'd shoot each other or jump in a fire momentarily so that we would be healed. Another problem is the 2 player offline. I remember a time when we had 4 per screen. Actually, Halo 3 still does 4 player split screen. So why couldn't this game do the same? This was a big problem when I had friends over because L4D is one of my all-time favorite 360 games it FAR outranks any other game I have. Overall it's still a great experience.
DLC: Survival
Of all the DLCs between L4D1 and 2 this is my least favorite. I'm not big on survival, I NEVER touched it unless it was for achievement hunting. I just don't like the "how long can you make it" types of games, especially if it's uber difficult like Survival Mode is. That's all I really have to say for this DLC.
DLC: Crash Course
My favorite DLC between L4D1 and 2. It's not exactly astounding. Just more Left 4 Dead. That's all it needs to be. It's really easy for achievements like Nothing Special and Stomach Upset due to length and it's just fun to run through. Just don't play it too much or you will get tired of it. Mix it up a little. Although it was bugged the last time I played with no update yet to fix it. I hope that's changed since then because you couldn't get achievements online in it, only offline.
Future DLC: Prequel to The Passing (not official name)
-Reserved for DLC review when released-
I can only hope it's really good and not just The Passing remade on L4D1. That would be severely depressing.Source: [amazon.com]
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Amazing, 1 May 2010
One of the best games I have ever played I must admit, it was that good. Great campaigns and survival is just a great time to have fun doing what's so great - killing all the zombies. Although now at the time of this review, Left 4 Dead 2 is out, and the demo for that is as good as this game. I cannot comment on that game as I have not played it to death like I have with this, but I'm sure that killing hordes with frying pans and guitars must be a great game.
Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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Double plus good game, 1 Mar 2010
Left4Dead is a good borderline great game. It is fast paced, edge of your seat exciting, with engaging characters, good visuals, and great music (soundtracks are often overlooked in video games). However, it does get repetitive. There are only a handful of levels and once you've been through them, which happens after 4-7 hours of continuous play, it gets to be same old same old. You can change it up on multiplayer and play the zombie cast which is outstanding but that too gets to be old hat after a while. One odd choice is that you can't actually be a zombie in this game only special zombies who are more like mutants than zombies. Despite what I said earlier though this franchise itself is a nice break from most FPS. This will be a fairly big franchise and is certainly a top 10 to buy.
Source: [amazon.com]
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Awesome buy, 11 Feb 2010
Bought this used on Amazon. Game was great and in great condition as stated. Cant go wrong with good ole zombie killing. For those that are frustrated with more complex games such as Call of Duty, this game is perfect for you to just pick up and start blasting away. Multiplayer is awesome with friends!
Source: [amazon.com]
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Xbox 360, 3 Feb 2010
Man you guys came with the quickness on shipping out the game, and it was a mighty cheap price too. Good lookin' out - Thanks!!! Tight shooter game and the storyline flows smoothly. If anyone is looking for a bad@$$ zombie shooter they should grip this one up.
Source: [amazon.com]
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Left 4 Dead, 23 Jan 2010
One of the best multiplayer zombie games out! It was worth $60 when it first came out, and it is certainly a steal now. It provides many hours of entertainment. The only thing that is lacking is that online play in this game verses the second game. There are not enough 'specials'. The campaigns are excellent, and gameplay is seamless. If you like first person shooters, killing zombies, and playing with friends then this is a great game for you. If you do have the money I would recommend the second game, but the first game is a classic and you certainly shouldn't miss it!
Source: [amazon.com]
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FUN!, 21 Jan 2010
This game is awesome! You'll get sick of it for a while but then you'll want to play it again! There are so many different outcomes when you play this game especially online! There are many different types of playing: survival mode, campaign, versus (my FAVORITE because you can be the characters that attack the humans). The weapons of choice are good. If your'e playing online and want to take a break, there is an option for that also. The computer can take your place while you take a break!! I would say the graphics are good but not as good as other video games out there. Left 4 dead 2 is even better!
Source: [amazon.com]
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I just don't get it, 18 Dec 2009
Left 4 Dead is a fun game but there is no substance to it.
There are only a few different firearms like the hunting rifle, assault rifle, and shotgun. There are only two actual explosives: pipe bombs and cocktails. There are only around six different types of special zombies like the Tank, Witch, Boomer, & Hunter.
There are no REAL mission objectives in the game - it's just surviving and getting to another safehouse. Also, at the the end of each campaign you have to radio in for help and then wait for like ten minutes to get picked up and have to shoot a horde of zombies until help arrives, fun but repetitive.
Even the versus multiplayer is kind of stupid because you fight other characters as zombies which makes it kind of predator-prey instead of a free-for-all or team deathmatch style match.
The graphics are standard, but not mind-blowing in any sense.
There is no story whatsoever. It's just you are four survivors trying to get rescued. There is no character development, plot twists, bosses, nothing at all.
Don't get me wrong, this game is a lot of fun, but it's dumb fun, similar to games like Crackdown.
All in all, if you want a game that has simple gameplay, good graphics, and is just mindless fun because you get to shoot and kill all the time - then go pick this sucker up. If not, maybe you should lean towards other shooters like Fallout 3, Mass Effect, or Halo 3.Source: [amazon.com]
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Great Game!, 6 Dec 2009
Even after a year since this game came out, I still have so much fun playing this game. It is perfect for college dorm type games that you play with your roommates.
Source: [amazon.com]
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Left 4 Dead, 3 Dec 2009
This game is seriously action-packed but very violent and scary for younger kids. If you know what you're in for you will probably love it.
Source: [amazon.com]
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A Zombie Apocalypse Could Not Be Designed Any Better!, 2 Dec 2009
Four survivors stranded within a city. Upon every turn they face a devious foe salivating to engorge itself in the taste of human flesh. Loaded with only a pistol and the force of teamwork, these survivors must do the impossible and find a way out of the insanity. That's the scenario that Left 4 Dead places the player in. It's quite a predicament, and the chaos never stops. Nonstop action is the name of the game. Surrounded by hordes of zombies in levels that change with each repetition, Left 4 Dead can easily make someone spend hundreds of hours playing through its various levels. The AI director makes sure that no two levels ever playing exactly the same way and that each encounter is unique to each new play-through. Just because you discovered a "Witch" behind that door the last time through does not mean she will even be in the level this time around. It's this kind of variety that makes the player continue to come back to Left 4 Dead over and over again. Up the difficulty to Expert and play with three other humans and the excitement is immeasurable. Valve did a great job of creating suspense through the usage of lighting and sound effects. You can hear a "Witch" crying from several rooms away; you can hear a "Boomer" making grotesque belching sounds before he is even visible; the "Hunter" shrieks with a sound resembling some species of dinosaurs; and the "Tank" makes both the screen and the controller vibrate as he approaches. Recognizing these sounds that indicate which "special zombie" is approaching increases your adrenaline, many times it even makes you want to locate them just for the sheer pleasure and excitement that the encounters entail. I can't tell you how many times I've purposely activated a "Witch" just because of the way the game makes you feel as you try your hardest to defeat her before meeting an early demise at her hands. The game supplies the players with first-aide at the most essential locations, and items such as the dual-wielded pistols greatly turn the tides in your favor, unless you encounter the pure colossal nightmares that are the "Tanks". Playing offline with friends, or online are both great ways to experience the game. I even have a blast playing solo as well, a truly remarkable game worth owning if you're an Xbox 360 owner. This game is one of the reasons why I chose to purchase an Xbox 360 even though I already own a PS3, simply amazing and pure addictive action.
Source: [amazon.com]
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Where's the campaign?, 2 Dec 2009
Sure this game is decent, who wouldn't like going around blasting zombies into dust? The action is there, the fun multiplayer is there, the graphics are alright, but where's the campaign? I guess I'm trying to save people from making the same mistake I made purchasing this game thinking that there was a campaign mode involved which is the reason I play video games. There are basically 4 levels you play over and over as you wish alone or with friends, you cannot save your game, and besides knowing that everybody in the world is now a zombie except for you and your fellow survivors there is no plot either. This is strictly a game I play if I have buddies over, it's pretty pointless playing by yourself. I'm not trying to bash this game but I think it's important to know what it is before you buy it, it is what it is, a multiplayer game. This is not what I look for in games however so at least I'll know not to buy L4D2.
Source: [amazon.com]
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L4D gets 2 Stars, 26 Nov 2009
Over-Hyped Game. Period. Game play is repetitive, have only about 6 different types of zombies, about 8 different guns, and graphics that really are sub-par. The strong side L4D does have is Multiplayer, but compared to other juggernauts like Call of Duty 4, L4D is laughable in comparison. Then again maybe I'm just not a zombie fan...
Source: [amazon.com]
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Great, but repetitive, 19 Nov 2009
Enjoyed the demo from Xbox Marketplace. Demo went missing and it took me 6 months to buy the game. Why? The demo was, for the most part, the game. While I haven't cleared every level, the concept is the same...much like Assassin's Creed I, you repeat similar missions over and over. Like WoW, there is an element of "grinding".
WHY **** stars then?! Online play is riveting! I enjoy working as a team of individuals and depending on which teammate you have, you live or die. I like that. Solo-campaign mode is just training for online matches.Source: [amazon.com]
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Good Game, 1 Nov 2009
Overall the game is pretty good. I got exactly what I ordered and it arrived on time and in great condition.
Source: [amazon.com]
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Wow......., 20 Oct 2009
I know, like you, I was a bit reluctant to buying this game as well. My friends recommended it about 100 million times, and I STILL didnt get it. So I finally decided to give it a shot. I loved it, utterly. The BEST kill everything in sight single player or co-op game EVER! Here's a few tips for when you use your brain and GET THIS GAME!
#1. STAY TOGETHER. You are fighting with three people, and you cannot go against hordes of ravenous zombies on your own. You will also be fighting different types of zombies making one-player fighting impossible.
#2. BETTER GUNS ARE BIGGER GUNS. Go for either the Auto assault rifle or auto shotgun. The sniper rifle sucks.
#3. Online is awesome! Go for it, you can play with any other three people in the world!
Recommended? Do you have to ask? This is DEFINATELY a game you want to get.Source: [amazon.com]
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Did I miss something?, 13 Oct 2009
As much fun as it is to blast away zombies, I seem to be a big confused with this game. It seems to have no "game" involved. The whole thing runs like a training mission, you pick an area (of which you have access to all) and play it. Finish it? Die? Doesn't matter as there are no save points, and you can just skip to the next area anyways. All the weapons and zombies are the same, there is no apparent goal, nothing to play to. Once the fun of shooting zombies wears off, this game has absolutely NOTHING more to offer. I am not an online player, and from what I understand that is what this game is for. I can only assume that online there is an actual game somewhere in here? More weapons, more zombies? Something to progress to? If that is the case, it should really have an "Online only game" stamped across the front, as it is basically useless otherwise. I just don't see how four levels constitute an entire game, I played through every area (which are all basically the same) in a couple hours.
Source: [amazon.com]
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Winner!, 11 Oct 2009
It took me a while to get my paws on this game. For one thing, I don't have Xbox Live, so I didn't immediately see the appeal of a game that was being billed as an "online shooter." For another, I usually wait until games have been out a little while to see if the hype is true (and also for the price to drop.)
I picked up Left 4 Dead for 19.99, started up a campaign, and found I should have purchased this title a long time ago.
It's not really your *ideal* zombie shooter--I have yet to see one that meets my unusually high expectations for this genre--but it IS very fun.
I'll start with my few negatives, and move on to the positive.
Here's what annoyed me:
-Limited weapon selection. This is maybe the biggest disappointment, but even so, it's hardly noticeable once the action ramps up. Still, it's worth a mention. Besides pistols, there are only five weapons to choose from in the entire game: generic submachinegun, generic pump shotgun, generic assault rifle, generic hunting rifle, and a pretty spiffy lookin' auto-shotgun. And since the game tends to be either slow moments of skulking about where the pistols are most useful or frenetic rushes of undead where the assault rifle/submachinegun's hail of bullets are most useful, the hunting rifle and shotguns are of limited appeal to me, meaning that there are really only three weapons I can choose from.
-Stupid AI teammates. I know this game is meant to be played with four human players, but still! It's really frustrating when you're near the end of a campaign on Expert and your teammates run in front of your assault rifle and get shot in the back of the head, or refuse to move when you throw a pipe bomb and it unfortunately lands right beside them. Worse is when you have to sneak past a Witch. They just love to run up right next to her and fire off a shotgun blast at a distant zombie, thus dooming themselves.
Okay, that's all for the negatives!
Positives:
-I really liked the presentation of the campaigns. They're fun to play through multiple times, especially since the content varies itself. While the levels remain static, enemies and items do not, and appear in random places on every play-through. This means you'll actually take the time to look around in every play-through as opposed to breezing through the levels confidently. You don't want to leave a bottle of medication or a closet-full of zombies behind you.
-It's really satisfying getting a headshot in this game.
-I love the dual pistols for every situation except those frantic rushes or special infected. There's nothing like coming around a corner, seeing a hallway full of zombies, and emptying a pair of .45s into them, and seeing them all crumple to the floor as the smoke clears. And I get a thrill every time I spin around to see one running up on me, only to double-tap them in the chest at close range and see them skid to a halt at my feet.
-The Witches are nerve-wracking little wenches. The distant crying is a little creepy, but the closer you get, the faster your heart will go...the crying gets louder and louder and then that music picks up, letting you know you're right on top of her...if you're lucky, you'll spot her from a good distance away, but many's the time I heard that crying change to a low growl and came around a corner to see her standing right in front of me, ready to attack. You back off very fast in those situations, trust me.
-I liked the inclusion of the special infected. They not only added variety, but a degree of danger that kept you focused. The regular infected were predictable, but the special infected can come at you any time, and from anywhere--even the rooms you just cleared minutes earlier.
-I've noticed that either a Witch or a Tank will spawn in certain areas. This leads to some trepidation on my part as I approach those areas, wondering whether I'll hear crying or suddenly get ambushed by a hulking brute. I like that.
-The "finales" of each campaign are awesome. I love fortifying those little outposts and getting everything ready--finding the nearest source of pipe bombs is often a priority. Nothing's more thrilling or frustrating than being overwhelmed right as the rescue vehicle pulls up--it really can feel like a movie climax.
All in all, even if you don't pay for Xbox Live, I can recommend this game. The two-player mode isn't too bad, and you'll still enjoy playing with three AI teammates, too.
Give it a shot. You won't be disappointed.Source: [amazon.com]
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Really fun and the DLC is FREE, 26 Sep 2009
I got this game some weaks after it came out and it is very fun and addicting. First Person Shooter but a small selection of weapons. You have the ability to carry med packs to regain a certain amount of health and pain pills to give that extra boost to get you to the safe house. The grafix are not the gratest but the fun and replayability is awesome. It doesnt matter what edition of the game you get becuase the contect that the Game of the Year has can be downloaded for free. Since the news of Left 4 Dead 2, their have been several petions that Left 4 Dead 2 should not come out since it has only been a year.
Single player: Their are 4 missions and the object of the game is to get from point A to B to C to D and then E. Every point their is a safe house where the zombies cannot get you. In their their will be weapons, ammo and health to fix yourself up. You then open the door and start heading to the next safe house until you get to the extraxtion point. Then its mission over and thier is only 4 missions all together. The Bots are not that smart and you should not play with them on the hardest setting.
With the free download of survival, its like Gears 2 Horde mode or Halo ODST FireFight. Wave after wave of zombies come at you while you kill them. And their is also more DLC on the way.
Multiplayer: Its 4 vs. 4 to play on the campain maps. You start as who ever you want to start as (Infected or survivor) and play through the regular campain but you which sides once the surviors get to the safe house. When you play as the infected, its rendom so you cant pick who you want to be like smoker, hunter boomer or tank. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages so you have to work as a team no matter which team your on.
If you have not played this game yet then you need to play it. I recommend that if you have other people to play with on the campain or multiplayer then you should definatly get it. Low replay value if you dont have live or nobody to split screen with at home.Source: [amazon.com]
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WOW, 22 Sep 2009
LEFT 4 DEAD
Wow. Fantastic Game Without A Doubt Fantastic Online, Downloadable Content And Great Grapics
BUT 3 Down Points
- Way To Short You Complete It In 2-5 Hours Max
- Major Lag
- Well They Promised More Downloadable Content And Insted We Have To Pay £37 For Left 4 Dead 2!!!!
But Overall Fantastic FOURSTAR ****Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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:), 17 Sep 2009
This game got to my house faster than i expected. Its a really great game but I only got to play it for 1 day because my Xbox got the red rings of death the same I got the game.:(
Source: [amazon.com]
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awesome game, 14 Sep 2009
This game is very fun. Its nothing but mindless violence and shooting against zombies and other monsters. Its the type of game that you can just turn on and play. The action is great, but I found the variety of weaponry anemic. Hopefully, the second L4D game will be better.
Source: [amazon.com]
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game took forever to come, 14 Sep 2009
I ordered this game August 1st and received it on the 24th. You would think a game like this would come early but it didn't so this is my main problem with this. Overall game disc is in good shape and plays very well!!!
Source: [amazon.com]
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Even as a Girl..., 12 Sep 2009
Even as a girl i can totally appreciate the xbox360 thanks to this game. I found it hard to find games geared towards boys and girls but this one is perfect.
since i bought it i have not been off it...totally addictive and totally fun.
price is worth the online features alone especially if you download the FREE survivor pack from xbox live.
hours of neverending fun.
if you haven't bought it already, how do you expect to survive the apocalypse??!!Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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One of the best co-op experienes, 12 Sep 2009
Worthy of all of the positive feedback given over the past year. It's fun alone but much, much better with 3 friends.
Source: [amazon.com]
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Really Great, 12 Sep 2009
This game is the best game i have ever played but if you get i it you can be the zombies it is cheap
Source: [amazon.com]
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save me, 9 Sep 2009
Could've been great with one simple addition: save points in the single player mode. Unless I have an hour or three to commit to playing, I'm stuck doing one of four things every time I turn it on. What's even more infuriating is that so many aspects of this game are fantastic-fun to play, solid graphics, lots of freakin' zombies. All of that potential made worthless by the lack of a few typewriters. Adding a really nitpicky complaint, I really don't need each of the four characters to vocally inform me whenever they reload a weapon.
Source: [amazon.com]
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Horror At It's Best, 29 Aug 2009
This game kind of reminds me of what would Dead Rising in a FPS(within a dark alley)would look like.Left For Dead will have you sleeping with the light on in your room(that's how scary it is).You not only have to worry about 100 zombies coming at you at the same time,you will also have to worry about a mutated mammoth beast called a Tank(which will fly you across a room).Hunters,witches and everything else this game will throw at you will keep you looking at every corner all the time.The story mode is REAL short(but that also depends on the difficulty you set it on too),but the online mode(especially co-op)will keep you playing this game for months-if you can take the pain!
Source: [amazon.com]
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left 4 dead is a must have, 11 Jul 2009
Left for dead has a real nice feel to it. It is fast pace, you don't even look down the sight of your weapon. I only encountered two problems with this game, they are not being able to look down the sight of your weapon and the other is it gets a lil boring after you slay 30,000 zombies. Apart from that there is absolutely nothing wrong with this game an it will provide hours of enjoyable FPS fun.
Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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great, 10 Jul 2009
on the xbox 360 this game can give you hours of fun when trying to earn the achievments but that time is shrank down alot if you dont tend to try and get them and single player campaign cna get boring pretty quick but the versus mode on xbox live makes up for that you can gather 8 mates with the game and play each other shooting them when they are zombies or ripping them apart when they are survivours or go it alone and play with random people on xbox live but to avoid that really annoying kicking system try and take 1 freind in to the game so you cna be outnumbered and kicked for no reason which gets annoying
Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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Dont believe the hype....., 5 Jul 2009
After being pestered by a mate of mine to buy this game I finally did...what a big mistake. To start with its very very hard work in the sense that its so repetitive to the point where after about an hour it gets boring and tedious.If you dont have Xbox live and are thinking of getting this as a single player game to be honest its a waste of money, there are 4 small campaigns each one takes about an hour to finish after that theres nothing else. Online its slightly better with survival mode (a bit like `Horde` on GOW2) and Vs mode where you can play as the infected...who ever wants to be the baddies??. If your a real sucker for punishment you can play all the campaigns again in co-op mode. I played it on line for about 2 hours and have never bothered since. Right, onto the real faults with this game..... The weapon selection is frankly pathetic, theres a choice of about 5 or 6 different weapons and once youve tried them all...funs over. The graphics are fair but the dialogue gets right on your melon after a bit, how many more times have I got to hear that someone is "Reloading"...very annoying.The biggest problem I had with L4D however is the so called `special infected` or Bosses, what a total and utter annoyance and theres just too many of them, to the point where battling the normal zombies just becomes a secondary objective, during a single player campaign you can expect to meet at least 25-30+ special infected and they are just a pain, the worst being `The witch` the idea being to sneak around her so as not to wind her up, this is all well and good til you realise that the A1 team mates are just like bulls in a china shop, I sacked the idea of trying to go past a witch and in the end just attacked them on sight.
Its not all doom and gloom though, the lighting effects are good and the pipe bombs are brilliant.Its good how you can set traps using petrol cans and the fire effects are good aswell.
So in a nutshell.... Single player? Dont bother, If you want a laugh with a few of your mates its good for an afternoons gameplay but after that its spent. Definately try before you buy, or if your minds set on getting this dont pay full price, get it pre-owned...Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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left 4 dead, 3 Jul 2009
great game, keeps you playing on it for ages, and got it for a great price.... thanks
Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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left 4 dead xbox 360 game, 29 Jun 2009
this game is a legend. brill action game. the seller provided all the details i needed to know. the game arrived in mint condition, packed well and very quick delivery. in fact delivered before the estimated date. my son never switches off this game, and the older games are always the hardest to find, especially top condition ones like this. many thanks for you business.
Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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Good for a weekend, 25 Jun 2009
Great fun for a weekend but the game quickly becomes very repetitive. The zombies have no intelligence and rely on rushing you. The satisfaction from mowing them down quickly fades as you realise the AI controlling the other members of your party is poor and frequently get into trouble. The ragdoll effects are again great but limited so you often see the same ones. Completed the game in about 4 hours with a friend and probably will not play it again. It lends itself more towards the group of friends having a quick game.
Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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House of the Dead - On way too much speed!, 17 Jun 2009
I rented the game from an online rental place, had heard it was quite a nifty game and fancied giving it go. Wow, is all I can say! I am more annoyed that didn't try it earlier. I am not usually a big fan of co-op, FPS, survival games, I am pretty rubbish and end up dead in 5 mins flat.
I put it on easy and it was the best blast I had in ages, with the help of the AI players in your four man team it is almost impossible to die, you just keep going and going, blasting anything with a walking-dead pulse! The intro alone has to be worth the price of admission.
I had to stop after about the first 30 mins, I was actually physically and mentally exhausted, I don't think I blinked more than twice and my nerves on edge due to the amazing atmospheric sound effects. The first time I annoyed one of the Witch characters and she charged at us, I jumped out of my skin and the hairs just stood up on the back of my neck.
Take it from someone who never had more than a passing interest in FPS games, this has really opened my eyes to what true game play is about. Now I just need to convince some of my 360 owning family and friends to get a copy and the fun should really start. I know what my family are getting for Xmas this year! LOL!Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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Left 4 Dead is a lot of fun - where's it been all these years?, 16 Jun 2009
I think it's odd that we've waited so long for a game like this, it seems like an obvious premise that nobody has attempted in this way. Luckily for us, the guys at Valve are the perfect people to have the first crack at it.
Left 4 Dead is very simple (which is both it's best assets and only critisims) - you play as one of four characters and need to band together to escape a zombie filled apocalypse. What makes this game special is it's focus on the need to work as a team. From the ground up, Valve have put measures into place to assure you will not survive as the lone wolf - and need to help your team mates.
This is for a number of reasons. #1 is that this game features the new age, Usain Bolt zombies. They come in large numbers and they come fast. Shooting them down when they've surrounded you is no easy feat and you will quickly die if you are not assisted. #2 is the special infected, a multitude of special zombies with powers that heavily limit your survival. The hunter and smoker can restrict your movement until somebody else frees you.. so if you run ahead/get left behind and one takes you.. your chances of survival are slim. Other infected like the boomer, witch and tank have potential for doing massive damage to you - so if you want to take them on yourself, your chances are just as low.
What this means is that you will regularly have to backtrack and rescue your partners, whilst relying on them to rescue you. Share your health supplies to help the ones in need.. protect your friends from being swarmed and help them up when they fall down. I can't think of a game that forces co-operation upon you quite like this and it's a very nice gameplay instrument indeed.
The game contains 4 'films' and each film has 5 'chapters'. Each film will probably take about an hour to complete on the medium difficulty level - but the hard and expert levels will most likely take a while longer. Each film has a final showdown where you have to hold your position and fend off waves of infected before you are rescued. These are a lot of fun. All the levels are well varied and the different environments give off very different atmospheres. Because of the 'AI director', each playthrough will always be different - placing items and weaponry in different places, sending different amounts of enemies from different locations at different times. There is definitely a sense of repitition and familiarity, but considering the circumstances.. it really doesnt get boring.
There are 3 modes. Campaign, which is the standard mode detailed above. Versus which is basically the same, except split into two teams - one team controlling the infected. This is fun, but I personally feel there's a slight imbalance for the infected side. If you're clever and work together - the infected can be very devestating and take out all the survivors in no time at all. BUT, it can be very easy to die as the infected - you you may find yourself waiting 30 seconds to respawn, dying in 10 seconds, waiting another 30 seconds etc. It would have been nice if they cut down the respawn times, perhaps by just letting you play as a standard zombie to fill the time.
The Last mode is survival, which is basiclally the stand off final chapters features in the game, except with a larger number of locations to play in. I haven't played this mode much yet.
It's also important to note that you'll only get the best of this game online. You can play 2 player splitscreen (even online) but I would never buy this game for single player alone. This game, like counterstrike, is built for online experience and that's where the magic is. Your standard CPU AI isn't the worst, but they essentially just follow you.. so you'll still feel very alone playing this offline.
The critisims with this game are ironically also tied in to their strengths. The game is designed to be a simple, teamworking online experience.. but all of these things also work against it. Although I love the way it's all done, I can't help but feel there should be more options.. more variety.. more levels.. more weapons maybe. From what I've seen of the upcoming sequel, Valve have taken lots of suggestions from the fans and are improving on said critisims.
Left 4 dead is a great game and I'm happy I bought it. I will be playing it online all the way until I buy the new one. However as the sequel is coming in November, it may be worth getting the most out of this one in the next few months as I imagine it will drop severely in players when the new one is released.
I can't say it's perfect, because there's definitely room for improvement - but it's a great first step for a series. 4/5Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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Left on shelf???, 14 Jun 2009
As a single player campaign its not worth the money. I finished the game in 3 hours. I hear that its better online but i am yet to try it. One thing i will say is that it is action packed from the word go.
Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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Mindless B-movie style slugfest, 8 Jun 2009
This game is lots of fun when playing with others, single player it is rather boring, frustrating and tiresome. Playing with the computer AI doesn't provide anything close to the pleasure of multi-player. Playing even with just one other player brings this game to life, at its best it is a lot of fun and i'm often left in stitches of laughter as I am ravaged by a hoard of viscous zombies. There is fantastic emphasis on teamwork as you are much better sticking together,if you branch out you will find yourself heavily outnumbered, which can be fun, but not helpful to the team. You will often be crying for help, in need of being revived, lifted off a ledge or saved from being clawed to death by the living dead. It is pretty repetitive, mindless and is like an interactive b-movie, it hasn't an ounce of originality and as a single player game is falls very short. There is however a lot of fun to be had playing with friends with split screen or on X-box live. I would definitely recommend this game if you have online capabilities or friends at hand to join in, other wise there are many other single player games which would be a better choice.
Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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Left 4 Dead: A Beguilingly Well Made Zombie Shoot 'Em Up, 6 Jun 2009
You could say, forgiving the pun, that zombies have been done to death. Almost everyone has seen at least half a dozen zombie films, or has played a zombie game, and around 80% of them are pretty rubbish. More often than not, they involve a clichéd plot following the endangered lives of a small group of cocky teenagers or late-twenties-actors-told-to-act-like-teenagers, as they blunder through a post-apocalyptic world in which the population has abandoned their morning tea cravings in favour of angry cannibalism.
This was probably the main push factor for me from Valve's 2008 title, "Left 4 Dead", as from what I could understand from the game's marketing strategy, that was exactly what they were going for: your typical American horror flick, encased in four way co-op game-form. The basic premise is that you play as one of four survivors, making their way through four campaigns, being careful to watch out for -yep, you guessed it- hordes upon hordes of zombies with an unsurprising dislike of anything that isn't lurching or covered in blood.
The action is frantic and explosive; as a result of the surprisingly robust capability of the game's graphics engine. Albeit slightly aged, Valve's Source holds out incredibly well, pulling off brilliantly rendered lighting effects and textures. It isn't quite as powerful as the engine employed in games such as Gears of War 2, but it hardly matters when the screen is alive with sprinting monstrosities, with no apparent loss of frames per second. They're at a good point in that they allow you to become immersed, but aren't so over the top so as to limit the amount of visceral action on-screen at a time. There are moments on occasion which let the experience down slightly, such as the poorly recognised field partway through the "Blood Harvest" campaign - the tall wheat that you're forced to run through looks pretty pixellated close-up. Thankfully, these poorer graphical sections are few and far inbetween, and scarcely catch your eye for more than a second or two.
The way in which the campaigns work is quite simple, but also extremely clever and unpredictable. Each campaign is set out as a collective location, for example, an airport or a farm, which you must work through in order to reach the evacuation point. The route itself is fairly linear, but the variability comes from arguably the most innovative part of the game - the AI director. The AI director basically acts as a constant monitor of your situation, and to put it as simply as possible, it is responsible for where zombies spawn. It has a very vague limit on the actual number of zombies it sends after you, but tends to work in waves, based on how well you're doing. This adds huge replayability, as the game literally changes every time you play through it. You'll never hear anyone scoff down the mic with something like, "Don't bother checking that corridor, no zombies down there" - and on the odd occasion that you do, you'll most likely hear the same voice scream out in surprise as he realises that there were in fact zombies down that corridor. A lot of them.
As far as the actual gameplay goes, it's not hugely different from the already well-established FPS (first person shooter) formula capitalised on by Valve in the original Half-Life, although there are some tweaks here and there. Your most used tools, I.e. shooting your gun and thwacking with the butt of your gun, are assigned to the most accessible buttons - the right and left triggers respectively. Nothing groundbreaking there, but if it works, why fix it, I guess. There's quite a cone of effect on your melee strike, along with a nominally strong knock-back effect - it is often a much better decision to clout your foes away from your face rather than unload clips into them, particularly when they outnumber you twenty-nine to one. The drawback is that it doesn't really have much killing power, so don't holster your pistol just yet.
Weaponry is split into two distinct categories in Left 4 Dead, in a way that can be thought of as staggered tiers. When you and your unfortunate colleagues in zombie slaughter start off, all you have access to is a basic uzi-esque submachine gun, a pump action shotgun, and a last-reserve pistol with a weaker damage output, but unlimited ammo to make up for it. The game is balanced so that you can only ever carry one "major" weapon, though you are always allowed backup in the form of pistols. As you progress through each campaign, your group may be lucky enough to come across tier two weaponry, including a more powerful fully-fledged machine gun and a semi-automatic shotgun, as well as the ability to add a second dual-wielded pistol to their reserve.
In addition to four-player online co-op over Live, there's also a feature called Versus, in which four players retain the roles of the survivors, but four take on the roles of the "Boss Infected", or in other words, more powerful zombies which are also present in the normal campaign. These include the Smoker, which employs a noose-like tongue to grab and throttle victims from range, the Boomer, which possesses the ability to spew zombie-attracting bile over it's victims, and the Hunter, which is capable of leaping enormous distances and rendering its prey helpless by pinning them to the ground and converting their innards into distasteful confetti. The Infected team also occasionally accrues a behemoth called the Tank, which acts as a muscled siege engine on a limited duration.
Overall, this is one heck of an enjoyable game, although it ought to be said that it relies heavily on Live to be properly enjoyed, and is also not that stellar in the graphics department. But for pure fun-factor, this is definitely a must-buy.Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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Left 4 Dead - An Awesome Game!, 4 Jun 2009
Left 4 Dead is a game created by the makers of Half-life and Team Fortress, Valve. Left 4 Dead is your basic infection zombie game; you play as one of four survivors with the simple aim of the game being `Get out alive'.
This game doesn't require you to run through the whole level shooting zombies left, right and centre, it requires you to plan your route, and it makes you think, "Will it be safe for me if I go this way?"
Enter The AI Director, here we have a piece of genius, whenever you start up a game on Left 4 Dead, the AI Director will plan your game play as you're playing! That means that you may be wandering through a deserted multi-story car park only to be faced with a great heap of muscle called a Tank, but on your second time round, you may find that the car park is jam packed with zombies, or you could get a Witch!
There are 5 types of `special' zombies in Left 4 Dead, these are:
* Boomer - Big sack of sick, if you get near one of these, they'll heave all their guts all over you, attracting a horde.
* Smoker - Easily identifiable by its loud coughing, the Smoker is able to drag you great distances before constricting and attacking you.
* Hunter - A dark character, usually found in the shadows, making massive leaps towards its prey, landing on them and pinning them down whilst it attacks them.
* Tank - Probably the strongest zombie of all, if you're unlucky to run into one, your best bet is to run backwards whilst shooting it or else it will be able to whack you great distances before pummelling you to a fine pulp.
* Witch - Don't be fooled by her looks or her crying. She's one mean machine. If you get to close or accidently hit her with a stray bullet you'll know soon enough, she can outrun you and then push you over and claw you to death. But don't worry, she'll growl at you if you're getting too close, letting you know when to back off!
There are of course some normal zombies, easy to kill, stress relieving zombies, great for shooting. But beware, if you make a cars alarm go off or create a loud noise, they'll come in there hundreds to attack you, this is where they're strongest!
A lot of thought has gone into this game, and it shows, the clever use of lighting and eerie music. Take for instance; as you get closer and closer to a witch, the music will get louder and louder. The graphics aren't amazing, but they don't need to be, as long as the game play is good, who cares about super high-quality graphics.
This game is a must-have if you are looking for fun game to play with friends, unfortunately, the game lets itself down in the single-player department, don't get me wrong, the single-player part of the game is great, but can get boring with time.
Multi-player is great, you get to think about your next plan with your friends; you get to interact with other characters instead of AI. When playing with friends, it sort of brings shows you another side to Left 4 Dead, it almost puts your and your friends into the game, it's like you're fighting for your life... Great!
Overall, I think Left 4 Dead deserves a high 9. Its fun, its fast and best of all, it has guns!Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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LEFT4DEAD, 3 Jun 2009
This game is really good,one of the best survival games i have played for a long time.I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone,im looking forward to left4dead2
Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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great, great, great, 31 May 2009
my son said left 4 dead is the best zombie apocalypse game on the market and throughly enjoys it. 5 star
Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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Frantic, mad and the best b-movie ever, 27 May 2009
Wow, what to say about a dream come true for me? I've always loved zombie flicks, whilst simultaneously shouting at the survivors for being utterly stupid. I guess now its my turn.
Left 4 Dead is perfect online fodder for those with friends or those without, if you get along with strangers long enough to survive! Simple no nonsense plot, 4 players if your online, one and three computer controlled players if not. The pace, due to the in game AI, changes as you play so if your an absolutely awful shot, don't worry you'll get a second chance, but that might be it! (Oh and ALWAYS aim for the head!)
The graphics are just right and detailed enough for a dark and moody piece like this and the gore as you'd expect is never ending. The use of sound is also pretty creepy, the crying of a witch will bring the gosebumps out, I promise.
In short its brilliant fun, but get online to get everything out of it, you won't regret it!
They're coming for you Barbara!!!Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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This Game is so Brilliant!, 26 May 2009
I love this game. It is easily a great buy and the gameplay is always good. It uses an engine which changes the events of the game within levels every time you play. For example one time round you'll run down a street and maybe blast just 1 zombie's head off but another time you may get attacked by a horde. There's also a survival mode which is great fun with friends and you try to survive a never ending horde. The special infected give a fun twist to the game as well introducing another edge to the game. Seriously, buy this game!
Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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FTW, 18 May 2009
I loved the game and think that the FREE DLC makes it more fun. Also only get this game if you go on Xbox live as it will get boring fast. Ther is a free demo on xbox live as well check it out.
Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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so fun....... you just gotta play it, 14 May 2009
first of all ive never been much of a shoot em up zombie fan but when my m8 showed me this game i just couldnt come off it. It is a very addictive game and fun. although it is quite a short game you can play over and over with ur mates and still not get bored. the online is great 2 and keeps a smile on ur face 4 hours. Although if you focus on the flashlight too long it can give u a headache, this isnt too much of a problem. I cant wait too prchase this game because i know i will have endless amounts of fun. The guns are also good but they could've put in more explosives.
In summary this game is a must play and has a fricking long life span
PS, this game is only on 360 and pc so up yours ps3 who suck.Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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Great Game, i love it so much i bought it twice, 12 May 2009
Got this game for PC at christmas. i loved it and really enjoyed the zombie take on the game. i loved Zombie Panic which is also a very good mod for Half life 2.
My friends got this game on xbox 360 as they dont have gaming computers. and i loved it so much, i bought it on xbox 360 aswell !Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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L4D, 10 May 2009
A really good game and a unique take on the age old FPS.
Sadly the single player mode gets quite tedious very quickly as there's no real campaign to speak of.
The campaign proper takes place solely online with other gamers, which isn't bad if you've got live! Online play is superb but the variety of levels seems to be too few far too quickly.
Where this game begins to redeem itself is having the ability to play as the 'infected' and take on the 'survivors'. A really nice touch that opens up more gameplay.
I hope the developers release an update for more levels and expand on this game as it would be a shame to see it left behind so quickly.Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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As close to perfect mutiplayer gaming as you're likely to get, 3 May 2009
I absolutely love this game. It has been specifically crafted as a multiplayer experience and boy does it show.
As a solo experience it's very solid and you can jump into games with randoms on Xbox Live, but nothing beats getting 3 of your friends to jump in and working through a scenario. Never have I played a game where you absolutely MUST watch each others backs, save each other when under attack, share out health, it's the only possible way to survive.
At the end of each scenario you come under attack from wave after wave of zombies while awaiting some form of rescue. It can be really tough and encourages you to try and form strategies, even though they can easily go out the window (one time we each covered an entrance to one room, only for the zombies to smash a huge hole in the wall and pour into the room).
For a true co-operative game, nothing beats this.Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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Ok if you like Zombies!, 2 May 2009
This game is ok, but dont play it with young children in the room, you will have them screaming in fright, you have been warned!
Overall this game is quite good, & the Zombies dont half run fast I can tell you.
There are a lot worse games on the market has to be said, so give it a try if you dare!Source: [amazon.co.uk]
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