This in my opinion is the closest thing that will ever come to a perfect zombie game. Left 4 Dead 2 is a game I have come back to many times whenever I feel like I need a good zombie shooter. There’s many games about zombies that have been made but this is one that I feel like almost everyone will enjoy no matter their preference or even if they are into zombie games as a whole. Hell I’ve bought this game 3 times because of how much damn fun it is, with one of those times being so I can give it to my friend so we can play it together.
Now, Left 4 Dead as whole is an interesting game because it really just feels like a game that doesn’t age. This was made back in 2009, but I never really hear anybody talk about it being dated whatsoever when it comes to anything except maybe the lighting. I do agree that there’s many areas where the game is extremely dark, making it hard to navigate. Notably on the Left 4 Dead 1 maps. I would recommend trying to fix the lighting. Other than that it looks and feels amazing to this day. Not to mention the game runs incredibly smoothly, even on less powerful hardware. Even when modding the game, it rarely ever has issues, which just helps overall feel like a complete and smooth experience.
In extension to my previous statement, even controlling and playing the game just feels right. The controls are very simple to learn and it’s easy to get into the fun of the game without being overwhelmed despite the amount of zombies that can appear on screen. Everything works as it should, and I’ve never had an issue with controls of the game. Now, it’s obviously known that Left 4 Dead is a co-op shooter, but to be honest you don’t really need other people to enjoy it, which I appreciate. Yes, it is more fun with friends but the carnage or entertainment you get from the game is still there if you want to play by yourself. The AI are decent enough that you don’t really ever lose the thrilling feeling the game is supposed to give you. Occasionally they can get stuck or make a dumb decision, but I’d say that it’s mostly not bothersome in the regular campaigns. Speaking of which, every campaign feels different enough that you don’t get tired of the satisfying gun play easily. I think that the variety of the infected helps with that too because even though you’re on alert when you hear their cues, every special infected is dealt with differently enough that they don’t feel the same. Every weapon feels impactful, the enemies are interesting, and the map design compliments the combat beautifully. One of my only issues is that I feel like the regular and dual wield pistols are the only exception to what I said earlier. They feel sort of useless, and I always swap them out for a melee weapon or the Deagle. Another issue I have is that the slow down when the zombies damage you is annoying. That would be about it though because I truly believe that Turtle Rock/Valve perfected the combat for their own game.
As for the story, well I think it’s the weakest part of Left 4 Dead but that’s not saying much. It’s sort of the same case with Doom where the story is there if you care but if you don’t, it doesn’t penalize you for it. Looking into it though, the world feels intriguing enough that I would willingly look into how this all happened, and the people that are involved. It tells you enough to get you hooked, but also leaves this air of mystery that gets you thinking about it still. The strongest part of the story though is easily the characters. I love that every single one of them has a distinct personality, mannerisms, and way of speaking. Their dynamic is really good too. It doesn’t feel that awkward when they exchange words with each other or like they’re trying to force their character type. Even Rochelle has a proper character now that they added back most of her lines that were cut. They did an amazing job making the characters we play as likable and they did it in a way that feels natural too. I love the world, the lore, the characters, and it just adds to everything else about the game that makes it a masterpiece.
It’s rare to see a game that comes together this perfectly with everything it has. Years have passed and this game is still fondly thought about by almost everyone that has played it. I’ve had so many memories playing Left 4 Dead and I’m glad that I can keep making more every time I come back. Without a doubt, I firmly believe that this game is a masterpiece in every way. I don’t say this about many games, but this is a must play for everyone.
Now, Left 4 Dead as whole is an interesting game because it really just feels like a game that doesn’t age. This was made back in 2009, but I never really hear anybody talk about it being dated whatsoever when it comes to anything except maybe the lighting. I do agree that there’s many areas where the game is extremely dark, making it hard to navigate. Notably on the Left 4 Dead 1 maps. I would recommend trying to fix the lighting. Other than that it looks and feels amazing to this day. Not to mention the game runs incredibly smoothly, even on less powerful hardware. Even when modding the game, it rarely ever has issues, which just helps overall feel like a complete and smooth experience.
In extension to my previous statement, even controlling and playing the game just feels right. The controls are very simple to learn and it’s easy to get into the fun of the game without being overwhelmed despite the amount of zombies that can appear on screen. Everything works as it should, and I’ve never had an issue with controls of the game. Now, it’s obviously known that Left 4 Dead is a co-op shooter, but to be honest you don’t really need other people to enjoy it, which I appreciate. Yes, it is more fun with friends but the carnage or entertainment you get from the game is still there if you want to play by yourself. The AI are decent enough that you don’t really ever lose the thrilling feeling the game is supposed to give you. Occasionally they can get stuck or make a dumb decision, but I’d say that it’s mostly not bothersome in the regular campaigns. Speaking of which, every campaign feels different enough that you don’t get tired of the satisfying gun play easily. I think that the variety of the infected helps with that too because even though you’re on alert when you hear their cues, every special infected is dealt with differently enough that they don’t feel the same. Every weapon feels impactful, the enemies are interesting, and the map design compliments the combat beautifully. One of my only issues is that I feel like the regular and dual wield pistols are the only exception to what I said earlier. They feel sort of useless, and I always swap them out for a melee weapon or the Deagle. Another issue I have is that the slow down when the zombies damage you is annoying. That would be about it though because I truly believe that Turtle Rock/Valve perfected the combat for their own game.
As for the story, well I think it’s the weakest part of Left 4 Dead but that’s not saying much. It’s sort of the same case with Doom where the story is there if you care but if you don’t, it doesn’t penalize you for it. Looking into it though, the world feels intriguing enough that I would willingly look into how this all happened, and the people that are involved. It tells you enough to get you hooked, but also leaves this air of mystery that gets you thinking about it still. The strongest part of the story though is easily the characters. I love that every single one of them has a distinct personality, mannerisms, and way of speaking. Their dynamic is really good too. It doesn’t feel that awkward when they exchange words with each other or like they’re trying to force their character type. Even Rochelle has a proper character now that they added back most of her lines that were cut. They did an amazing job making the characters we play as likable and they did it in a way that feels natural too. I love the world, the lore, the characters, and it just adds to everything else about the game that makes it a masterpiece.
It’s rare to see a game that comes together this perfectly with everything it has. Years have passed and this game is still fondly thought about by almost everyone that has played it. I’ve had so many memories playing Left 4 Dead and I’m glad that I can keep making more every time I come back. Without a doubt, I firmly believe that this game is a masterpiece in every way. I don’t say this about many games, but this is a must play for everyone.