Were there not a sequel, this may very well had been my favorite zombie game. Sorry Dead Rising, you’re a close runner-up. Everything about this 2008 arcade-y classic brings me back to a simpler time. Even though I didn’t play this entry as much as its sequel, it still blast-from-the-past jettisons me to that cozy mood of ever-present melancholy.
What’s weird is that I’m not typically a fan of Valve’s shooting mechanics. I’m one of the few people that just didn’t click with Counterstrike’s shooting and movement scheme. It felt clunky, odd, and unfit for first-person PvP gameplay. But for Left 4 Dead, it can’t feel more natural. The lack of aiming doesn’t bother me, the crouching for increased accuracy doesn’t frustrate me, and there being no running is simply incidental. I really think a large part of that difference lies in the transition from PvP to PvE, as well as the fact that these enemies don’t shoot back at you. The moderately fast run speed and the enemies running right up to you makes it perfect for both fast-paced speedruns or wait-back hunker down playstyles. Just don’t be too terribly slow or you’ll face quite a few AFK hordes.
Delightfully, this meat-and-potatoes design philosophy also extends to every other aspect of the game. All you have is a primary weapon, a secondary weapon, a healing item, a throwable explosive, and your wits. No esoteric perks, unique traits, or numerically ranked gear. Just run and shoot. Nothing but prime meat-grinder gameplay. Which brings me to my next adulation, the map design. Left 4 Dead proved all the way back in 2008 that you don’t need hand-holding to get across a map. Every corridor, stairwell, and alleyway flows so naturally into the next setpiece. It’s almost impossible to get lost. More importantly, it doesn’t come at the cost of contrived design choices made to baby-proof progression. I mean it when I say every aspect of this game is tightly designed to a T.
The narrative elements are sparse, with every new kernel acquired by safe-room writings, environmental storytelling, or voice lines by the characters you’re playing. All you need to know is a zombie outbreak just started (who would have thought?), and you’re rushing with your ragtag group of colorful survivors to reach the nearest safe haven. A task easier said than done judging by the number of missions in the game. As you could probably guess, I’m a big fan of this minimalistic style. We’ve all seen a million zombie stories. So when Left 4 Dead says let’s forgo the traditional song-and-dance and get right into the action I’m more than happy to oblige. Especially if I can play as my favorite cranky geriatric veteran Bill.
Now I know I’ve been gushing uncontrollably thus far, but why stop now. The lighting. Me likey. One of the biggest differences between Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 is the lighting, and with that, the mood. Though I think Left 4 Dead 2 improves on 1 in almost every facet, the dark, moody lighting in this game reigns supreme. It’s just so creepy and dreary, exactly how I’d like to imagine the end of the world would be. Gimme that overcast, week-late-on-the-electric-bill apocalypse all day every day. The very first chapter is a prime example of this, setting a thematically bleak tone for the rest of the game.
To add a hint of flavor and strategy the game, Left 4 Dead also introduces Special Infected, stronger, scarier, and dangerously enhanced zombies with their own gimmicks. Beyond having iconic designs, they also serve to address certain playstyles and challenge the player to switch tactics up when the situation allows for it. For example the Boomer punishes survivors who funnel hordes into point-blank kill-corridors, and the Hunter punishes survivors who go to far ahead of their teammates. Coupled with crescendo events — environmental interactions that causes an extra large horde to come after you— these touches of character help break up the potential monotony of just having the normal infected.
Bottom line being: try the game. With friends, alone, with the homeless man down the street. You’d have to be trying pretty hard to not have a fun time with this treat. There’s even a huge modding community. But don’t just take my word, there’s a reason the game has such a lively community 15 years later, and it’s not because Bill is just so damn charming.
What’s weird is that I’m not typically a fan of Valve’s shooting mechanics. I’m one of the few people that just didn’t click with Counterstrike’s shooting and movement scheme. It felt clunky, odd, and unfit for first-person PvP gameplay. But for Left 4 Dead, it can’t feel more natural. The lack of aiming doesn’t bother me, the crouching for increased accuracy doesn’t frustrate me, and there being no running is simply incidental. I really think a large part of that difference lies in the transition from PvP to PvE, as well as the fact that these enemies don’t shoot back at you. The moderately fast run speed and the enemies running right up to you makes it perfect for both fast-paced speedruns or wait-back hunker down playstyles. Just don’t be too terribly slow or you’ll face quite a few AFK hordes.
Delightfully, this meat-and-potatoes design philosophy also extends to every other aspect of the game. All you have is a primary weapon, a secondary weapon, a healing item, a throwable explosive, and your wits. No esoteric perks, unique traits, or numerically ranked gear. Just run and shoot. Nothing but prime meat-grinder gameplay. Which brings me to my next adulation, the map design. Left 4 Dead proved all the way back in 2008 that you don’t need hand-holding to get across a map. Every corridor, stairwell, and alleyway flows so naturally into the next setpiece. It’s almost impossible to get lost. More importantly, it doesn’t come at the cost of contrived design choices made to baby-proof progression. I mean it when I say every aspect of this game is tightly designed to a T.
The narrative elements are sparse, with every new kernel acquired by safe-room writings, environmental storytelling, or voice lines by the characters you’re playing. All you need to know is a zombie outbreak just started (who would have thought?), and you’re rushing with your ragtag group of colorful survivors to reach the nearest safe haven. A task easier said than done judging by the number of missions in the game. As you could probably guess, I’m a big fan of this minimalistic style. We’ve all seen a million zombie stories. So when Left 4 Dead says let’s forgo the traditional song-and-dance and get right into the action I’m more than happy to oblige. Especially if I can play as my favorite cranky geriatric veteran Bill.
Now I know I’ve been gushing uncontrollably thus far, but why stop now. The lighting. Me likey. One of the biggest differences between Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 is the lighting, and with that, the mood. Though I think Left 4 Dead 2 improves on 1 in almost every facet, the dark, moody lighting in this game reigns supreme. It’s just so creepy and dreary, exactly how I’d like to imagine the end of the world would be. Gimme that overcast, week-late-on-the-electric-bill apocalypse all day every day. The very first chapter is a prime example of this, setting a thematically bleak tone for the rest of the game.
To add a hint of flavor and strategy the game, Left 4 Dead also introduces Special Infected, stronger, scarier, and dangerously enhanced zombies with their own gimmicks. Beyond having iconic designs, they also serve to address certain playstyles and challenge the player to switch tactics up when the situation allows for it. For example the Boomer punishes survivors who funnel hordes into point-blank kill-corridors, and the Hunter punishes survivors who go to far ahead of their teammates. Coupled with crescendo events — environmental interactions that causes an extra large horde to come after you— these touches of character help break up the potential monotony of just having the normal infected.
Bottom line being: try the game. With friends, alone, with the homeless man down the street. You’d have to be trying pretty hard to not have a fun time with this treat. There’s even a huge modding community. But don’t just take my word, there’s a reason the game has such a lively community 15 years later, and it’s not because Bill is just so damn charming.