So the long anticipated Left 4 Dead has finally arrived to a PC near you. For those of you not in the know, I think the official site sums it up a best with “It’s the zombie apocalypse, bring friends”. As a big fan of coop games, I jumped on this one and pre-purchased it under the assumption that Valve + coop must equal awesome. Was I right in my assumption? Sadly, it’s just too early to tell. To put this review into context, I’ve only played for a couple of hours in the single player campaign mode, so this might not be the most fair indication of the game as a whole, but it only aims to give you an idea of what to expect. I’m sure it will be some weeks/months until we can really measure the success of the game, as playing with other humans appears to be a large part of this game’s appeal.

Firstly, the bad and mediocre things. The graphics, while polished, appear to be very similar to what you’d expect from Valve and its Source engine. While this is not a big negative, don’t expect anything too novel or exciting. My second, and much more significant criticism is the repetitiveness of the gameplay. Again, this could very well be attributed to the lack of human team mates and opponents, however I’m still slightly concerned that the game might not have enough to offer in the long term. As a result, I’m hoping that Valve continue their fine tradition of releasing new maps, game modes, achievements and level ups similar to what they have done with Team Fortress 2. The final criticism I will level at the game as I know it so far is the less than mind-blowing AI director. I think it’s fair to say that it does its job admirably in providing random hordes of zombies and more strategic AI attacks. However, I’m not sure that it a) lives up to the marketing (no real surprise) or b) will be enough to keep the game interesting in the long term.

Now that the unpleasantness is out of the way, onto the good things! The first thing that leaped out at me when playing Left 4 Dead was the atmosphere and environment. Valve have done a very good job implementing a dark and unsettling mood that leaves you a little twitchy when moving through particularly dark and/or cramped areas. It is also good to see Valve maintain their very high standard of environments, which in this case are reminiscent of the HL2 series, but more focussed and scary. I especially like the way muzzle flash momentarily lights the scene and shows you where your next shot should go, without having permanent lighting.

Another element of the game that really shone through, and contributes a lot to the overall atmosphere of the game, is the sound. I’m pleased to report the game features some nice weapons effects, as well as distinctive sounds for the various “super infected” that both scare the hell out of you and let you know what might be coming your way soon. Not only are the effects nice, but the music offers a nice backdrop for the visual environment and I think adds a lot to the gritty atmosphere without being obtrusive.

Well, that’s all for now, however I would just like to stress again that I really haven’t played this game enough to pass any big judgement on it yet. This is just my first impressions and thoughts after a couple of hours playing the single player campaign. Look back some time in the near future and I may treat you to a better, more detailed review.

***EDIT***
There a couple of other cool features that I forgot to mention when I wrote this last night. Thinking about it, these are some big points and I don’t know how I missed them earlier. One of these is the chatter from NPCs and the automatically generated chatter of your avatar. From pointing out weapons and ammo to reminding you to heal up, the chatter is often helpful and makes you feel part of a team instead of a lone wolf with backup.

Another mechanic that I think adds a nice touch to the game is the ability to save, and be saved by, your fellow team mates. A number of the super infected have the ability to restrain a character, making them ineffectuve and unable to defend themselves. As a result it’s up to the restrained character’s team mates to free them by killing or batting away the attacker. This will really show you who your friends are if they’re willing to aid you in the middle of a zombie horde.

Keeping on the topic of helping your team, there’s another great mechanic that furthers their usefulness – revival. If you or another player is taken down for whatever reason, a team member can come and revive you so you can soldier on against the infected masses. Even cooler, while you’re down for the count you can still weild your pistols to defend yourself and your team.

Now I can rest knowing you have a slightly more complete picture of the game. One last thing; it’s probably a good sign that I’m looking forward to playing again soon. Until then I’ll just have to think up ways to bring the real zombie apocalypse, because if the game is this fun imagine the real thing!