As I have discussed with anyone who would listen, the zombie apocalypse will not catch me unawares. I have marked such places that would make good supply stores, which places to avoid, what places would make good fortifications, and how many women we would need to maintain genetic diversity. I also have a carefully hand-picked group of friends with which I plan to survive Armageddon, each bringing a uniqueness to the table that increases our group dynamic (sort of like Final Fantasy but less gay) thus furthering our chances of repopulation. Since training for the final days of human society is rather difficult to simulate, we have turned to Valve’s morbid co-op masterpiece, Left 4 Dead.
Like surviving the brain-hungry horde (or just really pissed off sick people, depending on your movie), Left 4 Dead is best tackled as a team. The single player is good and has excellent AI. That is all I shall say about masturbation mode. In a group is where the fun begins. I took this to a friend’s house and we played some split screen, which means we still had two AI controlled team mates (although we could have opted to bring some people in over XBLive). Fueled by Irish Car Bombs and Scotch--we’re multicultural--we picked our projectiles (I’m an automatic shotgun and molotov cocktail guy myself) and took on The Director.
“The Director” is really just a clever naming of the game’s dynamic placement system. Based on your performance, the number and difficulty of zombies will ebb and flow. Don’t think that playing badly means you get an easy game, its more concerned with pacing than it is with you surviving. But by simply naming the system, we now have an evil force. Sure there are masses of undead, scattered boss zombies and obstacles, but the real nemesis is The Director. Like mice in a maze, he leads us down dark allies only to be vomited on by slyly placed boomers or strangled to death by smokers hidden on foggy rooftops. Everything might be going just fine but suddenly the music spikes and mosh pits of angry undead come screaming at you from all the city’s orifices. Why? The Director decided you weren’t moving fast enough.
Much like the discussions at the water cooler in my future compound, war stories abound from a single play session. Remember that time when I was at 1 health point, limping along at half pace, yet we all still managed to slam the safe house door on a Director controlled horde of angry undead? What about the time you shot at a lone zombie but hit the car behind him, thus setting of its alarm and summoning his five hundred buddies? Remember me telling you witches really “aren’t that bad” when we encountered one? All these events happened in a single night of play. What kind of mayhem could we be up to given a week’s time?
Whether or not you intend to survive the coming cataclysm or become my prey, Left 4 Dead exemplifies Valves obsessive drive to create superior products. Made by guys who obviously watched a lot of movies, the music, lighting, grain, and hundreds of undead model types would make George Romero proud. And considering the massive success of their previous games (ahem, Counter Strike and Team Fortress) is it really any surprise?
~TD
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
17 comments:
I enjoyed the game immensely when I played. To the point that I put off my homework till the next morning. The whole way it works is new and exciting. My only gripe with it is both a gripe and something I feel is good.
The problem is the types of zombies. Not that there are different types, but that there aren't more. Is zombie evolution so genetically unstable that it can only produce 6 different types - Boomer, smokers, hunters, witches, tanks, and the typical zombie peon? This made the game rather repetitive after playing through a single campaign.
I'll always remember my first encounter with each kind of zombie, but familiarity breeds contempt and after meeting them a few times I now am no longer scared of them. Maybe this is part of the games design, i.e. you become hardened to all the horror that is going on, but at the same time, I was hoping for one of the freakiest games I've played. One where I would scream and curse as I was firing my shotgun into the darkness.
With so many zombies coming at you it's not longer a scary game but a game you just hope to survive in. I'm not really sure what I was expecting it to be but it didn't achieve expectations for me.
All in all though, I enjoyed the game. The Co-op aspect is wonderful, and if you turn all the lights off and the sound way up it has its moments. I think I'll place it as an 8.6.
I only played it one night though, so that could be a problem.
~j
I think we need to play some 4 on 4 (survivors vs. zombies) to instill that fear again. . .
Coop is fun and all, but human opponents are a whole different can of worms.
You play as those zombie types (smoker, boomer, etc.) The game really was designed to be played online.
I can see where you were coming from and having those kind of expectations, this would be a bit of a let down.
It's not a deep dark story with suspense and scary tricks. Although I jumped plenty of times.
The real rush I got was the times when nothing was happening... you never new where that boomer was or from where the hunter was going to drop on you and summon another mass. That and, of course, emptying magazines at crap loads of zombies running at you screaming!
It's more the "Feeling of loneliness and semi hopelessness". "Your friends are all you've got. We are here. We need to get there. Billions of zombies in between. Good luck!"
It pumps you with suspense and anxiety and always seems to throw in little surprises now and then.
Like that time we were in that one place, I was backed into a corner throwing lead like confetti, and suddenly realized I was being hit from behind. I turn around to see 20 zombies breaking through the wall munching on my face!
/insert little girl scream
It's good group fun. Feels a lot like an archade game with the stats at the end and what not. Playing alone would certainly take away most of its charm. It's meant to be played with people. Honestly, sharing adventures and stories is what its all about.
Toby probably says it best:
"That is all I shall say about masturbation mode. In a group is where the fun begins."
I want to play this game, but since I'm not as prone to peer pressure as Micah (I know that's not saying much), I'll have to just wait for my chance to play on someone else's system.
P.S. to Micah: PWNED!!!
Well, if my system wasn't broke... maybe it would work out... :P
In Micah's defense, he's actually buying snow tires instead of an Xbox. While much more boring, better safe than dead.
But how are snow tires going to prepare Micah for the coming zombie apocalypse?
Dude.. snow tires are +25 trample damage to zombies when I run then over.
Yeah I'll be stuck driving you guys around and missing out on all the shooting and weapon goodness, but doesn't mean I'm not doing my share to cure the infection.
And peer pressure? How am I pwned for buying snow tires?
Maybe you just need a hug.
/hug josiah
First of all, you don't need snow tires in a zombie holocaust. The purpose would be to hit as many as possible not "trample" them. And you'd be far better off trying to hit them by sliding around. Secondly, you're gonna have to be driving now because your shooting skills won't be up to par because you don't have an xbox to play video games on.
Ah me... with great power comes great responsibility... *cocks gun* where are they?
Wouldn't the studded tires help in the ensuing "zombie puree" we leave on the streets? Maybe instead of studs we should use razor blades.
At least he's still useful, unlike that chic with the dog in Dawn of the Dead.
Chips? Come 'ere Chips! Where are you Chips. . .
OM NOM NOM NOM
Everyone knows that Micah is gonna be the one with some pet that gets left behind and we have to go back for it. Actually, it's gonna be his co-worker's pet, and his co-worker is gonna eat him.
It'll be George. 10 to 1 says George is already a zombie, just a smart one that is slowly trying to get Micah to let down his defenses.
I think George is like a pet zombie. He just showed up one day as a lost and lonely zombie, and Micah, being the pushover that he is, took him in and bought a new apartment for him to play in.
He prolly just eats random cats and dogs that come by.
NOM NOM NOM NOM
you just posted that so you could say
OM NOM NOM NOM
Indeed, Toby. You saw through my clever ruse of a post.
Post a Comment