Left 4 Dead Demo Screens
Some time last year, I made a statement that Zombie culture was making a comeback. Amidst the popularity of the Walking Dead comic series and movies like Quarantine and Diary of the Dead, Left 4 Dead was just one of the big clues.
I just finished playing the Left 4 Dead pre-order demo, solo, and then online with a full team of survivors. If you haven’t been following, Left 4 Dead is a first person shooter, and will be featuring four Movie Campaigns, a set of stories/scenarios from which you must escape, playing as part of a team of zombie infection survivors. Your object, I believe, will never change: dont die and be get rescued. But the journey to safety will be an arduous and life-threatening (did I mention morbidly scenic and memorable?) one.
Maybe these screenshots might paint a better picture…
This one’s already dead
Pop goes the weasel!
How many licks does it take to get to the 
This one had a run in with R. Kelly
Haters wanna hate, Lovers wanna love
That red ain’t part of the tattoo
New Orange Box Juice, made with 100% pure Vitamin V
I’m sure all the crackheads and car thieves learned 
I really really want this game, but I’m not sure my wallet does. I know you’re a TF2 addict – could you potentially see L4D pulling you away from it? Or would you say they are quite different experiences?
I plan on getting it for PC, but am wary of getting a game like this if most won’t have mic (as opposed to the 360 version). On the other hand, it’s hard to argue TF2 is the same game on 360 as it is on PC (updates and player-base). What’s your opinion?
Well, like you said, they are two very different experiences. At the moment, I believe TF2 to be a much more technical game, and therefore suitable for tournaments and competitive play. Both teams have equal choice in class and armament selection (if you’ve unlocked enough achievements), and the maps are generally symmetrical, and if not, balanced for equal timing and strategy.
I think Left 4 Dead however, is making an attempt at an online experience with narrative components. Maps are linear, and weaponry and aid items are limited. The game is designed so that one team should be frightened, and the other frightening.
The short answer (I’ll get into more analysis when the full game is released) is that I think there will be enough room for both games. TF2 will remain a competition-based shooter. The players who want to hone their skills for headshots and rocketjumping will certainly stay here. L4D will be a slight deviation from that. The fun will be in the experience, the survival story (or the opposite, if you’re playing as the Infected), and the (virtual) high fives that should accompany such an experience.
Also, I found that reaction time was crucial in my survival of the first morsels of the demo campaign, and I was thankful to be playing on my PC. That being noted, I’m doubtful of how well this title will do on consoles, but also hopeful that a developer like Valve would learn from their previous console endeavours. We’ll just have to wait and see.