Others say...

"good game"
Not the usual shooter but a good game nonetheless. Game is in short segments but has a lot of replayability. Demands are high for computer specs. No save game option but not all that necessary in this type of game. Overall good game but I think over rated by the so-called experts.

"Surviving a Zombie Outbreak has never been such fun!!!"
Left 4 Dead is SUCH a good game, after you've beaten it countless times you'll be asking yourself, "Why isn't there a Left for Dead Fallout 3-type RPG?" "Why isn't this game longer?" "WHERE DO I BUY MORE MAPS????"

SO AWESOME! The computer's that assist you are not only good, they're BETTER than YOU! Tired of the computers that destroy the realism by getting stuck on a chair or in a corner and then destroyed? NOT in this game. While the computer will never leave you behind (it's against their programming =) they will NEVER shoot you while shooting hundreds of zombies all around you with an M16, or even BETTER, sometimes the computer chooses the Sniper Rifle and with DEAD-Eye accuracy shoots zombies standing on buildings 200 yards away.

A WELL programmed INCREDIBLY smooth game that just goes to show you, that like Blizzard Entertainment and Sid Meier's, Valve is one of the MOST trusted companies in the Video Sphere.

WELL DONE VALVE!!

NOW WE WANT MORE!!! I'd like to see a Fallout 3-type Left 4 Dead Survival Shooter where (instead of being some cheesy reporter) you and a few friends have to make your way Fallout 3 style through the undead landscapes of (insert major city). Maybe even make it all the way across the country? You could show major landmarks in their blasted undead state.

All that being said, Left 4 Dead's single player campaign is incredibly short. It's cheesy movie-style storyline is AWESOME but in the next it would be OK if there was a Half Life 2 type play-through, ya know, I mean, if you guys have the time.

Seriously? That's how good the game is. I hesitate even to offer suggestions for fear of Jinking the GENIUS that Left 4 Dead 2 could be.

I took away 1 Star for Replayability because it's so short and there are so few maps (only 4), but even with only 4 maps I'm STILL Discovering things, for example (I just learned this). There are Propane tanks and Gas stations hidden throughout that cause HUGE explosions that people are not even noticing. I hit one and the explosions was HUGE!!! Burning Zombies (and allies, WHOOPS!) EVERYWHERE!

"Don't let this game fool you! Read on!"
This game is nicely engineered, it looks great, and it runs on just about any computer that meets the minimum requirements (see link for system requirements).

http://www.playerzblog.com/left-4-dead-minimum-requirements.html

The game lets you play as four characters, an old fellow wearing a commando hat, a biker, a house wife, and a yuppie. It's a match made in hell.

The game has 5 levels. Of those four characters, you control your character, and the three other characters are controlled by bots or your buddies (CO-OP or cooperative online play, the game in innovative in this area). You go through the level mowing down zombies with bots & or buddies at your side. Great so far right? No so.

There is no storyline or plot (although the game starts off with a long cut-scene). It becomes repetitive and more like a flash game. If you've played one level (subway), you've played them all (rooftop finale, etc). You mow the zombies, you move on until you reach the next level. Sometimes your character get pinned down by enemies, and an animation plays that shows you struggling on the floor. Only three of your buddies can help you out then. But this effect becomes cheap. For example, if you hanging off the side of a building you can't get back up by yourself. Your buddies have to come and help you get back up (this is annoying because almost every other game out there lets you do that on your own).

There are several types of enemies here, there are your average, run of the mill zombies, but you have some that are called hunters, witches, and more. These 'special zombies' have special abilities, and they can do you more damage. If you kill them, you get a statistic at the end of the level, that reads: 'Zimmer or your character' killed the most witches, or 'Zimmer' got the most headshots, 'Zimmer' took the least damage.

The game suffers from design flaws. The characters constantly yell out 'reloading.' It becomes a chore to listen to them. The rooms in the game are often dark which isn't a problem because this is a zombie game, but the scope of your flashlight is diminutive. The scope is so small that it illuminates, at best, 10% of your monitor screen. This causes some motion sickness.

There may be achievements, but there is no accomplishment in the game folks. If you want a good online cooperative game, Try SWAT 4 which has amazing online play & co-op & single player. Try BF2142 or BF2, both are great. But if you're adamant, try Left 4 Dead for a few days and you'll see what I mean when I say this game gets old fast!

"Great Fun..."
What do you get when you combine Resident Evil with Counterstrike? Left4Dead is mainly made for online play but does have a single player campaign to it, only drawback is there is no savegame feature to the single player aspect, you have to remember where you left off to start again from the main menu. It does run fine on a single core processor older computer, just make sure you have a decent video card. Just meet the minimum requirements and it will run fine, surprisingly as there is a lot happening on the screen. Overall a great action game with a Resident Evil feel to it, just can't understand the lack of a single player save system.

"More fun than you would expect"
It seems most people love this game, with a few dissenters here and there. I have to question if these folks have played this game online, where the experience is rich. There aren't too many great co-op games and this is one of them.

Since I've purchsed this game, I've been playing it non-stop. While it is true that the Movie "chapters" are rather short, especially if played on Easy, there are several achievements in the game that make it fun to try and achieve with friends as a group.

There is also versus (4 survivors vs 4 infected) mode that is very fun. It takes some practice to become good as the infected. There's something quite satisfying about completing a successful co-ordinated attack as the infected. Sometimes the difference between success and failure is one perfectly timed attack. I find it rewarding when I am able to create that opening.

I'm looking forward to enhancements or add-ons to the game. I've spent over 50 hours online with this game already. I've seen the game on sale locally a few times that is cheaper than thru steam. So keep that in mind for the folks who have complained about the price.