Left 4 Dead? More like Left 4 Awesome!

So, I recently got a new computer for Christmas. I have been itching to get some games that would actually flex it's muscle some. I finally broke down and bought the Valve Complete Pack off of Steam. Included with that package is the amazing Left 4 Dead.

I will tell you, I am not usually a fan of anything that substitutes a number for a word, but I have to make an exception. This game is fried gold. The basic idea is that you are a member of a group of four (get it? Left four dead) survivors that are trying to make it to someplace you think is safe. In one mission it's a hospital, another is a boat dock and so on. Each level is broken into multiple acts that are broken up by save points known as "Safe Houses." Once at a safe house, you restock, patch up wounds and then make on your merry way again.

The weapons are pretty standard zombie movie and First person shooter stock. You get shotguns, machine guns, hand guns and rifles. Each has their own strengths and get an upgrade during the course of the level. You also get explosive devices such as pipe bombs and molotov cocktails to use, but be careful because you can only carry one such device and they are kind of rare. One neat little thing in the game is your ability to use items lying about in much the same way. For example, if you find a can of gasoline you can throw it into a crowd of zombies and then shoot it to cover them in fire.

The zombies themselves are more along the line of the modern "28 Days Later" variety. They are not always the slow shambling horde that will stumble towards you. These zombies will swarm you and cover the ground quickly, making the threat of being overwhelmed a true threat in any place that is open enough for not entry ways to be covered.

Add to that, there are special zombies. Each one has a special ability that will ruin your day. One has a tongue that will pull you away from the group, another will cover you in vomit that will attract all zombies in the area to you and even one that is pretty much a Zombie Hulk.

What story there is, is standard zombie faire, to the point that it's almost satirical if not for the grim and grisly events that happen in it. The game is very serious, but never to the point that it becomes melodrama. The characters in the game are also quick to make a joke.

One such example is when your characters pass a wall spray painted "God is Dead" one of the characters will shout "OH NO! THE ZOMBIES KILLED GOD!!!" The one liners aren't fast and furious, but when they show up I always find myself at least chuckling. Overall though, there is no real story to speak of and one isn't honestly needed. You are one of four people that are trying to survive. That's really all you need to know.

The game's most important part though is the group dynamic. You can play single player with the surprisingly good AI or play through each campaign with friends (or strangers) online. There is also a very fun versus mode that pits two teams of 4 against each other as survivors and special zombies.

Overall, this is a great game and I can't recommend it enough to FPS and zombie fans. Check it out on the PC or on Xbox 360. And check out this video to see what you're missing out on...


Click on the video to go to youtube and to see the higher quality video

Carl's Score: 9 out of 10

Xbox 360.5?

So, I was a little under the weather today and called off. Being that I had the whole day to recoup, I decided to get in some Fallout 3 time (final thoughts still on the way for that.) When my system boots up it tells me that there is an update for the system. Color me confused. Today is the 14th and the New Xbox Experience launches on the 19th. Why would there be a patch before a patch? Come to find out, I was chosen for a preview for the new system software. So I load it all up and get ready.

Right out of the gate they give you some fancy little movie that implies all the new things you will be able to do without actually showing you. They show EQ bars for music and media, mountains and deserts that look like something out of a video game... nothing really special. Once the system loads after this video, it's all new. Everything is pretty much different and the point is cemented with you being forced to create an avatar for your Live profile. Seems silly to force people to do this, but as I like avatars, it wasn't an issue.

The avatars are really neat. They kind of hit a nice middle ground as far as style goes. They aren't as cartoon like or basic as the Wii avatars, but not quite as Second Life like as Sony's shots of their new home system. Within a few enjoyable minutes I had a nice little avatar that looked a lot like me.

With the avatar out of the way, I got to finally get to the meat and potatoes. The new interface is, well... an interface. Nothing too impressive going on. It is nice to have a tab dedicated to upcoming events, but little else has changed, at least for the positive. If anything, I would say it's a style step forward but a content step back. Where as you used to be able to switch the blade on your Xbox and get a screen that clearly lists all the content on the page, you now have to scroll up or down to find the tab you want then proceed to scroll left or right to see what content is listed under the tab. It seems like extra work. I would prefer a page that just lays everything in front of you and doesn't force you to hunt around at what it has to offer. I'm sure using it more will make me more familiar with the content, but it doesn't seem like it's needed. To Microsoft's credit though, I think it's pretty.

The only other real large addition to the service that I have been able to find though is the Netflix Instant Queue feature. Under the Video Marketplace tab there is a big old Netflix logo. Clicking on it will prompt you to download a new program, much like Channels on the Wii. Once downloaded, you start the program and are given a short code to enter into your Netflix account via your computer and blamo! Now you can watch selections from your queue instantly on your Xbox. I have a 15 Mbps connection for my network and I have to say that the video quality is really good and I actually get some of the content in HD... when it's working. At first I had no issues with the service, but later in the evening I kept getting an error simply telling me I couldn't start this movie. It's still not live, so I hope they fix the issue, but for a feature that I get for no additional charge from two companies that I already pay, I can't complain much. It's nice because it's not just movies. I actually watched the first couple episodes of the US Office Season 2 and finally saw Orgazmo. Overall, a really cool and fun feature, especially for no additional cost.

So overall, I have to say it's not an overall step backwards. I don't think it warrants as much hype as some people are giving it, but it's got some strong features so far. Once the scheduled events of the Primetime Games goes live, maybe there will be more to talk about. In the end, it really doesn't matter what I say, because if you want to keep your Xbox up to date, you're getting this new software.