Okay gentlemen, what you see here is a FPS zombie killing game that is actually addictive and entertaining (and funny) at the same time. "Left 4 Dead" made me play the single player and the multi player for hours and hours non-stop. The single player, inspired by movie scenarios, is very innovative and fun. The multiplayer is also a big hit for the game. With 3 other partners, you can go out and whoop those **** zombies anytime!! A great must-play!! Hurray for Valve!!!!






Note: The game gets boring after a few months.… Expand

The game is very good, the graphics are awesome. But there is only a problem: you play Left 4 Dead for a month or two and then you'll not play it anymore.

If you have a few friends that are willing to get this game with you, you must try it. This game can be a lot of fun. In my case only if I play with friends.

The game is amazing. Great Graphics and the increasing hordes makes the game very addicting as well as zombies being in different places each time you play the campaigns. Great game with nice weapons. I recommend it!

best zombie game ever! the characters, the zombie models, the special infected, the co up, the versus! all so fun! i always wanted a game which had easily killed zombies but still had to use team work to survive, probebly the best co up game i can think of in the moment, nope its the best i know!

Don't play the game if you are light-hearted, have heart disease, or don't like zombies that jump on to you. Because this game is one of the scariest zombie games I've ever had to play. But it is shear fun just to shoot the crap out of the zombies. And the best part is? They keep coming and you just keep on shooting. Nice, right? Check this game out right away. I regret not playing this earlier.

This game was such a blast when it came out! It's now been superseded by L4D2, which is even better, but I still rate this as one of the best games of all times.

Ten hours played and only a few times was it any enjoyable, the rest was ruined by a bunch of a-holes. Try to go through a few games without encountering someone that'll complain and whine about their team while they run ahead of the pack solo.

The only original zombie game. I can proudly say that I've squandered several years of my life playing this game. Unfortunately Valve appears to have abandoned this game after releasing Left 4 Dead 2 (which for the most part does indeed suck many a scrotilia).

point gun, shoot sums up the game pretty well, there are 7 guns, the pump shot gun, the uzi the pistol, the dual pistol the hunting rifle, the assault rifle, and the shotgun. if you've played any game with all these weapons then you've played this game before, the zombies can withstand about 2 hits from any gun and in versus mode you can't choose what to play as a zombie, another generic shooter for counterstrike kiddies to love forever… Expand

The game is not bad... It's just so limited. I'm really suprised that so many people like this game. It is fun for 20 mins, but then gets old quickly. Imagine paying 50+ dollars for this game - well I bought it for 30 cents (in China), so I can't complain too much. It's great that they released a game that has zombies in it... it just needs a strong offline mode, and of course a longer game length. Valve are starting to lose the plot. 50 bucks! it should be a free download.… Expand

Gee...this game is best of I play in my life, abundance in zombies, good guns, and inspirade in the movie of George Romero, not can be better!!!!

It is such a awesomem game graphic wise and violence wise because the whole world has the full violence version and the game hardly gets boring.

its the best zombie game ever i cant wait to the left 4 dead 2

Great game. This game has exellent graphics and gameplay, it doesn't have much of a story, and I admit it gets a bit boring after a while. It is very amusing too. Not all people in multiplayer are jerks, you might even make friends. And if you people complain it's too easy, try other difficulties, it gets less boring that way aswell.

How can anything this simple and repetitive be so entertaining? I stopped asking myself that question after the first hour. Left4Dead has become one of my all time favorite Source games.

what do you get when you mix: -four friends -five campagnes -4 game modes -8 weapons -an ai that actualy populates the level as you progres -and a whole buttload of zombies? you get the most replayble game ever made, you can easily spend 20-40 hours on this game just play the base four campagne, and that not includeing the dlc and user created content for pc!

Absolute rubbish. No continuity. Just MODS slapped together and called very loosly 'campaign' with no saved games. Extremely bad pathfinding. You go round in circles trying to find an exit meanwhile they darken it more so you spend 90% indoors searching for an exit. Repetitive. Just a very poorly designed bunch of MODS they fooled people into thinking was a GAME. I have sent an official complaint to Valve that this is not a game but MODS strung together. Guns and player movements are copied and pasted from Counter Strike. NO originality. No story. No campaign just endless, boring, repetitive shooting and killing of the same sprites. Not a game. No skill required or used. Just hold your mouse button down and shoot. No strategy, no talent at all required. RIP OFF. Be very careful of Valve releases in future. They have a MOD look about them and are rushed out to rake in the $$$$ but are really other games MODDED. L4D2 is Counter Strike MODDED that's all.… Expand

Video killed the radio star. Very sad but what had to be an expansion for L4D, but became L4D2 killed this game. Why Valve? :(

DAVID N you have any idea what you are talking about?? metacritics please remove his comment this is a AWESOME GAME and its no mods

Fun, realistic zombie movie experience... way too hard when using single player though - the bots are just not smart enough....

I have one...rather huge beef with this game. The happy part is, it's not a problem that has been caused by the game itself. However, this problem is so huge and towering as to block out the sun. The game itself and everything about it easily earn the 9 I am giving it. However, the brutal fact that a healthy portion of its online players are quite possibly the scum of the earth, the evolutionary low, the creations that God shudders at when he realizes he created them, can really wear on the more serious players. I am trying not to be a whiny hater noob about this. I get 1st place on every chapter, literally 9/10 times I play, no matter what difficulty, in all of the important aspects. Despite this fact, in almost every match I've ever played, there has always been, at bare minimum, one incredibly anti-social sadist who wants to ruin the experience. Every. Single. Time. If this were a PvP/TvT FPS, I wouldn't care. People will be posturing lunatics in such games as CoD4 or FEAR2 or CS:S or whatever...but seriously? Can you even pretend to care about a team? If you are not one of those people and you don't want to deal with the infinite stream of madmen, idiots and TKers, skip this one. If you ARE one of the above, please...PLEASE, for the love of God, don't buy this game. Leave us serious people in peace so we can actually have fun playing this game with people who actually give a second crap about playing with a half-sane team.… Expand

Zombies, Guns and Online Co-Op. That's all this game really is. Though it may be a very, very simple premise; Left 4 Dead is an outstandingly enjoyable game. Not a true 10 only for one reason. NO STORY. Simply put: THIS IS NO SINGLE PLAYER GAME. To truly enjoy this you need an active Internet connection. While many will see this as a fault, this is an inspired move. As Left 4 Dead has only one goal in mind and that is replayability. Thus, the total lack of ending helps create and bring that one fact home: every time you play, every time you pick up your pistol, every night you will spend playing this game over and over and over is a new and horrifying experience. No Way Around it: Fun Fun Fun.… Expand

I love this game.

This game has all of the basic elements that a shooter should have and more. It gives the hardcore a mode, the director is one of the smartest ever created and it's cheap right now. Left 4 Dead is probably the best zombie shooter ever. Yet. I hope that Valve can release even more great games.

It is the best game in the world! In it there is all - Replaying, fascination, she class, interesting. I say thank big to developers! In Russia game costs 600 roubles - the real price for such game! First a part of game much more interesting - she interesting and characters is more attractive than the second part better...
All I shall advise to get this game, you will not regret cent, you will be keen in this game for a long time and if you have friends - that tell and let they will buy it, they will not regret!… Expand

Zombie games aren't exactly in a famine these days. With so many games focusing on surviving against zombies, it can be hard to pick any good games from the crowd. But with Left 4 Dead, I believe all other games have just been blown out of the water. In L4D, you play as one of four survivors- Bill, Francis, Zoey, or Louis. Each has their own little back story and their own personality, something that helps you connect. Like Francis, who hates stairs, helicopters, zombies, walking, and generally anything and everything. There are multiple campaigns in the game, each with a different set of locales and atmospheres. Like the first campaign, No Mercy, which has you moving through a city to rendezvous on a hospital skyscraper rooftop. Each campaign is broken into chapters, which have you getting from the start area to a safehouse. At the last chapter, you face a thing called a finale, where you get a bunch of supplies, an area to hole out in, and a trigger to start it. When you activate the trigger, a massive horde of zombies rush at you. And the game features a "Director," who controls how the chapter is going. For example, you might hole out in a parking lot in one area and defend against a wave of zombies using gas canisters in one playthrough, and maybe the next the canisters won't be there and the zombies will come from behind. And killing zombies in this game is FUN. You start out with a single pistol, and can pick up an smg or a shotgun. Later in a chapter you find upgraded weapons, which are a hunting rifle, an auto shotgun, and an assault rifle. The game gets pretty gory when using a shotgun or hunting rifle, as headshots will take zombie heads clean off and shotgun blasts will tear off limbs. If you like FPS games, or zombie games, this is the game for you.… Expand

Amazingly fun game. Buy it NOW! It is very fun survival mode and versus mode, and you can play with friends and just have a good time blowing zombiw hordes apart! What more do you want?

L4D is a "Co-Op" Game. Not like those other Co-Op titles where your team is a bunch of galooting **** making no difference when you leave the group and finish the level on yourown.

This gmae says "NO! I'm going to have boss-battles that prevent you from splitting up because they stun-lock you into poistions stopping you from moving and getting your **** chopped off and you need your team to help!" What's weird is that if this was tried in any other FPS/Co-Op game, it would fail, Recklessley, but here it runs smoothly and perfectly.

You have hord attracting zombies, leaving you to the mercy of your team.
You have the hit and runners, causing your team to quickly get it off you and kill it before it strikes again, ECT ECT.

Half of the time you'll be walking back and forth, and occasionally sitting down on a box in a locked cupboard because you died. Whenever you die you're sent to a small cupboard where you must wait....and wait... and wait...Weaponless and itemless waiting for your team to help.

True survival horror Crowd Based madness.
However it gets a bit repetetive though, but maps are often updates/added, so they're basically spoon-feeding you the same thing but with a different flavour.

Worth the $12 dollars on steam.… Expand

Left 4 Dead is an awesome game and the only classic I have seen in a while. The story is about four survivors who are stranded in a town struck by the T-viru-, I mean a horrible infection which turned the citizens into zombies. Louis, Francis, Bill and Zoey are amazing characters that you will certainly grow to love and everytime we start playing the game we end up in a fight over who get's to play which awesome character. The story is mostly told through graffiti on the walls left there by other survivors and very subtle elements such as covered up bodies or piles of infected. The only downside is that the story of the survivors doesn't really make sense. At the end of every chapter you get saved from the city and at the beginning of every chapter you are standed again. That is the only reason this game does not get a full 10!


The gameplay is the best part because this game is endlessly replayable. The goal is to fight through the infected and make it to the next safehouse, in the final part of each mission you will have to wait for rescue while thousands of zombies try to kill you. Thanks to the AI Director who decides where zombies, items and special infected spawn the game is never same twice and the difficulty is adjusted to your playstyle. The special infected also force you to adapt to a new situation very quickly, so you can't just mow through the infected alone because you will be picked off. This game perfectly enforces teamwork and you can replay it at any time, that is a true multiplayer game and a true classic.

Finally, I also want to mention the presentation. A lot of effort has gone into making the city and everything that happens look as realistic as possible. There is never a moment that you will spend in a place you can't relate to and that is just amazing. The music is also awesome and like the AI Director it is different for each playthrough and each player hears a different song.

Summary: Great game which you can replay at any time without getting bored. Story fails to connect events to each other, but the presentation easily makes you forget about that.… Expand

The main problem is finding reliable teammates. Hunters and smokers (special zombies) can render one character completely useless, so if you're playing a 4v4 online and they have 3 hunters and 1 smoker, they can orchestrate their attack well enough that it will disable everyone on your team. It is very frustrating to sit there and watch your character go from 100 health to dead while your teammates run around like chickens with their heads cutoff. Otherwise it is exciting, scary, and fun.… Expand

If you like fast paced, co-op first person shooters this is the game for you. The directer AI ensures an unique gameplay through each map. I have only played the demo so far, but already have wasted over 5 hours on it.

This game is not for everyone, but if you like blowing the heads off of zombies, while screaming at your pal to watch out for that hunter this is a must buy.

Great atmospherics, the Director AI is the next thing in gaming. Co-op is a must to play, and the Versus mechanics for playing Infected is well-balanced. I do believe the Infected that aren't the Tank need to deal damage more effectively, but overall this game gives a great zombie experience.

this has to be one of the best zombie games... its first person shooter.... and if u get the chance to play the game no the demo u can play as the infected that has special abilities... will be a favorite for a long time... the lay out of maps are super well laid out... and the zombies run at u!

Très beau graphisme, très bon gameplay mais la durée de vie de ce jeu se limite à son nombre de scénario disponible, ici je parle de maps. Le joueur fera très rapidement le tour des scénarios disponible et pourra donc affecter légèrement le gameplay. Les concepteurs de Left 4 Dead vont tout simplement parier sur le fait que les fans rajouteront des maps de leur touche personnelle comme dans les autres titres de Valve (ex: Counter-Strike), pour augmenter la durée de vie du jeu. Pas une location, mais un achat. Sachez que Valve publie toujours des jeux non complets. Donc Left 4 Dead ne sera méconnaissable dans 2 ans, lorsque toutes les patchs et addons seront faits.… Expand

Awesome game, anything I can complain about with this game will soon be fixed by mods. I have never seen the perfect game but this one is pretty close, source engine is getting old but it looks wonderful in this game, frames per second is high despite tons of on screen action. Had it a little more engaging in game story it would easily rank as on of the best FPS of all time, as is I like it better than HL 1-2, Highly recommended for FPS fans and anyone who loves zombies.… Expand

Valve has done it again, people. Simply outstanding. This game will make you happy, sad, scared, fearless, along with an array of others. Versus mode is amazing, you will come to love every infected class available. Please note this though: if you don't like dying repeatedly, you will not like playing as the infected. However, the extreme satisfaction you experience after pouncing a survivor from 4 stories up as the hunter will make you forget that you just died.
Single player had a lackluster story, but made that up with the beautiful environments (courtesy of Valve's amazing source engine), and intense gameplay. The first time I played the campaign, I noticed my heart beating wildly in my chest and the fact that I hadn't blinked in the last 40 minutes.
Lastly, the new AI director will ensure that, no matter how many times you play a mission, you will never recieve the same experience. No longer will gamers have the chance to memorize where clusters of enemies are, and where health and ammo will be.
Left 4 Dead is highly recommended for fans of fast-paced FPS gameplay, and zombie lovers alike.… Expand

I was actuially pretty disappointed with Gears 2. It felt to me like Halo 2 all over again. Not that it's similar to halo 2, but i mean in its relationship to Gears 1. I think the critics are giving it much more hype than it deserves, as the game is less a new game than it is the original game revamped. Which some people might find great, but i was disappointed.

Spectacularly phenomenal co-op gaming experience! And the AI Director keeps every single playthrough different and fresh! Crazy how well it works. A whole new game every time you play it!

Quite simply, L4D is one of the most intense, scary, adrenaline-pumping games I've EVER played in my life!!!! It's especially sweet if you're also a big zombie/horror movie fan! Just pure action-horror gaming bliss.

Game of the Year worthy? Heck yes it is!!!… Expand

Has a decent length if played on the corect difficulty and has endless replay value.
The source engine is a little outated but is really showing us what it can do with this game. Any bugs are always fixed by Valve quickly and one of the golden features of a Valve game is that they are going to add more content over time. Balenced perfectly!

Just a great game, always fun to play. since everyone loves this game, i would like to point out my cons about the game. Even though the Director does randomly change zombie locations, they are still in one of a few spots that you will see them. in other words, its random to a point. My other main complain is that it isnt a very long game, although the director makes up for this a little bit. i really would like the option of custom game maps, like cs:s. apart from that, awsome game!… Expand

How can you give this game anything other than a 10. How long has it been since we've had a coop game with this kind of depth. The game is quick, creepy, and more fun to play than anything I've experienced in a while. WTG Valve!

Definitely an amazing game; I would say it is the first person shooter of the year. Never played any better zombie survival game, and the fact that it highly leans toward co-op makes it even better. The game is definitely not easy unless you're on easy or normal difficulty, thus there's always a lot of teamwork involved. It also has a great amount of replayability, since the way everything is laid out in each game is different from the other.

10/10

P.S. Sean McPartlin, there's a reason why this game is called Left4Dead, because it's Four survivors. If it was more than that then it defeats the purpose of the title.… Expand

L4D is the best zombie game of all time. Coop is addictive and the AI director changes things up on you each time you play leaving the potential for a huge amount of replayability. Versus is excellent as well. 4 zombies try to stop 4 humans from reaching safety and the teams switch to see which human side can get the farthest with the most survivors still standing. It is so satisfying to just barely pull things together as a survivor and make it to the saferoom with a mob at your heels, or as a zombie to yank a survivor away from the group and watch your team rip him to shreds. One of the most impressive aspects of the game is how polished it is, particularly with regards to the animations. The sense of momentum that the zombie horde has when it charges you is just amazing, and it really feels like your weapon is connecting when you smash a zombie with the end of a gun and it goes reeling back. The only critique I have is directed at the matchmaking system. There's no way to select where the server you want to play in is located, or whether it is modified or not, so if you're unlucky, you might end up in a server with cheats enabled or one that's just horribly laggy.… Expand

Iv'e played Fallout 3, Farcry 2, and many of the other hit titles this Fall and so far, this is my favorite game yet. I love every single thing about this game. The graphics are great, but the death animations are the best iv'e seen. The game's dificulty ranges from possible to insane, and i cannot believe people actually wanted another dificulty level. I see myself playing this game quite possibly until the end of the year, and likely beyond. I can't wait to do this at a LAN game tommorow with all my friends!… Expand

Over Priced, game play is boring over time, gets old very quick and ive only played it for at least 2 hours, not to mention how buggy it is, and this hidden server browser which barely works is CRAP UTTER crap. I wish i didn't buy it gollydamnit I should refute the charges.

I love this game not only because it's included the fast zombies in the zombie apocolypse, but because it's constantly a new experience. The Director does a fantastic job in creating new gameplay each time you play a level, never being predictable to the point of boring. Valve never disspoints me and this game is no exception.

Incredible atmosphere and unbelivable environments are just the framework for a great game that forces you to work together and actually have fun doing it. This is just awesome, Haven't had this much fun in a long time. It really captures the feeling of being in your own personal zombie movie. The weapons feel right, the characters have some personality, and the zombies will scare the crap out of you at times. Being a Valve game it also probably means that, just like Counter Strike, it will probably have tremendous community support in the way of user created content I would imagine. Outstanding game. Pure adreanline rush! Well done Valve!!… Expand

This game is one of the most fun I've ever played. It's had me hooked since I downloaded the demo and continues to be exciting every game. I would like to give it closer to 9.5 for a few minor issues with game play (tanks are really unfair at times in versus). Hopefully they keep updating the achievements to make us keep playing campaigns!

All win

First of all this is not a single player rambo game. If your team doesn't work together you lose. Its that simple. Zombies, boss zombies are epic, every class has a unique roll to play and each one has a counter.

Valve is also going to be putting in more content as time goes on and that will add even more value. The AI director makes sure that every play threw is different.

If you like FPS and zombies, can learn from the more experianced players, buy this game it is fantastic.… Expand

I'm an old gamer with very high standards when it comes to current games. There are so many games out there that are re-hashed from a decade ago. And most of them fail to impress... I like many of you have played it all and seen it all..

Until Now!!!

This is definitely one of the most unique games I've played in a long, long time. The best part of this game is the co-op play. It's fantastic and works extremely well. If you don't work together you die period.

The story line aspect keeps you engaged and the stats and achievement system is a nice touch. The zombies are perfectly done and react well to all sorts of gun fire :). Physics are very well done and overall presentation is Top notch with a capital T. The game play is FANTASTIC and the replayability factor remains very high. Did I stress the fantastic fun game play enough??? :) Game play easily gets a 10 out of 10 in my book.

As for flaws... well... I'm hard pressed to find any glaring flaws with this game. Maybe they could have added a flame thrower or something but now I'm being picky :)..

Simply - A Brilliant Game.… Expand

This game is great. If you're a zombie fan, you'll love it. First, the graphics: Very good for the source engine. The facial animations on the main characters are great. I'll never forget the first time I saw one of my fellow players injured, lying on the ground screaming his head off, then to look and see that the facial animations followed this screaming: mouth gaping, eyes wide open, a genuinely terrified look on his face. The zombies are great too. The way they shamble, run and stumble when you hit them is very impressive. As far as the gameplay, it's great. If you've played even 1 or 2 Valve shooters, you'll be fine with this game. The game helps you along nicely without being annoyingly easy. I think my favorite part of the game, overall, is the Versus mode. Basically, 4 players will play as humans and any players present over that 4 will be placed on the undead team. You can sort of "spectate" the map and figure out where you want to spawn. It tells you what kind of zombie you'll spawn as and whether or not you can spawn (you can't be too close to the humans). I honestly think I've had the most fun playing as the zombies, especially the one time I've gotten to be the "tank". Nothing like smacking people across the room or ripping up chunks of the ground to throw at them. Great fun. Most well-done, original and FUN game I've played since the Orange Box, hands down.… Expand

The game Left 4 Dead is one of the best zombie apocalypse games ever made. You can do everything from comitting genocide in campaign mode against the zombies to playing in versus mode and shredding human flesh and even become the tank. Left 4 Dead provides excellent gameplay and scenarios to be one of the best games valve has ever made - that is why I am giving it a 10/10. recommended for zombie-lovers, FPS' and multiplayer madness.… Expand

A great game! Even with the initial 4 campaigns and small supply of weapons, this game is endlessly entertaining! I played the same 2 levels in the demo for a total of 24 hours and never got bored. I HIGHLY recommend this game, it is a must buy, especially for the zombie movie/gamer lover enthusiast, like myself. This game is literally like being in 28 days later.

Music is dynamic and unscripted, and has subtle cues which make you keep it on. Zombies and weapons/perks spawn dynamically, which means you dont memorize maps and spawn points and get bored, you constantly are on your toes. Playing is epic. You feel like you're in a movie where the ending could and very often is your demise. 10/10. Playing FPS/RPG/RTS/MMORPG games for ten+ years and this is one of those few WINNERS you come across, just like starcraft was for RTS and the like.… Expand

Great game, however this is not a game for all. Most Steam games are geared towards a certain type of players. If you liked the past steam games before than you'll love this one. If you didn't, then... you might or might not like it. I'm not worried about the content, Valve always seems to add new content periodically. Just wait and enjoy.

great game . but it's just for multiplayer though. not a big deal for me but maybe for others. it's just that i always have some type of story to tell friends about this game .

example: "man last night we took on a tank and than got vomitted on by a boomer and had to fight an entire horde and still we made it on expert"

that sort of stuff i meant :)

This is definitely one of my favourite games of all time. I've always been looking for a great coop game and a great zombie shooter, combine these two things and what you now have is a recipe for Left 4 Dead. Easily one of the best games of the year; replayability, action, fun, friends. Even the way your heart gets thrown into a rapid beat because once you think its safe, the Director kicks you in the chest and goes "I'm not done with you yet..." And for those complaining about content, if you have ever played a game made by valve, you would know that alot of the (free) content comes out later, most of it from the community. "Just hang in there" until the new SDK is released.… Expand

I brought the game. But character depth is missing. Why they are all the same? Why one character hasn't abilities or skills that make him unique? I think that for have a 10, the game is missing these and some type of character improvement, level after level, campagin after campaign. Btw the multiplayer is awesome, I hadn't so much fun from a cooperative game from "Diablo 1". It merits to be brought.… Expand

I think John S. was a little confused on what this game accomplishes. So there is no story...well duh...I would have thought the demo sent that message clearly. This game is aimed at cooperative play, and personally I think it does a great job. If you have some friends who enjoy zombie games this will be your favorite game, period. If you are looking for a game that immerses you in an original detailed story then play a RPG.… Expand

This game is truly a piece of fun/Action. A lot of action and intense battles against the horde of Infected, bosses infected, 20 maps pure of fun and re-playable, the A.I Director do an amazing work when spawning Infected by the maps, this is what make me play this game a lot! The Versus mode in my opinion is the best choice for veteran gamers that seek a good intense fight against 4 Infected Bosses ( controlled by players ) and the Witch ( can't be controlled by player ). The music inside the game as the effects are just awesome, graphics are good and the game isn't so "heavy" in requirements. At all I wanted to say this: The gameplay is re-playable and make you get a lot of fun, Versus Mode is intense and the game in all is well made.… Expand

This is one of the most interesting games I've played in a long time. First person shooters come in many different flavors, but I think we finally have a new flavor in the shop. I love the cooperative elements that are required for survival and the fact that you can play as the infected as well in versus mode. This is what co-op is supposed to be.

I can even see this idea being used in the future with other games of a more realistic nature.....

Bravo. Lets see you guys expand on this idea.… Expand

This is in my top3 list of the best games i've played. It has AWESOME AI wich spawn zombies, pills, weapons and ammo difrent evry time so you can play the same level again and again. And the co up is the best ive seen since if you wanna go RAMBO you WILL die. I love that it's like playing in a movie. The voice acting i great. Versus mode is also fun as hell. The only thing u did not like about the game is that only two of the "movies" could be played on versus.
10/10!… Expand

The game is simply amazing, i love everything about it. But if i had to complain about one thing, it would be that so far this game isn't modifiable. You can't skin it yet or make maps for it. At least we havn't figured out how to do it yet. The game levels are awesome, creative and even though there's been other zombie games out there, i think this one is unique. The AI Director is truly an amazing feat and always gives you something different. The weapon system is great and i love how the pistol is unlimited. Great game, i'd definitely recommend it, especially if you liked the Zombie Panic! mod for cs:s. So apart from the modding great job Valve!… Expand

I believe this game is what many zombie horror fans have waited for no longer do we have to play mods like zombie panic or zombie master or zombie whatever..... we now have left 4 dead it has graphics game play story line and everything all on one plate one word to describe this game is it's a winner

After playing the demo non-stop for 2 weeks (and frying my video card) I can say this game has me addicted. So much so that I ordered another computer to replace my 5 yr old dell just for this game. The weapons are absolutely perfect, every weapon is useful in certain situations as opposed to say counterstrike, where it's awp-deagle or m4 or AK ALL the time. This is the kind of game you will call in sick to work for. Addictive as crack. Well balanced. On the advanced level, it's really tough to get through, which is great. And you can't learn from your mistakes, if the survivors die, they start over and the map is randomized with new weapon drops, zombie spawns, choke points. I don't think people understand how amazing this is.… Expand

Although the survival horror + zombies thing has been done to death, Valve still manages to make L4D interesting and fun. The Director system insures that each time you play through a level, it will be a different experience. It loses one point, however, because in order to fully enjoy the game, you've gotta play with 3 other people. The game was definitely made to be played with 4 survivors on expert mode.… Expand

I've been playing this game since when it was released until now. IMO, it's a fun game and is insanely challenging. After 4 days of playing, I was able to beat one of the four campaigns on expert. There're also achievements to make the game more fun, maybe unlocking them will release something like valve did with TF2. Also, I heard valve would be updating L4D just like TF2 so there'd be more options… Expand

Whoa. Blown away by the demo, comepletely blown away by the game! Since VALVe (by what I know), have never made a zombir shooter before. Zombie survival games don't need to have a story/plot, all the player needs to know is that a Zombie Infection or Outbreak has happened and only four players survived. Plus, VALVe have made something into a game which is generally hard to put into a game. Teamwork. If you go off alone with a shotgun, chances are that a Hunter will punce on you and you will get zombiefied. And if you stay together and use teamwork, you will have a much larger chance of surviving.… Expand

The game is great..no question. The only problem I had was with the lack of LAN support. The Xbox version allows split-screen multi-player. On a PC...you have to buy a copy for every computer...and "log-in" to their STEAM service (basically a server lobby). Sorry...I'm not going to pay $100 for 2 copies of a game just to play co-op with my kids for a few weeks until they're bored of it.
And I personally don't like having to register/subscribe to a "service" just to play a game...even single player. Microsoft did this with Gears of War (1). Screwed up a perfectly good game because of it.… Expand

At first when I played the demo, I was pleasantly shocked at how fun the game was. So fun, in fact, I played the demo over and over on the weekend and was never bored once. But when the game actually came out, I started to see flaws. Firstly, I believe nobody can really relate to the characters. I went thru the commentary and noticed how they actually put some thought into character personality but seriously, who the hell can relate to these 4 people?: a toughguy biker, an old vietnam vet, a computer officer worker, and a woman(arn't most people who play video games guys?). Secondly, after I beat No Mercy campaign along with Death Toll and Dead Air, I cant help but have the feeling I already played these levels before I even actually started. Lets see: No Mercy is shoot zombies and escape in a helicopter, Death Toll is shoot zombies and escape on a boat, Dead Air is shoot zombies and escape in a airplane [didn't play blood harvest yet =)]...hmmm....Futhermore, I was promised 10 new weapons in the demo but what I saw in the demo is apparantly all I get. (all the weapons in the game doesn't amount to 10 not including gas/propane tanks which arn't truely weapons).Of course, everyone complains about no back story or no progressing story line. I would think that if all 4 campaigns were connected somehow I would feel like Im in an awsome story or adventure but valve commentary stated that they didn't want that. Hopefully, valve will release new content and it is the responsibility of valve to do so and not the mod developers/customers who spent their hard earned $50s to improve upon a game they themselves bought.
Overall I liked the game and the sense of comraderie it brings with your friends. The game is very original and at first I scoffed at the idea of running zombie (28 Days Later permanently killed the true zombie) but it really adds to the tension of the game and a lot of thought went into the AI and the game's attempt to make every playthru random. Final Verdict: get it but also make your friends get it; Your comrade-survivor AI is kinda stupid.… Expand

I fear that it will become too repetitious and the novelty will wear off, but until that happens, this is an amazing gaming experience! The environments, the sound design, the detail and the scares are all there in spades. Thumbs up (or not, in the case of the hand in the game logo) from this guy! Now back to battling the undead for me!

Valve has created one of the best multiplayer games ever with Left 4 Dead. It raises the bar on what player expect from coop. This game may not have an original story or be a great single player game, but that was never what they were trying to do in the first place. If you enjoy deep stories and long single player campaigns stick to Half-Life because this probably isn't for you. If you just want to hang out with friends killing zombies(or survivors) this game was made for you.… Expand

Great game, very innovative. To the poster(s) below that may have complaints about this being the same zombie game. Please, name me ONE good cooperative (not even zombie/survival) multiplayer game that is remotely recent, on the PC, with decent AI, truly random experiences, some replayability, and good gun mechanics (ie. dual pistols will shoot as fast as I can click.) The above mentioned list contains all the features in Left 4 Dead. Sure it's not perfect, but in all relative comparison, we haven't had something that combines these multitude of aspects in gaming.

I give it a 9 due to the price. But it's been far too long since PC gamers had a good coop-session with their buddies.… Expand

This game is the best. The AI director ensures that you never know when you might get ambushed by zombies which creates fear and tension, and there is always a surprise every time you play. You can't go to the same place for supplies like in other games and you actually have to look for things like weapons and health. I only wish they had more levels.

This is by far the best and funnest first person shooter I have ever played. The campaigns are amazing and challenging, and versus mode is the most unique thing I have ever seen in a video game in my whole life. Even though there are only 4 campaigns, I never get bored playing them over and over again with my friends. Best co-op game ever.

Amazing game. I've always had high standards for Valve, and this definitely was worth waiting for. The gameplay is interesting, and the sort of start-in-the-middle single-player opening is rather mysterious. Visually this game is stunning, and it was with a morbid curiosity that I carefully examined Boomer corpses. Or rather, what was left of them. Physics works well, but there are some minor clipping issues involving your teammates. When backing away from a horde of zombies eager to rape my face, I do NOT want to clip through Bill and end up shooting him instead of a snarling monstrosity. The AI Director works pretty well from what I've seen, making combat varied and intense. The game has this whole on-your-toes feel, with you simultaneously wanting light and yet fearing drawing the attention of the horde. I get a really antsy feeling when turning around corners and maneuvering in tight spaces, and I really don't want to touch anything in case it makes noise. The car alarm bits are quite clever in my opinion. Overall the game is challenging without completely kicking my ass. There are wide enough gaps between safe rooms and scattered ammo and health to make getting to the next deposit difficult but not impossible. Conserving your ammo plays a big role, what with the zombies outnumbering you and the worlds bullet supply 100:1. I tried to avoid confrontation as much as possible, choosing to take out zombies with the hunting rifle from a distance. That's good; if I wanted a confrontation then it's not survival horror anymore, is it? Top notch game, worth every penny and more.… Expand

This game has all the elements necessary to qualify it's price point. Gripping story (not narrated, story develops from the situation-but standard zombie survival tale), suspenseful action that ebbs and flows, ensuring that the player is either amped up, or just plain skittish about the next boss/zombie swarm that is surely inevitable, and last but not least, replayability. The scenes can get somewhat repetitive (the reason behind the "9" score), but with the action occurring at different places, forcing you to utilize different parts of the territory as your "last stands", the game stays fresh. Adding in the experience of new teammates every time you play gives you a new challenge, getting along and surviving with what you've got, not what you want.

Some people are reviewing the game here with only seeing the demo (see John S.'s "0" rating). These ratings/posts should be removed as they are not accurate (neither is their spelling).

The only problems I have with the game is that there are only 4 scenarios at launch (which will hopefully be remedied with an expansion or add-ons--please let them be free), and no true melee weapons. I can understand the cause for not having the melee weapons (continuous swinging would negate the need for "ammo" by killing the zombies all by itself--unlike the butt-stroke to push zombies back the way it is now).

Recommended highly for anyone who is a fan of suspense and/or zombie movies.… Expand

Left 4 Dead was one of the games I was really looking foreward to upon release; The same cannot be said at this point though. Left 4 Dead is very fun and entertaining for just running around and blowing zombies up, but after playing it for a few hours, I had already finished the storyline. Unfortunate as that may be, it can last for a while with the co-op playability. Still, as cool as this game should have been, I just don't think it's worth paying $49.99. If you played the demo and you ended up playing that mission thousands of times, then maybe you should buy it. Anyone else should use that cash to buy Call of Duty 4 or World at War.… Expand

I don't understand why this game has an 88. This game is immense fun. It is some of the most fun i have had in a while playing a game. People keep complaining about there is no story. Valve only said it was survive. And if you read the writings on the walls in the safe rooms and other places, they do fill in some question.

The voice acting is great. The game is challenging but its not to the point where you get angry and want to smash something. Even when you are loosing, you are still having a blast. And the challenge only makes finishing a campaign that much more amazing. I was LANing this game with friends, and when we finally dead air after restarting the finale 4 times, we jumped for joy.

Anyone who says this game isn't good or a disappointment... these people will never be satisfied. Valve DID do something NEW here. The amount of team work it takes is amazing. Simply put, get this game and don't listen to what the negative reviews say. You know "L4D shuns single players." I didn't hear people saying "Fallout 3 shuns multiplayer"! If you want fun with your friends, get this game.… Expand

This game is really, really great. Definitely one of the most fun games I have played in a long time. That being said, the current price is unjustified. Valve definitely supports its community so I have hope that they will be adding more content... but the fact that only 2 of the 4 campaigns work in versus mode on day one is pretty unforgivable (versus is super fun which is why I'm kind of annoyed). If this game was 30 or maybe even 40 dollars (you can grab a 4 pack on steam for 37.50 if you're clever) it would get a 10 but 50 (60 for those xbox suckers) is unfair with the amount of content currently in the game.… Expand

Amazing game, it turned out to be even better than I'd hoped for. The tension and intensity in this game is palpable. I thought at first the lack of a solid storyline would bother me, but instead, I found myself wanting to go back and play again and again, both online and off. Haven't stopped talking to my friends about this for days.

This game rocks. that's all I have to say.. and to the haters, it's not meant to be a single player game with lots of content and story line....it's meant for multi-player TEAMWORK!! which means lots of action and pacing..the graphics AND game play and sound are incredible.. the immersion is brooding..and on my dedicated server I pay for...with my multi-game Community..we have a BLAST playing this game. I'd give a 20 for a job well done, it's better than ANY other weak "MOD" out there...this is a full GAME not just some crappy add-on. like the HL zombie mod, or the Killing Floor UT2004 abomination:) Valve.. good thing you bought that developer studio out to give us something better than the old boring half life episode 50 million and a half of the same game over and over again.:) CHEERS!

ONLY ONE DRAWBACK.. take the matchmaking out. for pc. leave it for actual consoles.. it's worthless on the PC.!… Expand

Fanastic game, can't understand why its not been rated higher. I understand it can be very intense which means you can't play it for as lengthy periods of time, but thats a good thing in my opinion as that makes it easier to pick up and put down so you can live life rather than blow 13 hours at a time!

Brilliantly fun, hope they bring more maps soon.

Those that actually bought the game will certainly ignored the comments left by John S. that in some ways was expecting to experience the full game without paying anything. This is pure foolishness and although the game has limitation, it remain a wonderful game nonetheless.

In terms of getting a good thrill, this game will deliver and then some more. The length of the game though may leave you slightly unhappy. After 10 hours I had all of the campaigns done along with about 50% of the achievements which is kind of quick for something supposedly bigger.

Overall my rating is based on great graphic and good action, fall short from higher score on the basis the game is too short. In terms of quality for your money, I would have to say Team Fortress 2 is 50% less expensive and whole lot more content.

This is still a great purchase and every bit will be worth it. Only time will tell whether or not Valve will add other chapters and different way of playing.… Expand

I really liked the game because there is nonstop action and fear of that you might get killed alone.The best part is the coop multyplayer.You and other people fight to survive massive zombie hordes while boss zombies are trying to get you down.I didn`t like the AI.Zombies are stupid.They run into fires, run towards holes, don`t see you sometimes (you can just pass by them and they`ll start chasing you after 2-3 secs).The game has also major problems with lag on servers example:you join a server and you see you have a great ping (must be all green) but it lags.If your having a bad ping (red) then the game runs smooth.Most of the servers aren`t even playable!Zombies just stutter around hitting you and you can`t do nothing!

But I still give this game a 9 cause it has nice action and can panic you when hordes come.… Expand

This game does not disappoint. It is very immersive and extremely addicting. The newly acquired Turtle Rock Studios now read Valve have pumped out a really solid title. The attention to detail makes the experience feel authentic, as if you are in an actual horror film. The characters, the setting, the music, all play key in helping this game play smooth and great. Making sure that no senario is played the same twice, Valve incorporated what is called an A.I. Director, upon which determines the outcome of certain elements in the game such as displacement of weapons, health, zombie hordes, etc. You get a different experience every time you play and believe me, you will want to play this again and again. There isn't a whole lot of content off the bat, but knowing Valve, it's coming soon, and it will add that much more to the game's already amazing gameplay. With it being on the PC, it's also open to the community to contribute, such as a Dawn of the Dead Mall recreation being produced. Along side the campaign, which you can play in your solidarity, or with three others, there is the multiplayer which adds to the fun with the ability to play the infected. Coordinating with your team is crucial, raising the stakes for both the infected and the survivors. This is an intense thrill ride and should not be skipped. Overall this game is exciting and fun and you won't get a greater co-op experience like this, this year.… Expand

Great game .Fun to play mostly with friends. All i can complain is if there was some type of a puzzle in it and more story like it coud be much better game.weapon if i were valve I add more this make this game more interasting. I give it 9 over all becuase i still thing this is the best every zombie game ever.Valve have done a good job, need fixing but still a great gob well done

This is most amazing games ever .. no more words .. No more boring TF2 fights or even worse CSS fights, this game has all power of entertainment in it. And all those critics who gave less then 98 points to the game, are full of s*** , this is deffenetly game of the first 10th of 21st century.

The negative "Mr. Poopy Pants" review below cannot take away from the fact that over 80% of reviews ranked this new shooter at 9 out of 10!
Yes, it is killing infected zombies one after another, often in droves, but the gameplay and AI create wonderful death sequences, visually stunning blood sprays and gore, and an edge-of-your-seat scary soundtrack to really clench the 'ol cheeks a bit.
The plot? Well, if you are a fan of zombie anything, then the story is quite simple, no matter how many variables you throw in - STAY ALIVE. Any plot meandering from this basic survivalism would detract from the madness that ensues just trying to fight your way through swarms of the infected. I ESPECIALLY love how just playing the game makes me feel like I'm watching the coolest zombie movie EVER!
Average arcade shooter?? Valve's AI v.2 (from Turtle Rock) and their killer Source Engine make this anything BUT average. Graphically speaking, the dynamic lighting and creepy environment create the spookiest gameply atmosphere I have encountered in a long time!
"There are a lot more better zombie shooters out there..." LOL for grammar, but besides this, WHAT other zombie shooters? Scorpion? Laughable and contrived. HL2 zombie pack? Lame. Thief? Not ENOUGH zombies (and slow). Land of the Dead? HORRIBLE, HOR-RI-BLE reviews. None come close to this masterpiece from Valve.
I give it a 10, without hesitation. :D… Expand

If you've ever imagined yourself in a good, old fashioned zombie film, then now is your chance. L4D is the ultimate tribute to the zombie horror genre that George A Romero is so famously recognized for. The game has everything you need, the characters, the zombie types, even the cheesy script and music are present.

Gameplay is fast and fun and set in a variety of locations. There are fantastic finales to each campaign and each one can take you hours to get through. Anyone who says that the game is too short is obviously playing on easy mode... Try expert guys.

The weapons in the game are good although diversity throughout the different campaigns would have been nice. There just aren't enough weapons here and technically two of the stronger guns are just upgrades of the shotgun and uzi.

Graphically the game is strong, especially when you have hordes of 30+ zombies charging at you. The steam engine has really been taken to the next level with L4D.

Although L4D has alot of replay value there definetally isn't enough content. As i've said before there aren't enough weapons (You'll have encountered every one by your second level of play) but there also aren't enough characters. Having just 4 people to a game creates a nice balance and keeps the scenarios tense, but this atmosphere is broken slightly when your character dies and the exact same one is rescued from a side room minutes later. More boss zombies would also have been nice that could have been interchanged at each boss fight, hence allowing the director greater control of what was spawned. At the moment you always know which levels a tank is going to appear in. More boss zombies would keep the players on their toes. The number of user interactions are fairly small aswell. You can't share ammo or all of your equiptment with other players or give them guns. More interaction would have been very nice...

Overall L4D earns a 7 from me. It's an excellent game but perhaps not good enough to empty the servers of css. Hopefully the modding community will show some great new media for the game in the near future.… Expand

This game is beyond fantastic. First off, I have to say it's great to have a proper co-op for the PC, something that's rare for this system platform. The campaign is a ton of fun to play in spite of there only being four movies (levels), and versus mode gives you the opportunity to try your skills as an Infected, making the Survivors' job just that more challenging. The AI director is a clever invention: not only does it make each run different than the last, but also for anyone who wants to expand the game, all they have to do is make a map and the director would handle the rest. One of my favorite pieces is the seamless shifts during mulitplayer between the computer and human players as people join, leave, or idle within the game. It allows you to not only join in on an open game at any time during its run, but also to leave a game whenever you choose without ruining it for your teammates. Overall, Left 4 Dead's got all the attention to detail, solid gameplay, and originality that has made Valve games a personal favorite for me. Even a friend of mine who rarely plays any games has become pretty addicted to it.… Expand

Awesome game. Without a doubt after playing L4D I will never view online shooters in the same way. No game has had this amount of emphasis on Co-Op MP, and done it so well. The AI is good, and the game is made to allow for short breaks and let an npc take over. Great visuals and an updated source engine. Wouldn't mind seeing more content, but valve has promised to release new maps, and they're a developer we can trust to come through on this promise. Not to mention that people do know the Source Engine pretty well by now. AI director helps keep the games fresh, and versus is a blast. Simplistic and brutally entertaining, this game might be one of the best to come out this year on pc.… Expand

What CS did to tactical FPS, L4D might do for multiplayer co-op. For years the average zombielover and fan of survival horror has been looking for a game to appease their taste and with L4D we do have a winner. While short and with a so-so single player campaign, the multiplayer co-op aspect is made to give movie-like experiences you will be talking about with your friends for weeks. The AI Director keeps the spawns and zombie performance fresh despite the linear environment. The teamwork requires the players to have brains - much to the pleasure of the zombies.… Expand

Great gameplay mechanics, pacing, and visual/audio effects. You get one medpack per level, how you spend it is up to you. Heal yourself and get instant gratification and or heal a friend and hope for reciprocation. You can also carry only one explosive at a time so use it wisely. The scarcity of weapons and ability to carry only one main weapon type at a time adds to the pressure. At least your pistols have unlimited ammo. NEVER play this game on easy ... set to HARD for the ultimate experience. The zombie animations are fantastic also, with physics based animation that makes clothing and hair behave believably. See them hop over turnstyles, lean into their turns when running, and climb drainpipes and roofs with gripping realism.
If you like horror, and have friends to play coop with you, this game is a must. I haven't had this much fun in a co-op game in years! Nothing like hearing your friend hollar "Here they come!" over voice to be soon followed by a rush of a hundred-head zombie horde. I agree that this game should have had more content at launch, but if TF2 is any indication, map packs should be close behind.… Expand

John S. may have missed the point of the game. Sure there are other zombie shooter games, but Valve has perfected it with tense co-op and Vs. modes. And the fluid movement of the zombies is incredible. And you have to admit, the hunting sniper rifle is damn good practice for TF2. lol

Extremley fun and keeps up valves exremely high standard of games (I also got Hl for a 1 dollar deal!) its fun and exciting even more so in the dark. It like in most valve games builds a sense of comradeship but this stands alone, every online game I go on I add at least one person to my friends list because the game knits you and your team so close together. The game also excels in versus mode because for once we get to be the zombies! The level of startegy involved as a zombie makes it thrilling, for example as a hunter in blood harvest I like to jump around behind them just to scare them or as a smoker waiting for stragglers and then trying to pick them off one by one. This game is overall very unique and does many things that have neverbeen tried before so this lets me forgive the lack of extra campaigns or missions, truly fantastic.… Expand

This game is fantastic in every conceivable but one. If it wasn't for the console orientated and rather uninformative server-client matchmaking this would be, in my opinion, the best game of all time.

But that gripe aside the graphics, sound and gameplay dynamics have this game well above and beyond anything else I have played for a while (and I play a LOT of games - sorry gf)

9.875 / 10 - rounded up to a 10.

-Q.… Expand