Left 4 Dead Image
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 58 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 4293 Ratings

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  • Summary: Fight together...or die alone. A new and highly virulent strain of the rabies virus emerges and spreads through the human population with frightening speed. The pandemic's victims become grotesquely disfigured, wildly violent psychopaths, attacking the uninfected on sight. One of the "lucky"Fight together...or die alone. A new and highly virulent strain of the rabies virus emerges and spreads through the human population with frightening speed. The pandemic's victims become grotesquely disfigured, wildly violent psychopaths, attacking the uninfected on sight. One of the "lucky" few apparently immune to the sickness, you, unfortunately, are also trapped in a city crawling with thousands of the bloodthirsty Infacted. Together with a handful of fellow Survivors, you must fight your way to safety or die alone. A co-operative multiplayer action game from the makers of "Counter-Strike," Left 4 Dead is built atop the most advanced version of the Source Engine and introduces version 2 of Turtle Rock's artificial intelligence (A.I.) technology. [Turtle Rock Studios] Expand
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Left4Dead Official Trailer 1
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 57 out of 58
  2. Negative: 0 out of 58
  1. 100
    Fast zombies? Check. Non-stop tension and intensity? Check. The quality of gameplay we expect from Valve? Check. When it comes to co-op multiplayer, Valve is consistently ahead of the curve and excellent at making games that force players to work together.
  2. Left 4 Dead is a fantastic experience so long as you can get yourself into games with good players.
  3. PC Format
    92
    Possibly too relentless for the less devout mouse-jockey, but it's astounding proof that being a brain-dead shooter is a very good thing. [Jan 2009, p.86]
  4. Play (Poland)
    90
    Foaming at the mouth, with a mad glint in the eye and a trio of trusted friends watching your back - that's how it's played. And there's no stepping away from it. When the consensus was that there's hardly anything more to invent in the survival horror genre, Valve proved it wrong. No other game made me give the medikit to another player despite being hurt myself. [Jan 2009]
  5. Even people who dislike zombies will probably change their minds after playing Left 4 Dead. The game offers much more than just killing zombies by the hundred. It offers lots and lots of gameplay with an unique combination of a tactical shooter with good old fashioned humour.
  6. If you love good stories and are seeking for a long and player-focused singleplayer experience, Left 4 Dead is definitely not the shooter for you to get this Christmas. If you consider yourself a multiplayer enthusiast who’s looking for a true, old-school coop shooter, on the other hand, this could well be your GotY!
  7. 70
    If you're a multiplayer fiend and like the thought of mowing down zombies with chainguns, this is definitely worth checking out. The thrill of obliterating hordes of screaming bad guys that just want to gobble up your brains really is quite unique and fun. Just don't expect to be getting very good value for money because there's really not very much inside the box.

See all 58 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Negative: 28 out of 562
  1. Aug 17, 2010
    10
    The base concept of moving from area to area killing hordes of zombies is nothing new. How they go about making it is remarkable, however. TheThe base concept of moving from area to area killing hordes of zombies is nothing new. How they go about making it is remarkable, however. The game forces teamwork and with the help of the ai director you can play this game over and over and over and almost never have two similar situations. Defiantly a groundbreaking achievement in the gaming world. Expand
  2. BenjieVassallo
    Dec 21, 2008
    10
    an amazing game. I thought id get bored playing the same level over and over again but in fact it makes the game fun as it all depends on youran amazing game. I thought id get bored playing the same level over and over again but in fact it makes the game fun as it all depends on your team mates decisions (and ur enemies of course haha). besides that i love blowing things apart and this game provides plenty of that ^^ Expand
  3. MichaelV
    Jul 18, 2009
    10
    This game is so far the best game I have ever played. I'm very addicted to this game and i can't stop playing. I'm always This game is so far the best game I have ever played. I'm very addicted to this game and i can't stop playing. I'm always thinking about this game at school and everywhere I go. Sadly my 360 broke so I have to wait for a long time. I'm very sad. I just wanna kill some zombies now!!! This game could just improve in the amount of guns. There's only a few. I wish there was like an L85A1, Fama, AWM, Aug Para, M60, M249, Ak47,and some new pistols like a Desert Eagle, P228, Dual Pistols, Mac 10, really I just want a lot of guns. But the game is good with the guns they give us. Expand
  4. ChrisTaylor
    Dec 10, 2008
    9
    Frantic! I love it! Get "Boomered" and you know about it man- time to run, shoot and shoot while running-! Everything a zombie game everFrantic! I love it! Get "Boomered" and you know about it man- time to run, shoot and shoot while running-! Everything a zombie game ever wanted to be and more. And i've only played the first three acts of Pt 1!! Heard the witches crying but not seen one yet-. Glad of it too. I love it. Expand
  5. IanGrahame
    Jan 8, 2009
    9
    I find it humorous that so many idiots were so very compelled to come here and give 'Left 4 Dead' a 0 to "contradict the other I find it humorous that so many idiots were so very compelled to come here and give 'Left 4 Dead' a 0 to "contradict the other reviews." What kind empty, pathetic lives do you lead? Anyway, as I've sort of hinted, discount the "0's" in here. (Hey, even the one guy admitted "would have given this game a 6-7 out of 10" but he apparently had to "balance out all the other guys." 'Left 4 Dead' is a masterful shooter. The gameplay is terrifically intense, yes, there are only four "movies" to play through, each one has tremendous replayability. It changes each and every time it is played. The music is just awesome. Incredibly ominous stuff, that. And though the the number of movies is certainly a flaw, it is absolutely NOT a reason to pass by 'Left 4 Dead'. This is the closest we're gonna get to an actual zombie apocalypse. Probably :) Expand
  6. Oct 3, 2020
    8
    A funny game with friends, with some scary moments nothing more.
    "I'm getting pills" -Louis
  7. JohnS.
    Nov 21, 2008
    0
    Oh dear what has Valve done here? Even though this review is based on the demo it is pretty obvious to see that what you see is what you get, Oh dear what has Valve done here? Even though this review is based on the demo it is pretty obvious to see that what you see is what you get, except of course the full version of the game will have more levels(but thats nothing special). As a huge fan of the Half-Life saga and an obessive online player of TF2, Valve have always impressed me with a great range of well developed games. Then along came L4D and what a dissapointment this turned out to be, this is far from Valve's epic work and have produced something that has been done before by other devs(in terms of zombie survival horror). This zombie shooter is not original in any way, boring beyond belief killing zombie, after zombie after zombie, very repetative, no story to keep you gripped it is just an average "arcade" shooter. There are a lot more better zombie shooters out there, with more original ideas, a plot and better action. I respect Valve for what they have attempted here but dispite being a fan of their work I am going to have to turn away from this horrible game. I will just sit tightly now and wait for HL2:Episode 3 at least that will be something good to look forward to :) P.S. This game is overated I've decided and Valve could have done a better job. Expand

See all 562 User Reviews

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