Left 4 Dead

If you pay any attention to the world of video games, you have no doubt heard that Valve's "Left 4 Dead" is an exceptional game. I fully agree and at the same time, I appreciate the game on a different level. For years, I have been terrified of zombies. Since watching "Night of the Living Dead" with my dad at the tender age of nine, zombies have been a staple of my dreams. In fact, the only nightmares I ever have are zombie flavored, and I have one at least every other month.

This kinemortophobia (thank you Urban Dictionary) has fueled a life-long obsession with zombie movies, novels, comic books, video games, even music. I share my undead obsession with many friends, and we often have heated debates over which course of action to take in the event of a zombie apocalypse. (Sorry Blake, I still think Wal-Mart would be the worst place to go. I don't care if they have shotguns or not, go in there after 1 AM and see how many mouth-breathers are in there. That place would be a shit-storm.) That being said, you can see how "L4D" had my full attention when I first read the previews several months ago.

My review of this game is not concerned with graphics, or sound waves, or bit-rate, or texture-mapping or anything on the technology end. While the game is beautiful to play and well-made, professional magazines have done an adequate job explaining the games technical accomplishments. Instead, I want to focus on this game's appeal to zombiephiles.

First, L4D is made for zombie geeks. Each level is based on a movie putting you in classic zombie-nightmare scenarios. You’ll hold up in farm houses, closets, break rooms, and warehouses. You explore labyrinthine sewers, abandoned apartment buildings, hospitals, diners, and loading docks. You fight your way to rooftop helipads, through foggy corn fields, through devastated airports (careful not to set off the metal detectors), and even parking garages. It’s as though the developers sat down and thought of the best moments from every zombie movie and included them in the game. You can even carry and detonate propane tanks, one of the most awesome parts of Zack Snyder’s “Dawn” remake. This game was obviously made by fellow followers of zombie-lore.

The game’s realism also lends to its appeal. There are no “boss” battles, back-story, or sub plots. You must simply survive from one safehouse to the next, all the while helping your teammates survive the ordeal. Basically, it’s what the real zombie apocalypse would be like. No other game (not even Resident Evil) has successfully accomplished this. L4D places you in your favorite movies and the result is as satisfying as any Romero film. Now, take this incredible game idea and add the online element. Not only can you live through world annihilation, but you can do it with three buddies in the comfort of your favorite chair. It’s fun, it’s terrifying, and it’s the realization of a lifelong dream….. or should I say nightmare. I’m already getting excited over the inevitable sequels and implore any studio to give it a big-screen treatment. If I have one gripe, it’s the lack of music. Yes the sound effects are scary as hell, but the loading screens and menus are begging for a Goblin song or two. Maybe in the sequel. Either way, I still love this game, and my current insomnia has been a small price to pay.

Aim for the Head,

Matt

Update: Upon further reflection, I realize my zombie terrors began much earlier. Around the age of 4 my dad bought the family a state-of-the-art, wood-grain, top-loading Beta-Max player. Turtle's Music (the Grandfather of Best Buy) only had a handful of cassettes, so one of Dad's first purchases was "The Making of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'". That video was very ahead of its time and I'm sure it kindled the fear of the undead in many of my generation.