Left 4 Dead Preview

These days, the somewhat stagnant waters of the gaming industry leave a lot to be desired when it comes to imagination and novel ideas. Of course, it's not all bad. Many developers attempt to push the limit within the boundaries of a particular game genre and that's always good. Turtle Rock Studios, labeled as the creators of CS: Condition Zero and CS: Source (as well as the Xbox version of Counter-Strike), are now taking on a new challenge. Their latest endeavor is Left 4 Dead, an online team-based shooter, presently in development for PC and X360.

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At first glance, the concept is hardly what you'd call revolutionary. Players team up against masses of mindless monsters - actually ordinary people, transformed into zombies by a deadly virus. Yep, it's about as clichéd as it can get. But wait, don't go away yet, there's more about Left 4 Dead than meets the eye. It's not just another average multiplayer action game. This Xbox 360/PC shooter offers intense four-player cooperative play. While there's little to no tactical depth, Left 4 Dead does have other traits to keep you going. It places you in a harsh co-op survival horror-themed setting, where teamwork and sticking together is the name of the game. Players are introduced to 4 campaigns, each divided into around 5 maps. When playing as a so-called Survivor, each of these campaigns lasts until players make a final stand before a rescue vessel arrives to carry them off to safety.

For a game of this type, I guess you could say that an excluded plot is almost a certainty. Nonetheless, the designers saw it fit to grace us with a few tidbits on the back-story and some of the characters.

You live in a major city, which has just been struck by a lethal virus. Infecting most of the city's populace, the virus spreads like an unstoppable plague at an incredible pace, changing the appearance of humans and turning them into aggressive hostiles. You may play as one of the four survivors - one of the few who are actually immune to the virus and the devastating effect it has on people. The problem is that you are trapped within the city and your safest bet would be to stick with your friends in the hope of making it out of the contaminated area. Among the four survivors is Bill, a Vietnam veteran (what else?) who managed to stay alive thanks to his combat expertise. Next off, we have Zoe, the teenage daughter coming from a posh family (don't really know how the hell she managed to stay alive). Louis is also in the group; she was an assistant manager in a local retail electronics chain store (I guess assistant managers are also good at killing monsters). Finally, there's Francis, a huge, obnoxious and extremely tough guy, who's always there to watch your back.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Bear in mind, this is a co-op multiplayer-oriented shooter with very little room for story-telling. Teamwork and fighting for survival, which represent the essence of the gameplay, shape the very concept behind Left 4 Dead.

While armies of AI-controlled zombies roam the surroundings, Survivors must also stand against the so-called Boss Infected. Yep, that's where the opposing co-op team comes in. Playing as an infected human, denotes experiencing the game from a completely different perspective. The Boss Infected classes, the Smoker, Hunter, Boomer and Tank, all carry a set of unique abilities into the bargain. Playing as the Boomer, for instance, involves choosing the right time to attack. Boomers are, basically, massive monstrous blobs moving at a relatively slow pace and can only do damage at close range. Closing in on their victims, Boomers wave their hideous arms around to weaken opponents. They lurk about seeking a target and when the time is right, they attack their prey and -- get ready for this -- vomit blood all over it, thus attracting a greater number of mutants in the direction of the victim. Boomers explode when gunned down, so when countering a Boomer, Survivors must be careful not to harm surrounding teammates. Hunters, on the other hand, rely on agility and incredible speed, as well as the ability to leap great distances. Hunters attack Survivors by pouncing on them and knocking them down. They use their sharp claws to finish the job once their opponents are down.

The creepiness of the Boss Infected just goes on. The Smoker class makes for another interesting set of attacks to aid his bloodthirsty comrades. He uses an exceptionally long tongue to snatch a Survivor and pull him out of the safety of his group. If you're playing as a Smoker, you might want to climb a rooftop from time to time and use your lengthy tongue to create a noose and grab enemies until they are "hung" out to dry. Much like his friend the Boomer, the Smoker causes some difficulties for enemies when he dies. As his name suggests, after being killed, the Smoker vaporizes, creating a cloud to obscure the vision of Survivors. Last but not least, we come to the Tank, which definitely stands as the brawniest of the four Boss Infected classes. Tanks are strong enough to toss Survivors around or simply pick something heavy, like a large chunk of concrete, and hurl it in their direction.

As you can see, it's about combining the unique abilities of each class. Even zombies are in need of companions when they're hunting their pray. So, in all, it's a joint effort.