Left 4 Dead makes sure that you go out kicking and screaming, and certainly dieing for more.
The gameplay in it is fast, frantic and suprising. You really do not know what will be around the next corner. This is thanks to the genius creation of the Director, the Ai that controls all the enemies in the game. The Director chooses where to place them, what type of enemies will be there, and how many. It truly is a game that offers limitless replayability because it always adjusts and feels like your playing a new game. This is because The Director always takes into account your skill and difficulty level.
The AI in the game is truly terrific, the zombies act like you expect zombies would, mindlessly shuffling around, that is, untill they see you. Then they become savage beasts trying to tear you apart and it really does show, the anger in their faces and the speed at which they move. It's common sight to see a zombie run full pelt at you, only to be blown away by your allies, or by one quick shotgun blast. The friendly AI in the game is also truly top notch, they will comment on what they hear and alert you to any special types of zombie (more on the enemies later) and they will also provide adequate partners. Although sometimes they don't follow the plan you were, like stay there and snipe, they usually get it right.
The enemies are where Left 4 Dead truly shine, 6 different types of enemy within the game and you hate having to encounter every type, as they all are devilishly cruel. You have your standard slow minded zombie, but instead of shuffling towards you they run full pelt, a bloodthirsty rage obvious in their eyes.
You have Boomers, these are disgusting bloated zombies, very much like the ones from house of the dead, however they have two very nasty attacks. If they throw up on you, it attracts a horde of zombies, however you can't see either, it is a real danger trying to defend yourself while blind because you don't want to hit your allies. When you shoot it however it explodes, and the bile goes everywhere, so you really need to keep your distance from this one.
Hunters, fast , nimble and oh so sneaky. They hang from ceilings and sneak up close before launching themselves at you from the air, if they land on you, your helpless, they will begin to claw at your stomach in an attempt to open you up, the only way you can escape is if one of your partners kills the hunter or pushes it off you.
Smokers, have a lasso like tongue that is extremely long and grabs you then chokes you, you can't do anything but watch as your slowly reeled in, you need an ally to help you escape either by shooting the tongue or the smoker. when the smoker dies, it explodes into a disgusting gas that obscures your vision and makes it hard to fire.
Tanks, brutal creatures, literally are the human form of a tank, huge strong beasts that look like a zombiefied version of arnold schwarzenegger back in his heydey. These zombies take a beating, but they also dish out one, and worst of all is that their fast. You have to run and shoot but make sure you don't get trapped, or they'll knock you about...HARD
The worst is perhaps the witch, these little beasts appear frequently, you can tell they are around because you hear them before you see them, you hear crying and wailing. But when you get near one, pray that you can sneak round it, because if you disturb it, you're in for a real fight. The witch is fast, deadly, and with long claws, a real killing machine.
The enviroments within Left 4 dead are pretty generic, hospital, woods, airport and bits inbetween like the streets, but however limited you feel by the enviiroments, left 4 dead makes up for this with the Director. The enviroments can look a little bland though, but this is purely because valve used the source engine, the engine that half life 2 used.
The weapons in left 4 dead are also pretty standard, but they all pack a punch and really look great. From the manufactre mark on the pistol to the lit fuse on the pipe bomb, it really adds a certain authenticity to the zombie apocalypse.
The online in the game is even better, you can play either versus or campaign. Versus one side plays a zombies and ones side plays as survivors, in the campaign you take the roles of the AI, both run very smoothly and play brilliantly, its better as well because you can form plans, split up, whatever you think is the right call to make.
Even though Left 4 dead uses a slightly dated engine, it still looks great, it plays brilliantly and the online is great for a zombie horror, and you get to play as zombies! The introduction of a director is a great idea and really adds longetivity to the game, all in all Left 4 dead is a game that i can reccomend whole heartedly, because it truly is a brilliant first person shooter, as well as a brilliant horror game.