E3 2008 – LEFT 4 DEAD Hands-on

First things first: Left 4 Dead should be at the top of everyone's Christmas list this year. What a game! After registration and a brief perusing of the show floor, I headed straight to Valve's booth - nearly skipping the whole way. Afraid I might have to wait to jump into the game, I was delighted that a spot opened up for me almost immediately upon my arrival. If you're unfamiliar with Left 4 Dead's premise, it works like this: you and three friends might be the last four people on Earth not turned into one of the "infected," and you've got to work cooperatively to mow down horde after horde of the buggers to get to safety. It's about time somebody gave the old zombie genre the FPS treatment, and Valve has made sure that it works like a charm. The horde mechanic is fascinating, as zombies come literally pouring out of doorways, manholes, and just about anywhere. The weapons you're equipped with are simple: one main ( rifle, shotgun, or sniper ) and one character-specific sub-weapon for those firefights requiring more precision; the items you pick up are limited to but a few - health, and an assortment of throw-able objects.

The simplicity of the pick-ups help the game focus on what counts: ridiculously fun encounters with your buddies in eye-popping zombie-infested scenarios. The game essentially is laid out over five "movies" (the developers' term - think of them as chapters ), which in turn, are split up into four or five segments apiece. The "save points" come in the form of Safe Rooms at the end of each segment, where you and your party are allowed to heal, rearm yourselves, and compare scores. I had an absolute blast playing with the three strangers by my side, as we had to talk through some tough situations – laughing hysterically the whole time. Left 4 Dead keeps you on your toes, too, as you scramble to keep each other alive. Healing yourself takes precious seconds that leave you completely vulnerable, that is if you haven't already given your only health pack to one of your friends. If that unlucky person happens to be swarmed by the infected, you can help them up, as well, ( snapping up more precious seconds ), but watch out: if someone dies, they won't respawn until your party has found a Safe Room.

I was cackling with delight and yelping with fear all throughout the good 45 minutes I spent with this game, and I can't wait until its November release on Xbox 360 and PC. It will apparently support 1 - 8 players when it ships, supporting online and split-screen play on the Xbox. You can play solo, with the rest of the team AI-controlled, but I must say that I felt a certain instant kinship with the three strangers next to me after a few well-placed zombie headshots. Go figure.