Left 4 Dead

It's a scientific fact that the zombie apocalypse is coming, and soon. The arrival of Left 4 Dead marks the beginning of what is hopefully a long line of games by Valve, the 'gaming artists' behind a few of my favourite games, such as Portal and Team Fortress 2, as well as resounding classics Half-Life and Counter Strike. Here, the robust Source engine displays not portal guns, flamethrowers or Vortigaunts: we have a brilliantly realised, post-apocalyptic world teeming with hordes of the undead.

With little to no set-up, the game throws you into one of four campaigns as one of the survivors: there's the grizzled Vietnam veteran Bill, complete with uniform; Louis, the corporate everyman thrown into the mess; Francis, the mean looking biker with a passion for zombie killing; and the mild mannered obligatory female, Zoe. Each has there own distinct voice acting, but in terms of character back story, there is none. It is up to the player to fantasize about such things.

So too with the world of the game. There is no narrative, only an A to B objective of getting to the last transport out of there. But on the walls of safe rooms, your start and end of level re-supply stations, there are heaps of messages and notes scrawled on the walls and floor, each a piece of incedental storytelling that really helps flesh out the world. No pun intended.

There is a small but interesting variety of weapons in the game - you have your stock standard pistol, shotgun and assault rifle, and there are others to be found throughout. Each is effective in combating the swathes of sprinting undead, and their mutated counterparts, who have a variety of abilities designed to kill the survivors quickly.

The campaigns, which last for five levels each and can be finished in under an hour on lower difficulties, can be played in single player, split-screen co-op for two or online, where a group of four online players can face AI zombies... or human zombies! The versus mode is awesome, and to be in control of the special infected feels great, especially when voice chat allows zombie tactics and ultimate carnage.

All in all, the only flaw that Left 4 Dead has is that there is not enough content. While the dynamic, ever changing AI goes some way to catering for this, I hope that the game world is expanded with extra DLC campaigns. Valve has a good history of doing FREE DLC, but I would gladly... no, eagerly pay for more Left 4 Dead.

The Zombie Apocalypse is here. Grab a mate, grab a shotgun, and go wild. And remember, it's only a game.