Am i Crazy for Not Really Liking Left 4 Dead?

[garagesaleking!!]

I have started playing left 4 dead, i got the game of the year edition from amazon, but to be honest i am not that impressed with it. I see all the awards it has and all the good reviews, and tried to convince myself at first it was good, but so far am a little underwhelmed. Its just the graphics, and physics things i find odd, and it seems like it will get old very fast. What is it about the game that some of you enjoy, maybe i need to play it a different way?

[Arcade_Ness]

I got bored of it fairly quickly as well. However I'm not big on shooters to begin with. Most of the fun is playing with buddies online.

[j_factor]

I really liked it at first, but as I kept playing, I got a feeling of "oh... that's it?" It's not that great of a game.

[Emuaust]

Same as J_Factor although i didnt even really like it at first.

[Swamperon]

I think it's the hordes and hordes of Zombies that everyone likes. It's very much like 28 days later and makes you feel you're actually in a Zombie infestation. Having said that, as it only really has 4 levels, it can get old quite quickly.

[Cobra Commander]

Eh, I liked it. I could totally see how someone could get tired of it quickly.
Those fucking zombies can even find you in the bathroom with the door closed and the lights off. It's not safe anywhere!

[JunkTheMagicDragon]

i can see it getting old quick playing by yourself. the ai just isn't as fun. teamwork is really where most of this game's fun comes from, and there's no way for the ai to join in on your strategies. i play it with my friend on splitscreen and we have a blast. never tried it on live, but i imagine four players is even better.

i do wish it had more weapon variety, though.

[Lucifersam1]

I can't seem to get sick of the multiplayer... I think the game is so much fun.. probably my favorite the 360! The single player mode got old real quick though (after beating all of the campaigns).

[miaandjohnrule]

I can't seem to get sick of the multiplayer... I think the game is so much fun.. probably my favorite the 360! The single player mode got old real quick though (after beating all of the campaigns).

I'm with you here. My wife and I love to play it together, single player wouldn't have kept me interested this long.

[garagesaleking!!]

i played online a few times but mainly was playing with my buddy offline yesterday, i will need to play some more online to make a better judgement i guess? What exactly is the survival pack content on the goty edition?

[chicnstu]

My brother had this game and got tired of it really quickly. I watched him play it the whole time and it did look extremely repetitive.

The sequel (which he still thinks should have been called Left 2 Die) looks fun to me. The areas are more interesting and it looks like there's a better weapon selection. But too bad I would rather play on PS3...good job Gabe.

[Vinnysdad]

i played online a few times but mainly was playing with my buddy offline yesterday, i will need to play some more online to make a better judgement i guess? What exactly is the survival pack content on the goty edition?


The survival pack content is like horde on Gears of War 2. You just try to survive wave after wave of zombies and special infected in one area of a map.

[ScourDX]

It would be nice the game feature role reversal. Say you are the only zombie in town and your goal is trying to infect the entire city of humans.

[unwinddesign]

I didn't like it. Pretty generic. Framerate is ass in split-screen, which is all I played. Enough to give me a headache. Which is rare, since FPS is one of my favorite genres.

Not to say you couldn't like it, but I think there's dozens of better shooters out there. Seems suspiciously like affinity for the title was generated via the Valve logo on the box...

[98PaceCar]

It would be nice the game feature role reversal. Say you are the only zombie in town and your goal is trying to infect the entire city of humans.

That would be Stubbs the Zombie. Just has a bit more flatulence than Left 4 Dead.

I guess I'm somewhat of an oddity after reading this. Left 4 Dead is the only FPS that I'll play multiplayer. I've never been sucked into the Halo/Call of Duty (or even Gears of War) phenomenon. None of those ever had the same intensity level as what L4D can generate for me. It's a ton more accessible to someone that doesn't spent countless hours honing their skills and I enjoy just blasting wave after wave of enemies. Great for a quick fix!

[Robocop2]

I personally really enjoyed L4D both single and multiplayer mostly for vs. I would never have paid full retail for it though as I don't feel there was or even now is content enough to justify a full 60.00 retail price. I paid 40 for it and felt that it was a good deal at that price. I'm sure some love is generated by the Valve logo but it wasn't really part of my purchase decision but then again who develped a game usually has very little to do with my purchase decisions as I find just as many crap titles from AAA developers as I do actual fun/good games from third tier developers.

[PapaStu]

I actually just got this a few days ago and am neither loving it, or hating it. I like the stories (played through the first 3 so far) and will give online a shot once I finish single player.

It's interesting to say the least, but some things one would expect to be in a FPS game are not there. No iron sight aiming? Seriously? That makes NO sense what so ever.

Use the grenade and it doesn't go back to the gun you had out before, it goes back to the 'main' weapon. I screwed up getting an achievement in the last scene because it returned me to the M-16 instead of the pistols that I had out before I tossed the pipebomb, and as I was being rushed I held down the trigger, only to see the assault rifle blast off a few rounds instead of my dual pistols. Bye bye achievement.

I also don't get the whole, clear a room, and 20 seconds later, a zombie swarm are just pouring out of the room to jack up your day. Thats fine when there's a hole in the ceiling/wall for them to come through, but a small room that had nothing in it 30 seconds before now has 75 zombies charging you is just total bullshit. Add to that the Boomer that just shows up there too puking on you calling MORE zombies forward just makes it even cheaper. That plus random spawning zombies in a zone that there clearly were none right before also irks me. It would feel more authentic when you've cleared a room/open area and to be blitzed by them, rather than to clear an area, only to turn around and find one laying on the ground, 'waking up' to your presence when it wasn't there a second ago.

[jcalder8]

Short answer: No

Long answer: No there are other reasons that you're Crazy :-D

[Richter Belmount]

Great game online but half the fun is gone if you play it offline though.

[PallarAndersVisa]

overrated as hell. the same 4 scenarios, it doesnt matter how you shake it up, its the same 4 scenarios that do not change at all. it really doesnt convey a sense of dread, like a real zombie invasion. i hope the next one gives it more of a resident evil feel.

for some reason a zillion zombies running at me doesn't seem as scary as a dark hallway with just 2 or 3 zombies that are a lot harder to take down.

[garagesaleking!!]

this is just weird because so many of you are hating on it and saying its just ok, but how did it win goty? I heard nothing but oh ya this game is a must own till i have it now and it seems many people changed their mind. Why did it get so much media praise.

[Lucifersam1]

When I first got the game, I played it late at night out of necessity, and I must say it was creepy at first, playing alone. I can see the repetitive argument... but with VS, it is more like a competition, regardless of the level repetition. This game was one of the reasons I got a 360.




overrated as hell. the same 4 scenarios, it doesnt matter how you shake it up, its the same 4 scenarios that do not change at all. it really doesnt convey a sense of dread, like a real zombie invasion. i hope the next one gives it more of a resident evil feel.

for some reason a zillion zombies running at me doesn't seem as scary as a dark hallway with just 2 or 3 zombies that are a lot harder to take down.

[98PaceCar]

overrated as hell. the same 4 scenarios, it doesnt matter how you shake it up, its the same 4 scenarios that do not change at all. it really doesnt convey a sense of dread, like a real zombie invasion. i hope the next one gives it more of a resident evil feel.

for some reason a zillion zombies running at me doesn't seem as scary as a dark hallway with just 2 or 3 zombies that are a lot harder to take down.

You don't get edgy when you hear a witch crying and know that if you get too close or shoot the wrong thing, she's going to attack (and generally win)? Especially when you normally hear them long before you are close to them. I know for me, that's majorly un-nerving. Maybe the play environment I have helps (light controlled room with good surround sound), but I've played little else that generates the same feelings this one does.

To folks that play Halo or other FPS games multiplayer. Do you get bored of the maps in those games as well? Seems that there are just as many here as there are in the few other multiplayer FPS I've tried. The only difference I can tell is that L4D has scripted events where the traditional mutiplayer FPS doesn't.

[The 1 2 P]

I haven't picked this game up yet, although it's finally $29.99 new. Everyone I know who has this says that they love it and that it's veru addictive. Because I love online shooters it should be right up my alley.

[adam_devry]

I liked it for a while. After the for stages were done most of my time was spend on the online play. I love playing as a zombie. Is it me or should they have just made it one big game instead of four different levels with four or five stages. I hope the next one has more levels and the online is as good

[Richter Belmount]

Versus mode is great as long as you don't get a pro competitive team , those guys whine too much. The game is repetitive but it is changed up a little bit every time , there is a Ai director that changes the scenarios a bit , the guns fights , item placement , enemy placement. Makes the play throughs seem less repetitive , the game isn't that big of a deal on xbox considering that fact you cant add mods and new scenarios to play through except official ones that valve decides to sell or release.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead#AI_and_the_Director

[Therealqtip]

If you're not a hardcore valve fan and don't have friends the game sucks. Even if you do have friends the game get's really boring. I just don't like Valve TF2 was great everything else just sucks. Yea HL sucks alot.

[heybtbm]

Even if you do have friends the game get's really boring.

I agree. Even playing with a group of friends couldn't make this one interesting.

I picked this up when it came out last year. Never really clicked with me. A few of my friends got really into it though. One even has 1000/1000 achievement points (dude is nuts). I love good online FPS's...but this was always too boring. Especially when you played the zombies...ugh...terrible.

"Everybody be quiet! We have to tiptoe by the screaming lady!"

Really? I just want to shoot stuff.

[Ed Oscuro]

I have started playing left 4 dead
You probably got the 360 version, poor thing. That version is indeed terrible due to the controls.

On the PC, I loved it, but it's one of my least-played FPSes though that's mainly due to my playing habits - not spending a whole lotta time in online FPS multiplayer these days.

Don't feel afraid to say "I dislike L4D, here's why." I really don't give a flying you-know-what whether you're feeling unmanly or whatever because you don't like a game and that makes you S-O-O uncomfortable...topic titles like this rub me the wrong way.


No iron sight aiming? Seriously? That makes NO sense what so ever.
You don't get what type of game it is. That's fine, but you just don't get it. I won't chalk that up to a bad sight because even on a SDTV connected via RCA jacks the sights are clearly visible. The part you aren't getting is that you didn't think for two seconds about the fact that you need to be firing one second and hightailing it out of the room the next, so worrying about lifting the sights is just going to slow you down. Besides, you need a button dedicated to melee, which is infinitely more useful for this type of combat.

Longer answer - so your ideal game is Far Cry 2 aka "Savannah Mechanic and Field Medic?"

overrated as hell. the same 4 scenarios,
That was more true months ago (and I guess you 360 guys get it worse because of Microsoft's DLC policy, which you really should have seen coming). You see, this is why there was a boycott movement against Left 4 Dead 2 - before it released, Valve actively promised more content and campaigns, just as they have done with many other games and already had a track record of doing with Team Fortress 2. So if that had come out on an acceptable schedule people would be happy. Instead, months after release they pulled a "nevermind, L4D's engine doesn't do enough so we're going to scrap it and put the sequel out just a year later, sorry guys, game is over."

They were quiet for a while as debate raged about the apparent abandonment of L4D, but eventually they announced user modifications to the game (again, PC only, why are you buying Valve games for consoles it doesn't make sense) and even new Valve-made content.

Finally they seem to have started to come through - last I checked, they just added a new game mode, Last Stand, plus a new Last Stand-only map, The Lighthouse, which was apparently once part of the end of the game somehow or another.

There may be new content yet. 360 owners will probably have to wait longer until Valve thinks they've got enough together to justify asking 360 owners to pay the DLC charge for it, but again, that's because Steam rules and Microsoft's DLC policy is something foreign to Valve's way of thinking. They may even do something for owners of the original game who buy L4D2 again. If you want the real Valve experience, get a PC and Steam. If you want to be satisfied with a purchase, make sure it has all the features you were sold on straight out of the box - especially on 360 or any console with a similar DLC policy.


"Everybody be quiet! We have to tiptoe by the screaming lady!"

Really? I just want to shoot stuff.
Then play a harder difficulty level, or survival, or shoot the Witch. It's not hard. You even get an achievement for killing her with a single blast (which I found remarkably easy to do).

I agree that Versus mode (where you can play as the zombies) is not always so great; besides getting stuck with a class you can't use by yourself easily, it's also since a lot of people online have been tards while playing (the only time my brother and I played split-screen multiplayer co-op with two other people, they went stupid on us and started shooting us, and after having to restart a few times without a chance to gun them down first we just gave up - freaking idiots, freaking incompetence), both 360 and PC.

But if you're lucky, you can get on a team with at least one other competent player and set up coordinated attacks, which can be devastating.

My only regret is that as the Tank I let a Friendly hunter or Smoker bash on a dangling Survivor instead of killing them both and triggering my All 4 Dead achievement. So close, so close.

Yea HL sucks alot.
"NO, THAT WOULD BE YOUR MOTHER" - The Spy.

[PapaStu]

You don't get what type of game it is. That's fine, but you just don't get it. I won't chalk that up to a bad sight because even on a SDTV connected via RCA jacks the sights are clearly visible. The part you aren't getting is that you didn't think for two seconds about the fact that you need to be firing one second and hightailing it out of the room the next, so worrying about lifting the sights is just going to slow you down. Besides, you need a button dedicated to melee, which is infinitely more useful for this type of combat.

Longer answer - so your ideal game is Far Cry 2 aka "Savannah Mechanic and Field Medic?"


Uhhhh I get perfectly well what kind of game it is. I can see the target reticle just fine. I'm talking about IRON SIGHTS. Not on screen reticles. You know, people don't just hipfire all guns, they put them to their shoulders and there is a semblance of aiming. So far there has been very little high tailing out of the room because i'm being chased. Running away, brings you to moar zombies, not less. Standing ground with the other 3 and firing down the hallways mows down pretty much any rush w/o problem. Why are you running from them in the first place? Even with them swarming you, you're all powerful Melee punch of doom pushed 10+ back w/o a problem.

There are quite a few areas that you're looking out over zombies where aiming would work great, not to mention huge areas where a little extra zoom doesn't hurt things either as you're moving through it. I've seen plenty of zombie movies with scenes devoted to survivors just sniping walking zombies for shits and giggles.

[Ed Oscuro]

I'm talking about IRON SIGHTS.
Yes, and I'm saying that's a dumb thing to want in this game. When you need precision shooting, you either tap slowly (M16) or use the sniper rifle and its scope.


You know, people don't just hipfire all guns,
I already briefly explained one reason why you don't need that, but here's the killer: Pulling the player's attention closer to a far-away enemy, which is likely to be toasted in seconds (even Special Infected) means you're ignoring the multiple Common Infected even closer to you, ignoring the red outlines around your teammates getting pulled around or knocked down.

The game is called Left 4 Dead, not "Left 3 Dead & Rambo." Nobody is meant to have the most efficient weapon for every tactical situation, and Rambo running on ahead by himself gets dragged off and killed. The weapons compliment each other: you can play the sniper, or you can go on a full-auto spree, or you can deal tons of damage quickly with the auto shotgun.

Sorry for not making it clearer the first time, but there it is: Iron sights are fundamentally not what the game is about, which is fast-paced "shooting from the hip" action for most players, with one weapon dedicated to sniping.

Also (on the beloved PC at least), the all-powerful rifle butt attack got tweaked because it was indeed too powerful for Versus. Survivors could just smack the non-Tank Special Infected players around all day long without allowing the Infected to get in any hits.

On the topic of standing ground and just mowing things down in hallways, sounds pretty boring and you need to play at a higher difficulty setting or something. I for one find that I have to keep moving around not only because the Common Infected will rush up and deliver love taps if I don't move, but standing still when it's not necessary means the next health pack or pillz are that much farther away.

Sounds like you're used to being too powerful which leaches all the enjoyment out of it.

[DarthArma]

I've never felt as much of a connection with a stranger than I do when I play Left 4 dead online. Something about staring death in the face. I just get lost in that game. LOVE IT!

[mjluther]

I like it for the same reason I like Pong. And Pong only has one level.

[hellfire]

My brother had this game and got tired of it really quickly. I watched him play it the whole time and it did look extremely repetitive.

The sequel (which he still thinks should have been called Left 2 Die) looks fun to me. The areas are more interesting and it looks like there's a better weapon selection. But too bad I would rather play on PS3...good job Gabe.

Gabe had a ps3 dev unit, but he could not resist


http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa87/barnettzack/_ps3_grill_2.jpg

[Rogue]

I didn't like it. Pretty generic. Framerate is ass in split-screen, which is all I played. Enough to give me a headache. Which is rare, since FPS is one of my favorite genres.

Not to say you couldn't like it, but I think there's dozens of better shooters out there. Seems suspiciously like affinity for the title was generated via the Valve logo on the box...

Oh the Valve logo, of course.

For me (and others, just read this thread), looks like it acts opposite. I'll avoid anything with this logo...

Lol, but I've played this game, and IMO it suits only those who like that mod, who fanboys like to call a game, counter strike, that's it... lol

[Poofta!]

i love this game. i have it for pc as it would be unplayable to me with a gamepad. i actually talked 3 of my other friends to getting it as well as my gf so we play together a lot. my only regret was that i didnt buy it when it first came out, i feel i missed out on such a long amount of time not playing an awesome game. i love the custom maps and the game types. im looking forward to coming home tonight and playing hte new downloading content.

but to each his own.


btw, have you ever played or liked any of the other Valve FPSs for PC? this game feels exactly like it only with zombies, so i guess it doesnt feel weird at all to PC gamers, for the most part. although i did hear that people who are not really into FPS find Valve games a little uneasy due to the nonrealistic view angle valve likes to utilize (you can actually increase or decreas the 'fish eye' from 90 to 180 degress.

[emceelokey]

When I got the game just to play it online and everygame I joined had at least one person just fucking around and shooting team mates and kicking people off and whatever and after an hour of that crap I put it down and don't plan on playing any Left 4 Dead game again.

[Juganawt]

The original main game, to me at least, is an absolute classic.

Just like Doom is, I often find myself just running through the game on expert, trying to better my score, or beat my previous times. It's an arcade shooter at heart - jump in for 30 mins or so, have a blast with your friends, then jump out and play something more substantial.

Versus mode can be quite competitive and skill based, and providing your team mates aren't brain dead, can be extremely rewarding.

The Crash Course add-on however, is a disgusting waste of time. Not only is the map unimaginative (with no new objects, or assets apart from the howitzer), it's also HALF the length of all 4 of the other maps with only 2 acts, and it's unbelieveably glitchy.

The amount of times I've been smoked from a room that you can't see into because somehow the engine thinks it's cool to fill the room with the skybox is crazy. The amount of times a hunter has jumped through a crate, Through a truck, or through the floor takes the piss.

It was obviously a rush job to counteract the boycotters of L4D2, probably knocked up in a matter of weeks, rather than months.

The only good thing about Crash Course is the new dialog, which not only manages to be just as well recorded as the original lines, but also manages to embrace the new memes that the original game created. Finding the first thing that Francis DOESN'T hate was quite amusing.