DOTA 2 Beta

Note: This is a preview/review of a game currently in Beta. Currently it has around half the heroes from the original DotA game, but is fully playable with all items and multiple game modes. Just keep in mind this "preview review" was done before the final release date and before any pricing models were announced.


The Short


Pros
- Same addicting, perfectly balanced game of skill that was DotA
- All the heroes brought over have completely retained their original spells, stats, and skills
- Has a persistant leveling system for your Gamertag (which is not yet implemented) as well as detailed replay saves and stat tracking
- Matchmaking is fast, easy, and allows you to choose between regions and game modes
- Ability to reconnect to a game if you disconnect is a godsend
- Tracking people who intentionally disconnect is also helpful
- Shops have improved menus, do better letting you buy items on the field, and offer recommended purchases for new players
- Lots of little UI choices have vastly streamlined the game. It feels like it was made by fans of the original DotA
- New character models are unique from the Warcraft III models while still looking enough like the originals that the heroes are recognizable
- Has new keybindings for spells, but you can also turn on legacy keybindings, which is a great touch
- Playing with friends and parties is easy, painless, and quick
- Has many modes where you can play against bots as well as learn more about the heroes

Cons
- Some heroes are not distinct enough to tell apart on quick glance (ex: Razor and Lich)
- Learning curve is still out of this world for newcomers, and the fact that most people in the beta are DotA vets means you'll probably die a lot and get cussed out if you are still learning
- Graphics look decent on the Source engine, but it lacks the artistic punch of competitors like League of Legends
- Has some game-loading bugs as well as some bizzare matchmaking bugs, but it is a beta
- Needs the full roster of heroes to be truly balanced; currently it seems like they are picking them at random
- Seriously, where is Chaos Knight? That's like my favorite hero!
- At its core, this is still exactly DotA but with matchmaking and slightly better UI, for better or for worse
- Why does Lion look like a mentally deranged clown?

From a Warcraft III map to a retail product. 

The Long

Aside from the previous disclaimer that this is a "review" of a game still in beta, I'd also like to point out that the main focus of this piece is to point out the major changes between DOTA 2 and the original DotA Allstars, as well as comparisons between it and Heroes of Newearth and League of Legends. As such, this might just be for those who are fans of this style of game already, but I'll try to keep it interesting even if you know nothing about MOBA style of games or the intricacies of the genre. 

I covered the general gist of DotA in my Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne review, but here's a brief recap. There are three lanes leading between two bases, with towers interspersed along the way. Every few seconds a squad of basic unites, called "creeps," spawn in each base and go barreling towards the other base with only killin' on the mind. This spawn continues forever, with the goal to break through the towers defending the lanes, push to the enemy base, and destroy their "Ancient." 

You (and nine others, in teams of 5 v 5) each get one unique hero, focusing either on Int (magic), Strength (HP), or Agility (Attack Speed). You level up and gain experience by fighting and killing creeps, earning XP if an enemy creep just dies in the vicinity, while getting money by providing the final hit. You buy items, level up and learn new moves, and hunt other heroes (and get hunted) in an attempt to have the baddest hero of them all. Heroes range from supporters, stunners, gankers, tanks, and more. It's a wide variety and, with the original DotA Allstars having over 90 heroes, ensures no two games are alike.

Huntin' in the south woods. 

Blizzard never really fully recognized the popularity of DotA Allstars, despite the fans clamoring for a tournament scene. Seeing that there was an opportunity to jump on, Valve hired the current DotA designer (as there have been tons over the years; the mantle passes often) to help re-create DotA as its own dedicated game. With other games like Heroes of Newearth and League of Legends already getting mad popularity, it seemed like a great idea to take the already established original and throw its hat in the ring.

So, to someone who has been playing DotA since its inception as an Aeon style of game, and who spent probably more time during his college career playing DotA Allstars with friends rather than actually studying, how does it hold up? Very well, with a few small issues.

Battles in DOTA 2 get really crazy, really quickly

Its worth saying that at its core this game is literally exactly the same as DotA Allstars. Everything from attack speed, projectile speed, spells, heroes, items...everything is the same. It fits the whole "if it ain't broke..." mentality, and to be honest I'm fine with that. Best Valve start with a base that is already solid and then work on patch and balance issues from there (though DotA Allstars has been updated several times since DOTA 2 was put into beta, with rather significant changes that Valve has yet to implement).

So the differences. First off is the matchmaking system, which is massively improved. You can pick your gametype (currently limited to all pick or single draft, but I'm certain the rest of the modes will be implemented shortly), region, and easily form up with parties. Matchmaking is relatively quick, with the longest being from 5-7 minutes when we were in a party of four (it's hard to find four open slots on a single team). Loading times are relatively fast, though it does have some weird bugs that can boot you from the game during the loading screen (I'll assume this is a beta issue). 

A big boon is the fact that if you disconnect you have five minutes, penalty free to rejoin the game. This means if your internet hiccups or you accidentally hit the close button (or Windows Update decides now would be a great time to do those software updates, vs any other time in the history of the world) you still can reload and rejoin the game without ruining it. This is a much needed feature, especially since if you are already in a game you can't join another one if you "rage quit," cutting back on people who started losing and then abandoned the game (a big problem in original DotA Allstars). 

Everything you loved from DotA Allstars is here, but focused on creating an excellent experience

In-game, many UI improvements have tweaked the original Warcraft III UI to better fit DOTA 2. My favorites include having metered life bars over people's heads so you can quickly gauge which heroes have the most maximum health and which don't (making for good gank focuses); the bigger ability buttons in the center of the screen; a constant ticker on top that shows K/D ratio, your own K/D ratio, and creep kills/denies; easy menu access to overall scores and hero levels; a regen meter that shows exactly how much health and mana you regen a second; and hotkeys for building fortifications, the shop, the courier, and an your scrolls of town portal.

The shop is also much improved, though I still have a few issues with it. The biggest perk is that clicking on any item or recipe will both show what it is made of (in the case of recipes) and everything it can be made into (in the case of items or recipes). If you then click on any of these items you can get them in more detail, or just straight up buy them from the shop (buying full bracers without having to buy parts is a huge boon, let me tell you). The shop is also sortable with names or just icons (protip: go for just icons, it puts everything on just one page) and you can search quickly by name if you can't find what you are looking for. The shop is also accessible and shoppable at any time by simply clicking at your gold button, which is way easier than having to go back to the base and finding a specific shop every time you want to buy something. 

Couriers have also been improved. They are always for the whole team rather than having to share control, and actually respawn on death. They have hotkeys (similar to DotA Allstars) where they'll pick up your items or deliver them automatically, making buying stuff while on the field completely painless. Overall, the in-game controls are vastly improved, and if you are already decent at DotA these improvements will go a long way to making your experience funner. 

Antimage is still a totally broken carry, though. 

Let's talk about some graphical changes now. Obviously, the biggest change is the new look of the heroes, and of the several dozen they've ported over they've done a good job making it so they look like the originals while not completely ripping off Warcraft III. There are a few that are still questionable (the Morphling and Enchantress look exactly like their Warcraft III counterparts) and only a couple have had any really dramatic changes (new Sand King looks less like a king of the scorpions like he did before and more like a flimsy little bug), but they all fit the new theme Valve was going for and mesh together. Considering they were all totally random units from Warcraft III turned into heroes for this game, it's commendable that Valve managed to infuse their own style into it while still keeping their look consistant and looking familiar enough to the original sprites that hardcore fans will be able to recognize heroes on sight.

In-game notifications and status effects are also similar, with the changes close enough to easily recognize. Stuns still look the same, and Silence's new indicator is very obvious and not overwhelming. My favorite is anything that does damage over time: you see the actual numbers from just poison attacks (or spells like the Witch Doctor's Maladect) rather than just guessing at the damage it was doing before. My only one I don't like is if you have a shield it says "-10" with an armor sign every time you are hit. Since you aren't saying the total damage, the "-10" is kind of redundant and just serves to confuse and provide sensory overload. All healing also says the numbers, etc. which is a huge improvement over the original. Yes, it's little things like this I'm excited about. Shut up. 

Spells actually probably have a more dramatic shift than heroes, if I think about it. The spells in DotA Allstars were limited to whatever tools were available in Warcraft III, making some spells look really strange. The new ones strike a unique look and aesthetic, using the freedom of being able to do, well, anything with the new engine and they all look pretty good. My only complaint is that several are underwhelming. Enigma's Black Hole and Dark Pulse look frail in comparison to the originals, and there are a handful of other spells (Sand King's impale) also just look less powerful than their originals. While there's certainly still a lot of flash, it feels like some of the hits aren't as hard, which is too bad. It also could be difficult for old players to adapt to the totally new spells, which is a problem since knowing what is being cast at you is a crucial part of DotA. But after enough time you'll figure it out, so it might be a moot point. 

The new Nightstalker is way cooler than the old one, and even transforms at night. 

Graphics are a really mixed bag. All the heroes have a good design, spells are decent and everything generally just works. It's on the source engine, so it can pretty much be run on any crappy computer, and mine can crank it out at full power without so much as a hiccup. So on that front, it's great.

The issue is they all look sort of bland. Even on max resolution with highest graphics, everything was a bit blurry, like the polygon count just wasn't reaching it. The art design of the heroes is nice, but the design of the map is incredibly boring. Warcraft III was very bright and colorful, this one looks like the whole thing is covered in blurry fog. Grass is generally uniform and boring, as is dirt and other terrain. Water is the best looking of the bunch, even it doesn't really do anything exciting. If you are going to totally remake DOTA from scratch, make it look good. And while having a pretty backdrop isn't really necessary, considering how absolutely beautiful the indie-developed League of Legends (DOTA 2's direct competitor) looks, you'd think they'd put more effort or at least another map or something. 

League of Legends is a gorgeous game. DOTA 2? Not as much. 

Other minor complaints crop up. While the shop items can be changed so they are easier to navigate (and all the improvements are very welcome), the icons for the items have mostly been dramatically changed, making it really hard for a vet to know exactly where the item they want is. Nothing is more frustrating than knowing you want a Helm of the Dominator and not knowing which freaking category it's filed under. Yeah, you can just search for it (or click any part of the recipe and find it), but they could have at least tried to make it look more like the originals. The heroes are pretty much blatant ripoffs; why not do the same with the items?

Speaking of the heroes, this goes back to a graphics problem: some heroes look too similar. My biggest issue is between Razor and Lich, who in DotA Allstars had very different looking sprites, but in DOTA 2 where everything is under that stupid muted color pallet for some reason, it can be hard to tell them apart. The same goes for a couple other heroes, and while I understand it can be hard to make 90 guys look completely unique, DotA Allstars did it, no problem, with more limitations on the sprites they could use.

The effects can also completely overwhelm. Freezing something gives it a cold sheen, but the Venomancer's ultimate (Poison Nova) has a very similar effect as well, so it can be hard to tell them apart. You can have so many status effects and numbers all over your heroes and popping up that large ganks can be impossible to navigate. This isn't really a fair complaint I guess, since DotA and every MOBA game I've ever played had a similar problem when the chaos gets high, but this one seems weirdly worse than DotA Allstars in terms of sensory overload. 

Seriously, look how similar these sprites are. On a tiny field, they are hard to tell apart. 

Another complaint that probably isn't relevant is the lack of heroes. Yeah, it's still in beta, I get it. But there really seems to not be as many as there should be at this stage in the game. Also their choice of heroes they port over is really bizarre. We got stupid Ancient Apparation and not Phantom Lancer? And it took forever for Riki and Bounty Hunter to show up? Stop playing the game, Valve, and get on porting the rest of the heroes over! The game needs it!

They really look like their Warcraft III counterparts. Which is a good thing. 

My final stupid complaint is the voices. They obviously re-recorded all the voices since the originals were Warcraft III sprites, but the new ones are just...awful. First off, they seem afraid to give anything just a feral growl or otherworldly howl. That made a lot of the crazier heroes seem much more boring by saying stupid things in low voices rather than just killing (Atropos being the biggest offender. He really shouldn't have talked.). Then you have the issue that everything they say is awful. Yeah, Warcraft III wasn't exactly well written (and if you clicked the hero enough you got crazy puns), but everything these people say is a pun. After hearing the Venomancer say "By vim and venom" every time I had him move I wanted to punch the screen, and that's just the start of it. Clockwork's constant gear, clock, or robot puns are grating, and generally everybody has some horrible, horrible pun they spew out based on their character.

Look, Valve. In Warcraft III they said something stupid maybe 10% of the time, and rarely during simple actions like moving, attacking, or casting spells. Your heros say stupid stuff constantly. I know it's too late to re-record or whatever, but from now on...could you please please please cut back on the puns? We aren't kids; this is really stupid and lame at this point, trust me.

They are also way chattier in this version, which when paired with the bad script only exacerbates the frustration. They say something when they die, they say something when they revive, they say something when they kill a hero (sometimes a unique voice track based on which hero they killed, which is a nice touch), they say something when they buy an item, they say something when they kill a creep, they say something when they cast a spell, they say something when a spell is cast on them...the list goes on. It gets really grating really fast, to say the least. Probably the biggest annoyance out of all the new changes. 

Easy accessible stats are appreciated. 

As it stands, DOTA 2 is a worthy follow-up to the already excellent DotA Allstars from Warcraft III. It's certainly come a long way, and after playing a few rounds on DOTA 2 it's hard to go back to DotA Allstars. That being said, I still feels like it has a ways to go before it'll match the already massive hero roster and popularity of League of Legends. But hey, DOTA 2 has denying and League of Legends doesn't, and everybody knows denying is pro-strat, so suck it League of Legends. 

That was a joke, by the way.

Despite its uninspired art style and annoying hero voices, the core game of DOTA 2 is just as incredible and addicting as it always has been. It's still very noob unfriendly, meaning you should expect a few hours of bad games before you finally find a hero you are good at and start really enjoying the game. But for the core fans, this could be the best MOBA yet. And considering no pricing has yet betten announced (I think all the heroes will be free, which would put it a step above League of Legends in that way at least) I can't really give it a total analysis. 

Still, if you liked DotA at all, you should get into DOTA 2. There's a reason it's the most popular MOBA, even after other standalone products have come into fruition. Because it's the best. It's deep, quick, addicting, and has loads of options. So if you can get a beta key, get in on that. 

Let's make this great, Valve. And actually release it sometime within the next year, please. Like 90% of the work was already done for you.

I feel stupid giving it a star rating, but why not...Five out of Five Stars.

Oh, how far we've come. 

Week in Review for 4/8/2012 - Valve Time

It was a Valve-tacular week, though I did miss a few ones (the Dota 2 Beta preview/review is halfway done but won't get finished tonight). It's been another busy week for me, so I didn't churn out the usual high number, but hey...I still covered the most important ones.

Next week isn't planned to have a theme. I'm already going to be super busy, but I have a few lined up that I really want to review (Age of Empires Online in particular) so expect that to pop up. I'm also hoping to review more retro games, so here's hoping that pulls through too.

Here's this week's batch!

Portal - 5 / 5 Stars
Portal 2 - 5 / 5 Stars
Left 4 Dead - 4 / 5 Stars
Left 4 Dead 2 - 4 / 5 Stars
Half-Life 2 - 3 / 5 Stars
Half-Life 2 Episode 1 - 3 / 5 Stars
Half-Life 2 Episode 2 - 4 / 5 Stars

See you next week!

Half-Life 2 Episode 2

The Short


Pros
- Easily the best story currently presented in the Half-Life 2 universe
- Tighter shooting, better enemies, and a much improved sense of pace throughout
- Setpieces are epic, battles are insane, and the scope has been substantially increased
- Ending is genuinely heartbreaking and excellently paced and written
- Provides insight into the characters previously untapped or even considered
- Best looking rendition of the Half-Life 2 engine

Cons
- Still has a vehicle section
- Final battle can feel a bit unfair until you get a hang of it
- Gordon Freemon still doesn't talk, which dampens the emotion somewhat
- Shooty bits are still technically exactly the same as Half-Life 2
- The massive cliffhanger ending is still unresolved

This is Half-Life at its best. 

The Long

After Half-Life 2 and it's subsequent episode, I was anxious to see where Episode 2 would take us but not exactly frothing at the mouth for it. The ending of Episode 1 was a cliffhanger, but I had never really felt extremely invested into the story presented, if only because I had felt like I'd just been scratching the surface. The voiceovers and characters were great to pass the time, but for a while it really felt like the Uncharted games: great popcorn, fun to listen to while you are playing it, but with no real depth to speak of.

Luckily, Episode 2 showed up for Half-Life 2, and proved that Valve actually has stuff planned for this world. Not just planned, but willing to finally let us dip our toes into the true depth of this world, and start to understand on a deeper level the characters we've been spending time with and the story we've been skimming the surface of.

What is the connection with the Half-Life universe and Aperture Science from Portal? 

As stated, the story picks up right after Episode 1. You are again alone with Alyx trying to get somewhere, but this time it's all new territory, and a lot of it is spent between small towns rather than in a big city or an alien skyscraper. It's an excellent change of pace, and one that is riddled with twists, tricks, and bits of story.

Episode 2 works better than its predecessors because it actually has a story that is paced well and has depth to it. Half-Life 2 felt like a giant introduction to the world, padded on every side by shooting and physics puzzles and awful vehicles. Episode 1 fixed this a bit by teaming you up with Alyx, but for all her charm she never really conveyed anything significant or really evolved as a character. In Episode 2, however, I felt like I knew the characters better and learned more about them than the previous two games combined. There is just so much here, with plot twists actually happening in the middle and leading to further exposition, massive changes to the universe and (FINALLY) the possibility for a resolution to the ongoing conflict. That was another big problem with the previous two games: you were thrown into a world overcome by aliens, but nobody really had any long-term plans to free humanity. It was annoying; I felt like the mute little errand boy doing minute and inconsequential gestures that were great short-term, but in the end the Combine were still there and still ruled 99% of humanity. At last, in Episode 2, we get the feeling the end is in sight.

Time for a rave. 

I also have to mention the ending, which many people have said is one of their most emotional moments in gaming. I will say that, after all that has happend in the previous games, what goes down at the end of Episode 2 certainly had more impact than, say, Aeris' death in the middle of Final Fantasy VII. My main issue with this ending, however, is the fact that it is still unresolved. Valve hasn't even given us a hint of when Episode 3 (or just straight up Half-Life 3) will be coming out, the whole thing becoming a sort of joke where Valve will openly troll its fans at this point (like putting a game listing for Episode 3 on Steam on April Fools Day). Which is actually kind of a huge douchebag move, because the reason people want it so bad is because Episode 2 finally got us connected and emotionally attached with the character, ended with an insane twist, promised us an upcoming resolution at last, and then...nothing. This is really just being downright cruel now, Valve. Especially considering how many games have come out since this one with still no hint as to the future of the Half-Life series.

Though I have to admit, I probably have a deeper emotional attachment to this shotgun than any character in particular.  This shotgun...is my friend. 

So aside from the excellent pacing, a deeper commitment to story, and whole new setpieces...what else is here? Well, Episode 2's shooting is still the same, though for some reason it feels oddly better. Not a lot, just a little. Aiming seems tighter, guns feel like they pack more punch, and the enemies (with improved AI, thank goodness) react more realistically to getting the crap blown out of them. While it isn't going to totally reconvert you to the shooting if you are sick and tired of it, the improvements are appreciated.

What isn't appreciated, however, is the return of vehicles. 

Dammit, Valve. Everything was going so well. 

Ok, I will admit the car in Episode 2 is waaaaaay better than any vehicle in Half-Life 2. I'll give it that much. It drives smoother, doesn't control like absolute garbage mixed with crazy physics everywhere, and can get some serious speed. However, it still feels really cumbersome and drags the otherwise well-knit game down. While in the car your radar can go off to find ammo caches, which basically means one is close and you can waste a ton of time digging for it if you really want more pistol rounds or something (protip: probably not worth it). Getting stuck on stuff is still a pain, and it also has a good dose of "Oh no, this thing is blocking the road! Now we have to get out and shoot stuff before we can drive some more!"

The pain is slightly fixed by hanging out with Alyx the whole time, but seriously...vehicles suck. The fact that the final confrontation completely relies on vehicles to operate was just...a mistake. It takes a really epic battle and gives it a flat tire. I get you are trying to do something unique here (and the spectacle on display is excellent) but just...this series doesn't need vehicles. Ever again. Just...cut them out, everything will be fine. I promise. 

This guy is also pretty funny. 

Graphically this game is the best looking out of the three. Facial animations are excellent (as usual), lighting is superb, and the new areas you visit look great. It has a rustic, foresty look about it that is new to the series and fits, with a lot of natural beauty intermixed with crazy new aliens and nasty violence (and an awful car, sigh). I personally found this the most visually appealing chunk of the Half-Life 2 story, so props for that.

Sound design is also excellent throughout, especially during the particularly emotional scenes. Voice actors really bring it home, though again...Gordon still is mute. Which makes it weird when people ask him a question, pause, and then respond as if he answered. Just have him answer. Seriously. 

I think I need a bigger gun...

Episode 2 is an excellent piece of entertainment. Aside from a few flaws (and the fact that, at its core, this is still Half-Life 2) it takes the already good game Valve made in 2005 and jacks it up to what could very well be near its full potential. If this is the progression the series is going, than Episode 3 or Half-Life 3 is going to be astounding. Just with no cars. And have Gordon talk. Then it'll really work out great for ya there.

Niggling flaws aside, you should really give this game a go. It's a pity you have to slog through Half-Life 2 and Episode 1 to fully get the impact of the story, but it all is worth it in the end.

Four out of five stars.

See you, space gnome. 

Half-Life 2 Episode 1

The Short


Pros
- Takes the excellent Half-Life 2 experience and condenses it into 2-3 well-paced hours
- Has a high amount of story given the length, and all of it is good and interesting
- Lets you play with the super-charged Gravity Gun from the end of Half-Life 2. This is awesome.
- Alyx is an excellent companion and her script shines
- Lots of small, subtle changes polish the experience

Cons
- For all my whining about a shorter Half-Life 2, this one still feels a bit short
- At it's core, this is the exact same experience you got in Half-Life 2, just shorter
- Infinitely spawning enemies are never a good idea, ever, no matter what the game
- Ends on a rather large cliffhanger. Thank goodness Episode 2 is out

Tell me about it. 

The Long

After Half-Life 2 took Valve like a billion years to make (relatively speaking), they decided it would be best to keep their fans happy if instead of just releasing a Half-Life 3 they instead broke it up into smaller chunks so they could release them on a more regular basis. This is ironic, now, considering fans have been clamoring for Episode 3 for nearly six years now and the game still isn't out. Way to stick to the plan. Valve. 

Anyway, Half-Life 2 Episode 1 (heretoafter referred to as just Episode 1) was the first of these mini-stories, small chunks of Half-Life 2 condensed to give you the full Half-Life 2 experience in just a couple of hours. If you remember my review of Half-Life 2, one of my biggest issues with the game was that it felt extremely padded, so Episode 1 should be exactly what I'm looking for, right?

Well...yeah, actually. I really like it a lot. 

This should all look pretty familiar by this point. 

Episode 1 takes place literally seconds after Half-Life 2 ends. The Citadel is going haywire, you managed to repel the alien invaders (for now) and Alyx is...hanging out with you, I guess. Anyway, Gordon and Alyx get the heck outta Dodge only to find out that if they let the Citadel blow up ALL the way, it'll like...nuke everybody. But if they get it so it only blows up SOME of the way, then they'll be good. So it's back into the Citadel to prevent nuclear meltdown, and once you have that fixed it's time to get out of the City and meet with other resistance members...or something.

There is a lot more story here, and that is a good thing. Since you spend nearly 90% of the game with Alyx, she'll talk a-plenty and keep the story moving. Writing is solid, as would be expected from a Valve game, and having a companion with you keeps the long drags through samey corridors from getting dull.

It still irritates me, though, that Gordon doesn't talk. Because then the whole "bonding" experience with Alyx seems like she's talking to a brick wall. I get you are supposed to be emoting in Gordon Freeman's place, but seriously...he is a character in this story, has a history, and should be given a voice. It makes the otherwise excellent script come off as really weird, and it hurts the narrative for it. 

Ceiling Cat? Is that yo- OH HELL NO. 

The rest of the game feels like a "Best Of" mix tap from Half-Life 2. I get to do all my favorite parts from that game, without all the garbage. Right off the bat you are given the super-charged Gravity Gun from the end of Half-Life 2 (essentially "God Mode," but much more entertaining) and get to mess the crap up out of some Combine. After that you lose it (obviously) and its right back to shooting Antlions, Headcrab Zombies, new Headcrab Combine, and original flavor Combine. There are no vehicle segments minus one part where you get tossed while inside a...nah, I won't spoil it. But hey, no driving plus better Gravity Gun plus hanging out with Alyx and the rest of the Half-Life 2 peeps equals happy Nathan.

If only that thing that controlled antlions hadn't conveniently disappeared between games. 

If there is any real fault I can level against Episode 1 it is this: it doesn't do anything new. There are a few minor tweaks to the engine and one or two new enemies, but at its core Episode 1 is really just more Half-Life 2. Coming out several years after made this ok, and condensing the experience down made it a quick, fresh reminder of how much I enjoyed certain parts of Half-Life 2, but playing it now, where you can play Half-Life and both its episodes back to back, it feels like filler between the real adventure in Episode 2. It certainly isn't bad, it's just uninspired. Pretty much exactly like a "Best Of" Album release: if you haven't heard the songs in a while its a great way to reminisce, but if you just listened to all their CDs in a row it really feels redundant. 

It's the same engine as Half-Life 2 (and every other Valve game ever made since) and as such it looks fantastic. The lack of new enemies or locations is a bummer, but Half-Life 2 was still a fun looking game, and on high end PCs you can make it look especially magical. Voice acting is great for Alyx and co., and the sound effects are top notch as always. 

It's like she knows me. Screw you, poison headcrab. 

As it stands, if you liked Half-Life 2 you'll love Episode 1. If you though Half-Life 2 was dull and long, it might bet worth giving Episode 1 a try anyway. The streamlined approach helps it more than hurts it, and even though it feels a bit short on story it's still a solid 2-3 hour experience.

Since you can get it for super cheap now (or just pick up The Orange Box which has all the Valve greats in one convenient location) you might as well if you plan on playing through all the games. It's a decent transition to the (superior) Episode 2, and feels a bit better than Half-Life 2 to boot. 

Still, it doesn't do enough to differentiate itself, so it still get the same score as its predecessor. 

Three out of Five Stars. 

SMASH KICK!

Half-Life 2

The Short


Pros
- Excellent first-person shooter with unique weapons, story, and setting
- Lots of variety helps mix up the shooting with other sections
- Years ahead of its time graphically. Game can still be knocked up to some crazy settings on modern machines.
- Voice acting and story are superb and entertaining throughout
- Universe/world is compelling and leaves you wanting more
- Physics engine is still impressive to this day
- Gravity gun is still one of the funnest toys in gaming
- While Half-Life completely reinvented how FPS games are viewed, Half-Life 2 did the same thing for modern shooters

Cons
- Game feels a bit long
- Any vehicle segment feels tacked on, has clunky controls, and just straight up isn't fun
- You pack such an arsenal the game isn't very hard by the time you hit the second half
- Not a lot of enemy variety or boss battles
- While it is still a landmark game, it was completely dwarfed by its own episodic sequels and many modern FPSes (Bioshock comes to mind)

Time to tackle what many people feel is the best PC game ever made. 

The Long

Half-Life was a groundbreaking game for the industry. Where FPS games had become tournament style deathmatches with little in terms of goals or story, Half-Life completely turned all this on its head. It released a game that valued its setting and characters as much as it did its shooting, starting off slowly to build a scene before letting everything go to hell. It pioneered the "corridor shooter" or "setpiece shooter," where triggered events in the world gave a distinct sense of progression while still telling a story and providing a hefty dose of spectacle. I still remember getting a Sierra-On-Line fan magazine at the time and Half-Life being the upcoming game featured. I thought it looked pretty awesome, having no idea the impact it would have. 

Six years later in 2004, Half-Life 2 finally came out. It had truckloads of hype behind it. From the publicity when their source code was stolen to the fact the game had been delayed constantly and that it was tied to Valve's new "Steam" platform in order to operate, Half-Life 2 had a lot to live up to. And guess what: it pulled it out in spades. Where Half-Life proved that FPS games could be more than just tournament shooters, Half-Life 2 bumped that up a notch. With great shooting, impressive physics and graphics, and excellent storytelling (especially for a shooter), it pushed the industry forward and helped shape the way FPS games are made all the way to this day. Games like Call of Duty and Halo are still playing catch-up with Half-Life 2, and if anything that really goes to show how far ahead of it's time this game was.

But it isn't perfect. Which I will get to shortly. 

The engine still looks pretty dang good, even today. 

Half-Life 2 picks up several years after Half-Life ended, and in such a strange way some people (myself included) might find it hard to pinpoint the connection between the two games. Since unleashing a portal to space/hell in Half-Life, the world has been overtaken by a race of alien called the Combine who have enslaved humanity for relatively unknown means. One of Gordon Freeman's old associates (Breen) acts as overlord and slave to the Combine, and you simply appear on a train in City 17 (just another enslaved city) before heading off on your adventure to free mankind.

The details of the story are convoluted, though I appreciate the attempt to make this universe large and interesting. What really draws you in are the characters and the excellent pacing (at least at the start). The game does a lot to draw you into the atmosphere of this bleak, crappy future, and the excellently voiced and animated characters only help push this forward. While the details of mankind's enslavement, the status of humanity, and plenty of other important tidbits are relatively hidden under the convoluted storyline, what you are given is presented so well it is easy to overlook the fact that the main story is kind of... nonexistent. 

One big problem I had with the story, however, is how it seems to come in spurts. In the beginning, where it has a good blend of talking, atmospheric setting, and action, the game feels very well paced. Unfortunately, it then decides to just drop you off in the middle of nowhere with a crowbar, leading to several hours of no interaction with other people at all. Since Gordon Freeman is mute all the time (which is also sort of annoying with regard to trying to have a character someone can relate to and interact with the plot) these bouts alone are pretty much void of all story. Then you hit a landmark, get fed a ton more story, and are sent off alone again. While the atmosphere makes up for a lot (and the final act manages to have a good deal of plot), I can't help but think the pacing is a bit off once you leave City 17. 

Luckily the shooting is good enough to keep you entertained. 

Where Half-Life 2 shines is the setpieces it puts you into, even if they aren't particularly story related. Ravenholm is regarded as the prime example: a city overrun with headcrab zombies and half the city burning down and corpses piled up set the mood. But, unfortunately, these absolutely incredible setpieces seem to be padded on either side by a lot of bland, generic areas with the same enemies. Yes, it's awesome to go to some really cool places, to drive up the coast, to use antlions to murder a bunch of dudes and clear out a base. But then it's back to running around in sewers shooting the same enemies over and over, performing some bad first-person jumping puzzles or having to move crates about in silly physics puzzles that make no sense in the actual world. I get it: you made an awesome physics engine, and the Gravity Gun is totally sweet. But that doesn't mean 90% of the puzzles need to involve moving stuff around to make your physics work.

So you have a lot of really good setpieces mixed with some boring segments. Gee, sounds like every shooter to follow Half-Life 2 just does the exact same thing. Well...yep, that would be accurate. Again, keep in mind that these little side-adventures are really good. Shooting down spaceships in real time and watching them crash into things (also in real time) and the physics just going crazy and being realistic is totally nuts, especially considering when this game came out. There's just...the pacing is so off here. And I like the shooting and all, it just feels like the lulls go on for too long, and a good portion of the game ignores other shooters that had come out since then. Keep in mind: Half-Life 2 came out after Halo 2 (maybe just a few days after, but a good deal past Halo: Combat Evolved). While Half-Life 2 certainly pantsed Halo on the physics side, Halo 2 did the exact same setpiece bits but kept it interesting throughout. Again: I'm not saying Halo 2 is better than Half-Life 2, and it certainly wasn't as influential, but when you put the two games next to each other as straight shooters, Halo 2 often comes off as being funner and faster paced (and has included multiplayer, which Half-Life 2 did not). 

Alyx Vance: Winning nerds' hearts since 2004

There are plenty of other problems to be found here. The game often requires you to get behind a vehicle, which straight up sucks. Vehicles control decently and are fun to drive for the first 10-15 minutes, but some of these segments involve driving them around for hours, getting out and shooting stuff or doing a physics puzzle (or worse: doing a physics puzzles in the vehicle) and then driving around some more. The boat section especially, while having some totally awesome chase sequences at the beginning (where they drop mines as you are skimming through an aquaduct and they are air-dropping guys you then squish) is fantastic. But then it drags on, back into that "in-between" time padding around cool scenes, and it gets tedious. Same with the car/buggy thing you drive around the coast. You do some crazy stuff on it, but it is padded by so much boring driving and having to get out, shoot some guys and do some really bad first person jumping (whoever decided that bridge climbing/traversing part should stay in the game should be punched) and then it's back in the car. For the time, yeah I'll give it to Half-Life 2 because it made a game that was long and relatively engaging all the way through, and the crazy physics did provide some fun in the downtime. But still...this is just bad game pacing. It's like they had a 5 hour game and they felt the need to stretch it out much longer because of what the fans wanted. I think the Half-Life 2 episodes only prove that Half-Life 2 works best in small, concise and well-planned chunks. Half-Life 2 feels bloated.

The opening segments are still extremely powerful, though. 

I feel the need to stop here and lay down this disclaimer: I really like Half-Life 2. I was blown away when it came out, and replaying it recently I found I still enjoyed the adventure. I just feel that, looking back, we really cut this game a lot of slack for a myriad of problems. I will never deny how influential it was on shooters and how it pretty much shaped how shooters are made to this day, but just because something inspired greatness doesn't mean it itself is immune to criticism (see: Goldeneye 64). Half-Life 2 really hasn't aged well in the gameplay and pacing departments, people. That's all I'm trying to say here.

This game still looks fantastic. 

The graphics and sound effects, however, have aged extremely well. It's a testament to Valve's Source engine that it was capable of processing and running on higher resolutions and setting than were available at the time of release, kind of like how Crysis was made for systems that hadn't come out yet. The difference between Half-Life 2 and Crysis is that the Source engine is much more versatile. Have a crappy 766 MHz machine with 512 MB of ram and a 128 MB ATI video card (these were the specs of my machine when the game first came out)? Bump down the settings and it'll run. Have a modern Mac Mini with a duel-core processor, a decent video card and 8 GB of RAM? Crank those graphics up and see how well everything still looks. It's been eight years since this game came out, and it still looks really good on powerful machines, and even on the Xbox 360 release of The Orange Box. Which is also probably why Valve still uses the Source engine, even for their modern games like Portal 2.

Voice acting, when it happens, is all excellent. The sound effects are also fantastic, with the screams of the headcrab zombies (a mixture of violent howling and cries of pain) still being horrifying enough to get a jump out of me whenever I hear it. When it comes down to the little things, Valve tends to succeed, and it does good at making Half-Life 2 still relevant even all these years later. 

I still hate you, hover-water-bike-thing. But I'll be damned if that water doesn't look incredible. 

So...the final verdict? Half-Life 2 is still decent, and is certainly worth playing if you haven't yet. If you have you probably have rose-tinted nostalgia glasses and will hate me ripping into it, but hey...the truth hurts. As I said before, the Episodes following this game pretty much put it completely to shame (even if the long-delayed release of Episode 3 has become pretty much a joke at this point), condensing the better bits of the game into short, manageable sections. While it still is an excellent single-player shooter that is an exciting adventure and has some really cool story bits, the excessive padding and vehicle segments really get under my skin. It just goes to prove that laying the groundwork for bigger and better things is still important, but it doesn't mean you did everything right the first time. 

Three out of five stars. 

You are awesome, Half-Life 2. You are just starting to show your age. 

Left 4 Dead 2

The Short


Pros
- Same addicting four-player madness as Left 4 Dead but with more weapons, zombies, and options
- Scenarios have more of a theme to them and follow a unique style
- Set in the south, the game has a cool "bluegrass" twang about it
- Everything new is an improvement, to more guns, attachments, and more
- New Special Infected are cool and a blast to play in VS mode
- Scavenger mode is a lot of fun
- Overall, does exactly what a sequel should: improves heavily on the original

Cons
- New characters aren't nearly as endearing as the first batch
- Upped levels of gore are appreciated, but not for the squeamish
- The new Special Infected can make the game substantially more difficult
- Coming out only a year after the first game, this does kind of feel like its features should have been in Left 4 Dead

Another day, another wave of zombies to gun down

The Long

After Left 4 Dead sported a runaway success, Valve decided to roll with it and actually make a game on a decent timetable. Left 4 Dead 2 came out only around a year since the first game, which pissed a bunch of games off for some reason. This was the first instance I can remember of a widely publicized "boycott" of the game, though most of the boycotters ended up getting it on release day anyway (as evidenced by their Steam accounts). Mostly they were mad because they felt that Valve cut features from the first game and were now patching it together in the sequel, and that somehow because of this that diminished the value of their first game that they'd bought and obviously loved. Because if a company makes a sequel, automatically the first game is totally useless and unplayable. It might as well just erase itself and all the fun memories you had from both your Steam account and your brain.

Because that makes perfect sense.

Anyway, they were wrong regardless: Left 4 Dead 2 is an excellent sequel on all fronts. It improves substantially on the original game, while still having its own flavor and style to keep it distant and distinct. Basically, both these games can exist, and there is a reason to own both. So no whining. And on with the review. 

This game is significantly more bloody and gory than the first one. 

So at its gooey core, Left 4 Dead 2 is basically the same game as the first one. You and three buddies (because playing with bots sucks) have to get from point A to point B while not getting brutally ruined by the boatloads of infected zombies along the way. You find weapons, share health, watch each other's backs, etc. etc. So what is different here that would merit a sequel? A lot, actually.

First off are the missions, which are much better than the first four in terms of theme and setpieces. There are five on disc this time around, with more added on to free DLC if you are on PC (and paid on Xbox 360...boo Microsoft!). What makes them neat is how they incorporate new things. My favorite is "Hard Rain," a mission that involves going to a gas station out in the boonies on foot and then hoofing it back the way you came. The trick is that on the way out its nice and sunny, and on the way back you are in the middle of a crazy monsoon. You can hardly see a few feet in front of you, can lose your buddies easily, and with the darkness of night it can be very, very bad if you wander off just a little. You've (luckily) seen the whole area going one direction, but going back can be a challenge.

It's little tricks like this that make the missions unique and also add a bit more flavor aside from "go here, kill the horde, leave." They very clearly tried to make each one distinct, and it goes a long way to mix up the formula.

Melee weapons are another new addition

Left 4 Dead 2 also adds a plethora of new weapons, so many that they seem to just be lying around all over the place. If you don't like your infinite shooting pistol (of which there are actually more options now), you can swap it for a handful of melee weapons. Bladed weapons essentially insta-kill most little zombies at close range, meaning you are swapping power for versatility (hint: always get a melee weapon). There are more guns as well, though they still fall into the whole "sniper/shotgun/machine gun" classes. But hey, there's a three burst rifle finally. 

The same grenades are here, with a new "puke bomb" that attracts zombies to a spot (or enemy) to get them off your back for a time. You can carry a health kit or a defibrillator, the latter of which can be used to revive completely dead teammates. And in addition to pills you have morphine...er...adrenaline which gives you a smaller health boost but temporary speed and pain resistance. 

Essentially they took everybody's complaints about the weapons and addressed them. So yay, more variety in mashing zombies to death. Also, weapon mods like fire bullets or exploding shells are cool. And you'll need them, because of all the new Special Infected. 

Seriously, Chargers are the worst. 

In Left 4 Dead we only had five Special Infected, so the second game ramps it up by adding two more, and both of them are annoying. The Spitter paints the ground in extremely high-damaging acid, meaning if you are trying to camp corners with your team that'll mess you up pretty quick. But the most annoying one is the Charger, who basically blasts into a group, grabs one of your people, keeps running until you are separated and then slams them into the ground for high damage. So he's essentially the Hunter, only a billion times better and with more life. Annoying.

It's worth point out: despite the new weapons, the addition of the new batch of Special Infected (and their substantially higher spawn rates) make this game considerably more difficult than Left 4 Dead. It isn't that overwhelming once you adapt to it, but don't expect to just breeze through the game on super hard difficulties if you've gotten used to Left 4 Dead. There is a a distinct challenge here, and it is welcomed. 

Party time!

Lastly, the gore has been ramped up significantly from Left 4 Dead. Where in the first game the most visceral thing you got was a zombie head exploding, in this one they seem to be made of weak play-do or something because every shot takes chunks off of them, blows of limbs, or just rips them apart. Heavy machine guns and explosive ammo only further push this point, blowing them to pieces with long blood trails. It's visceral and satisfying, if a bit demented, so if gore turns you off you might just have to stick with the first game.

Vs Mode, which I totally ignored in my Left 4 Dead review for some reason, is back and just as fun as ever. Essentially two groups of four take turns being either the humans or the Special Infected (which zombie you get is randomly generated based on the AI Director). The humans try to see how far they can get to the mid-level Safe House (if they can make it there at all) while the zombies try to work together to incapacitate them all. In Left 4 Dead, the survivors usually could make it, meaning it was a war of damage/points attrition. In Left 4 Dead 2, however, with all the new badass Special Infected a moderately competent zombie team can wipe the survivors off the map before they get very far. It turns into crazy running matches to out-pace the previous team's progress before they got wiped, which makes the Vs a lot faster and more furious. 

They also added a new addition: Scavenger mode. Basically the goal is to get a set number of gas cans scattered around the map into a generator before the time runs out. The other team plays as Special Infected trying to ruin your fun, and those game tend to be a lot shorter than a Vs match while being substantially more intense. It's a fun rush and certainly one of the best new additions. 

"We have found a Witch, may we burn her?"

Graphically, it still runs in the Source engine, but the new levels of gore make the game seem better designed overall. Sets are with an American South flavor (including swamps, etc.) and feel distinct and more unique than the first game. It still has its trademark sharp corners and flat walls, but for a Source game it looks really good and has a great deal of style.

Sound design is also top notch, though this batch of survivors isn't nearly as memorable as the previous one. I liked Nick and Ellis quite a bit, but Coach was just boring and Rochelle is no Zoey. In fact, Rochelle hardly ever says anything interesting, which makes me wonder if they even bothered trying with her character. 

Boom, headshot. 

As it stands, Left 4 Dead 2 improves on Left 4 Dead in nearly every possible way. In addition, if you have the PC version Valve ported nearly all the Left 4 Dead maps over to Left 4 Dead 2, meaning you can play your favorites from the first game with the improved features. While it still has a few core problems the original had (the biggest one being you have to play this game with friends to have the best time), there is enough improved here to make it the preferred game if you have to pick just one. Even with no Francis. Who is the best character.

Luckily, if you are a PC gamer you don't really have to choose. Usually these two go on sale on Steam in pairs (or are packed together in a Valve complete pack) and I've seen it where you can get both games for $10. These are excellent co-op games and fun zombie blasters, so grab your friends and get shooting in the deep South together.

Four out of five stars. 

Happy intestines day!

Left 4 Dead

The Short


Pros 
- Four player zombie-shooting co-op action
- Simple shooter to learn, difficult to fully perfect
- Four scenarios (more with free DLC on PC) and a wave-based survival mode
- Full mod support adds hundreds more scenarios to run through
- Excellent writing for what little of it there is
- AI Director ensures every game is different, editing the encounters based on how you are playing
- Tons of fun with a few competent friends; split-screen on Xbox 360 version

Cons
- Only four missions on-disc for the Xbox 360 version, and you have to pay for the DLC on Xbox as well
- Load times can be pretty bad for a low-asset game
- Graphics look decent but not great
- AI Director doesn't do enough. We were promised he'd block off paths or change things and he doesn't; he really just decides if you get either guns or more zombies
- Limited variety in weapons and zombies (though the specials are unique and fun)
- If your friends suck, this game will be awful

Looks like you've been....left for dead. HA!

The Long

Co-op and zombies go together well. Even if we've probably had too much of both over the past few years, there isn't anything like sitting down with some buddies and zombie-smashing together. We've done it in duel stick shooters, Call of Duty mods, and who knows what else. It's been around for a while, to say the least.

Left 4 Dead was Valve's hat tossed into the zombie-slaying buddy-covering market. And while when broken down it isn't anything exceptional, everything fits together well enough in this zombie-slaying extravaganza to make for a fun romp...provided you have three friends willing to take it with you. 

Good partners are essential on the higher difficulties. 

The concept of Left 4 Dead is simple. You and three friends (or bots) have to get from point A to point B to get rescued. Between A and B are about twenty gajillion zombies to hunt down, so you'd better be ready to work together. Luckily, the gun fairy has been dropping weapons like candy all over the place (as well as ammo, health packs, pills, etc.) so you at least will be well-armed. You and your friend fight off the zombie horde while slowly advancing, until you finally win.

It works because it has smaller set-piece battles to break up the larger ones. Shooting a car alarm or having to do something like lower a loud bridge starts "Horde" events, where basically a trillion cannon-fodder infected (aka zombies) rush your team in an attempt to overwhelm. On their own or even in groups of five or six these guys aren't too dangerous, but get away from your group and you can easily be surrounded or overwhelmed. It's the constant state of rest to escalation and then back to rest (and so on and so forth) that keeps the game's tension up while not being completely overwhelming. Having three friends helps too.

Stick together, or get overwhelmed

There are also a few unique zombies. By a "few" I mean "four." You have the Boomer, an exploding bottle of barf that covers you and obscures your vision as well as turning you into temporary zombie-bait. The Smoker, who grabs you with his tongue and traps you completely until a teammates kills it or sets you free. The Hunter, who leaps on you and pins you for sick damage until a teammate helps, a Witch who just sort of sits there unless you shine a light on her or shoot her and then she murders you completely, and a Tank (aka a boss) who is a lumbering giant that everybody has to work together to kill.

Because these infected can essentially pin you completely down (the Hunter and Smoker essentially) you are completely reliant on friends to get out. Forcing this co-op element was a good call: it makes it so teams have to stick together, because if you go running off ahead and get grabbed by a Hunter it could mean instant death. These combined with the persistent common infected keep players on their toes. 

You can heal each other or give supplies if necessary. 

What determines spawns is the Director, an AI operation that watches you and (based on difficulty) either helps or hurts you. If you are all down on health and out of healing, for instance, the next cupboard you find might have some temporary life-giving pills. If you are cruising through with ammo and health to spare, expect a Tank to show up and ruin your life. It works well enough, though I wish it was more dynamic. When originally presented they said he could change routes to make the game harder and different every time; it seems that was cut. Mostly now he just controls zombie spawns and supply drops, and that's it. At least it makes things different every time, but not really enough to change things up enough. 

To be honest, the lack of variety is really Left 4 Dead's biggest weakness. Aside from a starter pistol there are only five guns in the game, with three of them being distinct upgrades from the first two. You have two types of grenades, one that baits and then explodes and one that burns. You also have two types of health: rare health kits that provide a permanent heal and pills that give a temporary boost. It's a bit sparse, and even when playing with buddies one can wish for more variety.

The same goes for the stages. On disc you only have four, and each can be cleared on all but the hardest difficulty in about 45 minutes to an hour. If you are on the PC you get a bunch more for free (including fan-made ones), but if you are on Xbox 360 you get boned by Microsoft and have to buy them. Tip: get the PC version. Load times are better, community is older, and all your DLC is free. Even then, having about 6 (?) stages on the final build still seems a bit sparse, and you'll see them a lot if you want to get your full value from this game.

Each scenario is presented like a bad zombie movie, which is pretty hilarious. 

Despite my complaining, however, Left 4 Dead has a certain draw (though only really if you play with friends). Getting four people together and playing on the harder difficulties can be a challenge, especially since on the hardest difficulty one stray bullet of friendly fire will drop a teammate. Clamoring to survive massive encounters together while keeping an eye out for the special infected can be pulse-poundingly intense, and trying to survive the final stages of a level can literally mean deciding to leave a trusty friend behind to die so that the rest can live. It's hard decisions, made at split second intervals (because those zombies are fast runners) and can be quite a rush. Even with the limited variety, Left 4 Dead pulls through by having everything piece together well, especially when playing with a group yelling and screaming at each other.

The game looks decent, but not great. 

Graphically, Left 4 Dead is just ok. It's running on the old Source engine made for Half Life 2 back in freaking 2005, so on modern machines it still holds up but has a lot of square edges. Zombies are particularly bland, probably because you have to put a bunch of them on screen at once, though blowing up heads is oddly satisfying. The environments are also decent but don't ever provide any scares (which I don't think this game was going for scares but hey, it is a zombie game) or do anything particularly interesting. It does have a cool feature where (if you watch the director's commentary you learn this) when the game is about to do something nasty to you the environments will brighten and blur ever so slightly, like the effect of adrenaline hitting the brain would in real life. This leads to veteran Left 4 Dead players (like me, hur hur) being able to actually predict when a horde event is going to happen before hearing anything, because they'll subconsciously have seen the shift so many times their own adrenaline will start pumping automatically when the screen has that extremely slight change. Pretty cool. 

The character are all unique and, despite not actually having any backstory, I found myself attached to them. I particularly liked Francis, the jerk biker who argues with Bill the war vet all the time but secretly I think they are friends. The character banter (and cries of sadness when one falls) is all very well written and randomized, meaning you rarely hear the same quips more than once. You start to piece together their relationships just by playing the game and listening and without the game explicitly saying, well, anything. It's a clever touch and one I wish more games did; I really felt like I knew these characters after playing a few dozen hours around them. 

It has a film-grain effect over it as well, further pushing the "movie" idea. Or hiding the bad graphics. 

As it stands, Left 4 Dead is an excellent zombie shooting romp with friends. Single player isn't nearly as fun, mostly because any challenge ends up being because your AI teammates are a little too friendly with the pills and health packs rather than the game being difficult. However, considering this goes on sale on Steam like every other day (I actually bought this one full price, but I got the second one for around $3), if you can convince three friends to jump on a sale and then get your zombie action on, you are guaranteed a good time. If you like shooting and hate infected, and have friends you don't mind getting frustrated with, this game is a fun romp. 

Plus it has a survival mode if you just like killing zombies unhindered by that pesky "point" thing that the game tries to force on you. 

Four out of five stars. 

"Oh boy. More infected."
"Don't be an ass, Francis."