Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Valve Corporation Turtle Rock Studios(defunct) Certain Affinity (Xbox 360) |
Publisher(s) | Valve Corporation |
Designer(s) | Mike Booth (director) |
Writer(s) | Chet Faliszek |
Composer(s) | Mike Morasky |
Engine | Source |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Survival horror First-person shooter |
Mode(s) | 4 player Cooperative multiplayer, 4 vs 4 Versus multiplayer |
Left 4 Dead is a co-operative, survival horror, first-person shooter game by Turtle Rock Studios, who were purchased by the Valve Corporation part way into development . The game uses the Source game engine, and is available for Windows-based personal computers and the Xbox 360.
Left 4 Dead puts four human playable or AI-controlled Survivors of an apocalyptic pandemic against hordes of aggressive "Infected" (zombies). These Infected are controlled by an AI that dynamically balances difficulty and mood depending on the players' progress and situation. In an alternate game mode, human players can control up to four different monsters with special abilities and cooperate to stop the Survivor players.
It was released on November 18, 2008 in the United States and November 21, 2008 in Europe to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the release of Half-Life.[5][6] A five-minute trailer was released on Halloween.[7] A playable demo was made available on November 6 for pre-purchasers and on November 11 for the general public. The playable demo was closed on November 18, 2008. The demo contained the first one and a half out of five maps of the "No Mercy" campaign and was playable in both single player and multi-player. Left 4 Dead went gold on November 13, 2008.
Gameplay
Left 4 Dead is played in the first person perspective. In cooperative game mode a player can take control of one of the human survivors, if four human players are not available the remaining Survivors can be AI-controlled bots. They play through the levels fighting off the Infected, who are living humans (not traditional undead zombies, though they are referred to as such by the Survivors) who have been infected with a mutated rabies virus.[8] In the versus multiplayer mode players are randomly assigned to play as one of the "Boss Infected" to try and kill the survivors.
The game is focused on cooperation and team play; colored outlines of teammates are visible through walls to help players stick together and coordinate their movement, and Survivors can be knocked down by the Infected and only helped up by another player. If a teammate is knocked down after being helped up twice, without tending to his wounds in between, the player will experience distorted black-and-white vision, and the next knock down will kill the player. Once a player is killed they will respawn after a period of time, but trapped in a closet that must be opened by another survivor to rejoin the game. Otherwise a player will have to wait until their team reaches a safe room and begins the next level to respawn[9].
"Boss Infected" also command special attacks, such as a Hunter's pounce, Boomer's vomit, the Smoker's tongue-choke, and the Tank's throw (usually throws cars or boulders), and Witches who can incapacitate or kill a Survivor with one hit depending on difficulty. All of these require assistance from a teammate to get out of or to get back up after being knocked down. Survivors can also share first-aid kits and help each other heal. Left 4 Dead has full friendly fire during the Normal, Advanced and Expert modes, increasing the need for caution around other Survivors.
The Survivors communicate by voice commands that are accessed by quick menus, and some will also sound off automatically when doing such things as reloading or spotting Infected. Over 1000 unique lines have been recorded for each Survivor.[10] Additional communication of player actions is conveyed through character lights. Also, weapon-mounted flashlights and muzzle flashes help the players in determining whether their companions are shooting, performing melee attacks, reloading or moving. Due to control issues and to the fact that players will probably be using a LIVE headset, the Xbox 360 version of Left 4 Dead will omit the quick phrases feature.[11]
The game is experienced through four scenarios that take place in various urban and rural locales. Each scenario is divided into several shorter sections marked by safehouse checkpoints, where players can heal, re-arm, and revive players who were killed.[12] Specifically, the four phases of the campaign mode are: No Mercy (urban setting), Death Toll (small town/countryside setting), Dead Air (airport setting), and Blood Harvest (woodland/nature setting). The levels are essentially linear, with distinct beginnings and ends, but there are a number of alternate routes to follow with more supplies and alternate objectives, helping to create a sense of non-linearity.[13] At the end of each scenario, the players must defend a position from an onslaught of Infected until rescue arrives.[10] Each scenario lasts between 45 and 75 minutes.[14]
Survivor characters
There are four playable human characters in the game (hence the "4" in the title).[15] Francis a tattoo-covered biker, Zoey a college student and horror movie enthusiast, Louis a Junior Systems Analyst in his company's IT department and Bill, a former Green Beret and a Vietnam veteran.(Some jobs were exaggerated to give the game a more down to earth feeling. For example, the tie that Louis wears shows that he is still trying to grasp that the planet has been overrun by zombies). Early plans were for players to be randomly assigned to characters, though in the final release players can choose any character (provided that character has not already been selected) or be randomly assigned an unselected character.[10]
Survivors are armed with various firearms, all players initially start the game with a Springfield Armory M1911 pistols,[16] which can be dual wielded when a second is found. The pistols have unlimited ammo and are the only weapon that Survivors can use when they are knocked down by the Infected. Regardless of what weapon a player is using a melee attack can be used. In the beginning of each scenario the player can choose between an Uzi or pump-action shotgun. Improved versions of these weapons can be found as the player progresses through a level. In addition to firearms a player can also carry three other items. Either a Molotov cocktail to create a wall of fire and damage infected or a modified pipe bomb designed to attract infected to it with bright lights and loud sounds.[16] The other two items are a first-aid kit, healing 80% of damage taken, or a painkillers which provide temporary health. Painkillers can be handed to other teammates to be used later, but first aid kits cannot be handed off and can only be used by the person carrying them, either on themselves or a teammate.
Infected characters
The Infected are the Survivors' foes in Left 4 Dead, and they appear to be partly inspired by the infected from several modern films, including 28 Days Later.[17] The common infected encountered during the game are fast and agile, weak individually but overpowering the survivors with numbers. Besides common infected there are five boss infected, whose mutations grant them special abilities that make them much more dangerous.
All the boss infected have a distinctive sound, making their presence easily recognizable by players. The most common boss infected is the Hunter, who has a pounce attack that pins survivors to the ground and renders them unable to defend themselves while the Hunter attacks. The "Hunter's Attack" also reders nearby player motionless for a second or two when a player is pounced near them.[18] The Smoker has a a long, grasping tongue which can capture survivors and drag them away from their teammates.[19] With both of these infected there is a window of opportunity that the player can save themselves. Once the Hunter or Smoker has fully ensnared a player they are helpless unless a teammate intervenes. The Boomer, a bloated infected whose vomit and bile attract the common infected and temporarily blinds the player, was conceived as something to break to the “shoot everything” mindset players got into while playing the game. Originally his explosion on death did damage, but was changed to spread a wave of bile that attracts waves of infected to match his vomit ability, making players choose what they shoot more carefully.[20] This idea is also present in the design of the Witch, the one boss infected not playable in versus mode. The Witch is not aggressive, unlike the other boss infected. She will not attack the player unless provoked; by loud noises, lights or being near her. However her attack is the most damaging, on all difficulties her attack will knock down a player in one hit and on the expert difficulty is instantly fatal.[21] The Tank is a huge, muscular infected and the most difficult to kill. The Tanks can knock the survivors back a distance and throw objects in the environment or large pieces of earth.[22]
AI and the Director
The artificial intelligence of Left 4 Dead features a dynamic system for game dramatics, pacing, and difficulty called "The Director." Instead of set spawn points for enemies, the Director places enemies and pick-ups (e.g. weapons, bombs, etc.) in varying positions and quantities based upon each player's current situation, status, skill and location, creating a new experience for each play through.[10] The Director also creates mood and tension with emotional cues such as visual effects, dynamic music, and character communication.[11] Valve has termed this dynamic set-up "procedural narrative."[23]
Versus mode
Left 4 Dead introduces a new 8-player versus experience. In Versus mode, four additional players can take control of powerful Infected with unique abilities, amongst the other AI-controlled Infected. The Infected players are randomly assigned a boss character to play each time they spawn. While in Spawn Mode, Infected players may quickly roam around the whole map in search of an appropriate place to spawn. This location must be more than about 20 feet from any Survivor, must be out of the line of sight of any Survivor, and must be outside any restricted area such as a Safe House. Infected players receive a message which informs the players who is about to control the Tank. The Witch is the only Boss-Infected that cannot be controlled by players. The Infected have the ability to see Survivors through the walls every time a Survivor moves, talks or fires a weapon—a Survivor who remains still and silent gradually fades from the Infected's vision. The Infected can also see in the dark, unlike the Survivors. Throughout levels, Infected-only ways up buildings are marked with symbols. These can be climbed and used for ambushes, especially with the Infected immunity to falling damage. Versus mode is only playable on No Mercy and Blood Harvest.
Throughout a Versus campaign, each group of 4 players plays each chapter of the campaign as both Survivor and Infected, swapping sides once for each chapter. At the end of each chapter, the team playing the Survivors earns points based on how well they performed. If all of the Survivors die before they reach the Safe House, the team is awarded points according to the average distance traveled to the Safe House multiplied by the chapter difficulty level. If one or more Survivors successfully reaches the Safe House and closes the door (or, if it is the final chapter, successfully boards the rescue vehicle), the team is awarded points according to how much health they have left, multiplied by how many Survivors are still alive and multiplied again by the chapter difficulty level.
History
Development on Left 4 Dead started in mid-2005.[24] Valve aimed to create a horror film-inspired game that merges single player games' character-driven narrative structure with multiplayer games' social interaction and high replayability.[11] The game was first revealed in the Christmas 2006 publication of PC Gamer UK with a six-page article describing a playthrough at Valve's headquarters. A teaser was released with The Orange Box. The game was first playable at the Showdown 2007 LAN in San Jose and at QuakeCon 2007.[25] Turtle Rock Studios announced Left 4 Dead on November 20, 2006,[26] and was acquired by Valve Corporation on January 10, 2008 because of the game and long-standing relationship between the companies.[27][28] Certain Affinity announced in February 2008 that they are assisting with the Xbox 360 version of the game. The game opened up to pre-purchasing on Valve's Steam system on October 15, 2008.[29]
To give Left 4 Dead significant exposure, Valve financed a 10 million dollar marketing campaign for the game in the United States and Europe. With advertisements appearing on television, print, websites and outdoor placements in many cities. Valve also hosted photo contests called "Dude, where's my thumb?" offering copies of Left 4 Dead to people who submitted the best picture involving zombies or the outdoor advertising.[30]
When asked a short while after the release of the game about the planned availability of a Source development kit (Level editor for Valve's Source game engine) for Left 4 Dead, Chet Faliszek from Valve replied that it was planned shortly.[31] He also confirmed that Valve planned to deliver new content for the game in the future.
Development
Left 4 Dead uses the latest version of Valve's Source engine, with improvements such as multi-core processor support and physics-based animation to more realistically portray hair and clothing, and to improve physics interaction with enemies when shot or shoved in different body parts. Animation was also improved to allow characters to lean realistically when moving in curved paths. Rendering and artificial intelligence were scaled up to allow for greater number of enemies who can navigate the world in better ways, such as climbing, jumping or breaking obstacles. Lighting has been enhanced with new self-shadowing normal mapping and advanced shadow rendering that is important to convey information about the environment and player actions.[32][11] Wet surfaces and fog are used to create mood.[33][34] Many kinds of post processing cinematic visual effects inspired by horror movies have been added to the game. There is dynamic colour correction that accentuates details based on importance, contrast and sharpening to focus attention on critical areas, film grain to expose details or imply details in dark areas, and vignetting to evoke tension and a horror-film look.[11]
Left 4 Dead went through many phases of development, influenced by play testing Valve removed many of the features they had originally had for the game. In the first phases of the game there was another boss infected called the Screamer who had no attacks of his own but when he spotted a player would run to a safe place and emit a loud scream that attracted a horde of zombies. This boss was done away with and his horde attracting ability was turned into the Boomers vomit. A persistent merit/demerit system was envisioned to provide positive feedback for good behavior, such as aiding a fallen teammate, and negative feedback for poor behavior such as the shooting a teammate. This would provide a score to rank a players effectiveness as a teammate[35] but this system was removed late in the development of the game in favor of immediate, non-persistent feedback displayed in-game. However, the amount of times a player heals another player using a First Aid Kit is counted, and after healing other players 20 times, an achievement is unlocked. Another significant thing removed was an overall narrative, since the game is designed for replayability it was difficult to hold players attention for repeated viewings of cutscenes. So they were dropped in favor of a sparse narrative.
The Xbox 360 version of Left 4 Dead has the same game modes as the PC version. The game supports split screen and system link play.[36] Players can mix split screen and online play in the same game.[37] A new matchmaking system is also included for online play.[11] Valve will run dedicated servers on Xbox Live for Left 4 Dead.[37]
Similar to Team Fortress 2, Valve intends to support both the 360 and PC version of the game through downloadable content.[38]
Demo
Early access to the Left 4 Dead demo for people who pre-ordered the game began Thursday, November 6, 2008 on both Windows and Xbox 360. It gave users access to both online and single player play in 2 levels of one story within the game. This promotion is being offered in addition to the 10% savings for those who pre-order and applies to all Steam Windows pre-orders and all Windows and Xbox 360 pre-orders from GameStop and EB Games in North America.
On November 11, the Left 4 Dead demo was made available to all Windows and Xbox 360 gamers worldwide. The demo concluded on November 18, when Left 4 Dead was made available at retail outlets across North America and worldwide via Steam, in order to use the dedicated servers for the full game.
The demo had many server problems when it launched, primarily Valve's strategy for server management which made it impossible to set up a dedicated private server with administrator controls.[39] However, a stream of patches led to the availability of a server browser and basic private server functionality as well as Valve's acknowledgment of player concerns.[39] It appears that a patch released just before the game itself has resolved many of the connection issues that demo players were having.[40]
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
GameRankings | 88 (Xbox 360 and PC)[47] |
Metacritic | 89 (Xbox 360)[45] 88 (PC) [46] |
Publication | Score |
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Edge | 9/10 |
Eurogamer | 9/10 |
GameSpy | 4.5/5[42] |
IGN | 9.0/10[41] |
Official Xbox Magazine (US) | 9.5/10 |
PC Gamer (UK) | 93%[44] |
TeamXbox | 9.1/10[43] |
Left 4 Dead received almost unanimous praise from critics, averaging a 88% on Game Rankings and 89% ("Generally Favorable Reviews") on Metacritic, in particular for its procedurally generated movie-like experience. G4 said that the game captured the horror movie feel perfectly and that multiplayer was extremely addictive. IGN stated that "It's almost pitch perfect in how it captures the tension and the action of a Hollywood zombie movie" and went on to describe it as "quite possibly the perfect co-op shooter". IGN noted that the Source engine was no longer cutting edge, but was favorable towards the visuals, describing the lighting as "amazing" and praising the emotive facial animation and detailed, cluttered levels.[48] Reviewer also praised the high level of replayability of the game, thanks to the A.I. changing the "narrative" every time.[49]
Common points of criticism were the limited content and lack of overall narrative. While giving the game a "lasting appeal" score of 9, IGN noted that the small number of scenarios may feel "limited", while GameSpy found the lack of background narrative "disappointing" (although noting that there's "reportedly a lot of DLC planned...that will expand upon the story"). However, some commented that there was a story, but that it was up to the gamer to discover it.[50] On the game approach on the genre, a lot of reviewers praised its faithfulness to the zombie film genre,[51][52][53] including the "deliberately ambiguous back-story"[54]
On October 28, 2008, Valve reported that preorders for Left 4 Dead had beaten those of The Orange Box by 95% after the Steam pre-order was launched.[55] On November 21, 2008, the day of the games release in Europe Valve issued a press release stating in total Left 4 Dead had exceeded the pre-order numbers of the Orange Box by 160%.[56]
See also
References
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- ^ "Office of Film and Literature Classification". Office of Film and Literature Classification (Australia). Retrieved 2008-11-08.
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- ^ "Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (German Voluntary Monitoring Organisation of Entertainment Software)". Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
- ^ a b "Left 4 Dead". Valve Corporation. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
- ^ Faylor, Chris (2008-08-25). "Left 4 Dead Delayed, Now Due November 18". Shacknews. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
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- ^ "Left 4 Dead E3 2007 Preshow First Impressions". GameSpot. 2007-07-11. Retrieved 2008-11-21.
- ^ "IGN Command Prompt Podcast, Episode 21". IGN. 2008-08-14.
- ^ a b c d "Left 4 Dead Hands-on Preview – Survivor Side". Left 4 Dead 411. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
- ^ a b c d e f Gabe Newell. Making Left 4 Dead E3 2008 Presentation (Video presentation). Valve Corporation.
{{cite AV media}}
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- ^ "GameSpot Video: Left 4 Dead E3 2008 Stage Show Demo". GameSpot. 2008-07-23. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
- ^ Chan, Norman (2008-07-21). "E3 2008: Left4Dead Interview. New Graphics, Weapons, and Steam Achievement Details". Maximum PC. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
- ^ Linde, Aaron (2008-07-16). "Left 4 Dead E3 Preview: New Characters, New Weapons, New Details". Shacknews. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
- ^ a b "Left 4 Dead Information – FAQ". Left 4 Dead 411. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
- ^ Rossignol, Jim (2006-12-12). "Preview: Left 4 Dead". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
- ^ "Left 4 Dead Infected Bosses: Hunter". Left 4 Dead 411. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
- ^ "Left 4 Dead Infected Bosses: Smoker". Left 4 Dead 411. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
- ^ "Left 4 Dead Infected Bosses: Boomer". Left 4 Dead 411. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
- ^ "Left 4 Dead Infected Bosses: Witch". Left 4 Dead 411. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
- ^ "Left 4 Dead Infected Bosses: Tank". Left 4 Dead 411. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
- ^ Newell, Gabe (2008-11-21). "Gabe Newell Writes for Edge". Edge. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
The events are trying to give them a sense of narrative. We look at sequences of events and try to take what their actions are to generate new sequences. If they've been particularly challenged by one kind of creature then we can use that information to make decisions about how we use that creature in subsequent encounters. This is what makes procedural narrative more of a story-telling device than, say, a simple difficulty mechanism.
- ^ Guttridge, Luke (2008-05-01). "Valve Software's Doug Lombardi interview". Play.tm. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
- ^ "First Left 4 Dead In-Game Footage/Pics Caught At Showdown LAN 2007". FileFront. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
- ^ "Turtle Rock and Valve Announce Left 4 Dead". Shacknews. 2006-11-20. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
- ^ "Valve Acquires Turtle Rock Studios". Valve Corporation. 2008-01-10. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
- ^ "Outta The Bag". Certain Affinity. 2008-02-04. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
- ^ "Left 4 Dead Pre-Purchase Infection on Now". Valve Corporation. 2008-10-15. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
- ^ "Left 4 Dead Available at Retail Worldwide". Valve Corporation. 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^ "Left 4 Dead live interview". Eurogamer. 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
- ^ Callaham, John (2007-03-22). "Left 4 Dead Interview". FiringSquad. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
- ^ Valve Corporation (July 2008). "How Valve Connects Art Direction to Gameplay" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-08-02.
- ^ Carless, Simon (2008-07-31). "In-Depth: How Valve Makes Art To Enhance Gameplay". GameSetWatch. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
- ^ "Left 4 Dead Hands-on Preview". Retrieved 2008-11-19.
- ^ "Left 4 Dead". Microsoft. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ a b "Left 4 Dead for Xbox 360 Using Dedicated Servers on Live which will be a great addition to this game". 1UP. 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
- ^ Ellison, Blake (2008-08-29). "Left 4 Dead DLC Will Include More Levels, Enemies; Xbox 360 Version Uses Dedicated Servers". Shacknews. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^ a b "Server socialism: Valve's fumbles mar Left 4 Dead demo". 2008-11-07.
- ^ "Left 4 Dead Demo Update Released". 2008-11-21.
- ^ Ocampo, Jason. "Left 4 Dead Review". IGN. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
- ^ Tuttle, Will (2008-11-17). "Left 4 Dead Review". GameSpy. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
- ^ Edddy, Andy (2008-11-17). "Left 4 Dead Review (Xbox 360)". TeamXbox. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
- ^ Pearson, Craig (Christmas 2008), "Left 4 Dead", PC Gamer UK
- ^ "Left 4 Dead (xbox360: 2008): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
- ^ "Left 4 Dead (PC: 2008): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-11-21.
- ^ "Left 4 Dead Reviews". Game Rankings. Retrieved 2008-11-21.
- ^ "Left 4 Dead Review". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
{{cite web}}
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It's actually very easy to quantify just how replayable Left 4 Dead is, in the same way that one can identify an infectious disease.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "'Left 4 Dead' style is substance". Examiner.com. 2008-11-18. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
There is a story here, but it's up to you to find it. The details about what is going on, beyond run shoot run, are presented in bits and pieces
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "Left 4 Dead Review". Examiner.com. 2008-11-17. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
First and foremost, it's probably the most faithful video incarnation of the zombie genre that fans have ever been treated to. Yes, even better than Resident Evil 4
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(help) - ^ "Left 4 Dead Review". Game Informer. 2008-11-17. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
The amazing level designs will remind you of every zombie movie ever made
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(help) - ^ "Eight Hands-on: Left 4 Dead Impressions". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
Over breakfast yesterday – before playing – we were talking about different takes on the zombie game that we'd like to see. One which didn't come up is one which Left 4 Dead grasps completely – its inherent perverseness. Now, it's a constant internet thing to discuss what you'd do in a Zombie Invasion, the implication being that you're smarter than anyone else. Which is fine... but that's not how the genre works
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "Left 4 Dead Preview". Game.co.uk. 2008-10-15. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
As with the best horror flicks, the back-story is left deliberately ambiguous
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Breckon, Nick (2008-10-28). "Left 4 Dead Midnight Launch Chatty Left 4 Dead Tops Orange Box Pre-orders by 95%, Valve Launches New Contest". Shacknews. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
- ^ "Left 4 Dead Available at Retail Worldwide". Valve Corporation. 2008-10-28. Retrieved 2008-11-32.
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