Left 4 Dead :: PC

Finally we can stop running for a moment. The brief moments where we can simply catch our breath are now like taking a tropic vacation. Hell, the zombies have probably made it to that region as well. One thing is for sure, this virus created by Turtle Rock and Valve sure has spread at an unbelievable pace. It seems that everyone I know has been Left 4 Dead.

The only thing that has made facing this horde possible, and in a perverse way fun, is that I am accompanied by three friends. The need to work together is not only something that is encouraged, but is an absolute necessity as some of the mutations of this virus have produced zombies that are simply too strong or cunning to stand against alone. Helping each other up and repairing one another's wounds is key to keeping us all living to the next safe room.

One of the more remarkable qualities about this outbreak is that our travels have a pacing that I swear almost mimic that of a good horror film. Like movies have taught us, if it is quiet it will be crazy soon, and the supplies you need will end up just where you need them. Speaking of supplies, everywhere we go we keep finding the same damned guns. While all of them fire great and have a nice feel about them, I sometimes wish to be firing anything different if only to give more variety to dispatching all of the infected that we must. Speaking of variety, I find it odd that all of us are equally matched in abilities and skills. Be you a biker or a white collar worker it seems that fighting the infected is all the same.

While we have seen numerous places in our travels, they all have the same flow and outcome. We are always looking for the next safe haven and the journey there means a lot of running. There also seems to be a guarantee that there will be several spots where we hunker down as a door or lift will signal a tide of nasties rushing right at us.

The chase that we are living through is made ever more interesting when the infected seem as though they are controlled by human intelligence. I can imagine it, picking where to strike from, watching us survivors from the shadows. It would come down to picking us off one by one, almost heckling someone that is just desperately running. It seems that out of the four locations we visit though only two have infected that have that human intelligence, and in a weird way that is really disappointing. Gotta stop having thoughts about being infected, no matter how fun...

Friends are really what making it through everything is all about, as our travels to safety take just over four hours. I could make this journey over and over with friends by my side, but as a solo venture once is definitely enough. Overall, this experience is something that I will be going through for months to come, but as it is, it seems to be missing a few things key to what I would have considered perfect. Maybe little things are sticking out only because the core is so irresistible.