left 4 dead - impressions
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During my playtime, I was guided and helped out by one of the Turtle Rock Studio developers. He kindly showed me the ropes before I jumped into the game, and even during the course of the scenario he helped to point out various details I may have otherwise missed as a new player.
If it seems as though I jump from area to area in this article, it's because I am. Part of this is my fault. I took too long to get this and the previous article out from when I was at Valve last year and have subsequently forgotten a few things. The other part of it is that a complete systematic walk through of the game play just wouldn't be that interesting to read!
I'm informed that I'll be playing through the Hospital scenario. There are a number of scenarios planned that include a Hospital scenario, a rural area, a forested area that leads to a cornfield rescue, and an airport. There may be more scenarios still in the works, but these are the known ones.
The first thing you'll notice is that you're sort of "plopped" into the start of each scenario. You spawn in a room much like the safe rooms you'll come to later on in each scenario. This should be nothing new to anybody who's played Counter-Strike, or just about any other online multiplayer FPS.
You'll want to stock up on any weapon of your choosing, selecting between a shotgun, an UZI, a scoped rifle, an assault rifle (M16), a pistol, grenades, or Molotov cocktails. You can mix and match your weapons to a certain degree, generally sticking to a primary weapon, a pistol that is always on your character, and an explosive of some type. If you come across another pistol outside of the safe zones, you can dual wield the pistols.
Once you're satisfied with your weapon selection, you had best be sure to pick up one of the medkits found in this area. Typically, the medkits are stored in health cabinets found only in the safe rooms. There are four medkits in each safe room, and four survivors. If all goes according to plan, each Survivor will have their own medkit and it should last them until the next safe zone. If you know anything about survivor horror titles, you know that nothing ever goes to plan.
Into the Breach
We remove the bar that keeps the door to the safe secure from any Infected invasion, and we venture forth. It's nighttime, and already the mood is set for plenty of opportunities to use the flashlight. Let us not forget that a setting as dark as this lends itself to having Infected jump out of any nook you neglect to check. The flashlight battery does have an unlimited life, and you will have to make great use of it depending on the scenario you play through.
Setting out as a group, I'm quickly introduced to the AI controlled Infected as we approach a hole in a floor that we needed to drop down into. A nearby stairwell and broken wall are illuminated by a constantly burning fire while the infected start to jump up through the hole. Chaos is the first thing that came to mind. For the uninitiated, you will be quite confused when the first wave hits.
It actually took me a moment to begin firing upon my foes, making sure not to hit any of my teammates in the process. Oh, there is one important thing to note for this game. Friendly fire is always on. I was assured that there will be a means of removing and dealing with teammates who do nothing but try and team kill. I hope that the methods that will be implemented are aggressive enough so that both new players and seasoned veterans can have an enjoyable experience without worrying about griefers.
All told, the first wave had left our group largely intact, the threat dealt with by my more experienced teammates. We move on, down through the hole. Subsequent encounters are within close, confined spaces of corridors and hallways, and burnt out and partially destroyed subway stations.
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