Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 Review

Game:  Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2
Year (s):  2008 (first one), 2009 (second one)
Company:  dev.  Turtle Rock Studios, Valve Corporation
            pub.  Valve Corporation
Engine:  Source
Type:  Cooperative Multiplayer First-Person Shooter

Price (as of April 1, 2012)

Regular price on Steam:  $19.99 each
Lowest Buy-It-Now on eBay (new, with shipping):  $10-$20

Game Time:  Not Applicable

Obligatory Trailer: 

Left 4 Dead Intro:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hnnMEv7A_w
Left 4 Dead 2 Intro:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sByyd5M2vYk


Plot

Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 are both focused on four gun-toting people (unique characters in each game, though functionally the same) fighting against zombies in the greater New Orleans area.  The four progress from one wave of zombies to the next, with a climactic battle at the end of each chapter, where they hold out until they can escape.


Graphics and Turtle Rock Studios

It's the Source engine, so you know what to expect.  It was top of the line in 2004, and remains surprisingly resilient. 

Turtle Rock Studios developed the first game, and were then acquired by Valve.  Valve closed the doors of Turtle Rock's base, though they retained personnel willing to relocate from California to Washington.  Both companies (or what was left of them) then developed the second game.  For a brief span Turtle Rock Studios was named Valve South. 


Combat/Gameplay

You're limited in the number of weapons and items that you can carry.  Some health items are only temporary, and, except for the pistols, weapons have finite ammunition.  These limits give a small degree of survival horror to the game, but only just.  If you run out of health, you are restricted to your pistols and cannot move or use items until a companion helps you up.  If they take too long, you die.  Some enemies also have attacks that leave you helpless until an ally helps.  For these reasons and the sheer number of zombies, the four have to stick together to get anywhere.  Items can be used on, or given to, one another.  The AI is very well done, and I usually find my bots being much better team players than I. 

Left 4 Dead 2 adds a slew of additional multiplayer game types, the option to use melee in place of pistols, more campaign chapters, a few extra items and "special" zombies, and a bunch of new achievements. 


Expansions / DLC / Sequels

So far, just the two games and nothing in the works.


Final Thoughts

Both titles have some small amusements, like banter between characters, or references to movies.  Each chapter of a campaign, as a load screen, has a mock movie poster, complete with slogan (these can be purchased as actual posters). 

Left 4 Dead is a well-done co-op game, with solid AI to back you up.  Gameplay is identical in each chapter though, so things are pretty redundant if you are playing with bots. 

Left 4 Dead 2 adds quite a bit more to mostly end up with more of the same. 

Don't get me wrong, these are not bad games.  They are, if nothing else, quite well developed.  If my friends also owned these, I think they could be a hard option to beat for co-op gaming.  Playing them with bot companions is, though, mindless.