A preview for the upcoming zombie title, Left 4 Dead, is available at TVG. The game may seem to be the typical survival horror type, but several details are coming out that should pique the interest of co-op fans like a plate of brains would for a zombie. The "4" referred to in the game's title refers to the 4 player co-op campaign. Co-op is no afterthought or half-baked effort in this title; the story and gameplay were all developed from the ground up with four players in mind. There is no true single player mode; bots will fill in for human players if less than 4 are available. Replay value looks to be high, as well: the game's AI allows for enemies to spawn from different locations, in different numbers, and with different tactics each time a map is loaded. No zombie closets here, folks. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the game is 8 man multiplayer, which is a nice blend of co-op and awesome:
It's essentially the same set-up as the co-op campaign mode, but as well as having 4 players on the survivors' side, there are also 4 players on the side of the infected zombies. These four players can choose to be one of the boss infected characters (with the exception of the tank), and they are then placed ahead of the survivors and amongst the other AI zombies on the map. Here they have the opportunity to take up an ambush point and wait for the arrival of the survivors.
Left 4 Dead certainly seems to be a unique and interesting game. The developers have taken steps to really immerse players in the "us against the world" mentality featured in many zombie films. Nothing promotes co-op like being stuck in an old farmhouse when a massive legion of the undead start knocking at the door, after all. Left 4 Dead will rise from the grave this fall for PC and Xbox 360.