Now, I know that I'm talking about two games that were developed years apart from one another, but that's my point: What made the Left 4 Dead series so great at the time will be seemingly multiplied a couple of times over within Evolve. It's made by the same developers (different publisher in 2K, though), they've had years to polish their game's design, and modern technology will help them to bring out the best of what Left 4 Dead had to offer: a solid co-op experience. I'm not the only one on the staff either who's seen the success of Left 4 Dead and Turtle Rock trying to recreate it for the next gaming generation. Here's what a couple of us had to say regarding Left 4 Dead's influence on them and co-op gaming community:
"The L4D series is probably my favorite co-op games of the last generation. That opening level when you start on the roof and have to make your way down the building. For me it is the non-narrative nature of the game that is so great. There is a story there, but you make it yourself among friends.
At one point I was playing the first game in the series so often that I was giving myself night terrors - I had to cut down a bit then!"
"Left 4 Dead was a game I instantly knew was going to be a hit. I saw it behind closed doors at E3 in 2007. I sat down to play with with Scott Benton from InGameChat and we were given free reign. The only thing the rep told us was to watch out for the cars. That didn't make sense at the time, but soon one of us set off the alarm and started the infamous stampede of zombies. The sheer action and intensity that firefight gave as we all struggled to survived together was second to none. I absolutely couldn't wait to get my hands on the full game.
I still think Left 4 Dead is the reason co-op gaming exploded when it did. We started this site the same year the game was released and it's a big reason we are successful."
What I'm trying to get at here is, Evolve is shaping up to be another groundbreaking game within the co-op gaming community, if not the entire gaming industry. If what I'm researching and hearing about is correct, then Turtle Rock is once again wielding a recipe for success. It didn't win the "Best In Show" Game Critics Award at E3 2014 for nothing. Turtle Rock Studios will make a stellar co-op game that I am confident will spawn a new generation of co-op gamers and grow our community even further. At least for us at Co-Optimus, that's an awesome thing to look forward to.
