Left 4 Dead and the Upcoming Sequel.

Left 4 Dead isn't a new title. I know. But Left 4 Dead 2 is coming out soon! So, for those who still haven't played the first one, here's a brief intro to one of my favorite games, at the moment!

Zoey, Bill, Louis and Francis are the star Survivors in the latest zombie apocalypse. With several maps per campaign, you work your way as a Survivor in this FPS team-focused game. You'll always start in a safe house, which the zombies can't penetrate. Choose your weapon, equip your Med kit, and you're set to find the next safe house. However, it's not just the hoards of brainless, cannibalistic zombies that you have to worry about. There are 5 Special Infected that you'll encounter: the Smoker, Hunter, Boomer, Tank, and Witch. Each have special abilities that will work on splitting up your team, which will make your quest for the next safe house more difficult. Whether you've been restrained by the Smoker, pounced on by the Hunter, puked on by the Boomer, pummeled by the Tank, or alerted the Witch, your team will have to work together to keep each Survivor from being incapacitated.

Left 4 Dead, like I said earlier, is currently one of my favorite Xbox 360 games. I love the team system, and the strategy used to keep each member alive. The Special Infected keep the game interesting and spontaneous. Left 4 Dead was developed by Valve (The Orange Box) which is naturally my favorite developers because of their realism and (used primarily in L4D,) their random AI spawning. Zombies are never consistent. There may be an empty room with a zombie in it one round, and nothing the next time you play. You really never know. The only thing consistent is the spawning of the Special Infected. Also, the audio cues for the hoards and Special Infected can help you be prepared for the next challenge.

The downfall: playing with a team of AI. AI teammates are never as good as playing with people. Personally, whenever I play, Francis seems to be in my shooting range or alerting the Witch when I don't want him to. (This can apply to any Survivor)

Overall, I suggest playing with other people, either online with microphones or with a group of friends. Teamwork is really the point of this game, so playing with AI can be incredibly annoying. The graphics are above average, the script has some great comedic value, but most of all, Left 4 Dead's replay value is what makes it awesome.

I'm really looking forward to Left 4 Dead 2 (November 17, 2009) with new characters, some new Special Infected, new maps (of course), and best of all, new melee weapons.