bit-tech News: Left4Dead hands-on preview

news · May 19, 2008

Hi all,

We have just published a hands-on preview of *Left4Dead*. If you could

post a link on your site that would be very much appreciated.

*Link:*

*Picture:*

*Quote:

*/"Left4Dead was always going to be great, that much we knew. It was

coming from Valve and it was about zombies, so even before it was

unveiled as a four player co-op we all knew we were going to be in for a

good time.

Yet still, //Left4Dead managed to surprise us in a number of ways, for

reasons both good and bad. On the one hand we were utterly shocked to

see how effective the AI director is at making the game unique and

constantly replayable. On the other hand though, we have to admit that

the levels we played through did seem a bit on the small side and it's

getting to that point where the Source engine might be starting to show

its age. The thing //is four years old by now and though continued

development and expansion has helped, the cause is starting to flag a

little.

Not that that matters hugely when you get right down to it -- as far as

//Left4Dead goes gameplay is God and the multiplayer backbone of Steam

means that the game will run smoothly from the off.

As I mentioned to Chet when I interviewed him, Valve has a reputation

among games developers for testing games absolutely to death. What for

many designers would be a case a few weeks at the hands of some tired

half-asleep geeks is an on-going process of refinement for Valve and

it's something that really shows in //Left4Dead.

The game is immediately playable and easy to pick up, but underneath the

hood are some incredibly complex and effective tools to make the

experience unpredictable and constantly replayable. This is

//Left4Dead's key strength and it makes the game easily one of our most

awaited games of this year."/

*

*Cheers guys!

Tim Smalley

www.bit-tech.net

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