I like the compliment of someone elses review :D
Also I like the style of this review, looking at some of the wider/deeper aspects and it's implications
Thanks! I try to look for a unique angle to use in my reviews.
Also, the other review went into detail about an element I hadn't even thought of, and I didn't want to just repeat what the other person said (especially since zombie movies are not my expertise), so I figured I'd mention the other person's review and give it credit for its own unique angle.
(months later)
Thanks muchly! I hadn't even realized that people commented on my review, and the whole coin-op-arcade-evolved aspect is something I didn't know anything about and hadn't considered. Thanks for that as well!
You're welcome! You nailed it with your own unique take on the game, and I'm glad my own angle worked as well. I'll edit the review to credit you by name rather than just saying "another review on this site".
Well done, comrade. I was sort of grappling with the same things here, but you worded it better than I ever could.
Thanks! What do you mean exactly about the same things? What aspects of the game stuck out to you?
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The modern equivalent of arcade action
Left 4 Dead can be said to be many things, and Robin Zimm's review specifically points out how expertly the game takes the narrative style of zombie movies and turns it into actual gameplay rather than mere cutscenes. However, having no such familiarity with zombie movies, I'm going to focus on a different aspect of this game.
Left 4 Dead is the evolution of arcade design, whether its developers realize it or not.
Video arcade games were known for having a certain design philosophy. They allowed multiple players to join at any time, they had a simple gameplay concept that was easy to understand and quick to learn without the use of any tutorials, and they often rewarded you with repeated death to make you try again. In the arcade, all these elements were designed to get you to pay money. Drop-in multiplayer was done since enabling players to join by the simple insertion of a coin meant players would be more likely to join a game in progress, paying to do so. Simple-to-learn gameplay meant anyone could pick it up and players wouldn't feel intimidated. And the challenge was of course to get players paying more money to keep playing.
But all these elements serve a different purpose here in Left 4 Dead. The game is a first-person shooter with a very simple goal: reach the end of the level, and fight off zombies that try to make that goal difficult. Additional depth comes in the form of strategies like throwing a beeping pipe bomb to lure zombies away from you, using molotovs to set them on fire, as well as elements of cooperation, such as pulling a downed player to their feet. This depth is conveyed to the player through helpful onscreen messages, eliminating any need for a tutorial, ensuring they jump into the game and quickly learn how to play, making it less intimidating to newcomers. The challenge is variable and selectable, but many players enjoy higher skill levels because they don't make survival an automatic certainty.
This use of the right kind of arcade-like elements is something more games could probably use. While Left 4 Dead may have moved on as players got bored of it, the design mentality behind the game helped it become a million-seller, and something can be learned from that.