I grew up playing games in the corner shop at 20c a pop: 'Pac-man', 'Rally X', 'Slapfight' and a whole heap of others that I can't remember.

The games I enjoyed the most were the co-op games: 'Double Dragon', 'Golden Axe', 'Contra', 'Gauntlet', 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles', etc. Those were always my favourite games. Even when I graduated to consoles, I always tried to buy games that included some kind of co-operative component.

One of my favourite games of all time is 'Gunstar Heroes' on the SEGA Megadrive, precisely because it was a two-player co-op game. But 'Street Fighter 2' — great game that it was — kinda ruined co-op.

After that, multiplayer basically became defined as competitive. The likes of 'Doom', 'Quake' and 'StarCraft' didn't help either. But 'Left 4 Dead' is changing all that. Co-op is back in a big way.

The Zombie apocalypse is here. In the game you'll play as one of four generic characters, working together in a team, trying to survive. So that's you and three other people, playing together online. They all play exactly the same, so who you chose to play as is really an aesthetic decision.

How the apocalypse happened is never explained or touched on in the slightest. Was it a viral outbreak? Are the Zombies actually the undead reanimated? Are they mutants? Who knows? What is clear is that they want to kill you. And that's really all there is to 'Left 4 Dead's' story.

The point is to survive. To do that you need to move from safe house to safe house, until you can radio the military to get you out of the quarantine zone. Much like 'Portal' — also developed by Valve — 'Left 4 Dead's' story is related primarily via inference. So you'll see messages scrawled on walls from other survivors. Sometimes it's advice on strategy or tips on where to go next and sometimes insane ramblings. It sets a tone rather than creating a back story.

'Left 4 Dead's' gameplay is incredibly basic and straightforward, without being simplistic. You can fire your gun and you have a quick melee move that knocks the zombie back. That's about it. But don't let that fool you.

The utter enjoyment to be had working with a team of real life people over Xbox Live or Steam is unparalleled. You'll learn quickly that in order to endure the zombie horde, co-operation is not just an option; it is an intrinsic element of the game. You have to trust your teammates and communication is vital, much more so than in any other FPS games you may have played.

To succeed at 'Left 4 Dead' means following these four rules:

1. Point your gun at the Zombies and pull the trigger.
2. Protect your teammates.
3. Share your healing packs.
4. Don't go off by yourself — you will die!

What makes the game so challenging is "The Director". The game has a very intelligent AI system that monitors how well you are playing and manages the difficulty to accommodate that. Other games have featured a variable difficulty system before, to mixed results, but 'Left 4 Dead' gets it right. The game always feels challenging and the tension/excitement balance is perfect.

What the Director also does is mixes up your encounters. For example, on one play-through you may get rushed by zombies in a hospital, but on another play-through the hospital is quiet. Basically, you never know when you are going to get attacked... and by whom.

'Left 4 Dead' also features a few... let's call them Super Zombies: The Hunter is a fast moving zombie that can clamber up surfaces and attack from above — usually by pouncing, pinning you down and tearing into you. The Smoker has a projectile tongue that it can fire at you from long range and then constrict you. Boomers are fat disgusting vomit launchers. If they score a hit, the vomit blinds you and attracts all the other regular zombies to your position. The Tank is a 'roid raging freak with super strength that could easily finish you off with one or two shot. And lastly there's the witch. I'll leave that one as a surprise.

What all the Super Zombies illustrate, is that teamwork is paramount. If you didn't understand that before, you will after a few encounters with them. Let's take the Boomer as an example. If you get a vomit blanket, you'll soon be overrun by zombies, completely blind and unable to defend yourself. Your only hope is that your team will come and help.

As a nice bonus 'Left 4 Dead' features a vs. mode where you can play four-on-four: One team as the survivors and the other as the Super Zombies. It's a pretty unique experience. With no guns, not much health, and no chance at taking down a survivor on your own, the game again emphasises co-operation. The Super Zombies have to work together so they can inflict the most damage possible on a survivor. Respawn, and repeat the process until you wear down the survivors.

Downsides? Well, the selection of weapons could have been... well, more. You have a pistol with unlimited ammo that can be duel wielded. After that it's a shotgun and a stronger shotgun; and a machine gun and a stronger machine gun. Oh and a sniper rifle, but it's pretty useless considering the circumstances. There are also Molotov cocktails — which are awesome — and pipe bombs.

The one major downer is also the game's major strength. If you play with a group of guys that just don't "get" the point of co-op play, your game is pretty much screwed. There will always be griefers in multiplayer games; guys that are just determined to ruin the game for everyone else, but in 'Left 4 Dead' their influence is much more impactful. The game just does not work if your buddies are shooting you in the back, not sharing medi-packs or just generally being jerks. It doesn't really reflect badly on the game itself, but it can really cripple the experience.

It terms of its presentation, 'Left 4 Dead' is tops. Visuals are powered by Valve's Source engine, so it's on par with 'Half-life 2'. Surprisingly, the game is not as gory or disgusting as I anticipated. Zombie games tend to really turn up the gore factor, but 'Left 4 Dead' is actually very subdued. Excluding the Boomers that burst when shot and close-range headshots, there isn't really much blood to speak of.

The audio is equally good. Oftentimes you'll be aware of zombies and Super Zombies by the noise they make before you actually see them.

'Left 4 Dead' is my new favourite game. Provided you get a good team to play with, it presents endless replay value. It may be a simple concept, but its execution is perfect. The emphasis on co-op is a welcome change from other multiplayer games and the "Director" is a feature that other games need to copy.

If you have been hankering for a good co-op game, 'Left 4 Dead' is that game. Gather a few friends and I guarantee you a fun and memorable experience.

Note: If you're going to get the game, an internet connection is vital, as there's just no point playing the game without it.

8.7/10

Buy this game: Xbox 360 | PC