Left 4 Dead Playtest Preview

CVG has a play-test preview up for Valve's highly anticipated co-op zombie killer, Left 4 Dead. In summary; the game is extremely true to the zombie movies that inspire it. The game play blends waves of adrenaline spiked cooperative combat, with periods of quiet, tense paranoia.

The preview is excellent, and gives a real feel for what we have to look forward to.
PC Preview: Left 4 Dead

Have I introduced you to The Director? You've possibly heard about him; he's the playful AI mastermind that'll be toying with your adrenaline levels. Given that zombie hordes don't have much intelligence to draw on - uncuddly noggin chompers that they are - the cleverness lies in their deployment, which is governed by The Director.

No area is safe, and no area is a guaranteed carnage bomb, so you can never be sure around which corner, or from which patch of forest the hordes will come. Instead of scripted moments, the game decides what to do based on preceding events, so you'll end up forced to trust your sense of dramatic timing, rather than map memory.

If you've just had a prolonged onslaught of hell's overspill, then The Director will loosen the thumbscrews, and give you some dramatic respite.