Prima Games, the guys who do all those guide books, got to spend some time with the most amazing games' versus feature and gives out some word of wisdom. They played two "newbs" and two experienced people, aka devs. Here is what they say.

So we're back from Valve after a solid week of blasting, igniting, and blowing up zombies in Left 4 Dead. It was an incredibly busy week, but we managed to come back with tons of useful info and assets for the guide. There really are no shooters that play like Left 4 Dead, making it a real treat to those of us who have become a bit jaded with the whole genre.

..In the game's versus mode, each team gets the chance to play a map as the survivors and the infected; at the end of a level, both teams switch sides and the map is replayed. The goal for the survivors is to reach the safe house at the end of the level while the infected team tries to stop them. It's a very transient attack & defend style of play, with the survivors trying to blitz through the map as fast as possible while the infected work together to stop them. The developers on our team helped us get the hang of it in the first few rounds, making sure we stuck together and offering advice on how to best ambush the survivors when it was our turn to play as the infected. Still, I was totally unprepared for how incredibly frantic the pace was.

If it wasn't for the two developers on our team feeding us a constant stream of tips and tactics during the match, we would have been toast. This highlights the extreme importance of communication. Two experienced players were able to lead two complete newbies to an overwhelming win over a very competent team of experts. This match perfectly illustrates Valve's goal with this game, showing that teamwork can trump skill and experience. That's what's so refreshing about this game. It doesn't just encourage communication and coordination, it absolutely requires it. Those who wander off and try to win the match on their own will be the first to fall. But even more, the intangible rewards and sense of accomplishment offered by teamwork is hard to communicate.

So there you have it...communication. And how are you suppose to communicate with someone who doesn't have a mic? You can't. Looks like I won't feel sad when I host a L4D match and kick a no mic-er on my team. The other team, if they want one they can have one.



Also, Doug Lombardi has commented on the concern of release dates and sets the record straight since every store has a different date.

In the US:
The product will ship TO stores on the 17th.
It will be in boutique stores and on Steam on the 18th.
The mass merchant US stores will have it on the 19th.

In the rest of the World:
The product will be available on Friday, Nov 21.
On Steam:
The game will likely be available early the morning of the 18th (Pacific time).

That settles it. The assumption that GameStop = boutique stores and mass-merchants are BestBuy/Target/Walmart. Guess who will be driving around to every nearby store on November 17th?


[Via Left4Dead 411 & them again]