For console fans worried that zombie shooter Left 4 Dead would cause yet another Xbox Live crash thanks to player congestion, it might please you to know that the game will be getting dedicated servers. With a game sold on its online co-op, that's definitely how you do it right. Valve hasn't stated how many servers will be available, but the promise is that "everyone's covered." Great news.
Split-screen play is also being done properly, with two players able to play locally with others online from the same console. You'll also be able to choose whether you want the screen split vertically or horizontally. Sounds like a small detail, but it's a big indicator of just how serious Valve is about making co-op play as perfect an experience as possible.
DLC is also going to be coming, and Valve is already planning new campaigns, weapons and bosses. A flamethrower is also hinted as something that could be on the way. Going back to the Xbox 360, it seems that console support is important to the Left 4 Dead team, with a very subtle aim-assist and the ability to turn around with one bumper push.
An engaging zombie AI is also promised, with infected creatures sensitive to sound, and even prone to attacking each other if fully enraged. The idea of making enemies fight brings back memories of Doom, which used that feature to great effect. There are even more details, all thanks to 1UP, and you can hit the jump for some of the news they've brought back for the rest of us to devour like flesh-starved mutants.
The rest of 1UP's findings:
- There are four campaigns, with five chapters each
- The hospital level seen in demos is based on Philadelphia
- Another level is based on Pittsburg (evidently Valve has some Steelers fans)
- Other levels cover a small town and an airport
- Achievements are based on social engineering ideas and we got a couple of them:
- "Bite your tongue" - Kill Smoker (Enemy with prehensile tongue) before he can pull you in
- "Sharp Shooter" - Complete Co-op chapter without any friendly fire
Contest:
10:17 AM on 08.29.2008
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I'm still going to purchase and play Gears, but L4D is going to hog 85% of my gaming time.
qft
I will buy this day one. Gears I will get off ExpertZone for 9 dollars a few months after its release.
I'm sorry, I have nothing worthwhile to add here.
keep waiting.
Nice job console boys it only cost you $50 + how many ever years you paid for it.
Next thing you know you might a get a mouse so you can have a good chance at hitting your targets at a speed slower than a snail.
and a res beyond the low ass 720p crap textures that are not blury and a decent framerate in the sucky ports Of PC FPS you get.
Damn.
SO why is this news?
Oh my god dedicated severs something PC version of all FPS have been handing out like candy for over 10 years! this should make the front page of xbox magazine!
Xbox 360 gets 10+ year old basic online PC tech tha news at a 11:00!
defaulted to XBL servers?
"And Valve is going to be forced to make us pay ten dollars for that flamethrower."
It's not so much this vs all games. It's specifically this game. Valve is first & foremost a PC dev & if you remember back to orange box it suffered lag in online for both 360 & PS3 due to the netcode not being optimized for P2P. Games written specifically for console don't usually suffer the same fate.
P.S. PSN is by & large P2P just like XBL btw. & most of the games that have some dedicated servers; they're only in a few modes, just like XBL see GT5:P, Warhawk, Halo, Forza, UT3, BF:BC etc.. Most of the time P2P setup provides less lag if it's implemented from the ground up; but only if the player limit is kept around 12-16. more than that for a fast moving 3D game usually causes line congestion.
Back to the topic at hand, This is great news for 360 owners. Phenom of a game & they're making extra sure it will go off without a hitch. I might end up getting it for 360 as well as PC now.
Fun fact: Left 4 Dead will only be the SECOND zombie game in the Source engine set in Pennsylvania- Stubbs the Zombie came first.
Do you even know what a Wawa is, girl?