Left 4 Dead 2 by Valve

Ever been watching a typical zombie movie one night and start wondering how you would fare if you got caught up in a world-ending, death-ravaged, zombie apocalypse? And then started thinking how cool it would be to mow down wave after wave of zombies with a blood-soaked sub-machine gun til' the ammo ran out and you were forced to hack the remaining ones up with an axe or chainsaw in a frantic last stand for your life? Sure, we've all had that day dream before! Well this game is like that, and I loved it! Left 4 Dead 2 is a constant battle for survival against endless hordes of zombies that want nothing more than to shred you to pieces and devour you with a smile on their faces. With plenty of weapons to wield and ammo to unload, Left 4 Dead 2 is a great fast-paced shooter with no complex story lines or heavy dialogue moments to get in the way of your zombie killing frenzy. The game follows the adventures of 4 survivors as they trek through all sorts of zombie infested areas including a carnival and the ever reliable zombie mall! The game is fun to play by yourself as the A.I. of your teammates is pretty sharp and trusty. But add another player to your couch and put a controller in his hand and you have a recipe for some instant zombie killing fun! You can pick and choose any level you like, so if you have a particular fave, you don't have to go through some other levels to reach it. You can wield one gun and one melee weapon at a time, so pick and choose what works for you when scrounging around for weapons. You may be a heavy hitter type that prefers a grenade launcher supplemented by a chainsaw, or maybe a little more deadly finesse and you'd like a sniper rifle to go along with a samurai sword. Its all up to you! Just be prepared to do some serious killing cause when the zombie horde comes at you, they come at you...fierce! There will be tons, and I haven't even mentioned special zombies such as Spitters, which spit deadly acid at you and your party, or the jockey that will come running at you then jump on your head to take you for a ride all the while cackling insanely and causing a wet spot to form in your pants. When special zombies get a hold of you, your teammates are the only ones that can free you, so you have to stay together and work together if you want to survive, which adds a great element to the game in cooperative survival. I had a ton of fun playing the game and spent several hours killing the flesh hungry zombies thanks to it's arcade-like feel. The game tallies your kills and other stats as you play, letting you know how you fared against your teammates after a level has ended, such as who did the most damage to the Witch, which by the way, is a zombie I recommend just leaving alone. For she is nasty! Mean and nasty! If you are walking around a level and start hearing sounds of a woman crying, turn off your flashlight and watch out! You don't want to run into her! Enough about the mean and uber-nasty witch, you'll meet her yourself one day. I played the first Left 4 Dead when it came out a year or so ago, and it didn't hold my attention anywhere near as much as this one did. Its very fun to just pick up a controller, grab a buddy or two, and kill some zombies. It's a great feeling when you fight off a massive horde and do it with style and deadly accuracy, you start to feel like a professional zombie killer and business is the best it's ever been. It even supports online multiplayer with several different game modes so you don't even need that buddy on the couch with you if you are looking for some action.
Graphics: 7/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Sound: 9/10
Controls: 8/10
Overall Roasted Rating: 4/5
The Bottom Line: Loved it! It was great to play a good co-op themed game that wasn't bogged down with crazy controls or intricate storylines. The gameplay is fast, fun, simple, and addictive. Grab Left 4 Dead 2 today and get to killing some freakin' zombies! They're waiting for you!