Zombie Rediscovery

So I recently rediscovered Left 4 Dead. I bought it a while back on sale at Target, and only played it for a few hours before it was relegated to the massive game collection lining my wall. But I liked it. And I felt like blowing away a few zombies again recently, and there is no better place to do that than in Left 4 Dead. It showcases Valve's commitment to excellence and feels just like one would imagine the zombie apocalypse to be like. They're everywhere! Yet there are still some problems.

First, there are only four "levels," and they're all "get from point A to point B" types. No deathmatch levels, no capture the flag, just survival. "But that's what the game is all about!" you say, and "Most people on Counterstrike only play three or four maps anyway, too!" Whatever. Four is a very small number, especially if you have no friends to play with online.

My least favorite part is the time commitment. Now, I have no problem with sinking dozens of hours into a game, but I don't want to set aside an hour-and-a-half chunk just to play a L4D campaign. There are checkpoints, but no saves. Even while playing a one-player game, you can't stop playing after hitting a checkpoint and come back to play later. You are in it the whole way, and there's no getting out alive! It's like a zombie apocalypse being spawned from your Xbox to suck away your free time, not with little casual gaming bites, but with movie-sized blocks that would feel better spent on something productive.

The problem is, I would probably play a whole campaign to completion most of the time anyway. But by forcing me to every single time, it removes any of the "quick gaming fix" potential. Left 4 Dead is a great game, and a lot of fun... if you have the time. Clear your schedule, and grab your shotgun.