10 All-Time Best Zombie Games That We All Love

2. Left 4 Dead

Sometimes less is more, though in video games that's very rarely the case. Left 4 Dead at launch only featured four short campaigns, but through a clever AI system the life of the game didn't suffer at all. In fact, there are undoubtedly people still playing Left 4 Dead out there right now, despite it being six years old at this point. How did Turtle Rock Studios manage that? Firstly, the foundations of the game are unbelievably solid. Four player co-op features in several of the games on this list but in Left 4 Dead, teamwork is a must €“ especially on the harder difficulties. It's why the game will give you AI partners when playing through alone; learning to watch out for your teammates is key to the game. Friendly fire for example, is a major problem in Left 4 Dead; carelessly shooting a teammate on higher difficulties can near enough wipe them out. The game encourages you to think, play smart and it's so rewarding to do so. The lack of content in the game is made less clear through a clever AI system known as the Director. It randomises the spawns of items and enemies and makes each run through a campaign feel unique; it also makes helpful items rarer and therefore discovering them is all the more exciting. The game's Special Infected (the Boomer; the Hunter; the Smoker; the Witch; and the Tank) are also randomly thrown at you, making them an unexpected nuisance. The Tank in particular can destroy a run in seconds. A giant, hulking Infected, he can kill players in a couple of hits and thanks to a large pool of health, everybody needs to focus fire on him to take him out €“ the ominous screen shake that accompanies a Tank's spawn fills you with dread immediately. It's good then that the developers took advantage of their unique Infected creations and added a Versus mode to the game; a 4v4 multiplayer mode where one team plays as the survivors and the other as the Infected. Playing as the Infected is a particular highlight; each one requires a different skill to make the most of their unique abilities (the Smoker, for example, is very weak and so picking players off at a distance with its huge tongue is a must). Left 4 Dead might seem to be lacking in content, but the intensity of the game will keep you excited and interested despite the repetitive map selection. Plus (no matter how many times you stumble across one) discovering a Witch is still one of the creepiest moments in gaming history.