Valve seems to be all over the place these days: they have their legendary Half-life series as the frontrunners of their legacy, as well as many other IPs such as the cartoonish Team Fortress and sterile but brain-challenging Portal. The bewildering thing is how good each of these franchises has become, despite their embracement of radically different ideas. Valve simply makes something for everyone, whether you be a lover of drama and new gameplay ideas, multiplayer fragging, or puzzle-solving. Consequently, it wasn't surprising to see the overly positive reaction to the announcement of Left 4 Dead (aka L4D), Valve's first entry into the crowded co-op genre. Does Left 4 Dead live up the hype? Oh, hell yes.
