540°

1Up: Left 4 Dead Review

1Up writes:
"Simply put, every time the Director brings down a swath of Infected, who then pound me into hamburger, and every time my team and I manage to survive against incredible odds until the end, and we hoot and holler about besting the Director, I do the same thing: I jump into another lobby and wait for a match to start. I love this damn game."
A- / A+
Tacki - contributor
Published: 407 days 17 hours ago | Review | Xbox 360 | PC
 
 

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GWAVE - 407 days 17 hours ago
1 -
Lol. Just like they gave Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts an A-.

1up's credibility: nil.

The author rants and raves about The Director and even says "The Director made me overlook many issues like the sub-par graphics, the random glitches, and the repetitive campaign." Here, let me just directly quote:

"The Director's helped to create so many memorable play sessions that I overlook stuff like how the graphics aren't quite up to par with modern shooters, the scary and uncertain future of downloadable content for the Xbox 360 version (compare the PC version of Valve's Team Fortress 2 to its console counterpart), how sessions suffer from random glitches (players getting stuck in the level or the friendly A.I. suddenly acting dumber than a bag of hair), or how repetitive each campaign's overall escape-escape-escape-escape-fi nale structure feels."

In other words, the author is saying "I liked one aspect of this game so much that I'm going to give obvious flaws a free pass!".
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The Matrix - 407 days 17 hours ago
1.1 -
1UP going to letter grades for reviews was a bad idea. I agree that their credibility is going down. They gave Wii Music an A-, a B- and a C. WII MUSIC! And have you guys noticed the decline in the quality of EGM within the past several months? Guess it's time to start leaning on my Game Informer subscription.
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Rigmaster - 407 days 16 hours ago
1.2 -
It's the standard 1Up Xbox review:

See the infamous Dan Hsu Gears of War 'review':

http://www.abjecthubris.com...

Or the equally infamous 9/10 'review' of that turd Perfect Dark Zero from a guy called Che who surprise, surprise went on to work at Microsoft after reviewing 360 games like a bunch of other people at 1Up.
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The Matrix - 407 days 16 hours ago
1.3 -
And remember when they gave Assassin's Creed an average of like 5/10 and then switched it later.

@Rigmaster, that is EPIC. I've never read that.

Hey guys guess what game this is and what score it got (according to Shoe)
"cliche ridden"
"eye rolling...dialogue"
"not enough variety in [multiplayer] features"
"no longevity"
"BROKEN matchmaking system"
"cumbersome and imprecise melee attack"
"control issues"
"bad dialogue and storytelling"
"linear levels"
"online lag"

Gears of War and it got an A+

Good find, ringmaster.
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Rigmaster - 407 days 16 hours ago
1.4 -
"In other words, the author is saying..."

Since the time the Xbox launched and was pulled from the market there have been a huge number of hardcore Xbox fans who have worked their way into a huge percentage of gaming media/review sites with the express purpose of trying to change the outcome this console generation compared to last.

This is why you constantly hear the 'has more AAA' titles talking point constantly. There is a hope that if they keep handing out the 9+/10 reviews and do their best to keep PS3 exclusive titles below 9/10 those 140 million PS2 owners from last gen will switch to the Xbox.

Sites like 1Up were somewhat successful for a year or so into this generation but gamers have caught on for the most part and the inflated 360 review scores are no longer taken seriously.
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GiantEnemyCrab - 407 days 16 hours ago
1.5 -
Take off the tinfoil hat!

Yes, it's a big conspiracy against the PS3. What a laugh

"There is a hope that if they keep handing out the 9+/10 reviews and do their best to keep PS3 exclusive titles below 9/10 those 140 million PS2 owners from last gen will switch to the Xbox."

Do you actually believe that? Too Human says "hi!" and that was a MS published %100 360 exclusive. You would think if your theory was true that game would not be sitting where it's at in scores.

L4D isn't published by MS and isn't even a pure exclusive since it's on the PC and not on Games for Windows.
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OnslaughtX - 407 days 16 hours ago
1.6 -
Regardless of the actual quality of L4D or its fun factor, I have to agree with GWave. This only goes to show how utterly hypocritical and biased reviews are.

Putting a quantifying score on subjective fun. Gotta love the stupidity of that.

Can't wait to pick up the game though.
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Rigmaster - 407 days 16 hours ago
1.7 -
The automatic 9+/10 review for 360 exclusives isn't doing anything to help the 360 against the PS3. The PS3 has been handily outselling the 360 worldwide since the middle of 2007.

The bogus inflated review scores for 360 games however IS a serious threat to PC gaming. PC developers are seeing that all they have to do is gimp their game to fit in the absurdly small 7 gigabyte 360 DVD storage format and downgrade their game's graphics and gameplay to work on the the 360 hardware and they are pretty much assured to get huge numbers of Xbox fan 'reviewers' at sites like 1Up, Gamespot, EGM, Eurogamer, etc. giving their game a 9+ review.
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blindfromthesun - 407 days 16 hours ago
1.8 - GWAVE
Why do you have an agenda? If you don't like the game move on... I didn't know that n4g had turned into a review/critic discussion. It is obvious you don't like the game, why are you interested in it?

1up called it how they see it. Get over it. Every review is subjective. You don't have to agree do you? No. If it makes you feel better, there are probably many people that dislike the game as well. How about you start up your own little hate on 360 (console) exclusives club.

The review more or less is a good representation of what to expect. I am disappointed with the initial length, however online should be a lot of fun. Here is hoping the console version gets all of the downloadable content of the PC and for cheap (better yet, free).
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OnslaughtX - 407 days 16 hours ago
1.9 -
While I can't speak for GWave's posting history, since I don't follow it, what kind of "agenda" is there in pointing out blatant hypocrisy and lack of standards in today's reviews? He isn't even slamming L4D, but rather 1up.
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Bombomb - 407 days 16 hours ago
1.10 - i think that gwave and onslaut guy are the same fanboys...
always agreeing with each other...

one hates and the other pretends.

of course another conspiracy, i never seen so much wahhh wahh !! from fanboys.

Every aaa titles that comes out for the 360, it's either its a conspiracy with reviewers or the new spin "games do not sell on ps3 because sony does not advertise".

riiight with a brand name like sony does it really need that much ads with over 150 million ps2's sold. Or maybe more are paying attention to the 360 and it's killer gamers.

waaahhh waahhh!! Another aaa title for the Box.
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OnslaughtX - 407 days 15 hours ago
1.11 -
LOL. Yes, that's why I totally defended Fable 2 and Nuts and Bolts when they were scored "low" by some places.

Grow up child and try READING whats going on instead of thinking people are out to insult your precious TOY.
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GWAVE - 407 days 15 hours ago
1.12 -
@ blindfromthesun

Where did I say that I hated the game? If I said that, then excuse the typo, because I LOVE the game. The co-op is a lot of fun (Extreme is the ONLY way to play this game, IMO) and the online runs smoothly.

However, I am pointing out that 1up (among other reviewers) are giving the game's flaws a free pass due to a few fun aspects. The game is intense, but it lacks content. The game is fun, but the graphics are poor. There is a double-standard in the gaming media and I'm just pointing it out. I don't think M$ bribed anyone. Gaming journalists already have their own biases. They don't need M$ to bribe them to unfairly bash one game and then praise another. That inconsistency is what I'm calling everyone's attention to.

The game has been getting great scores due to ONE aspect: the Director. Virtually every review has indicated that the game is short, the graphics are poor, there are glitches, and the enemy AI is non-existent, yet they ignore all of this because of ONE innovative aspect, the Director. That isn't good journalism. If it was a blog post on gamefaqs.com, I wouldn't complain, but it's a review from a paid reviewer from a respected review website.
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Bombomb - 407 days 15 hours ago
1.13 - onslaught i know pretenders when i see one...
you and gwave "mr smear MS at every cost needs to do the growing".

who you foolin. you both gots no 360.

on another note 360 user-base is a healthy one,and they will buy games, that's not a problem and doesn't need defending really.

the only ones that continue to whine and smear are those not interested in the xbox.

@onslaught below, come on kid stop foolin. your a 360 basher as well just like gwave(probably same guy for all i know). you gots no 360. for everytime i've heard "I gots nothing to prove" well like most pretenders we see through it, you don't have to prove anything.

haha "He didn't slam MS, Valve, or L4D"

Well no sh$t sherlock...try reading the other articles kido
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OnslaughtX - 407 days 15 hours ago
1.14 -
LOL. Oh god, is this guy for real? If so, that's sad. Even Crab will vouch for me. Thankfully, I have nothing to prove to a foolish fanboy who thinks someone is out to insult his TOY.

Newsflash: Your XBox doesn't love you. It's a piece of machinery. Again, grow up child.

GWave is pointing out hypocrisy in reviews. He didn't slam MS, Valve, or L4D. Try reading.
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likedamaster - 407 days 15 hours ago
1.15 -
@OnslaughtX

I have been checking out reviews of Left 4 Dead and Gwave has been on every single one of them downing the game. Post your comment and get out, that's what I say but he's deliberately been posting on every single post that has to do with Left 4 Dead. Frankly, it's annoying. His comments should be on open zone yet he posts on both, every time. Opinion is welcome, what we won't put up with is fanboy rants like his.

PS. I had you pictured as a commenter with a strong opinion OnslaughtX not a fanboy bendover buddy
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socomnick - 407 days 15 hours ago
1.16 -
Jealousy lol gotta love it. We will enjoy great AAA games like gears 2 and left 4 dead, while they try to convince themselves that resistance 2 is a worthy franchise and a good game , and hold on to past weaboo emo games like ico.
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OnslaughtX - 407 days 15 hours ago
1.17 -
@likedamaster

I wasn't aware of that, I was out buying Rockband 2 and a blender.

I don't condone fanboyism from either side of this crap. But what he wrote here I felt the need to comment on, because I agree with it. It has NOTHING to do with L4D, because I'm psyched for it and convincing my friends to get it (hell everyone at work already is for lunchbreaks). My "beef" so to speak is with the review system, NOT the games being reviewed.

If he is spamming crap in every L4D thread, then I don't agree with that course of action.
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GWAVE - 407 days 15 hours ago
1.18 -
@ likedamaster

Lol. Thanks for the underhanded spin. What you failed to report is that in the L4D thread where I "spam", I'm simply pointing out that the reviewer gave the game's issues a free pass. I also mention how I personally enjoyed the game. In some other L4D threads where they give the game a "better" score (IMO) like an 8/10, I comment that I appreciate the author pointing out the flaws in the game.

If my comments are spam, then so too are the flood of "OMG! AAA! GOTY! EAT THAT PS3 FANBOYS!" comments seen in every L4D thread. It works both ways.
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SaberEdge - 407 days 13 hours ago
1.19 -
People talking about conspiracies against the PS3 deserve to be laughed at. It's just so absurd. And there is nothing wrong with the "review system". There is no overarching hypocrisy or bias in game journalism. Reviews are individual expressions of a persons experience with a game. Nothing else. There is never going to be consistency amongst all reviewers or all review sites and magazines.
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Bodhi - 407 days 13 hours ago
1.20 -
You guys do realize by now after raving and criticizing all reviews from everyone that reviews are written by ONE person.

Obviously the ratings aren't going to be consistent, I read the review not the score like most people. Chill out.
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ofx360 - 407 days 12 hours ago
1.21 - @GWAVE
1up, as many others did, overlooked flaws in the single player of R2 because of the awesome co-op. I'm just sayin. Actually, ign says that line all the time for ps3 games and its alright for them... again, i'm just sayin.
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ofx360 - 407 days 11 hours ago
1.22 -
Didnt they give Socom one the highest scores, then LBP got a good score, they even gave R2 a good score, as well as MGS4. Need i go on.

There is no conspiracy you paranoid fanboys. This is just like fanboys saying lair is awesome. If you had tons of fun with the game what would you do...exactly, give it a good score and over look some flaws.
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3tothe6tothe0tothemc - 407 days 11 hours ago
1.23 -
You ps3 flameboys need to relax, go watch a blu ray or whatever. This game is getting all kinds of rave reviews. I mean it's Valve we're talking about, one of the greatest developers of all time. Don't complain every time a 360 game gets good scores. That is sad. Kind of pathetic.

Keep looking for conspiracy theories as to why an accomplished developer like valve made an awesome game. Hmm maybe it's just really good...

I mean calm down. Why do you even care what a 360/pc game gets anyway? You don't want to play it anyway right? I mean its the devil. Right? it isn't SONY! OMG! ITs EVIL I TELL YOU!

You all act Like Sony is some college football team or something. THEY MAKE ELECTRONICS. THAT"S IT MAN! Just because your mom bought you a ps when you were a kid doesn't make them some angelic company from heaven. Go watch a sporting event or whatever. use your fanboyishness on something that makes sense, like a hometown team.
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freddukes - 407 days 7 hours ago
1.24 - Yeah I have to agree
I have no problem rating this an A-... Heck source games are amazing games and I generally do most of my coding inside this engine - it's fantastic and easy to learn. However, when they rate Resistance 2 a B- (or B+ I forgot) it totally shows how biased they are!

I'm not disagreeing that this game isn't good (The PC version is great in fact) but resistance 2 is so much better hands down... How they can even rate L4D Higher than R2 is beyond me...

In fact - Gears only got an A... Okay... so it got higher, but is Gears only just SLIGHLTY better than L4D? No.. Obviously not... It's far superior... And I think R2 is on par with Gears - so they both deserve the same rating at least...

Pft... That's my 2p

-freddukes
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Tyris Flare - 406 days 22 hours ago
1.25 -
@GWAVE

Xbox 360 owners are happy. We have nothing to complain about. We've gotten a fantastic Christmas line up for 2008. This game has received nothing but praise from the media. If you don't want it, no one is making you buy it (Although you probably can't because you likely only own a PS3). As for the rest of the world, we'll see you online next week.
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Jason 360 - 406 days 19 hours ago
1.26 -
Everyone else is giving it great reviews to, so... Whats your excuse for that one? are they "nil" or does MS own em all?
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BRACHATTACK - 407 days 17 hours ago
2 -
MS paying for good reviews?

Graphics are unforgivable.
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The Matrix - 407 days 17 hours ago
2.1 -
Come on mate, why start a Flame war?
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Omega4 - 407 days 16 hours ago
2.2 -
Why would MS pay for reviews for a game that they arent even publishing

And R2 graphics werent unforgivable?

The reason its getting so many AAA scores is because it has good gameplay, its not always about graphics
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GWAVE - 407 days 16 hours ago
2.3 -
Omega, if Microsoft only payed for review scores of games that it published, they'd pay off about 1 or 2 games a year. Everyone knows that Microsoft's life is in the hands of 3rd-party devs.
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harry190 - 407 days 16 hours ago
2.4 - Actually
the graphics are pretty decent on the 360. Not the best, but much better than other games like Frontlines or Quake Wars.
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whitto - 407 days 16 hours ago
2.5 - @Omega
erm, R2 graphics arnt bad, but are 10 times better when you take into consideration what the engine is handlig.

Id like to see what Gears 2 graphics look like with 60 player online!
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KnaveX - 407 days 16 hours ago
2.6 - @Omega4
I know you werent comparing the graphics of both but...

you call this unforgivable
http://ps3.ign.com/dor/obje...

when compared to this?
http://pc.ign.com/dor/objec...

I got pics of the pc version by the way, which is the version without the issues.

My point is, im tired of valve getting a free pass when it comes to graphics, their gameplay may be good (which I also dont find a big deal after playing the demo) but even if thet're using the same source engine they have no excuse to have games that look like they belong on a 720p playing PS2.<<Joke i know its not possible.
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likedamaster - 407 days 15 hours ago
2.7 -
@KnaveX

A valid point. What they did miss about Resistance though is how booooring it is. Especially R1.
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Timesplitter14 - 407 days 15 hours ago
2.8 -
Who the hell cares about graphics anymore? L4D is awesome. Accept it or be annihilated
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SaberEdge - 407 days 13 hours ago
2.9 -
It's funny how you post links to those two screenshot apparently to show that Resistance 2 looks better. But I have seen both games and they look about equal overall. Even between the two shots you linked to I think they look about on par. Resistance 2 looks better in certain ways and Left 4 Dead looks better in other ways.

Oh and those of you that like to make excuses for R2 by mentioning how many enemies are on screen at once, why don't you give L4D the same consideration? L4D has massive numbers of enemies on screen at once and I never noticed any slowdown. Not to mention that L4D has a fully dynamic real-time lighting engine, whereas Resistance 2 does not.
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lokiroo420 - 407 days 12 hours ago
2.10 -
Saberedge, seriously? what looks better on l4d, the games looks like a wii title. seriously tell us what it is exactly that looks better. the textures and color look like they were painted on with a boot, no detail what so ever. get real or get glasses.
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ofx360 - 407 days 12 hours ago
2.11 -
Hmm. Graphics, my friend, are not everything. Gameplay is what counts and im happy to say L4D is the funnest(tie w/ LBP), most intense game i've been played this year.
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lokiroo420 - 407 days 11 hours ago
2.12 -
Why arent you playing your ps2 instead then?
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ofx360 - 407 days 11 hours ago
2.13 -
Because L4D isn't on ps2. Thats maybe the dumbest question i've ever heard. Is LBP, Socom:C, R2, MGS4, Uncharted, Warhawk, etc. on the ps2...no?, well thats your reason.
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panasonic23 - 407 days 16 hours ago
3 -
omega4 is right
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ZEEBO4LIFESTFU - 407 days 16 hours ago
4 - wonder
why its all ps3 fanboys in here?

mabye jelous
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likedamaster - 407 days 15 hours ago
4.1 -
"mabye jelous"?

Correct spelling... maybe jealous
Correct grammar... jealous maybe

...points for trying though.
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tatotiburon - 407 days 16 hours ago
5 -
another great score..hahaha lol the fanboys crying about L4D.

Get this right: LAIR a game with great graphics, superb art but horrible gameplay, a big FLOP.

L4D, good graphics and a superb gameplay, co-op and much more...a AAA confirmed.
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Arsenic13 - 407 days 16 hours ago
6 -
Graphic whores. Some of you ppl are just shallow. Its about playing a fun game, not looking at one model the whole time.
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lokiroo420 - 407 days 12 hours ago
6.1 -
Shouldnt we all be playing a ps2 then? There is a line that cant be crossed with the 360 and ps3, these are wii graphics, hence over that line, inexcusable, and graphics are a big part of the game, should be a part of the review, hence l4d<A-
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ofx360 - 407 days 11 hours ago
6.2 -
You obviously don't have a decent PC. The game looks on par with a portal or Halflife2. Actually when the game is put on high settings(or even half high/half med.) the game looks almost as good as R2. To say the graphics look like they belong to the ps2,xbx,or wii is just a ignorant jaded fanboy statement.

Also if graphics are sooo important why does LBP get a pass. The graphics there aren't ground breaking they actualy could be compared to Mario galaxy. So why did that game get such a high score. Well, the simple answer is...drumroll please...because it's FUN.
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Imallvol7 - 407 days 16 hours ago
7 -
I am glad this game is getting such great reviews. I am in LOVE WITH THE DEMO!!! Will pick up as soon as I get some more Socom and LBP time in.
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Marojado - 407 days 6 hours ago
7.1 -
I cant find the demo on live marketplace, it sucks. Although i've heard other people say they've not been able to either. Any idea what the crack is with that?

Although it comes out this friday in the UK right? Looks like i might have to bypass the demo and just jump straight to the real thing.
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