Left 4 Dead: Expert Tactics
Okay, okay, last post on the subject of Left 4 Dead. Maybe.
While I’m certainly no expert with video games, I’ve played enough Left 4 Dead to have picked up on a few tactics that have definitely helped me out - many of which have come from playing with OXM writer, Ryan King. Some may seem obvious, but looking back to how I played Left 4 Dead when I first purchased it, and how I play it now, my foray into Expert would have been somewhat easier from the get-go if I had known these simple tips. So, let’s do a little sharing, shall we?
Melee, melee, and melee some more
When the horde is alerted on an easier difficulty, you’d be forgiven for standing amid a wide open space, simply because it’s not too hard to fight off the horde when being attacked from all sides. On Expert, there’s no doubt you are facing your mortality if you do so. Back into a corner, sit yourself there, hold the left trigger to melee the bastards, and wait out the horde. It’ll take a few extra hits before you kill each zombie, but it’s much safer than the other options and works like a charm.
And when a Boomer vomits on you…
I advise the same tactic; corner, melee, wait it out. It’s not too difficult to navigate your way there even when partially sighted from orange Boomer spew, and I’ll usually ask those I’m playing with if I’ve made it safely to a corner. The only time this can be an unavoidable problem, is if you’re out in the open with nowhere to corner camp. In which case… Shit.
Hang back
While I don’t think any of the others I play with do this, I’ll explain why I do. On Medium and lower, it’s not so bad if you accidentally do a bit of friendly fire damage, but on Expert it takes a huge chunk off your friend’s health, which you just can’t afford to do. So, I’ll usually let the others blast ahead and only fire when I know it’s definitely safe to do so. Sure, you won’t end the campaign with the most zombie kills, but you’ll hopefully end the campaign with 4 survivors. Bill, however, looks kind of like a zombie with his khaki get-up, so taking him down the odd time is inevitable.
Be patient when others are dead
If two of your guys are dead and one respawns in the nearest cupboard, wait a few minutes for the other to respawn, which happens on most occasions. However, if three of your guys are dead and one of them respawns, let him out. You can’t afford to get sucked in by a Smoker or pinned by a Hunter.
Molotov the Tank, and run away screaming
Ahem. The latter part of this is my own special tactic. But in all seriousness, you can take the Tank out on Expert with just your assault rifle (or whatever firearm you sport). It’s just way more dangerous than setting fire to his blotchy arse, not to mention it takes much longer to kill him. Throw your Molotov and back the hell up while shooting at him. Setting fire to the Tank will slowly kill him, so backtracking after you’ve done this is ideal. But watch out for those damn slabs of concrete he hurls at you. If you’re on anything other than green health, therefore a slow mover, he’s probably going to take you out.
Use the AI as bait
If you’re playing with one or two computer controlled characters, it’s always a good idea to use them as bait. Sure, they’ll likely end up dead in the process, but at least it’s not you. If a Witch is camped nearby and almost impossible to pass without startling, slowly sneak past her with the AI following you (which they do so naturally). They won’t be as graceful with their footsteps and will no doubt startle her, meaning it will be them she kills. So there’s no need for the heroic self-sacrifice. Also, be ruthless; if you get to the safe house and the AI is still arsing about elsewhere, close the door on them.
Do you use any of these techniques? Feel free to share your own. I could always do with honing my Left 4 Dead skills.
I don’t have anything derogatory to say about Alan Wake. My advice to you? Spend a night in Bright Falls and soak up the eerie atmosphere. Alan Wake excels at thrilling you psychologically. Which is why it’s called a psychological thriller, I guess…
xenon