Today's most zombified video: Left 4 Dead 'Subway Outbreak'

by Ross Miller { Sep 9th 2007 at 12:01AM }

Zombies are fast. Zombies are hungry. Just remember that it you don't have to be the fastest person out there -- you just need to be faster than the guy next to you. This direct-feed footage from Left 4 Dead show four survivors (sorry, no footage of someone playing as a super zombie) making their way through a bloodied, abandoned subway system. It looks intense; it should make for an interesting team game when it hits Xbox 360 and PC in early 2008.

Tags: hottestvideo, left4dead, valve

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

D. Axel @ Sep 9th 2007 12:12AM

Why is the audio only coming from my left speaker?

LAZoftheTamarinds @ Sep 9th 2007 12:27AM

This looks very interesting to me and I'm looking forward to this when it releases.

...zombie games when will you seeze to amuse us gamers.

IlyaG @ Sep 9th 2007 10:51AM

I can guarantee to you right now that playing this game will be a worse experience than playing any other FPS made in the last several years, for one important reason:

Zombies do not use any kind of advanced artificial intelligence. They will not flank you. They will not take cover. They will not regroup. They will not cover each other. They will simply run at you, fast, and that'll be it.

The only reason I can think of for them to go with a zombie FPS game is so they don't have to spend their time writing good artificial intelligence code.

lolguy @ Sep 9th 2007 10:55AM

If I remember correctly, the game has a sort of "Director" AI going on in the background. So say you're destroying one group of zombies no problem, he might send 2 huge bosses from behind you to flank. But yeah the individual zombie AI probably won't be that good, mainly cus they're zombies.

Word of the street. @ Sep 9th 2007 4:41PM

That would depend on the type of zombies the game uses, I mean there are several groups of zombies.

There are the slow and stupid, the slow but smart, the fast but stupid and the fast and smart zombies.

The slow and stupid are the RE1,2,3 and DR type of zombies. They simply walk towards you with their arms straight.

The Slow and Smart are like RE:4 type of zombies. They can use guns, do ambushes or simply hide and pop up when you less expect it.

The Fast but Stupid which I have to be honest I don't remember any game with fast and stupid zombies, maybe Infected but I think those are Fast and smart Zombies. These are like the slow and stupid zombies but fast, they can be troublesome but they don’t know how to open a door so you probably won’t find these inside buildings yet you are screwed outdoors because these zombies can catch you real quick.

Fast and Smart Zombies which can be as hard to hill as an average person this are like the Infected Zombies an maybe like RE:5 zombies. They use guns, they run fast, basically unless you have a good shotgun or you are a very good athlete you are screwed, Big time.

Word of the street. @ Sep 9th 2007 4:46PM

I meant "kill" not "hill" sorry for the typo.

sicsided @ Sep 9th 2007 4:48PM

at IlyaG

"The only reason I can think of for them to go with a zombie FPS game is so they don't have to spend their time writing good artificial intelligence code."

What the fuck? There is AI with any enemy with basically any game now, no matter how simplistic. Just because someone does a zombie game doesn't mean they do it because they don't want to develop something. Your comment is almost one of the most ignorant I've ever heard on a game.

For one, they have the game engine calculate where the players are, and their status and adjust the zombie spawn from there. Of course zombies don't regroup, what fucking zombie movies have you watched, Land of the Dead?? This is a developer using a great engine to make a game that is suppose to be frantic, terrifying in the survival horror way, and all around good shoot'em up.

As a fellow developer, I am disappointed in your short handed explanation why this game will "suck."

Einhanderkiller @ Sep 9th 2007 6:17PM

@ IlyaG
Turtle Rock wrote the Counter-Strike bot AI. They know a thing or two about AI, and they aren't making a zombie game because they're lazy.

Hashbrown_Hunter @ Sep 9th 2007 12:53AM

28 Days Later: The Videogame

(in a good way)

Vegnagun @ Sep 9th 2007 12:21PM

Try Dawn of the Dead '04.

Word of the street. @ Sep 9th 2007 4:28PM

Dawn of the Dead Videogame=Dead Rising.

I want a sequel for that game Capcom.Talking about Capcom is good to see an alternative from Redisdent evil,my other alternative so far was Infected which was badass,really I would love to see an Infected sequel for the PSP or PS3.

hvnlysoldr @ Sep 9th 2007 1:24AM

Everyone should have a zombie plan.

Word of the street. @ Sep 9th 2007 4:44PM

Zombie Survival Guide FTW!

Xeno Mezphy @ Sep 9th 2007 10:28PM

My zombie plan is as follows:

-Die
-Eat brains

Obie @ Sep 9th 2007 1:27AM

This should be another great co-op experience, can't wait!

Word of the street. @ Sep 9th 2007 4:43PM

In the Pc yes,in the xb360 expect morons screwing the game with comments like

"Who took my effing shotgun you f*ggits?!"

Obie @ Sep 9th 2007 8:42PM

I have never played any co-op game with strangers. Playing with strangers is asking for trouble.

curtis estridge @ Sep 9th 2007 1:33AM

dang i wish they wouldnt use the counter strike foot steping noise...

License to ill @ Sep 9th 2007 1:55AM

nausea inducing, damn I just cant play run and gun games like this without feeling dizzy...

Mal F4cti0n @ Sep 9th 2007 2:27PM

The guy we were following had his response set to super-high (or whatever they could be calling the highest setting), that is why he was zipping around so fast.

I like to keep mine on medium, for the reason of getting dizzy when it goes to fast.

mike @ Sep 9th 2007 4:20PM

fps games are no fun playinjg on high settings like that. even if you do become more accurate once you master i, its just totaly unrealistic and izzying. makes me hate the games. Hopefully on slower settings and on the 360 it will be alot more smooth and fun. IT should not be possible for me to flip around directly behind me while never seeing the left or right side pass by. Its like you teleport in the opposite direction.. makes no sense.

mr nimblewick @ Sep 9th 2007 2:16AM

Joystiq posters, I'm scared.

Hold me.

Shiro @ Sep 9th 2007 2:31AM

Why does the M16 sound like a taser?

voodoomage @ Sep 9th 2007 2:32AM

I'll hold you for the zombies that is... while they munch on you ...I'll make my get away!

LemonJoose @ Sep 9th 2007 2:45AM

Is it just me, or is every single sound in this game recycled from Half Life 2 or Counter Strike: Source? Hopefully they put some more effort into the audio.

Also, it seems like all of the guns are way too small, especially compared to the guy's hands.

This looks like it would be awesome as a free mod/TC, but for retail? I'm a bit skeptical.

Alex @ Sep 9th 2007 11:14AM

From the video it looks like they did indeed simply take the half life 2 engine and sound effects and recycle it for this game. Seems kinda sketchy for a "new" game. They should of changed the sound at the very least. HL2 was great but I'll pass on this.

Alex @ Sep 9th 2007 11:14AM

LaughingTarget @ Sep 9th 2007 1:54PM

Um, why is it when someone uses the Half-Life engine, it is suddenly a mod? Never hear that when any other engine is used, even in an unmodified sense. They're just using the engine, it isn't a mod.

chenry @ Sep 9th 2007 3:21AM

guy's sensitivity must've been cranked up to 11. Looks like it'll be great fun!

chiemmy @ Sep 9th 2007 3:28AM

this game seems absolutely ridiculous compared to all the great shooters coming out at that time. they had better do something to it if they want anyone to spend $59.99 for it, or it may end up being nothing but a rental, or maybe..... a complete failure. The game looks like a ps2 game from the first moment i saw it at E3...who is the developer again? someone must be tripping or outta ideas to come up with this crap....excuse me

Ging @ Sep 9th 2007 8:36AM

It's developed by Turtle Rock in conjunction with Valve.

Watership @ Sep 9th 2007 4:26AM

The high sensitivity on that made it look terrible. These are supposed to be humans right? They run and jump at 40 miles per hour, and can spin and shoot in a nanosecond.

Watching someone playing Bioshock like this also just ruined the intent of that games pacing.

razer @ Sep 9th 2007 7:56PM

You must not do any PC gaming.. This is the "superior" FPS gaming all PC gamers like to talk about.. With completely unrealistic turning with the keyboard in mouse setup.. I agree it sucks..

On Topic: This game looks like a Xbox 1 game. Sorry, not going to pay top dollar for this crap. You need to up the graphics bar %100 and add a lot more zombies on screen at once for me to even consider this a purchase.

dhart @ Sep 9th 2007 4:40AM

look, i love the idea, and i REALLY love (killing) zombies, but they have quite a bit of work to do before i'm throwing down my 60 bucks. also, that guy's mouse goes up to eleven.

Pat McRotch @ Sep 9th 2007 5:10AM

I had a half smile the whole time watching this. The other half was scared shit-less!

theGravel @ Sep 9th 2007 5:35AM

i can't wait for this game.

hopefully the new annoucement on tuesday is realted to its release

http://www.gravel2008.us

Will @ Sep 9th 2007 5:37AM

That whole video seemed a bit.. unfun to play. I can't really place what exactly I don't like, it just seems off and makes me go "Eh."

One thing I also noticed was it seemed way too fast paced. Those zombies were just ZIPPING down halls, and I watched the hand FLASH back and forth reloading the shotgun, it's almost like the whole video was played at 1.5x speed.

Maybe the guy's high sensitivity contributed to that feeling. Speaking of which, I think he's an aimbotter.. look at those jittery motions and 180 snaps. :P I definitely vote we ban him from the server.

Powerlord @ Sep 9th 2007 5:41AM

Darn, I was hoping for a bunch of zombies invading a fast food joint.

Kye @ Sep 9th 2007 5:47AM

Loved the way he capped a corpse at 27 secs into the vid.
You know, you have to make sure!

BIGGEN @ Sep 9th 2007 8:39AM

looked like great animations for when the zombos got shot and fell down. sometimes i wish a zombie outbreak would really occur so we could see how haters like lemonjoose, chiemmy, and will would actually fare against hordes of undead. my guess, not so well.

vidGuy @ Sep 9th 2007 9:54AM

I'd love to see a video of this game with a standard sensitivity. It looks cool, but I can't tell because the screen shakes and spins too quickly. The graphics could be on the level of Goldeneye for all I can tell from this vid.

A GO @ Sep 9th 2007 10:14AM

I agree with some others that the graphics aren't the greatest, but this look like a lot of fun. Shooting zombies co-op should be a blast. Chances are I'll be picking this up. It still looks very 'Source' tho.

Kinsella @ Sep 9th 2007 10:45AM

Not really a big fan of team games, and this video didn't really change my thoughts about this. Looks like a HL2 mod, not a full fledged game. I'll pass, even though I love zombie and horror games.

Navk123 @ Sep 9th 2007 12:44PM

Thou the graphics aren't the best in the world, and all the sound seemed to be recycled, i have yet to ever play a zombie game that i truly enjoyed besides resident evil games,and i guess silent hill had those weird little knife zombies in the school, but this game actually looks very enjoyable, like some thing taken out of my dreams, the only way to make a better zombie game would make a fallout style game just with a zombie holocaust style world instead.

sinergy @ Sep 9th 2007 1:00PM

These damn embedded videos never play. Pisses me off.

LaughingTarget @ Sep 9th 2007 1:53PM

This is EXACTLY what a zombie game should be. I've never liked the shambling zombie concept, the fast ones are the exciting ones. Fast paced, zombies charging at you from all sides, good stuff.

The other zombie games are pretty bad in this sense. The more pure zombie games, like Escape from Fiddler's Green, put in the slow kinds. Others, like Resident Evil, lack the precice control scheme (haven't played the Wii version to comment on that one) to put in the fast guys. I seriously hope this turns out right, becuase I'm getting it.

HineyWipe @ Sep 9th 2007 2:24PM

Yawn. I've seen this footage months ago.
This game is cool in that you either play one of the Left 4 Dead characters (along with 3 of your friends) or you play the zombie leader and keep regenerating (using stealth and dark to attack).
But...like all zombie games failures, they fail to realize (and check the zombie survival guide) that a sharp, lightweight, weildable hand weapon is more efficient at decapitation than a rifle, machine pistol or shotgun. Why spray your cohorts with infection when you can slice and chop?

BobboMJones @ Sep 9th 2007 2:37PM

Well, what about those exploding zombies? This game obviously doesn't follow the rules of zombiedom set forth by the Zombie Survival Guide. Maybe it's more like that Black Gas comic.

LaughingTarget @ Sep 9th 2007 3:19PM

As someone preparing for the zombie apocalypse, I do have to say a good gun is absolutely essential. Becuase zombies aren't going to be slow moving corpses made famous in some movies, we can't rely on a cutting implement to function properly. I know a lot of internet folks think they are ninja and think a katana will be their one and only choice of weaponry, but we do forget that these weapons aren't terribly effective against mass units. Hence why we haven't seen much use of cutting implements with the advent of the repeating shot firearm. Old-culture warriors were having a hard enough time against single-shot matchlocks as it was, but with the advent of the multi-shot revolver and the Winchester rifle (15 round, lever action, killing machine), they simply were outclassed.

While it would be advantageous to carry a knife in the circumstances one of those buggers did get on you, we have to remember that if one does get that close, the others are going to be on you as well, so might as well make peace with your God(s), depending on religion, or just realize you'll turn into a inanimate pile of genetic code for you atheists out there. Zombies don't single-file attack like bad Kung Fu movie enemies do, they mob the person.

As such, even with the most physically adept and those highly skilled in a blade, the firearm or other ranged weapon is the best option when fighting hoards of reanimated dead. Even a decent bow, when firearm ammunition becomes hard to come by (not many will be able to manufacture new shots after society crumbles), is superior to a knife.

Besides, swords and such are just too freaking unwieldy to use in most environments.

Navk123 @ Sep 9th 2007 5:23PM

Well, as much as i am a zombie freak, and agree that a nice shard titanium hatchet would be a good thing to have, the game says the whole "zombie" thing is actually a horrifically violent and potent strand of the rabies virus, and you and the others are the "lucky" ones who are naturally immune to it, so thought a nice sturdy hatchet or crow bar is good for attacking and tools, in this case, and in the zombie survival guide case, i still think that a shotgun or rifle would still be very nice, blowing off limbs shooting spinal cords, heads, all of these would do high amounts of damage, let alone helping to paralyze the zombie forces advancing on you, and stealth, like using a crossbow, a silenced rifle, or blunt/blade weapons doesn't seem to play a big factor on the human side in this game, and id much rather blast a bunch of zombies with a shotgun, rather then try my luck with a hatchet, machete, or a blunt object.

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