#4 – Left 4 Dead (PC)
I guess I can't really say that I beat this one because it's a multiplayer game and meant to be played over and over but I did play through all four campaigns in multiplayer, so in essence I've done everything there is to do.
I got this for half off on Steam. It was the sale I've been waiting for. I knew when it was being hyped that Left 4 Dead would be an awesome game but it's focus on multiplayer coop doesn't exactly thrill me because I'm more of a single player gamer. Amazingly, I found three friends (doubleplusungood, GarrickMol, and praise_seitan) on Steam and through two sessions we played through all four scenarios.
In short, Left 4 Dead is a superb coop game. Getting a game going is dead simple, the levels are varied and randomized by the AI, and the way it plays encourages teamwork.
I guess the only complaint I could have about it isn't much of a complaint. This game basically requires a headset. There's so many instances where not being able to quickly communicate with your teammates will end badly for everyone. I found out that my headset auto-mutes on level changes and until we figured it out, I was totally less than helpful.
This all begs the question; is Left 4 Dead worth the $50 pricetag? I have to say yes, even if you're a hermit type who never plays online, but really you should play with friends. The friendly AI is more than good enough to provide a fun but short experience for those without friends but the excitement and tension is dramatically increased when you're playing with other humans.