Put simply Left 4 Dead is an enormously fun game and one that I still love playing to this day. It essentially put you right in the action of several zombie encounters and was unlike any shooter out. The extremely frantic pace and reliance on teamwork was unlike any shooter out and what’s more no other zombie game captured the feel and look of the movies so well. With four scenarios to fight through and two versus maps to try out it was only natural gamers wanted more of these via downloadable content. Well Valve have answered these calls with a free expansion pack called the “Survival Pack.” While it doesn’t have much in the way of entirely brand new levels and campaigns, it is definitely worth your attention as what you have here is indeed a worthy addition to an already excellent game.

Survival is a brand new mode which takes the form of basically trying to survive a never ending onslaught of zombies, Tanks, Hunters and all for as long as possible. There are sixteen different small maps in all (fifteen taken from the four main campaigns and one brand new one set in a lighthouse) ranging from a hospital and it’s rooftop to a lakeside cabin and airport terminal, each having their own features and different places to stand your ground. So how does it work? Basically you start off with just the four of you. Grab any gun you like, pipe bombs, Molotov’s you name it. Take as long as you like to set things up and prepare yourself for the hell that is about to ensue. When you’re ready hit the highlighted equipment to start the endless waves of zombies. Now it’s just a matter of time till you die. It’s such a simple idea and one that is so effectively done that you will become addicted to repeating levels over and over to try and last longer than you did before.

What makes this mode so great is the fact that like Campaign and Versus no two plays will be the same. Sure you’re in the same place fighting the same zombies, but the way the situation pans out varies all the time. You may battle from up top of a lighthouse to gain a good vantage point over swarms, but this leaves yourself open to Smokers who can grab you with their tongues. You could instead hold out inside the basement area where cover is much better, however the walls may break and Tanks can pose a big threat when you’ve nowhere to run. The fact that the Director AI also randomises where enemies spawn means you must always be on your toes. The game is so unforgiving, action-packed and unpredictable that the only thing that can be certain is your eventual demise. It’s unbelievable fun!

Medals are awarded based on your performance as a team and the longer you survive the better the medal will become. To gain a bronze medal is a challenge in itself so don’t expect to be picking up silver and gold medals from the get go. Seven minutes for silver is near impossible and ten to grab gold is just a complete nightmare. While some may be turned off by the steep difficult curve, I think it’s great to see a game out there that isn’t afraid to grab players by the lower region and hold you into submission with it’s toughness. What’s more all sixteen levels have leaderboards to climb, and all cheats aside it’s cool to be able to check out how you fare compared to your friends and where you are worldwide.

Versus mode was a nice way of mixing things up giving you the option to take control of the infected attacking the four survivors as quickly as possible. However only two of the four campaigns from the main mode were available. Now though Valve have even decided to include Death Toll and Dead Air in the Versus option with both campaigns being edited so that survivors and zombies stand an equal chance of winning . It’s great to be able to try out these new environments as the enemy, locating all the best places to get the greatest advantage. One thing to note though is that playing as the humans seems tougher than it did in the original two campaigns. One thing’s for sure, you’ll need a lot of practice to master each new chapter.

There are also a few tweaks to the gameplay too that try to balance things a little more for both teams. Hunter pounces for example are a little more effective this time round and the survivor’s melee attacks are restricted to five swings at a time before needing a small break. Some will notice the changes and others will likely just play without bating an eyelid, what ever the case may be the changes are there.

Valve could have charged people for this content and it would have still been a great deal, but the fact that it’s free makes it inexcusable for anyone who owns this game not to start downloading right now. Not only is it great fun but it adds even more life to a game that had a ton to begin with.