Valve

Romero's heroes

HIGH It might have taken fifteen years for someone to figure out that a zombie-killing FPS was a good idea, but at least the wait is finally over.

LOW Other than the fact that you actually get to kill zombies in it, there is nothing to recommend this game.

WTF Bombs that make loud beeping sounds make zombies attack the bombs. Car alarms that make loud beeping sounds make zombies attack me. What?

Generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of game previews or watching pre-release footage online. I guess, as a reviewer, I've always felt it was better to come into a game cold and experience it fresh on my first playthrough. Even when I'd attend E3 in years past, I was hesitant to spend too much time playing pre-release builds of games because I didn't want anything to spoil my experience with the full version.

That being said, I've broken my rule (albeit slightly) with Valve's Left 4 Dead. I don't think I've been this excited for a zombie game since Resident Evil 2—so when the intro movie appeared online on Halloween, I fought the urge to watch it. I made it through the weekend before finally caving. So, here it is—a few days late, but still very cool—the opening cinematic for Left 4 Dead.

Start practicing your headshots—the game hits retailers on November 18th.

It was with a bit of apprehension that I approached Half-Life 2: Episode 2. I had high hopes for the game, but I was afraid that Valve would again merely ride the series out on its established conventions rather than make substantive improvements. Fortunately, my fears were unfounded, and Episode 2 has exceeded my expectations in nearly every respect.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language

Shoot two portals onto a flat surface and walk through one to appear out the other. This reasonably straightforward game premise is destined to go down alongside "form horizontal lines to make blocks disappear" and "avoid missing ball for high score" as one of the most deviously, deceptively simple in the medium's history.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood, Mild Violence

Episode 1 essentially just takes Half-Life 2's basic gameplay and adds a few more levels to further the plot. This isn't inherently a bad thing since Half-Life 2 was one of the most acclaimed PC games ever made, but as an expansion release two years after the big tamale, it's a bit disappointing. There are no new enemies, no new weapons, and no new vehicles.

Game Description: Half-Life 2: Aftermath brings you the new adventures of Gordon Freeman and his able sidekick Alyx. At the end of Half-Life 2, you did critical damage to the Citadel. The whole place is going to go up, taking out City 17 and what's in its immediate radius. In this expansion, Gordon and Alyx are leading the flight from the city—and getting up close and personal with some of the creatures and sights from the Half-Life 2.