gamer braaains

This is so embarrassing. I have been reduced to a complete spaz screaming for help in my living room while playing an Xbox game. The unexpected "I'm in the Alley!! Hurry up! Now!!" panic which I found myself in a few nights ago, completely shocked and impressed me to the point that I thought Left4Dead earned a spot in my vampy and campy files.

Now, I'm a lousy video game-er, despite my enthusiasm. I'm just too impatient, especially for the realistic elements of L4D's gameplay, such as the necessity to carry a flashlight and not a million guns, or that it takes time to stand still and heal your teammates, and that if you are captured by the zombies with the lasso-tongue, you are trapped ... screaming in an alley... until one of your brave teammates can come rescue you.  I was repeatedly scolded for being way too "Leroy Jenkins" to play in survival mode, because I'm way too impatient to crouch and wait to see if the horde is outside the next doorway.  Let me just throw a grenade and blast on through, right? My attitude is let 'em try and catch me.

The look of the game is really creepy, since it's very dark which necessitates carrying a flashlight which only lights up a narrow circle cirectly in front of you. This forces you to be cautious and paranoid about what lies beyond that small ray of light. As if you couldn't tell by the distant sounds of groans and flesh-chomping just out of camera view -- and by god, don't let one of the fat ones spew on you, because that brings in the hordes and fast! Those bastards can run, sneak up on you, you name it.  These aren't Romero's stumbling grave-tenants.

Looks like Left4Dead 2 is out now, and I'm gonna recommend to the roomie that he should pick it up as soon as I can retrieve my self-respect from under the couch.  But really, go ahead and play with the light off. I dare ya.