There’s no better way to kick back after the eight hour grind than getting together with a few friends, shoving a shotgun barrel in a zombie’s mouth and pulling the trigger. Left 4 Dead doesn’t pretend to incorporate much nuance or high-level strategy into game play, but that’s the beauty behind the title. There is only one strategy – survive long enough to get to the next safe house. To do that, you’re going to need to kill a whole helluva lot of zombies.

Level layout – including back alleys, cramped hallway and busted up subway lines – adds to the feeling that you are stuck in a horror movie and the horde could be around the next corner. Fortunately, it usually is. Left 4 Dead pulls no punches, instead reveling in its horror film roots. Shotgunned bodies are splayed out with enough gore and detail to qualify as a zombie anatomy lesson. And the first time you get vomited on or snared by a zombie’s surprisingly dexterous tongue, you’ll know you’re in for an all-out, kick-ass ride.