GamesRelay

Name: Left 4 Dead: Crash Course

With less than two months until the release of its sequel, the original Left 4 Dead has been updated with its first downloadable campaign. Named Crash Course, it adds two new scenarios to the game that you and your friends can play together through Campaign and Versus modes, as well as two new Survival maps. Does this new content make an exciting and worthwhile package?

Crash Course fits itself into Left 4 Dead's "story" between the end of the No Mercy campaign and the beginning of Death Toll. After having been rescued by a helicopter on the roof of Mercy Hospital, the pilot transforms into a zombie and causes the helicopter to crash on the outskirts of the town of Riverside. The player will journey through a number of debris-ridden streets and warehouses to find a vehicle that will automatically speed them on to their next campaign, with Francis cursing the ill-fated pilot all of the way. It's a pity we don't actually see the helicopter crash in the same spectacular fashion as the airplane does in Dead Air, as the Survivors simply appear next to the burning, crumpled hulk as they begin.

This is perhaps the biggest issue I've had with Crash Course - there's nothing spectacular, shocking or surprising about it at all. Whereas the campaigns that launched with the game had impressive set-pieces and events, Crash Course plays like a user-created map for the most part. Much of the time will be spent in the streets shooting zombies as they appear, and there is very little variation in the setting. There are a couple of horde-summoning moments, such as the use of a pleasant bit of artillery, but they don't make a lasting impression. The only recognisable attempt at trying something interesting is during the finale, where the generator that is fuelling the escape vehicle actually shuts down, requiring you to restart it while the horde continue to attack. Nonetheless, despite Valve's promise of an "explosive" finale, it is easily the dullest of all the ones Valve has created thus far.

A couple of new updates have been added to this release however. There is new voice work done with the original cast, and the amount of new lines surprised me. Having played it a number of times, I have heard new insults and snide, sardonic comments each time I journeyed through. There are also ten new achievements, varying from the ubiquitous complete-the-campaign, to having to hit twenty survivors with cars while playing as a Tank in Versus mode. There are no new weapons, items, zombie types, or anything else of note to be found however.

One of the touted features of this DLC was a streamlined approach to the Versus mode. In the previous campaigns, the Versus campaigns could last too long, as the teams alternate between playing Survivors or Infected for five scenarios. It seems that Valve's attempt to streamline this was to simply make the campaign shorter. While this had the desired result, it's definitely not very inventive, and another scenario or more would have been welcome.

Much of this could be considered acceptable and moot when the price is considered. As a free and required download for Left 4 Dead on the PC, new scenarios are always welcome and it adds some refreshing new official content for the community to consume and get people remembering how enjoyable the game is, just in time for the sequel. On the Xbox 360 however, 560 Microsoft Points is the demanded price. No matter how enjoyable it is, unless you play Left 4 Dead a lot and don't have the opportunity to play the fine user-created offerings available on the PC, it's hard to make the recommendation. With only two scenarios totalling at about thirty minutes of new play time with each playthrough, there's not enough content to justify the price.

Overall, it seems that Crash Course is only designed as a taster for Valve's new game. Content is sparse, but it's the same Left 4 Dead gameplay that made the full game such a success. It is definitely worth the PC gamer's time, but whether it's worth the Xbox 360 gamer's money is up to how much you intend to replay it. Even so, while you may feel you paid too much for it, you're guaranteed another night in the midst of the zombie apocalypse, and an enjoyable thirty minutes it will be.