Introduction
Left 4 Dead has a variety of levels and they could be better. So far I have reviewed two levels and I have been having a good time with the game. As time goes on I am starting to notice my nostalgia fading away.
The more I analyze this game the more I realize two things: Left 4 Dead is still a fun game and it has an amazing versus mode. Second, the level design of Left 4 Dead leaves much to be desired.
Before diving into Death Toll I suggest playing it on a harder difficulty. Portions of the level feel like they are empty if you are not playing on at least normal.
This level is part of the Left 4 Dead collection. You can view the collection here.
Why I loved Death Toll
When I was younger Death Toll and Blood Harvest were two of my favorite levels in Left 4 Dead. No Mercy has since taken over as my favorite level in the game.
Traveling through the various levels and especially the church was my favorite part of going through Death Toll. The church defense is still a fun part of the level and something I was looking forward to doing when I fired the game up!
The Flatness of the level
Death Toll is flat: Meaning that the level itself is bland to look at and play through. It became clear to me the moment the game started that I was not going to have fun the same way I used to.
The colors the level does have are alright. Left 4 Dead is not a colorful game and I am okay with that, it is something that drew me into the game in the first place. But something about the lack of “pop” is killing me for this level.
It is hard for me to explain but something about how the Death Toll level is not fun to navigate. Not only is it predictable but it is also bland to look at.
The final stage
Waiting for the boat at the end of the level sucks. For some reason, I have no problem with the ending-level defense for the other games but this boat was so boring.
Although the level feels empty throughout, the final stage is particularly irritating. For these articles, I am playing on normal and everything feels empty. The ending stage was no different. The few zombies that did spawn were easily killed with a single pipe bomb.
Everything about waiting for the boat was boring. Leading up to getting on the boat was boring. Death Toll went from one of my favorite levels to one of my least favorite levels during one playthrough.
Score
Death Toll is probably better with friends, but as a solo experience, it did not stand the test of time for me. I do look forward to playing the rest of the levels, but I will not be replaying this one.
Titanium Gaming 