15 Years Later, Why Left 4 Dead is Still the Benchmark for Co-Op Shooters

Left 4 Dead took the gaming world by storm when it was released on November 17, 2008. Delivering a fun and frantic cooperative zombie shooter, the title was easy to pick up, but challenging to put back down. In the years since, various companies have attempted to recreate the magic of Left 4 Dead, with 2021’s Back 4 Blood perhaps the closest any other title has come to emulating the experience. However, few modern titles can hope to match the Left 4 Dead experience, as developer Valve designed the title with an extraordinarily effective mix of simple yet deeply impactful elements that elevated replayability over an overarching progression system. 15 years after its release, the original Left 4 Dead is still the benchmark for cooperative shooters.