Game: "Left 4 Dead"

Console: Xbox 360

Developer/publisher: Electronic Arts/Valve

Genre: First-person shooter

Number of players: 1-8, offline and online

Rated: Mature, for blood and gore, intense violence, language

The premise: The Zombie Apocalypse is upon us. You take the role of four survivors trying to escape waves and waves of zombies.

Game play: While there is no story mode, the four chapters or movies keep you interested even while you're in single-player mode. That's because the game's artificial intelligence is so good.

The good/bad:

Good: The A.I. for the survivors. It's almost as if you're playing with actual people, with you as the leader.

Bad: When you're by yourself and you get cornered by either a "licker" or a "stalker," there's nothing you can do.

Good: The frame rate (graphical smoothness) is great even though the screen is filled with enemies.

Bad: There is no story mode. Basically the offline is training for the pain you will experience in online mode.

Tips:

Be sure to know where your friends are at all times.

Stick together.

Familiarize yourself with a weapon and stick with it. Don't choose the sniper rifle when what you needed was the shotgun.

Don't ditch your friends. If you do, that means one less body to watch your back.

My take: Offline or online, this game is fun! The only things wrong with "Left 4 Dead" are its lack of story mode, and all the survivors have identical abilities and skills.

"Dead" is a mix of two great games — the "Resident Evil" series and "Counter Strike." This is a better online zombie game than "Resident Evil Outbreak" for the PlayStation, which was a disaster, in my opinion. If you like first-person shooters and zombie games, you owe it to yourself to buy this game and play it online.

Jeffrey Davis, of Honolulu, is a video-game enthusiast.