Left 4 Dead

 Xbox 360, also PC
Ready your boomstick
Zombies are great – they let you shoot-to-kill with no moral recompense, are comedic yet horrific, and always offer up plenty of potential for social commentary (aren't we the real zombies?). Left 4 Dead dispenses with the socio/political semantics, and delivers four playable movies of old school, zombie slaying horror. 
Sticking you and up to 3 friends in a series of zombie based blockbusters, Left 4 Dead is a co-op dream come true, where team work and improvised tactics are the only way to stay alive through each intentionally cliched environment. 
Gameplay is relatively simple – survive wave after unpredictable wave of zombies as you battle towards each level's grand-finale to be rescued. There are a limited amount of weapons to choose from, a limited amount of health packs and an unlimited amount of screaming terror.
Depth is created through strategy such as weapon choices and player placements when the hordes descend. A constant eye on other players is also required to ensure they survive so you can too. Doing it alone is not an option. Thankfully, Valve's stellar credentials in audio/visual communication mean it's always clear where your friends are and if they've floored by a mob or super zombie.
Mixed in with the shambling, sprinting infected are these super zombies, a selection of 5 freaks with enhanced abilities running ruin to your carefully laid plans. 
Tanks are huge lumbering beasts able to bat you down in an instant, Boomers spew zombie attracting vomit at you, Hunters are leaping nightmares, Smokers are snaring wierdies with a tongue from hell and then there's the sobbing Witch. Don't startle the witch.
With 4 expansive levels, it still sounds like a minimal package considering its online focus, yet Left 4 Dead provides hour after hour of addictive, startling fun, thanks to the excellent AI Director who changes the way each level plays, ensuring a different experience every time.
Versus mode (where you can be the super zombies) and the upcoming downloadable content (first up – the mall from the Dawn of the Dead remake) give Left 4 Dead further life, ensuring the panicked, selfless, tense, chaotic, shared horror continues apace with mucus soaked glee.
9/10