The Best Gaming Moments of 2008

The Best Gaming Moments of 2008 - Richard

500 words to explain my favourite gaming moment? My problem is while I have one game, I don’t have just one epic moment of win. I want to talk about Left4Dead, but that's a game built around continuingly enjoyable and addictive experiences, not just single moments of awesomeness.

Firstly I've made more Steam friends through Left4Dead than any other game, including Team Fortress 2, which I put considerable hours into on the bit-tech server last year. As with every online game though Team Fortress 2 had problems that eventually turned me off: there were either internet retards everywhere, idiots that exploited the map, or hardcore fanboys that played every moment of every day to get so good it sucks out all the fun. We've all been there right? The times where you want to reach through the screen and physically throttle that little 14 year old asshat with the squeaky voice.

Left4Dead doesn't have any of that though and it's been continually enjoyable because of that, even when I’m playing Versus. You really can't get too good and it doesn't matter whether I've played with hardcore FPS nuts or casual shooters, the teamplay has worked out wonderfully.


Every single time I've dropped in to play with friends, or even some randoms, it's been a whole tonne of fun as those who don't work together get mullered straight away, separating the wheat from the chaff. Even when you do lose, there's this whole tight-knit group mentality that keeps you going to try new tactics and help others. The other advantage is that if you're with friends and some real 'tards join, it's pretty easy to grief them off your server too, as bad as it is to admit that.

It is fantastically satisfying in Versus mode to take out a whole team within 30 yards of starting Blood Harvest with one co-ordinated boomer spraying the crowd, then the hunters and smokers nomming the rest, but that also means it'll be our turn in just a second to potentially suffer the same fate.

I've heard a few people complain that there needs to be more maps, but because the AI is so ingenious, no two runs have ever been the same and trying new tactics to make sure all four make it to the plane or APC are far more inviting than replaying any other game I can think of. I like the fact it doesn't require a lot of time dedicated to it either, in a 60-90 minute run-through I've either satisfied my gaming lust for one day and can get on with something else, or keep the adrenaline flowing and crack on with another map with the same guys and gals.


There are too many good moments to count, but listing a few panic inducing scream fests were:

• When we had a Tank climb up the church enter the safe-room on Death Toll. This prompted a complete "OH S***" moment as half of us were still healing up and getting supplies and it turned into sort of a Benny Hill run around, but with shotguns blazing and swearing into the mic.
  
• (Accidentally) shooting someone in the safe-room on Dead Air, then blaming someone else and promptly causing a relationship argument while I laughed my ass off. The cascade reaction afterwards was also quite hilarious.
  
• Being simultaneously, thoroughly satisfied by achieving the Akimbo award and promptly regretting 90 minutes of continually clicking the mouse button. My poor pinkie!
  
• Opening a door to find a Boomer and a Hunter and a Smoker right behind it - 'nother "OH S***!! HELP HELP HELP MEEEE!!" moment
  
• Playing as the Tank and hitting people off the map on No Mercy while also laughing manically or dragging them off as a Smoker and shouting "Nom, Nom, Nom!"
  
• Annoying people as a hunter by jumping around outside maps faster than they can aim (Yea, I enjoy winding people up occasionally).
  
• Generally being one of the only survivors at the end of missions because I make a run for it early.

If you don't recon I'm quite the asshole L4D-er the above reads as, add "Bindibadgi" to your Steam friends list or join the bit-tech Stream group if you fancy a game!