Custom Left 4 Dead map: Zelda

With the release of the Left 4 Dead campaign bundler thing last week, I hunted around yesterday for compiled user-made campaigns… and found not a single complete one in the VPK format. Folks had levels as separate files that sort of made campaigns, but I don’t much feel like manually changing levels when I play. I like the seamless nature of a campaign.

But one level tempted me enough for me to play it: zteer’s Zelda map. It’s definitely a change from the standard levels, adding a very Zelda feel. It’s got keys, teleporting hands, doors that lock until all monsters are killed, and — very awesomely — a dungeon map that shows on the ceiling as you walk around. It’s long enough (43 minutes in Normal) that it felt like a campaign, despite being a single level.

Imagine a Zelda dungeon with Left 4 Dead-style pacing. Unlock a door, clear a room, catch your breath, grab the key… another horde.

We didn’t quite make it playing on Advanced (which I’ve been playing on pretty consistently lately on the standard maps), so we backed down to Normal and were able to beat it (minus the two AIs, who bit the dust… probably when I Molotov’d them). I won’t give the ending away, but I must say, it was pretty hilarious.

The level’s not really a stumper in terms of puzzles, but it’s definitely got those Zelda-style puzzles in it — push the block, hit four toggles in corners while being swarmed, etc. It was a welcome change and seemed fairly unique in the maps I saw listed on L4D Maps. I’d love to see more of that type of thing in L4D as folks build campaigns.