Left 4 Dead

Rating:


Price: $49.99–59.99

The Skinny: Four "Survivors" are stranded in regions overrun by a fast-moving rabies virus. It's up to them to fight through the hordes of zombies together, or go at it alone and perish. Ohhh, epic-sounding, indeed!

The Good: You won't find another game out there that forces you to play as a team as much as Left 4 Dead. It's definitely something to get used to, especially if you're coming off a grueling session of Gears of War 2, but once you get the tactics down, there's a lot of fun to be had. The four campaigns are diverse and provide sufficient replayability, especially with achievements challenging you to pull off some wicked kill maneuvers. While it's exponentionally better to play with others online, you'll find that the computer-controlled characters in singleplayer—at least up to the Normal level—can hold their own. For shits and giggles, turn it up to Expert and see how quickly you turn into an undead fart—our record is 3.7 seconds.

The Bad: It almost feels like a group project in seventh grade Science. If you've got three other willing and able players on your team, you should be able to breeze through the four campaigns on Normal in about four hours. But get stuck with Snot-Nosed Sam and the 'Tard Trio and you'll be in for a very long and frustrating experience.

Maxim Tip: If you want a snowball in hell's chance of winning on Expert, you need a) mastery of the Left Trigger or melee, b) three friends who have sufficient skills, and c) a direct line to whichever deity you pray to for special favors.

Buy, Rent, or Disembowel? Buy it and get infected.

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Midnight Club: Los Angeles

Rating:

Price: $39.99–$59.99

The Skinny: Amidst the bright lights and open roads of Los Angeles, ride your way to the top with your customized import, tuner, and muscle cars or embarrass your opponents in some freewheeling motorcycle races.

The Good: From the beginning, which presents you with an interactive Google Map of L.A., to revving your engine at the start of a race, there's no denying that Rockstar has vehicular gameplay down cold. There are exactly zero load times; instead you'll see a pop-up window at the end of a race with your stats and then be greeted by a short cutscene pointing you to your next race. If there's one thing that you'll appreciate about MC:LA it's that there is no messing around: you're in a race, then out and onto the next one. Or, if you just want to drive around the city and run things over, you can do that too.

The Bad: Rubberbanding AI. If you don't know what that means, it's what happens when you run a clean race, then get smoked near the finish line anyway. No matter what happens during a race, you will have to drive a near flawless few laps for a chance at placing first, even with a souped-up car. And, while Rockstar makes a valiant attempt to tack on a storyline, the characters get boring, while the plot takes a back seat to the actual fun—racing.

From the IGN Tipsters: Before starting a highway battle, build up lots of speed from behind the opponent. As you pass, flash your lights to start the race—you’ll blast by the opponent before he even thinks about accelerating, giving you an awesome advantage and an almost surefire win in the short race.

Buy, Rent, or Disembowel? Buy it. It smokes Need for Speed: Undercover off the line.

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Need for Speed Undercover

Rating:

Price: $39.99–$59.99

The Skinny: An undercover officer (you) and his law enforcement sidekick Chase Linh (played by Maggie Q) are on the trail of a bunch of street hooligans mixed up in an international smuggling ring. Do you have the head gaskets to take down some of the world's most wanted?

The Good: We're going to pretend there was never a Carbon or ProStreet version of the Need for Speed franchise, because, well, they stunk it up. Fans of the series will be happy to know that developers have taken serious notes from their last respectable effort, Most Wanted, changed a few things, and presto! Profit! The cops make their return and, while they are generally easy to elude, provide enough incentive to continue driving. You can also pick your victims with the game's handy GPS map, instantly taking you to the race of your choice.

The Bad: There are just too many other games out there that do the same thing but better. It doesn't have the arcade feel of Burnout: Paradise or the presentation value of Midnight Club: Los Angeles, and Undercover eventually stands alone with no real purpose. It has some ogle-worthy rides in the Audi R8 and the new Nissan 370Z, but the game's graphics don't do the cars justice. And make sure you don't attract too many cops or you'll be forced to endure a chase scene at 15 frames per second.

Maxim Tip: If you're strapped for cash, completing career mode unlocks unlimited money. Cha-ching!

Buy, Rent, or Disembowel? It's got a few bumps, but who cares? It's a rental!

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