Joystiq hands-on: Left 4 Dead, round 2

Randy posted such a mentioned, the game relies heavily on squad-based gameplay — you have to constantly watch your teammates on screen to see if they need help or reviving. The game has a vision tweak that allows you to see your teammates through walls as silhouettes of their profile. They’re green when all is clear and turn bright white when they’re in trouble. It replaces a tradition on-screen radar and keeps your eyes centrally focused on the action. Valve’s Michael Booth admitted, “It’s a little gamey, it keeps you there. Like in the real world if we’re in a building together, I’m going to hear you around the corner and know where you are. We wanted to eliminate the radar and keep it simple.”

We’ll spend more time with Left 4 Dead at E3 to see what new stuff Valve has in store, but right now, it’s shaping up to be a quality horror game with an impressively integrated multiplayer component.