   The Fear Is Gone: Reconsidering the 'Left 4 Dead' Series
Bookmark and Share Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012 Zombies themselves don’t
seem to be much of a creature of horror anymore. Is it even
possible for something to remain scary through constant exposure
to it?  Left 4 Dead is ostensibly a horror game. Upon its
release, it was called the first true zombie apocalypse game
because it actually created the feel of a zombie apocalypse. You
are one of the last four people alive and have to make it to
safety. Everything is so thoroughly destroyed that you can do
nothing but move on. Even the safe houses aren’t places that you
can survive. It has all the elements that make a good horror
game: moody lighting, a thick atmosphere, unrelenting tension, a
sense of danger, and a dwindling sense of hope that is finally
replaced by despair. So, why doesn’t it stay scary?  Over time,
Left 4 Dead ceases to be frightening. In the beginning, even in
co-op, the game was terrifying to play. People didn’t so much
speak commands as scre