In the early years of the 21st century, zombie mania was everywhere - zombie movies, TV shows, video games, books, commercials, etc. Looking back, it seems a bit silly. And while vestiges linger, for the most part zombie mania is over. 

I was never crazy about zombies - I personally think while post-apocalyptic games and shows can be fun, post-apocalyptic fantasies are a bit puerile, with people trying to reject the disadvantages of civilization while easily forgetting all the benefits. 

But I did like Valve's Left 4 Dead. Valve doesn't publish a lot of games, but when they do, they tend to be good. Left 4 Dead is an online multiplayer assymetrical game where one team of four players take on the role of human survivors, and the other team of four players takes on the role of zombie monsters hellbent on murdering the survivors. The survivors' goal is to make it through the various levels to reach the top of a building where they will be rescued by a helicopter. It's a long and arduous journey, and deeply satisfying when accomplished. But it's also deeply satisfying when you're the zombies and you crush this dream. 

My brother and I played a lot of this game online, and while the other players were hit and miss, we still had a lot of fun. There was a lot of randomness to it, and you never knew what would happen. Honestly, I preferred being a survivor, though being a monster was fun too. 

The game was a small craze for a while, but by the time the sequel came out, my brother and I were burnt out on the concept. The game never got a third title, and is pretty much history now. But for a while, it was a lot of fun. 

P.S. Hopefully, now that it's easier for my to write with my new computer, I'll be able to blog more like this.