http://www.giantbomb.com/news/how-2-survive-in-left-4-dead/528/
* When playing as the survivors, DO NOT GO INTO THE CORNFIELD. You will die. Stick to the open path. We cannot stress this enough. If you go into the corn, you will not come out.
* Survivors need to stick together. If you get too far ahead of or behind the group, you're an easy target, particularly for Smokers. If Daikatana taught us anything, it's that you can't leave without your buddy Superfly!
* Don't stop for nothing. The slower you move as a survivor, the more time you give the zombies to respawn, which is a surefire way to drain your health before you make it to the safe house.
* Don't get cocky as the survivors. You can go from full health to dead in an instant. Our team got separated in that cornfield and then obliterated in about two minutes. Later while playing the zombies, we shut down the other team with a well-executed Tank-and-Smoker combo as they made their last stand in a house.
* The zombie screeches sound honest-to-God horrific. They're like a mix of the infected from 28 Days Later and the vampires in 30 Days of Night. Real nails-on-chalkboard stuff here. Chilling.
* Stick your nose in every corner. There are items hidden in some obscure places, and even if they're just pain pills or an extra pistol, you need them. Seriously, you have no idea how scarce items and health are in this game. Every match played as the humans feels like an actual struggle to survive. It's grueling.
* AVOID THE WITCH. I had never heard of the witch before our match, but I learned to avoid her real quick. The Tank seems like the bruiser of the infected side, but I'm pretty sure the witch is the heaviest hitter. Here's the trick: She sits on the ground wailing, so keep your ears open for her whimpers. If your team gives her a wide enough berth, she won't wake up. Also, turn off your damn flashlight. That'll rouse her just as quickly.
* Always play as Louis. This has no effect on the gameplay, but we just really love the way he says “Bill!” whenever you aim at that grizzled old war vet and click in the left stick. If you're anywhere near as stupid as us, you'll be running around, emphatically shouting “Bill!” at your friends for weeks.
