Left 4 Dead - Achievement Guide Options

[Rob Cram]

LEFT 4 DEAD ACHIEVEMENT TIPS - Guide is copyright of Msxbox-world & their respected owners. Reproduction is strictly prohibited without prior permission.

Game Overview
Left 4 Dead (L4D) is a new action title from Valve, creators of the Counter-Strike and Half-Life games, and promises to redefine the co-operative genre as those titles did for multiplayer and single player action games.

Set in a modern day survival-horror universe, the co-operative gameplay of L4D casts four “Survivors” in an epic struggle against hordes of swarming zombies and terrifying “Boss Infected” mutants.

Valve’s next generation AI technology, allows for games of 1 to 8 players. Players can play as a Survivor or as one of four types of “Boss Infected,” each of whom possess a unique mutant ability such as a 50-foot tongue lasso or a giant belly full of explosive methane gas.

The gameplay takes place across four massive campaigns. The “zombie” population of each mission is choreographed by an “AI Director” that monitors the human players’ actions and creates a unique and dramatic experience for them on the fly.




Developer: VALVE

Publisher: ELECTRONIC ARTS

Release date 17/11/2008 North America - 21/10/2008 Europe



SCREENSHOT GALLERY

MOVIES



CONTENTS:

-Game Overview
-Story based achievements
-Assist based achievements
-Enemy based achievements
-Versus mode achievements
-Expert finale tips
-Downloadable content

Press on your keyboard Ctrl F to bring up the find menu and then type in whatever you are looking for.



ACHIEVEMENT TIPS


STORY BASED ACHIEVEMENTS


These are gained via playing each of the four campaigns from start to finish either solo with the AI or online with others. You can set the difficulty to Easy and it doesn't matter if you are killed or restart a stage. As long as you beat each section and then survive at the end of the game. You must complete the entire campaign in one sitting for it to count.


Mercy Killer 15
Survive the No Mercy campaign.


Toll Collector 15
Survive the Death Toll campaign.

Dead Baron 15
Survive the Dead Air campaign.

Grim Reaper 15
Survive the Blood Harvest campaign.


Zombicidal Maniac 30
Survive any campaign on Expert. - These are almost impossible solo with the AI. You really need to do these online or at least with a friend via split-screen. You must board the rescue vehicle for it to count, although you can die as many times trying to get there through the earlier levels. As long as one person makes it to the safe house on each stage you are good.

What Are You Trying to Prove? 35
Survive all campaigns on Expert. - same as above, although you must beat an entire campaign in one go. You can do these in any order, and don't have to do all four campaigns back to back.



EXTRAS


No-one Left Behind 20
Beat a campaign with all 4 Survivors. - set the game on Easy and just play the game where everyone makes it out alive at the end.


Safety First 30
Play an entire campaign with no Survivors taking friendly fire damage. - This is fairly easy if you play on Easy difficulty with the AI. Use the LT melee attack often, and let your team mates kill Infected. Do Not shoot the AI by mistake or cause them damage using Molotovs & Pipe bombs. Melee hits do not cause damage. A stat during the credits tells you how many friendly fire incidents there were.

Unbreakable 30
Finish a campaign without ever being healed. - This one isn't too hard. Set the game on Easy and then just beat the chapter without using a health pack on yourself, or letting the AI/team mates heal you. If the AI tries to heal you, then equip a health pack to prevent them from doing so - make sure you always have one in your inventory. You are allowed to use Pills as often as you like, so make sure you've always got one handy - this also stops the AI from trying to heal you.

Stand Tall 20
Survive a campaign without being incapacitated. - Simple play through a campaign without being knocked to the ground where you need a team mate to revive you. This is easy as long as you don't get downed by a Tank. Best to try this on Easy difficulty, and you need to play the entire campaign in one sitting. You can get grabbed by Smokers and pounced on by Hunters.


Nothing Special 30
Survive a campaign with no Survivors taking damage from Special Infected. - this is very hard and best done with either competent players online or AI on Easy difficulty. You cannot take damage from any of the following - Tanks, Smokers, Hunters, Boomers & Witches. You can be pounced on by hunters, but need to be set free before you take damage. Smokers can grab you, but again you need to be set free before any damage is inflicted. You can be vomited on by a Boomer, but must ensure that no damage is receive from the ensuing horde attack during this state (back into a corner if possible, crouch and spam the LT melee).


Stomach Upset 20
All Survivors complete a campaign without being vomited on. - This can be a little cheap and somewhat random, and although some might recommend the No Mercy campaign, this is actually very tough due to the narrow level design, and many corners where a Boomer can appear. Simply complete the campaign with no one being vomited on or caught in the splash from an exploding Boomer. The AI is very good at taking these guys out. You'll know if an AI has been splashed as they are covered in green goo. Don't hang around corners and move slowly to avoid being caught out. I recommend a more open level to stand a better chance.



Untouchables 30
No Survivors take damage after contacting the rescue vehicle. - once you radio the rescue vehicle, all survivors must avoid damage from Infected. This is very hard with the AI and better suited to competent players online. Naturally set the game on Easy and you can play the last section of this campaign.

The end of the Blood Harvest Campaign is a good place to try this. Get your team to hide in the Barn next to the house with the radio. Keep on your toes and make sure you don't friendly fire each other as this counts as damage received.


Akimbo Assassin 30
Survive an entire campaign using only pistols - you can dual wield pistols and use Molotovs , pipe bombs and your melee attack. Do not use any other weapons including mounted guns. Your team mates can use whatever they like unless they are going for the achievement as well. This is very easy with the AI on Easy difficulty.


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ASSIST ACHIEVEMENTS

These achievements are gained via assisting your fellow team mates either online or solo with the AI.


Helping Hand 20
Revive 50 incapacitated Survivors. - Simply press and hold the X button near a downed team mate to revive them. Do this 50 times throughout the course of play. If you want to cheat, then there are two ways.

1.Solo with AI. Simply set game difficulty to Expert. Start any level. In the safe house at the very start grab a Shotgun or Uzi and shoot your team mates. Then simply revive them, let them heal and repeat. If you find the AI keeps reviving before you can, then kill one or two of them. Once everyone is dead, simply restart the stage.

2. With a friend. Simply get your friend to walk off an edge in the No Mercy mission at the start and use the X button to pull them up. Do this 50 times and bingo.

Field Medic 20
Heal 25 Survivors with a first aid kit. - simply heal (Press right on d-pad to equip and Hold LT when close to a Survivor with health pack equipped) 25 team mates. Set the game on Expert and you can shoot them to cause some damage, then heal. Reload game to repeat this when Health packs run out.


Back 2 Help 20
Leave a safe room to save an incapacitated teammate and bring them back safely.

This one seems a little glitchy for some reason. All you need to do is run into a safe room at the end of a level and then rescue a downed team mate and go back in the safe room with the team mate you rescued. Simply close the door to end the level.

Some say, you can use a second controller and let the AI take over (leave the 2nd pad idle for a few moments) until you near the safe house. Then resume control and let the person get attacked whilst you enter the safe house. Go back outside and revive them once they are downed (after killing Infected). Then head back into the safe house. Some suggest you can shoot your team mate to down them, revive, then head back to the safe house.

Pharm-assist 20
Give pain pills to 10 Survivors. - Simply equip the pain pills (down on d-pad) when you find them and press LT to give them to a survivor. Obviously, they won't accept if they are already carrying these. You cannot keep passing the same pills to the same survivor if they hand them back to you.

My Bodyguard 15
Protect any Survivor from an attacking Infected 50 times. - This is easy as you'll often shoot Infected as they are about to attack your team mates.

Drag and Drop 20
Rescue a Survivor from a Smoker's tongue before he takes damage. - Smokers are the Infected with the long tongues that will grab a Survivor and drag them away. Simply shoot the smoker before the Survivor is dragged close to the Smoker. This is hard playing solo, as your character tends to lead the pack, and therefore get "smoked" before the AI does. The AI also tends to shoot Smokers very quickly, so be on your toes.


Hero Closet 10
Rescue a Survivor trapped in a closet. - This is easy on Solo, start the Subway section on No Mercy chapter and then set the difficulty to Expert (this is done by using the call a vote option in the menu). Simply shoot all team mates until they are all dead. Now change the difficulty to Easy using the vote option again, and make your way through the subway. You'll see the Survivors in a closet. Open the door using the X button.



Dead Giveaway 10
Heal a fellow Survivor when your own health is below 10. - This one is easy, simply set the game on Easy and allow yourself to be attacked until your health is 9 or less. Then equip the health pack and heal a team mate.

Ground Cover 30
Save another Survivor from a Special Infected while on the ground. - This is obtained when you are grounded and manage to kill a special Infected in this state. There are many circumstances when this can arise, although vs a Tank is quite easy. This is much easier when co-ordinated online.


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ENEMY ACHIEVEMENTS


==THE HUNTER==

Dead Stop 10
Punch a Hunter as he is pouncing. - Hunters will leap at you and try to ground you. When you see one simply hit the LT as they pounce. You can try and keep spamming the LT or time it right. Not too hard to pull off.

Hunter Punter 10
Shove a Hunter off a pinned and helpless Survivor. - Simply use the LT to smack a hunter off a fellow team mate when they have been pinned.

Jump Shot 20
Headshot a Hunter while he's leaping. - this isn't too hard, just aim for the head with a fast firing weapon as he pounces at you.


==THE WITCH==


Cr0wnd 30
Kill a Witch with a single headshot. - This is very easy, simply get behind a witch, stand right next to her and as she rises shoot a shotgun blast in her face.

Do Not Disturb 20
Sneak past all Witches in a campaign without disturbing one. - simply do not disturb any Witches you encounter. Do this on Easy with AI or online. If a Witch blocks your only path, then you got unlucky and will have to retry.

Witch Hunter 20
Kill a Witch without any Survivor taking damage from her. - on Easy, this is simple and if you use the same technique as Cr0wnd, or are quick then this should be done easily.


Burn the Witch 10
Light a Witch with a Molotov. - simply throw a Molotov or pipe bomb at a witch when she is sitting or attacking.



==THE BOOMER==


Clean Kill 10
Shove a Boomer and then kill him without him splashing on anyone. - This is fairly easy, if you get ambushed by a Boomer and before he pukes, us LT to push him, and then shoot. You might need to back peddle a little to avoid the splash.


Blind Luck 20
You or another Survivor take no damage after being vomited on by a Boomer. - Simply back into a corner, crouch and spam the LT. With competent players they can shoot the infected before they reach you. Pipe bombs are good here as well.



==THE SMOKER==


Tongue Twister 20
Free yourself from a Smoker who has grabbed you with his tongue. - you need to be quick to avoid the AI shooting him for you. Just shoot just after he has grabbed you.

No Smoking Section 15
Kill 10 Smokers as they are pulling helpless Survivors. - This is hard when playing with the AI, simply because you get grabbed more often than they do. Plus the other AI tends to be very quick at shooting. This is easier/quicker when playing online.


==THE TANK==



Man vs Tank 30
Single-handedly kill a Tank. - with AI you can start the No Mercy subway section on Expert, kill the rest of the team and hope you face a Tank by the train. Obviously change the difficulty back to Easy once you've killed your team mates. If you get pounced, then you are screwed. This is much easier co-ordinating online.



Tankbusters 20
Kill a Tank without it dealing any damage to a Survivor. - set the game on Easy, and just shoot fast and efficiently. This is easier online but easy enough with the AI.


Towering Inferno 10
Light a Tank with a Molotov. - easy, just throw a Molotov at a Tank.


==THE INFECTED==



101 Cremations 20
Set 101 Infected on fire. - easy, just Molotov the Infected when they swarm. This is cumulative and you'll get this eventually.


Red Mist 20
Kill 1000 Infected with a mounted machine gun. - you'll easily spot these throughout the levels. Just use them and fire away. Often the Infected will come behind you, so don't sit on the gun, until you see them. Using a pipe bomb to lure them can help. This is cumulated, so you'll get this eventually.

Pyrotechnician 20
Blow up 20 Infected in a single explosion. - this is best achieved when either hit by vomit, or during those moments where you are attacked by the horde. Pipe bombs are key.

Zombie Genocidest 20
Kill 53,595 Infected. - a nod to Capcom's Dead Rising game. You'll get this by playing lots. There are more enemies on Expert difficulty.


Spinal Tap 10
Kill an Infected with a single blow from behind. - aim for the head, be quick and melee that sucker from behind. Not too hard to get.


Brain Salad 15
Make 100 headshot kills. - very easy, just keep aiming for the head. This is cumulative.




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VERSUS MODE ACHIEVEMENTS


These can be done Online only. You can use a 2nd controller in a friend only game for some of them, but will need to kill the AI team mates. Most are best co-ordinated with friends online. In versus mode, you need to be on the Special Infected team, However you'll be randomly spawned as one of the specials. You will be able to choose where to spawn.


Big Drag 20
Drag a Survivor 100 feet with your tongue. - Once you're a Smoker, try to spawn far away from the Survivors as possible which will enable you to find a decent ambush location. Make sure there's enough distance between you and them. Line up your shot and use the tongue attack (RT). Make sure you are on the same height as the Survivors. You then need to release the survivor.


Chain Smoker 20
Constrict two Survivors in one life as a Smoker. - as above, but you need to make sure you constrict them before letting go. Getting killed means you need to start over.

Barf Bagged 20
Cover four Survivors with Boomer bile at once. - hide in a confined space around a corner. Survivors tend to stay close to each other, so you should have no problems. You need to vomit attack all four Survivors at once.

Double Jump 20
Pounce two different Survivors in one life as a Hunter. - Pounce attack, kill and then retreat. LB enters pounce state, RT pounces and LT claw attacks once you have pinned a Survivor.

All 4 Dead 30
Kill all four Survivors in one life while playing as a Tank. - Just get brutal here and attack. You can merely incapacity the four Survivors and throwing objects is a good way of knocking them down.

Dead Wreckening 20
Dole out 5000 total Survivor damage as a Special Infected. - This is cumulative over several matches so just keep on attacking. Boomers do the most damage over the shortest time when you vomit attack.

Lamb 2 Slaughter 20
As an Infected, incapacitate a Survivor who has entered and left a safe room. - this is quite tough depending on the play style of the Survivors. You can co-ordinate this with friends or hope that someone is feeling generous to their comrades. The Survivor has to enter the safe room at the end of a mission and then come back out again for this to work. Tanks are the easiest to use here, although being sneaky might help lure out a survivor.

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EXPERT FINALE TIPS - Thanks to Matt Jo

Here is a finale guide to all 4 campaigns on Expert in Left 4 Dead:

Note: You do not even have to play the entire campaign to get the achievement/credit towards it. You only have to beat the finale. (There has been some dispute of this so not 100%)

Here's how, first have someone host the campaign on expert and have them start up the game on the finale. Make sure once the game starts up that the host waits in the saferoom. Then go to the dashboard and have the host invite you when you are in the dashboard. Accept the game invite from the dashboard and you'll join the game. If the host wants the achievement/credit also then once you're in the game, have the host go back to the dashboard and then re-invite him and have him accept it from the dashboard.

Once everyone is in and ready to go you can leave the saferoom. It's important you don't leave the safe room till everyone is there. Once you're all in the game even if you die you're still ok, you don't have to do the whole dashboard/invite process again. For the achievement for surviving one expert campaign you must actually get to the rescue vehicle although you will still get credit towards the "What Are Your Trying To Prove" achievement even if you die.


==NO MERCY==

On the rooftop with the turret is where you need to be. Go up onto the rooftop and turn around so your back is to the turret. To your right should be barbed wire on the edge of the roof top. Hop up on it and crouch, now slowly move to the left until you're on the very edge of the rooftop and you should be able to walk around on the edge of the rooftop.

It will look like your walking on air, and it looks like your character is kind of floating on the side of the building. Once you are on the edge, move to the back of the building. Have one guy call in the rescue then join you on the back of the rooftop on the edge. The zombies won't be able to attack you. You will be basically on the very edge of the rooftop so make sure you don't fall off but they won't hit you. They will all come from below you so shoot down. Place propane and gas tanks below you for help. Watch out for Hunters, they can pounce you so just have people watching your back, you will all be bunched up so you can easily shove a hunter off your buddy. Only real problem is tanks and they are not even that hard. When a tank comes have someone toss a molotov down on it. Then start unloading on it with your weapon. Make sure you are all bunched up right above the tank so he can't climb up. Once the rescue vehicle arrives hop down and make a mad dash for the heli pad.



==DEAD AIR==

Very easy to beat. Once you get onto the airfield go behind the rescue plane. The rescue plane is the one that you eventually hop onto at the end. Behind it should be a big large hilly area. Go onto that and go all the way to the back. You now have a very substantial amount of distance between you and any zombies, make sure you have an M16. Now just hold out on this hill until the plane is ready to go. Note that there are fences bordering the hill but zombies can hop them. Have one person watch each side and have the other two people watching the middle. The only real threats are Hunters and Smokers because of their range. Smokers are easy though because the hill is long so if a smoker pulls you it will take a while for you to reach him.

Hunters can leap up the hill obviously but once again just shove them off and then kill them. For the tanks once you hear it coming run to the rescue plane and go to the front of it, make sure you're on the side that the hill is on. So don't go around the plane just run straight ahead from the hill and to the front. Once you're right at the front wing, crouch down and look under the plane. You will see the tank's feet. He will try to get at you but very rarely will he actually come around the plane. So just shoot under the plane at his feet. He may come around but its very rare. Just make sure everyone is bunched up at that area so he can't see you. Once the plane is ready to go just run down the hill and into the plane.


==DEATH TOLL==

Another easy one, if you are facing the dock you will see to the right two sets of rocks, one right beside and one to the right of that. Go to the furthest one to the right, it should be right on the edge of the map. Hop up on that. Stay there the whole time and no zombies can touch you. Hunters can get you but just shove them off. Tanks can not reach you but they can throw stuff at you so get a molotov on the tank and shoot it. Once the boat comes hop off the rock and throw a pipe bomb to draw the zombies away and then run to the boat.


==BLOOD HARVEST==

Kinda tricky. In the top floor of the house as you come up the stairs, to the right of the stairs on the top floor is a washroom. This is where you want to hide. Have two people on the ground crouching and shoving the zombies at the doorway and two people behind them standing and shooting. Nothing can get at you. When the tank comes spread out, most likely the tank is going to get one of you but when it beats on one of you have the other three repeatedly shoot it in the back while its incapacitating the one person. I don't really know what else to say, there is no solid strategy for the tank on this level. As always molotovs help and you should spread out but most likely he'll get one of you.

What my team did is we ran from the washroom into the large room beside it and onto the roof tops and fought the tank out there. Anyways once both tanks are done from the washroom, directly beside it is a large room which I mentioned before, go into there and hop out the windows, you should be on the rooftop. Look to the right and the rescue truck will pull up right below you. Now you just gotta jump down from the roof and you're right at the truck.

[xDESTRUCTABLEx]

WOW Rob Cram your the best

[FallenHero]

You know, for the achievements requiring you to be an infected, you can get those on versus by doing couch co-op. (Two controllers, one person: you)

And including the ALL 4 DEAD achievement. Not that the way listed is any better than this, but its just another option. You can also get this achievement on the first level of the "No Mercy" campaign, couch co-op again. Try to hit a car at all three of them, or as many as you can, 2 if not 3, that way you can focus on the last bot, and then you can kill the other person that you controll. Just make sure that you kill the other player last, otherwise it might not register. If it does, you'll hear that sexy sound, "badoop" and you will have the achievement.

Those who dance are only thought mad to those who cannot hear the music

This post has been edited by FallenHero: Apr 23 2009, 03:53 AM

[WayneJ]

Interesting, I never knew about the finale Expert achievement glitch... I will have to give that a go. With some buddies, the best we've done is on No Mercy, going from the beginning right up until the finale, then getting raped. There's only so many retries one can endure before getting fed up. I wonder if this invite from dash to finale glitch has been patched, anyone here actually unlocked the achievement that way?

[FallenHero]

I wonder if this invite from dash to finale glitch has been patched, anyone here actually unlocked the achievement that way?

No, but you can play the game using couch co-op, that way, if somebody dies, you could have the other go save him. The author might have said this already though

~~~Game over man, game over!!!! ---Zoey, L4D

[FallenHero]

Everyone disregard this, this is for my friend.

HI OAKLEE!!!!!!

[FallenHero]

Oh, guys, I have an idea for the "Nothing Special" achievement.

You cannot get injured by a special infected, right? So, you cant get hurt by a boomer, smoker, and a hunter. Yes, some say a tank and a witch too, but there are boss infected, so, wouldnt the witch and tank be boss infected, because they are both f***ing hard to kill on any difficulty with just bots. So, Im thinking that you only need to avoid the hunter, boomer, and smoker. I'll try it anyway and see, but the easiest way to avoid it altogether would be to play on versus, (couch co-op) or with eight people.

[FallenHero]

Mmkay, I tried, and it did not work, I am not 100% sure that it did not work because I was a boomer once and I exploded near one of the survivors, dont know if it was close enough, but im not trying it again. Anyway, now that I know, when I get x-box live, anybody wanna help me get "Nothing Special"????????????????????????????????????????

This post has been edited by FallenHero: Apr 24 2009, 03:14 AM

[Retrokiid90]

I wish the nothing special achievement was easier to get. Its extra hard. So you can't do it on vs mode right?

[NubCaKeZ]

Yeah,I have most of the achievements for Left 4 Dead
Just need 5 More!!
All hard to...
The latest one i got was Untouchables.

Can anyone post a reply on how to get the achievements where u have to survive a campain on expert?
I can do it..but it's that STUPIED Tank that alwaaaays gets in my way..

-Nub

[NubCaKeZ]

Uh.I was watching a youtube video on how to get The "Nothing Special" Achievement.
He said if you want to get it you play all the way to the rescue level and then you
Call a Vote to the lobby and you change it to the last level.Idk if that works.

-Nub

[AsgardWarGod]

Great Guide,thanks

Gonna give that expert glitch a try,save ALOT of time

[Sin Ribbon]

Uh.I was watching a youtube video on how to get The "Nothing Special" Achievement.
He said if you want to get it you play all the way to the rescue level and then you
Call a Vote to the lobby and you change it to the last level.Idk if that works.

-Nub

As far as I know, that glitch doesn't work anymore.

I've heard people say a good way to get this achievement is kill the bots yourself in the safe room, then change the difficulty to easy and run for it. Special Infected don't spawn if you move fast enough. However, I tried this method and got stopped by hoards of zombies. I've yet to try it with one other person while killing the two remaining bots.

As far as I know, you can't take damage from any special infected, including Tanks and Witches, but supposedly, the Boomer only counts if he scratches you, not if he booms you and gets the assist.

This post has been edited by Sin Ribbon: Sep 12 2009, 05:15 AM