Left 4 Dead fans rejoice! The long awaited dual compatible DLC for Left 4 Dead and its sequel went live Tuesday for the PC and Mac, and after a brief delay became available for all the hungry xbox 360 gamers out there.

The Sacrifice is a three chapter campaign that brings the survivors from the original game to Left 4 Dead 2 as well as a slightly retouched No Mercy campaign that can now be played in L4D2. There’s a good amount of content here, but is it worth your time, and more importantly, your hard-earned drug money? The answer to that is yes and no.

For PC and Mac gamers out there I give this a resounding yes because to celebrate the DLC’s release Valve has dramatically reduced the cost of both games (and the DLC is free). Plus, unlike previous DLC, The Sacrifice is a little heavier on the story side. This goes with the online comic that’s been coming out in pieces leading up to The Sacrifice’s release.

Now for something that’s never been done before in the history of the world: a review within a review. Having just finished the comic prior to playing the DLC, it’s actually surprisingly good. Now, you should know I’m not a big fan of comics so the only thing I knew going into it was it would have lots of pictures and few words. So in that regard, the comic succeeds.

It’s all beautifully drawn, heavy on the gore and foul language (just the way I like my comics that I don’t read) and more than a little funny. If you’re on the fence about checking out the DLC the comic that ties into it will definitely help to put you in the mood as well as shed some light on our hero’s lives before everything turned to shit. If that’s your cup of tea, you can check it out HERE.

Now, back to the DLC review: I’d easily recommend the Sacrifice to any L4D2 owners out there since it brings No Mercy to the game, and it can be played in any of the game’s modes (Survival, Versus, Co-op, etc.). It’s also refreshing to return to the previous game’s four heroes; I didn’t realize how much I missed Bill’s gruffy voice or Francis’ bad attitude until I booted up the campaign.

However, like all post-apocalyptic games The Sacrifice isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. If you only own the original Left 4 Dead and are low on points (you’ll have to sacrifice 560 Microsoft Space Bucks, or $7 to get it) I hesitate to recommend this DLC for a few reasons. First, it’s only a meager three chapters long, making it one of the shortest campaigns in either game. Secondly, you’re only getting that campaign, no extras like L4D2 gamers are getting with No Mercy, so unless you think you’ll be spending a good amount of time playing it, this is something to think about.

Lastly, and this goes for everyone considering purchasing it (other than the computer gamers out there because there is no reason you shouldn’t have this already), it brings really nothing new to the mix. Its first two chapters are good with a couple memorable points like a certain Tank you may or may not have to let loose to proceed. But the finale is recycled from The Passing’s end with a few fun twists. There’s also no new weapons, special infected, or items here so that’s kind of a bummer too.

I’m not going to rate The Sacrifice in the traditional sense, instead I’ll say it’s a good amount of fun that all Left 4 Dead fans should check out but if your wallet’s a little tight and you only have the original game you should take into consideration how shallow the offering is.

This review is based on the Xbox 360 version of Left 4 Dead: The Sacrifice.

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