Valve Software have confirmed plans to give users 24 hours of free access to Left 4 Dead, allowing potential new players to sample the hit zombie basher.

As of midnight on Friday (GMT) the free trial period will begin, letting players download the game and play for a day before the title will lock - and you'll have to pay to continue.

If you plan on taking part in the trial you can start the game pre-loading now via Steam, allowing you to get the maximum playtime in when the 24 hours actually begins.

The game normally costs about 26.99 GBP in the UK.

By Luke Guttridge