Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

L4D2 free for XBL Silvers next week

Not all that glitters is Gold.

Silver members of Xbox Live will be able to experience Left 4 Dead 2 multiplayer next weekend for free.

The promotion starts at hometime (5pm GMT) on Friday, 15th January, and ends at 5pm on Sunday, 18th January.

Co-operative multiplayer is to Left 4 Dead 2 what olive oil and salt are to Jamie Oliver - you can get by without but it won't taste as nice. And nice it most certainly is, as we told you in our L4D2 review.

After 2m sales at retail alone - Steam sales are kept close to Valve's chest - more Left 4 Dead 2 is a no-brainer. And so Valve will expand the game in spring with add-on The Passing.

Or you can expand the game yourself, as Valve released the Left 4 Dead 2 toolset earlier this week.