Screamer

The Screamer was a prototype Special Infected formulated early in Left 4 Dead ' s development. As such, he is the progenitor of Special Infected like the Witch and Boomer. He was presented as a human figure bound in a restraining psychiatric-style straitjacket.

The idea of the Screamer was for him to lurk in different areas (much like the Witch) paying no attention to his surroundings until coming in contact with a Survivor whereupon, if sufficiently agitated, he would run off to hide and thereafter let out a loud scream which would attract a horde - thus foreshadowing the later Boomer bile concept. Since The Screamer was under physical restraint, he did not have the ability to mount any direct attack on Survivors. It was therefore important to kill the Screamer as quickly as possible before he ran off and hid.

As stated in the Developer Commentary, the Screamer and Boomer models co-existed for a time during development, at which time all the Boomer did was to explode when killed, dealing damage to nearby Survivors. Ultimately The Screamer was cut from the game because he was deemed too difficult and confusing for Survivors to spot and track down amongst a crowd of Common Infected. The Boomer was then given its bile attack and its bile splash death effect.