I'm a noob looking for advice

I used to have a Wii, but it was frustrating waiting for good games (Resident Evil 4 was sweet, but there was nothing after that), so I traded it for a new 360. I haven't got to play many games for I have been in school. But now my semester is ending and I'll have around 4 weeks off in which my plan is to vedge on the couch gamin-it-up.

Why question is a common one: Which game should i buy to play during this holiday season?

I have played (rented):

1. Gears of War 2: Maybe I just don't get it, but I wasn't impressed. I wasn't compelled in any way to play it. It just seemed pointless to me.

2. Far Cry 2: I was dissapointed with it. I watched all the videos on youtube and was excited about the engine and all its capabilities. However, the game seemed cheap: respawning enemies at road blocks, driving more than shooting...etc.

3. Call of Duty:WaW: This game was OK. I died many times via grenades and that got old really fast. I don't think that the game had enough depth. Shoot-duck-run-shoot-die-repeat. Of course I am not on XBOX live as of yet, so maybe that would make the game more fun?...maybe?

So now I am looking at either purchasing: Call of Duty 4, Dead Space, or Left 4 Dead (I am not a fan of RPG so Fallout 3 isn't on the short list)

COD 4: This game is a year old with a strong following, but I played COD 3 on the Wii and wan't impressed (nor with COD WaW). I think playingonline would be fun, but trying to play against guys who have been playing the game religiously for a year might get boring, e.g. Spawn-die-spawn-run-shoot-miss-die-spawn-die-spawn-die...etc.

Dead Space: I really enjoyed Resident Evil 4 and this looks llike itcould be a type of game that sucks you in and gives you a real gaming 'experience'. Player reviews have been impressive and that usually means better things than if the reviews by website review a game favorably.

Left 4 Dead: Online-co-op-mode sounds really fun, but the engine and graphics are said to be outdated. Plus the game only has 4 levels. (also I don't have a headset and I hear that it is almost necessary for the best gaming experience. This leads me to have to speand another 20$...Is Left for dead worth 80$?

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Any advice would be appreciated.

I had a BLAST with Dead Space. Judging by your lack of enthusiasm about Gears 2, Far Cry, and CoD, I wouldn't go with another shooter.

However! Dead Space is relatively short- I beat it in a lazy weekend. If you have 4 weeks off and a lot of time to play, RENT Dead Space and play it at night with the lights off and surround sound turned way up for the best experience.