Left 4 Dead 2 Review

 

Surprise, surprise! A new Left 4 Dead sequel developed in a year. Valve surprised many by announcing Left 4 Dead 2 at E3 this year(including myself). Sceptics questioned Valve’s move to make a sequel, but they(Valve) were adamant that the changes in Left 4 Dead 2 are big, significant changes and that are too big to be an update for Left 4 Dead. So are they?

 

In short, they are, but the changes are a subtle. But put them altogether and what you get is a more refined Left 4 Dead experience then the first ever was. In terms of content, Left 4 Dead 2 has 5 campaigns(all five playable in versus), the survival mode from the first game, versus, a more realistic realism mode(no revivals and no outlines over objects) and a much needed new competitive multiplayer mode called scavenge.

 

 

The new campaigns take you through five, unique levels that also introduce new infected types(from the mudmen in the swamps to zombie clowns in dark carnival) and a new gameplay twist in each of them. The campaigns have a  story continuation to them but really you’ll only take notice the first time you play them through.

 

These campaigns have some very interesting situation that are very creative and unforgettable. From Dark Carnivals concert stage finale to the Sugar Cane factory on Hard rain that somehow attracts witches(you need to tread carefully in there). The design of the levels are a major improvement from the very solid Left 4 Dead(although some levels are rather easy to get lost in, you need to keep a closer eye on the lighting of the map).

 

 

The introduction of new special infected types are game changers as their main goal is to defeat the often use tactic of survivor teams holding up in tightly enclosed rooms. The spitter spits a corrosive blob of acid that exponentially damages anyone that stands(or is incapacitated) on it. The fastest way to get a camped survivor team jumping out of their camped spot is using the spitter.

 

The charger is a big special infected with a giant hand that is used to pummel survivors. On top of that, the charger can charge at a survivors. Whoever becomes the victim of the chargers charge will be continuously pummeled to the ground until someone kills it. The charger is  unaffected by being meleed(melee weapons work though).

 

 

The jockey is a more stealthy little fella. Always stalking the survivors and jumping on a straggler, he is often used to spread one survivor from the group. The jockey will also often ride a survivor into danger such as into a witch or falling of a ledge. This new trio will require survivors to adapt to the game and be more quick on their feet. Without a doubt, Left 4 Dead 2 is a more challenging game due to this.

 

You’ll have to develop new strategies(and skills) to tame many of its challenges. You however get new help in the form of melee weapons. These make a huge difference in this game as often times you just need to cut your way past zombies as that's the most efficient way of getting through a gauntlet event(a new event where you need to hit a switch to stop the zombies from constantly spawning).

 

 

There’s also new items such as the boomer bile jar(a bottle full of the boomer puke) and adrenaline shots. Boomer bile jars allow you to make the zombies focus on the target you threw it to(you can make zombies fight each other this way). Adrenaline shots are very important in gauntlet events as they make you run faster and not slow down as much when hit by a zombie.

 

Apart from the campaign, versus(for all 5 campaigns), realism mode and survival mode, scavenge is an extremely fun and frantic gameplay mode that is perhaps the secret weapon in Left 4 Dead 2. One of the major problems with the first Left 4 Dead  was that the extremely fun(and infuriating at times) versus mode was too long(double the time of a coop campaign). It could take anywhere between 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.

 

 

Scavenge mode removes the level to level campaigns, for a single small level(like survival mode) and pits the survivors against the infected. The objective is to pick gas cans littered around the level to fill up a generator. For each gas can you fill up, you add another 30 seconds(there is a timers that counts down). When the timer reaches zero, or you’ve filled up all gas cans, it’s game over and the other team becomes survivors and try to beat your score. This leads to a fast paced game that doesn’t trudge around like a regular versus match.

 

A best of 3 scavenge match can last about 30 minutes which is the perfect magical number for competitive games. I personally think scavenge will give Left 4 Dead 2 the legs that many people feel Left 4 Dead didn’t have. The replay value is much greater because of this.

 

 

Left 4 Dead 2 is a great achievement for Valve. The fact that they built this game in a years time is a huge departure from the Valve we know. And the level of quality and content in this game is astonishing. All it took was one year. Sure it is building upon Left 4 Dead, but nevertheless, Left 4 Dead 2 is polished, exciting, fun, frantic and everything what a Left 4 Dead 2 sequel should be.

 

Pros:

• A bigger game than Left 4 Dead
• A refined improvement of gameplay
• Hard Rains AI Director is really impressive with its dynamic weather(controls storms).
• New physics and limb animation system = decapitation!
• Awesome finales

 

Cons:

• Definitely a more difficult game. Might frustrate those that want a casual experience.

 

Rating:  9/10

 

Price: RM138

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