PC Review: Left 4 Dead 2
Left 4 Dead came out in 2008, after being talked about for a long time by Valve and their fans alike. The game was released to great critical acclaim, because it was one of the most finely-crafted multi-player games of all time, and probably because it was the pinnacle of zombie-based games up to that point. Left 4 Dead 2 came out about a year later, after being talked about by Valve for that year, and ranted about by whiny gamers from about June until October, because it was “too soon”.
Obviously this begs the question “is it too soon?” More specifically, “Is Left 4 Dead 2 any good, given the short development period?” Well, yes. Obviously it is. But how good? Well, you’re in luck. A Ripten review is just a click away.
Left 4 Dead 2 was talked about by some to be an “expansion pack” for the original Left 4 Dead. If this is true, then it is officially the biggest expansion pack of all time, not to mention the best. The game features 5 all-new campaigns, 4 brand new characters and over 5,000 lines of dialogue, 3 new special infected types and plenty more weapons and items for the survivors to use. There’s also melee weapons, new uncommon infected, 2 new game modes, weather effects, new finale styles, and an even more powerful AI director.
There’s so much new stuff here that it’s hard to fit it all into a review. That says something about just how much new content there is here- and it really keeps the game fresh. It does not feel like a re-hash of L4D at all, and there’s Valve’s trademark layer of extra-fine polish on top that just makes Left 4 Dead 2 a joy to play.
The new special infected add a huge layer of depth to the game just by them being around. The Spitter, who spits (no shit) noxious goo at the ground, prevents the “corner camp” behaviour that people are keen to exhibit when overwhelmed by the zombies; this keeps everyone moving forward and not sitting around all the time. This makes it more fun for both parties, although it can really pile on the stress for the survivors. There’s also the Jockey, who can ride (no shit) the survivors around. Obviously this can be used- hilariously, might I add- to drag people off ledges, into fire, into Spitter goo, or into a Boomer’s trap.
The third new special is the charger, a ground-based version of the Hunter, who can pin survivors to the ground, as well as send the ones he doesn’t grab flying. Not a huge level of depth, but it’s bloody great when you run past a group of survivors, grab one, and dive straight off a cliff with him in your hand. All the new infected add a brilliant new set of tactics to the versus modes for both teams, and really are the heart of the sequel.
Secondary to the new infected is the inclusion of melee weapons. What zombie game doesn’t have the ability to chop limbs off with an axe? Well, not Left 4 Dead 2. All the zombies can be hacked into a million pieces with the melee weapons, which include a Cricket bat, a Katana, an axe, and a Chainsaw. Obviously the Chainsaw is the best thing in the game, hands down. It runs out of fuel fast, though, so it doesn’t make things too easy. Still, my face lights up with glee every time I find one.
There are also a handful of new guns to use, including an AK-47 and a grenade launcher, all of which can be fitted with laser sights (if you find any) which increase accuracy and let you know where your team-mates are aiming. There’s also adrenaline shots, which make you immune to the slowing-down effect that attacking zombies have on you and speed you up immensely, and defibrillators, which can revive a dead team-mate once. There’s also the new bile bomb item, which turns zombies against each other using the same principles as the Boomer’s home-made bile. I’m going to just put this new stuff under the column “great fun” with the new infected, the new survivors, and the melee weapons.
Finally there’s the new modes. Realism mode turns off almost all of the assists you get during the vanilla game- there’s no glow around team-mates or items, and no on-screen pointers. The zombies are harder to kill, and there’s less ammo and guns spread around. To get through realism mode, you really need to be playing on a tight-knit team of people who all have mics, and know what they’re doing. As such, this makes for a very tense and difficult experience, made for those who really want to test their skills. Not for me, unfortunately, but I can see the appeal.
The other new mode, Scavenge, is an excellent take on the versus mode formula. Instead of fighting to stop the survivors getting through a level, the player-controlled infected must stop the player-controlled survivors from gathering 16 gas cans and filling up a generator with them. The rounds are much shorter, taking around 5 minutes each, but the action is frantic as the survivors rush to pick up all the gas cans before the infected can kill them all or time runs out. Time is added on each can being put in the generator, so very often you’re forced to rush in the last 5 seconds of the game to put another can in. This is obviously very fast-paced and is a brilliant solution for those who want to drop into Left 4 Dead 2 for 10 minutes and play, rather than play a whole 45-minute campaign with 3 friends.
There’s so much to say about the new content in Left 4 Dead 2, but to really experience it I highly recommend taking the plunge and just buying the game. Despite coming out in mid-November Left 4 Dead 2 was second only to Team Fortress 2 as my most played game of 2009- and that really proves the quality on offer here. Left 4 Dead 2 is a fantastic game, and it is worth every penny you may spend on it, despite what the haters say about having ‘just bought’ Left 4 Dead 1. I really can’t say anything more than that. If you like first-person shooters, zombies, or just really good games, Left 4 Dead 2 will satisfy.
One more thing, however. If you have no friends, or no internet connection, do not buy it. The single-player is not what this game is about. The AI is just not very good, and it’s just a thousand times better with at least one person to enjoy it with. If there was one criticism, it would be that. However, I am not one to complain about lack of single-player, because one of my favorite games of all time, TF2, has no single-player at all. Similarly, Left 4 Dead 2 may as well not have. Play it with friends. You’ll thank me later.
If you would like to know about the original Left 4 Dead, consider last year’s review here.
