If you bought Left 4 Dead 2 on the PC, you might be pleased to hear that some modders have figured out a way to import all of the maps from Left 4 Dead into Left 4 Dead 2, playable with the new infected, new survivors, and the baseball bat. It’s a complex process compared to most mods, and it suffers from a few major problems at the time of writing, unfortunately.

The only new weapon that works is the bat, most of the campaigns crash on certain events, and some of the switches don’t work. If you can get past this, however, you’ve got 5 new expertly designed maps to play around with. I’m expecting that at some point someone (possibly even Valve) will create working versions of all of these maps for Left 4 Dead 2, so for now my advice is to keep your game files safe, and admire the work from a distance. I just hope that they patch in Francis as a playable character. I miss him terribly.

Oh how high society frowns upon you! If you happen to be an Xbox LIVE Silver Member that enjoys decapitating zombies when you aren’t drowning kittens in your bathtub, you know that the Left 4 Dead 2 demo wasn’t available to you last week. Well, put the kitten down and power up your 360. Valve’s zombie fest sequel is waiting and your clogged tub drain will thank you.

After my hands-on with the game at the MCM Expo a few weeks ago and a lot of time spent in the pre-release demo, I feel I’ve got enough experience to let you, our dear readers, know how I feel about the game. You may remember last year I did a similar thing with the original game, and I seem to have really rather enjoyed it. I felt that since I did one last year, I should run through some of my impressions of Left 4 Dead 2.

Can the sequel live up to the original? To answer that question, here are some words that I have typed on my computer which you will read.

As with last year, I only played the 360 version for a small amount of time, but again I felt very hindered by the controller. My tactics from playing Left 4 Dead 1 over the whole year on the PC just wouldn’t transition into the 360 version I played, like the ability to get headshots or aim for gas cans easily. I realise that with practice one can get better at this with a controller (and in fact I prefer playing Resident Evil 5 on the PC with a controller over the mouse and keyboard) but while playing I couldn’t enjoy the new aspects of Left 4 Dead 2 without a feeling in the back of my mind that this wasn’t even capturing some of the things that made Left 4 Dead so great. It didn’t feel as satisfying to kill the infected without the ability to pop their heads open or perform actions that require a swift aim.

That said, I don’t have a problem with this version and it must be pointed out that this is my experience, and not necessarily that of anyone else. The new weapons, especially the melee types, were the thing that caught my eye the most (and as such I spent a good portion of time hitting zombies with a frying pan). After only having access to about 6 weapons for a whole year, the new shotguns and assault rifles were very welcome, and all of the weapons feel just as they should- substantial. The Uzi-style guns and the pistols are always in danger of feeling weak in shooters but here they all feel just right.

Once I had a chance to play the PC demo, I was able to take a closer look at the new special infected. The Spitter, which shoots gunk at you from a distance which covers the floor and blocks off that area for a little while, can be very effective at breaking up the group. If you huddle in a corner and the Spitter gets you, you are going to have to get away from that corner sharpish. The Jockey is another hazard to teams that split up; he can ride a player wherever he feels like, which is usually into a molotov fire spill or spitter goo. Obviously this isn’t very healthy and he can cause adverse side-effects (i.e. death) if not rapidly removed. Similarly the charger can smash through a group of survivors and grab one, incapacitating him like a Hunter would. All of the new specials have a specific use and they should make versus mode even more fun that it was already.

The demo, however, doesn’t show much in terms of new environments. The newest things about the level on show are the daytime setting and the finale where one must get to a button to turn it off instead of just waiting around for a door to open. This makes it a bit more hectic, with the players being forced to make a move instead of just waiting it out. It does end up being a bit easy, however, even on harder difficulty levels. I think this may be because the demo shows off a lot of weapons and new items, which you are given quite a lot of. This makes taking down the horde a little easier than in a full-length campaign, since you can afford to take more risks and just spray all of your ammo away at them. At the moment Left 4 Dead 2 is looking like it has everything that was missing from Left 4 Dead 1, and I feel it certainly justifies a new game. The new survivors are great, too (especially Nick). I highly recommend you try the demo, which is out now on Steam and Xbox 360.

Valve continues to show their love for the “it only does everything” PlayStation 3 console. The latest show of support comes from a CVG interview with Valve’s writer extraordinaire, Chet Faliszek.

“In hooking up with your friends and the community aspects, I think the Xbox 360 is head and shoulders above the PS3 …  it’s all about playing with your friends.”

Apparently the PS3 isn’t friendly enough for Valve. Chet digs the knife deeper by telling gamers that they shouldn’t not buy Left 4 Dead 2 with the hope that it will eventually come out for the PlayStation 3.

“… it’s not going to [come out for the PS3] … It’s coming out on the PC and 360. It’s going to be exclusive for that.”

I think it’s safe to say that there is no love lost between Sony and Valve. What do you think of Valve’s open dismissal of the Sony next-gen console?

Infinity Ward’s decision to utilize Steamworks exclusively (it will handle updates, saves, achievements, etc) for the PC version of their Modern Warfare 2 title has IGN’s Direct2Drive download service refusing to sell it.

Valve’s Steamworks platform is a direct competitor to IGN’s Direct2Drive service, and considering the fact that you won’t be able to play the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 without installing Steamworks, this really doesn’t come as a huge surprise.

Direct2Drive issued the following statement regarding the matter:

“we believe strongly that when you buy a game from us, you shouldn’t be forced to install and run a 3rd party software client to be able to play the game you purchased.”

The digital distributor is allowing for an Amazon.com link on their site for those that still want to buy the game as well as a $5 off coupon towards the purchase of other Activision titles on their site.

In all honesty, if the company disagrees with the notion of forced 3rd party software why then link to an external means of purchase and offer a discount on other games by that publisher? It seems to me that they feel guilty for causing a perceived inconvenience to their customer base and at the same time don’t want to completely burn a bridge with the publisher. If that’s the case, just suck it up and sell the damn game then.

At least two other competitors in the space (Impulse and GamersGate) have decided that they too will not be selling the Modern Warfare 2 title. If digital distribution is the future, the road there looks like a bumpy one.

What do you think? Does this sort of 3rd party package deal bother you or do you see it as business as usual? Do you even care if the bottom line means a better game play experience on your end?

Thanks Gamasutra

Short and sweet, the boycott laden announcement of Valve’s Left 4 Dead 2 has made it’s way through the shit storm of hate to amass a pre-order amount four times greater than that of the original. Setting aside the hurtful past, Valve’s Chet Faliszek comments on the pre-order numbers telling CVG “I think people are just excited now,”

Aww, I just love stories with a happy ending. Maybe now is a good time for Valve to announce the development of Left 4 Dead 3. Too soon?

Weighing in at 2 gigs, the Left 4 Dead 2 demo is available on Xbox LIVE for all Gold Members as of today. As in right now. Seriously. What are you still doing here? Go download it.

Boo! I hope that didn’t completely scare you, what with Halloween coming up and all the ghosts that totally aren’t fictional and monsters that totally exist coming out to haunt us. To celebrate this rather pointless special time of year, Valve have announced that Team Fortress 2 will be having a spooky update weekend.

The update will add five achievements to unlock some new ghostly hats, a new King of the Hill map (Harvest, a Halloween-themed map with a roaming ghost that will scare players stiff) and Pumpkin-bombs. It also seems that dead players will be able to interact in some way with the living. Not sure if this is restricted to this one map, but either way it sounds brilliant. The special runs October 29th-November 3rd.

Update: The game is also super cheap from now until 2:00pm PDT; go buy it!

G4TV recently confirmed the existence of avatar awards in Valve’s upcoming Left 4 Dead 2 video game. According to G4TV’s Stephen Johnson, there will be nine avatar awards in all, but only six are known at this point.

Below is a bulleted list of the ones that have been confirmed and some detailed info on what you’ll have to do to get them as well as a video showing them in use. 

• Left 4 Dead 2 Shirt – A Left 4 Dead 2 shirt earned by winning 10 games of Scavenge
• Left 4 Dead 2 Shirt #2 – A Left 4 Dead 2 shirt earned by winning 10 games of Scavenge
• Depeche Mode Shirt – A sweet Depeche Mode shirt earned by rescuing Gnome Chompski from the Dark Carnival.
• Depeche Mode Shirt #2 – A sweet Depeche Mode shirt earned by rescuing Gnome Chompski from the Dark Carnival.
• Zombie Hand Shirt – A scary zombie shirt earned by killing 10,000 Infected
• Zombie Hand Shirt #2 – A scary zombie shirt earned by killing 10,000 Infected

So yea, there you have it. I personally don’t get into this sort of thing much but I’m sure there is an audience ready to eat it up. How about you?

Thanks G4TV

This may be the best trailer for a videogame I’ve ever seen. Hell, it might be the best trailer I’ve ever seen. Valve are getting great at making these short films; the characters shine through even with two minutes of screen time, and it makes me want the game even more. If this isn’t the purpose of a trailer, I don’t know what is.

It’s supposedly “leaked”, but I’m not buying that. Valve are careful about this stuff. It’s most likely been put out as leaked to get more press. I don’t know why, because I could watch this thing over and over again happily. It’s worth a post, leaked or not. Now excuse me while I go and enthuse a bit more over there.

The Australian games ratings board have refused to classify Left 4 Dead 2 for release. Because the game features a lot of blood and gore, it is only suitable for those who are 18 and over. Because the Australian ratings board (the OFLC) is ridiculous, they do not have an 18+ rating. Therefore, Left 4 Dead 2 is banned from being sold in Australia.

Because of the stupid and backwards system in place in Australia, the game must either lose all of its sales or cut out most of the mature content in order to secure a 15+ rating. I know that many are campaigning for a separate ratings board for games in Australia, and I wish them the best of luck- even if all they can hope for is an 18+ rating for now, that’s a start. As if they don’t suffer enough from price hikes and late releases.

This person, as with virtually everyone else on the Internet, likes Portal. As with a great majority, he decided to make something that references the game. The thing about this one, though, is not only that it is probably the best Companion Cube I’ve ever seen, it opens up to reveal the Portal cake (also fantastically well recreated) as well as some of the game’s staple graffiti.

I’m bracing myself, though. Portal memes are getting on my nerves no end, and this is likely to kick them right off again. Anyone who comments with a Portal reference gets a stern talking to. However, a clever pun gets you a pat on the back (and you’d better be GLaD of it).

What you see above is the new special infected, The Spitter. You are forgiven for looking away, as it’s one of the strangest things I’ve seen come out of Valve’s art studio. the gallery below shows some new features of the game off, including some new weapons, the new types of zombie, and generally just the bleak looking swamp level. I can;t wait to get my hands on this game, if only just to shoot the monstrosity that is The Spitter right in the face with a shotgun.

In this preview of Left 4 Dead 2, some brand new details about the game have been revealed, including some new infected types and more details about the Swamp level. First of all, the level-specific infected, known as ‘common-uncommons’, for the swamp have been revealed. We already knew about the ones with fire-proof suits on, but the swamp level has ‘mud men’, who run quickly on all fours through the swamp, making them difficult to spot.

A new special infected is the ‘Spitter’, who provides a more long-range option for the infected. He spits out an attack (unspecified at this point, probably gob) that damages those who stand in it. The attck isn#t fantastically powerful but can hinder a team who stay in the area of effect too long. Finally, the preview mentions adrenaline and ammo packs (which replace pills and first aid kits). The adrenaline packs allow you to run past zombies without them slowing you down, as well as removing restrictions on your melee attack. Sounds good to me, although removing health packs seems a little odd. I trust Valve, though. They know what they’re doing.

Valve have updated Left 4 Dead today with a patch that adds a lobby browser to the game. This is an important addition to the game; not only does it mean we are able to make our own decisions about where we want to play, but it means that the inevitably great community maps are much more widely available.

Instead of having to go to a map site, downloading a map, and hoping that someone else has done the same, one can simply browse the lobbies for a map they would like, and download it in-game. Hooray for custom maps, and hooray for no longer being treated like children!

As an African-American male in today’s society, it absolutely pains me to see racism become so pervasive in video games. Sure, I’ll shoot the black zombies in Resident Evil 5, and I’ll absolutely love doing it, but behind these hazel brown eyes, a little black man (with a tiny hat, even) inside me cries- which is why it’s absolutely APPALLING to see Left 4 Dead 2 follow RE5’s pattern and include some black zombies.

Despicable!

The Houston Chronicle’s Willie Jefferson was quick to point out that several of the zombies in Left 4 Dead 2 are black. Sure, a lot, if not most of the zombies are white, but Valve putting any black zombies in the game? How insensitive, Valve! Even worse is that the game is set in New Orleans, a city famous for its black residents. And since everyone knows it was only black people that suffered in Hurricane Katrina, we can only assume Valve purposefully picked this setting for their own, racist purposes.

Well it’s not going to work, Valve. We can see through your eye-holed bedsheets and torches at the monsters you truly are, and we’re not gonna stand for it! Nobody puts blackie in the corner- especially when that corner is full of zombie discrimination! It’s absolutely sickening that a black man can’t get ahead in today’s society, and is reduced to playing the undead.

One point Jefferson fails to point out is the fact that half of the survivors are black as well. Only half? Come on Valve. Did Rosa Parks settled for only half of the front of the bus? Did Michael Jackson only half moonwalk into history? Did that one lady from Touched by an Angel only get half touched by a half angel?

No she did NOT.

[via Destructoid]

As you can see in the (brilliant) above image, Valve have revealed a certain sports bat will be featured in Left 4 Dead 2. Yes, the cricket bat, likely a homage to the fantastic zombie film Shaun of the Dead, will be available for use. Perhaps I should be berated for posting something that is probably a little trivial and not newsworthy- that was my initial reaction.

However, by doing this post, I am able to simultaneously post a picture of a zombie being smacked by a cricket bat by a man in a hat with the English flag on it, and praise a brilliant British film. This is the first time I’ve ever felt patriotic, and it’s all thanks to zombies.

Oh, and as a bonus for those who clicked the read more button, I’ll tell you why I haven’t been updating recently: I’ve been on holiday in England.

Yesterday I reported that Left 4 Dead 2 seemed to be coming to PS3, as the console was listed on the game’s EA products page. Now, however, it looks like that was simply an error. The product page has been updated and now it only lists “Xbox 360, PC, PC Download.” Sorry to get your hopes up, Sony fans.

Valve may be opposed to porting its games to the PlayStation 3, but their publisher Electronic Arts sure the hell isn’t. A PS3 version of Left 4 Dead 2 is listed on its EA Games page, leading the internet to assume that EA will port it to the console, just as they did with Team Fortress 2. Let’s hope they do a better job this time.

Digital Battle

True to their word, Valve are going to release a Left 4 Dead update next week, focused mainly on the community maps that have been created, and pushing for more to be made in the coming months. The update includes a much better matchmaking system, support for community maps, the full, non-beta SDK release, and obviously support for new maps, models, and textures (via an “add-ons” section).

This is an important update for PC fans of Left 4 Dead, since we’ll be getting a whole load more maps made by the community. Going on the support for TF2, there’ll be a lot of great maps, both well designed and ridiculously silly. I urge everyone with the skills to make a L4D map to do it!

Valve, being the classy gentlemen (and ladies) that they all are, have responded to the concerns of the Left 4 Dead 2 boycott group that popped up following the game’s announcement.

In an interview with Kotaku, Valve president Gabe Newell attempted to calm the fears of those who are under the impression that a new Left 4 Dead game coming out so soon would mean no more updates for its predecessor.

“Doing a sequel in one year is new for Valve. But providing ongoing support for our titles after the initial launch isn’t – it has been part of our philosophy since Half-Life was released ten and half years ago. We see no reason to change that and will continue to support the over three million customers in the L4D community.”

And more to the point:

“Some in the community are concerned that the announcement of L4D2 implied a change in our plans for L4D1. We aren’t changing our plans for L4D1.”

“In addition to the recently released Survival Pack, we are releasing authoring tools for Mod makers, community matchmaking, 4×4 matchmaking, and more new content during the coming months for L4D1. We also agree with our customers that there needs to be an interoperability plan for players of L4D1 and L4D2, as multiplayer games are driven by the cohesiveness of their community.”

As I wrote a few days ago, I trust Valve. They’ve always been great to their community and I see no reason why that would change. I can totally understand people’s initial apprehension to a sequel this soon, but do they really think Valve is just going to pull a 180 and start screwing people over?

The group claims that releasing the sequel this soon after its predecessor will “split the communities and decrease the quality of multiplayer gaming… The announced content of Left 4 Dead 2 does not warrant a standalone, full-priced sequel and should instead become updates (free or otherwise) for Left 4 Dead.”

“Left 4 Dead has not yet received the support and content which Valve has repeatedly stated will be delivered. Therefore, we – the members of this Left 4 Dead 2 Boycott – promise to abstain from the purchase of Left 4 Dead 2 until our requests are addressed.”

If this were any other case, I would be inclined to side with the group. The thought of a sequel this soon does rub me the wrong way. However, I’m willing to make a special exception for Valve, hands-down one of my favorite developers. I trust them not to screw me over, so if they saw fit to make a sequel this soon, I imagine its for good reason.

As far as the group’s claim that the new content doesn’t justify a full sequel, I don’t know if I agree with that. I’m no developer, in fact I’m pretty much dumb as a tack, but things like zombie dismemberment and a melee mechanic seem pretty complex to me. But what do I know? I’m just a writer on the interwebs.

The group asks that Valve continue to release DLC for the first game and launch the sequel as either a discounted expansion or a free download.

I’m curious to know what everyone else thinks of all of this. Thoughts?

EDGE

Yes, it’s real. It was an April fool’s joke, and now it’s real. Snipers will be throwing jars of piss around. Jarate, when it spills on an opponent, grants 35% less damage resistance (they die faster) and, in the case of the Spy, shorts out the cloak. Jarate can be washed off with water, and it can be used on team-mates to put out any fires that may be happening in, on, or around them. The Sniper achievement titles have also been announced, and you can find them after the jump.

Australian Rules

Be Efficient

Be Polite

Beaux and Arrows

Consolation Prize

Dead Reckoning

De-sentry-lized

Dropped Dead

Enemy at the Gate

Friendship is Golden

Have a Plan

Jarate Chop

Jarring Transition

Jumper Stumper

Kill Everyone You Meet

Kook the Spook

My Brilliant Career

Not a Crazed Gunman, Dad

Number One Assistant

Parting Shot

Pincushion

Rain on Their Parade

Robbin’ Hood

Rode Hard, Put Away Wet

Saturation Bombing

Self-destruct Sequence

Shafted

Shock Treatment

Shoot the Breeze

Socket to Him

The Last Wave

Triple Prey

Trust Your Feelings

Uberectomy

William Tell Overkill:

Today’s update brings us the Ambassador, the replacement for the Spy’s Revolver. The Magnum-inspired gun features an engraving of the victim’s mother on the barrel, as well as the accuracy of a sniper rifle. Such a powerful weapon, though, is hindered by a cooldown between shots. Even so, it is probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing weapons yet. I’m willing to bet it’ll sound suitably epic, too.

Today, Meet the Spy was released! Oh, it was leaked, wasn’t it? Never mind. The true video is finally out: the HD version. It’s glorious. Also today is the list of the achievements for the Spy’s unlocks (which you can see after the jump). One that is noteworthy is the “Valve corporate achievement”: “Fail to understand what ‘Private’ means on YouTube. Needless to say, it’s been achieved.

Achievements:

1. A Cut Above
2. Agent Provocateur
3. Burn Notice
4. Come in From the Cold
5. Constructus Interruptus
6. Counter Espionage
7. Deep Undercover
8. Die Another Way
9. Diplomacy
10. Dr. Nooooo
11. For Your Eyes Only
12. FYI I am a Spy
13. High Value Target
14. Identity Theft
15. Insurance Fraud
16. Is It Safe?
17. Joint Operation
18. May I Cut In?
19. On Her Majesty’s Secret Surface
20. Point Breaker
21. Sap Auteur
22. Sapsucker
23. Skullpluggery
24. Slash and Burn
25. Sleeper Agent
26. Spies Like Us
27. Spymaster
28. The Man from P.U.N.C.T.U.R.E.
29. The Man with the Broken Guns
30. The Melbourne Supremacy
31. Triplecrossed
32. Wetwork
33. Who’s Your Daddy?
34. You Only Shiv Thrice

Valve’s Youtube channel leaked the ‘Meet the Spy’ video earlier today and, because this is the internet, it was instantly re-uploaded by another user. Here it is for you to enjoy (make sure you choose HD)- and enjoy you shall. I reckon this is the best ‘Meet the…’ yet; we get to see so much more of the personalities of the characters and their relationships with each other. There’s not much more to say, really. Just watch the video.

Some of you might remember an FPS Valve announced a while ago called The Crossing. Valve said it mixed single player and multi-player experiences, and while I don’t know how that would work, with Valve behind it, I’m sure it would’ve worked out just fine- would’ve being the operative word there.

Today Valve & Arkane Studios announced that The Crossing was being put on hold, citing unexpected financial issues, which was supposedly a result of the series of layoffs at Electronic Arts, since EA had been providing support for Arkane’s development. Although I would’ve loved to see this game get off of the ground, I wish the best for Arkane Studios, as the last thing we need is another development studio shutting down.

Source: Destructoid

Today Valve announced that the Authoring tools for Left 4 Dead are in beta and ready to download from the “Tools” tab on Steam. Using this, users can play with:

• Updated version of Hammer, the source level editor
• Updated suite of command line compiling utilities
• Updated Particle editor
• Updated Faceposer
• Example maps, common infected, props, and explosives

Valve are updating the matchmaking system to make the community maps available to all players. If you’re thinking of making something for Left 4 Dead, go here for more info. All us regular players will be able to reap the benefits of awesome community maps in “a few weeks”.

Welcome back to Team Fortress 2 update week, brought to you by Dapper Rouge: The catalogue for the Gentleman Scoundrel. Over the last few days we’ve been introduced to the Razorback, a shield to go on the Sniper’s back and protect him from spies (giving them a shock and making their knife unusable for a period of time). We’ve also been completely fooled by Valve, who have revealed that the Spy will also be part of the update.

His new toys include the “Dead Ringer” spy watch, which will leave a fake corpse of the Spy on the ground while the real Spy is cloaked for eight seconds. The “Cloak and Dagger” spy watch will grant a cloak regeneration ability, allowing spies to remain hidden forever while he’s standing still.

Sure, this is a little late. Give me a break here, okay? This week Valve will be releasing info on the Sniper update for the PC version of Team Fortress 2. I’ll update Ripten every day with the new stuff they announce, just as I did with the Scout update. Day one showed us the Huntsman, a bow to replace the Sniper rifle. It kills and pins enemies to the wall, and leaves arrows in the wounded flesh of the ones who don’t die. Simple stuff, but looks pretty fun.

Day two has brought us a load of new maps. Pipeline is a race to the finish with two bomb carts, with an uphill section at the end. Sawmill is an arena map set in a grassy, rainy landscape, and features, well, sawblades. Nucleus is a futuristic arena map that features a central point that comes out of some sort of pod. Very snazzy. Mor eot come every day until the update hits.