Published
by: Electronic Arts
Developed by: Valve
Release
Date: November 17, 2009
Available on: Xbox
360, PC
INTRO: The
zombie-blasting team shooter is back with a vengeance as Left 4 Dead 2
hits all the consoles! Take control of one of four new survivors and
take a look at the new stuff this game has to offer. New this year are
melee weapons like chainsaws and axes, and new infected like the
Mudmen. Each episode once again has a theme that makes it almost like a
standalone horror film, and on top of the standard modes you get more
multiplayer goodness to rip ass and take names. What are you waiting
for?
I really liked last year’s Left for Dead, and as such have been really
anticipating the sequel. I need to get something off my chest now
though- this game sort of makes me feel as though the first entry in
the series was a rough tech demo. I mean, this game is just way more of
a game than the first one was. The campaign is better, the weapons are
more responsive and there’s far better enemy types. Now don’t get me
wrong, I’m not trying to use this as a way to knock this game down a
peg, but it does feel like Valve sort of cut a few corners where they
released the first game last year because the game design is almost
exactly the same- it’s like a really good upgrade pack. You might want
to consider that before you run right out and purchase it at full
price. Although this game does kick copious amounts of chapped ass, it
seems almost like a great expansion.
GAMEPLAY:
Let’s
get right into it, shall we? You’ll smile right away if you’re familiar
with the first game when you pick up a fantastic melee weapon. Oh man,
is it ever fun to slice dudes up with a sharp blade and watch them go
to pieces. Not only that, but you can also find a chainsaw and boy that
just doesn’t get old. And you don’t only have to use deadly weapons,
you can also hit foes with other great things like a guitar or a frying
pan!
There’s some weaponry worth mentioning here too. You can blow
peach-sized holes through the undead with the Sniper Rifle. You can
also get a few new shotguns, and AK-47, a Desert Cobra (although you
can’t dual wield it), and even a silenced machine gun. You can also get
incendiary ammo, explosive ammoThis adds a lot to the game’s depth and
strategy because choosing your arms is really important when you’re
working as a team. As in the previous game, this one is all about team
strategy and if you go off on your own to play Rambo, you’re dead
(sorry, Arrow). You have to discuss strategy with your team, plot out
weapon choices and attack formations- that’s what this game is all
about!
In terms of new bad guys, they’re going to cause some sh*t to go down
in your gameplay sessions. You get the Jockey, who rides you and steers
you into fire, hordes of zombies, acid pools or even walks you off a
ledge. There’s the Spitter, who just pukes up lots of nasty acid, and
even the Charger who is sort of an (in)human battering ram who really
just messes you up. You still have the old bad guys too, so you can’t
avoid the Hunter, Boomer, Smoker, and Tank. Enemy AI has been beefed up
and the ‘AI Director’ really knows how to throw nasty things in your
direction.
The level design has been upgraded too, and the levels are
unquestionably better. Hard Rain’s weather effects are really cool and
wait until you reach the blaze in Dead Center. You will also have some
tasks to perform and objectives to complete, like bringing fuel to a
vehicle in order to attempt escape. The game still basically
tells you where to go, but there is definitely more room for
exploration.
This is all just talk about the campaign mode. Don’t forget about
Zombie/Human deathmatch, survivor mode and scavenge mode, where you
must fill up a gas tank while fighting the horde. If you’re a
sucker for punishment, try Realism mode where you lose all the little
things that make the game easy, like being able to see items with a
glow around them or even team members. You die, you’re dead- that’s it.
Zombies are also way harder to kill, but that’s the way the cookie
crumbles. I can’t hack it in Realism mode.
Gameplay:
9/10
GRAPHICS:
Although not by a ton, this one definitely looks better than its
predecessor. The textures are better and the environments look better
too. There’s a lot more detail in the damage you can do to the zombies
and that makes things just so much more fun. Explosions look great and
there are few things better than cutting limbs off realistic looking
zombies. There can be some nasty slowdown during some levels, but it
doesn’t happen often.
Graphics:
8/10
AUDIO:
A lot of the sound and
music comes back from L4D. and it sports some new stuff as well,
including Portal’s “Still Alive”. The voice acting is once again
fantastic, with Eric Laden’s portrayal of Ellis standing out as the
best one, his performance showing off a great emotional range. I
thought the sound was pretty outstanding, much like I did when the
first game came out.
Audio:
9/10
FINAL VERDICT:
I really love this game
and although it feels a bit like a bittersweet update, I’m a sucker for
the source material to begin with. This game is frantic and features a
ton of zombies to kill. As I’ve mentioned before, play this with at
least one or more friends because that’s the only real way to play.
There isn’t much story again, but the game is so fast paced and
exciting, I guarantee you’ll sweat when you play. Things get a bit
repetitive after a few hours and single player alone is a bit shallow,
but this is everything you want in a zombie bloodbath, especially if
you have some friends to play with. Left 4 Dead 2 is bigger and better
than the original.
Final
Score: 9/10
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