Left 4 Dead 2

So it finally came out, and Left 4 Dead 2 is easily far superior to its predecessor in everyway. I loved the original, and although it is only a year since I first heard of Left 4 Dead, I have welcomed the sequel with open arms. The original was great, albeit it wasn't a game that could sustain itself for long. There were too few campaigns, and the installment of Survival mode, while intense, never really hit home for me. LFD2, on the other hand, expands on the original game in almost everyway, while incorporating elements of L4D, such as the previous Survival mode maps.



Obviously the most notable features of L4D2 are the new campaigns and different characters, each of which is just as predicatable and enjoyably cliché as the last game. The campaigns centre around a New Orléans, southeastern United States setting. Players now find themselves fighting back hordes of zombies in such contexts as Louisianna swamps and amusement parks, day and night. The addition of daytime battle adds an interesting new twist to this game, as nightime was the only context in which players fought in the last game. That said, fighting in daytime certainly does not entail an easier ride. Quite the opposite, in fact. No longer can players camp in one place at a time. This game is about speed and multiple options, both for the players and the zombies. Sitting still for too long will eventually be your downfall, as zombies can come from many different directions, even without the cover of dark.
I would also say that L4D2 is harder, at least in my opinion. It definitely became pretty easy in L4D to find a nice closet or abandoned room to camp in with your friends, and hold off incoming hordes. As I said already, you just can't do that in this game. The need to be quick on your feet with tighter group integrity adds a difficult twist to this game.

As morbid as it might sound, one of the best additions to this game is melee weapons. There is something far more appealing about decapitating a zombie, as opposed to shooting at them from a distance, the chainsaw especialy! From machetes, axes and baseball bats, to chainsaws and nightsticks, the addition of melee weapons offers a morbidly enhanced experience to the game. Moreover, it questions the reason as to why this was not an element of the first game. What kind of zombie-killing game omits the use of melee weapons? Again, a bit improvement from the first game.


In addition to melee weapons, players are also able to choose from a greater variety of weapons. While I would certainly like to see even more weapons in L4D2, the addition of these weapons is nonetheless welcomed. Now players can use the original L4D weapons, as well as numerous new ones, not the least of which is the grenade launcher. I think the best tactic here would be for one member of the team to have a grenade launcher, for when large hordes approach, and a good melee weapon, just for those few stragglers who make it through the barage of shrapnel and bullets.

Not every addition to this game is in favour of the player, however. Now the team must contend with additional special zombies, not to mention regular zombies outfitted with bullet-proof armour and Hazmat suits - I wonder how some of these people became infected if they were wearing Hazmat suits...? So, not only are the original special zombies still around, but now we see Spitters, who lace the ground with a toxic, green goo, donkeys, who jump on the backs of players and ride them until killed, and finally chargers, who, as the name suggests, charge you with relentless fury.

All in, this is a great game, and absolutely a huge improvement from its predecessor. While it doesn't really offer anything patricularly new by way of gameplay, fans of the series will definitely appreciate this newest addition.