Say what you will about them, but aren’t zombies just bloomin’ cool? Be it in movies, games, books, or even a spin off TV series which portrays a popular reality television show full of idiots getting caught up in the zombie apocalypse; zombies are a foe that are both feared and revered. Let’s rewind to this time last year which saw the release of the initial Left 4 Dead title. Arguably the strongest zombie game to date, developers Valve hit the nail on the head with its balance of heavily co-operative game play, ground breaking ‘A.I directing’; and a brilliant versus mode which pitted a team of survivors against a team of the undead. We grew to love Zoe, Bill (we don’t really), Francis, Louis and the special infected alike. All was good in the world of Left 4 Dead.
Then this year’s E3 presented us with the surprise announcement that Left 4 Dead 2 would be back in our zombie hunting hands by the end of 2009. Cue a boycott from a handful of insanely possessive fans, pledging not to touch the sequel because developer Valve was “Dividing the L4D fan base and making the first title obsolete after only a year”. This was soon quashed with Valve inviting chief boycotters ‘Walking Target’ and ‘Agent of Chaos’ to their studios to test out the game. After declaring it “Tight” and “Not a rushed job” the two were sent home, tails between their legs and converted as latest fans of the sequel. The boycott came to an end soon after.
Fast forward to ‘Movember’ and Left 4 Dead 2 has, with a lot of questions of quality looming over its introduction, finally been released. So how does it fare?
The first noticeable change is the games locale. Now set within the deep southern states and closer to a time frame of the zombie outbreak initially occurring, our four new heroes are forced to bumble their way through five more campaigns to freedom. Greatly improved dialogue stands out as each survivor voices their own opinions in a uniquely humorous style that narrates the events unfolding before them. Daytime also plays a much larger part in the campaign, bringing a refreshing change of lighting. Coupled with the more colourful and diverse settings of each campaign, it really does distance itself from its predecessor’s geographical styling.
One of the biggest attractions of the sequel is the inclusion of melee weapons. From katana blade to guitar, the player is now able to swing away with a variety of zombie whacking favourites. Initial use made me feel invulnerable, flailing wildly at any undead unlucky enough to catch the business end of an axe, but it doesn’t take long to realise that, like most things in this game, the key is balance. Melee weapons are extremely powerful, but leave you dangerously vulnerable against either a horde of infected or those capable from attacking at range. A well oiled team should be able to manipulate the pros and cons of each weapon and balance guns with melee accordingly.
New items have also been added to the inventory. Stand out accessories include a defibrillator – bringing those pesky dead team mates back from the grave, and adrenaline shots – allowing the player increased speed in every action for a short period of time. But the trump card of the new items has to be the vial of boomer bile, allowing the player to throw down the sticky green substance – normally regurgitated from our favourite rotund infected – onto other enemies or areas. Naturally (nothing’s natural about this game but…), this will then take the focus of the horde to these areas. The bile becomes invaluable in taking the focus away from the group at a choke point you’ve run out of pipe bombs, or to cover a tank to slow his advance.
But it’s not just the survivors which have been given the ‘version 2’ lick of paint. L4D2 brings along with it several new special infected zombies to hinder human existence. Valve has paid close attention to the shortcomings of the initial special infected; their new brethren bringing all the right abilities to fill the cracks that players were quick to exploit in the original.
First up, and replacing the boomer as most ugly unit ever – the spitter. This deranged female zombie has the ability to spit toxic bile across the map, quickly deteriorating anything within its splash area; and if used correctly, effective at separating the group. Once executed, the spitter will also bleed toxic juices onto the floor, prompting strategic decisions on when to take this monster down. Next – the intimidating Charger. This giant one-armed beast charges towards survivors with the intent of snatching one on the way through. Once a survivor is whisked away, he then proceeds to pummel said human into the floor until death. Last but not least is the always-entertaining Jockey. The Jockey is quick and nimble; its ability is to jump onto a survivor’s back, then take control of their actions. This normally ends up with them being steered towards other infected, fires, or edges of buildings. Combined with the original three special infected, it seems to have padded out the roster nicely.
Game modes have also been granted a lot more depth and choice. The standard campaign can be played in a single player or co-operative multiplayer mode as normal. One of the newest editions to the campaign is ‘realism’ mode. In this (suicidal) game type zombies are stronger, survivors are unable to heal, weapons and items are not highlighted by colour; nor is a fellow survivor in peril of having his chest torn open. Witches instantly kill once disturbed and realism ups the tension and difficulty curve considerably.
‘Survivor’ mode follows suit from the previous title- a scenario in which the player attempts to live as long as possible against endless waves of undead. Finally the new game type ‘scavenger’ challenges the players with the task of filling a generator with fuel by retrieving canisters dotted around the map. More canisters, more time on the clock, more points on the board. Of course, it’s the job of the special undead to prevent this from happening.
Each of the game modes are entertaining to play, and all bring unique experiences with them; but as proved with the first title, the magic of Left 4 Dead really shines when taken online and pitted against fellow zombie lovers. Campaign mode becomes the aforementioned ‘vs’ mode, a successful team of infected players will need to co-ordinate attacks by working together to separate, exploit, and ultimately kill off survivors. Humans need to follow the same format, looking out for each other and communicating clearly, gaining points for proceeding as far through the level as they can. More people survive, the more points you get. Roles are then reversed and the madness plays out all over again. But no matter what happens, win or lose – playing as the zombies has proven time and time again how brilliantly fun this game can be. Each user’s experience will differ to the next, as every playthough is constructed by varying player choices, routes, and actions.
If you hated the first Left 4 Dead, then you’ve just wasted two minutes reading about a game which won’t appeal to you. But if it’s your cup of tea, then Left 4 Dead 2 does all the things we needed for the series to evolve. It doesn’t feel cheap, rushed, or churned out. Valve clearly has put the thought and balance needed to allow the series to move forward. The new locations are fantastic; the new zombies give even more scope to play; the new dialogue and characters just feel right. Even the weather is now controlled by the new and improved AI, causing massive storms to swiftly gather or dense fog to mysteriously descend at choice moments.
Apart from some of the southern accents being difficult to understand at times, and a few of the common infected having a strangely close resemblance to Henry Rollins, everything else feels in keeping with the series. I was dubious as to whether I should delve into it, convinced I would ultimately end up disappointed. Alas I’ve never been happier to be wrong. Even though the rest of this year’s release schedule has been overshadowed by Modern Warfare’s insane popularity, it’s nice to see another class act from Valve coming along for the ride.
Oh, and making a zombie clown’s nose honk by hitting him with a frying pan? Priceless.
Im a long haired, metal loving, rock n roll, plastic instrument talented gamer! I've worked in games retail for 7 years and have been caught up in all the politics associated with it. My neighbour loves my plastic drum kit and when i start singing.... "
