Author: yetweallfalldown

When Left 4 Dead 2 was first announced, I found myself shaking my head in dismay. I, much like many other L4D fans, questioned Valve’s intentions. Why not just add onto the existing game?

But after playing through the campaigns, it is obvious that the amount of content that is packed onto this disc is well worth it. There are, however, some hiccups that I feel need to be fixed to bring back the feeling of the first iteration of the game.

Story

The story of Left 4 Dead 2 follows similar lines of its predecessor. The sequel, however, is based in the southern United States, more specifically ranging from Savannah, Georgia to New Orleans, Louisiana. The game follows four new survivors -- Coach, Rochelle, Ellis and Nick -- who each have their own small back stories. When I played Left 4 Dead, I found myself completely neglecting the story and instead focusing what really mattered… getting the Hell away from the zombie apocalypse. But I didn’t receive Left 4 Dead 2 in the same manner.

There are several great qualities this game had that made the story compelling. First of all, I loved that there was actually a correlation between the five Left 4 Dead 2 campaigns. The first game of the series lacked this quality entirely. This game makes the story more accessible by starting players off at the conclusion of the previous campaign. (SPOILERS) For example, the finale of one campaign has players gas up a car, which is used as an escape vehicle. The beginning of the next campaign finds the survivors stranded on the side of a highway after their car has run out of gas.

Another improvement for this series came in the dialogue. Valve and their writers have created a sense of realism with the character interactions. Instead of the constant bitching about friendly fire, the characters in Left 4 Dead 2 hold conversations in line with their archetypes. Ellis, for example, often rants about nonsense that he has witnessed only to be shushed by the other three survivors. These small interactions do a lot to create value and meaning in the characters.

Gameplay

Left 4 Dead 2’s gameplay is glorious and frustrating as all Hell, all at the same time. Valve has certainly recognized what made campaigns from the first game so great, and have ramped those qualities up considerably. Campaigns hold that “oh dear God … there’s so many of them!” moments. The hectic nature of the game remains more intact with the addition of new special infected and the uncommon common. I found myself in several games where the addition of one these new undead changed the entire course of how I played that section, whether solo or in co-op.

There are also several new weapons that survivors can arm themselves with. One notable addition is the inclusion of melee weapons. These can be equipped in place of the pistol, giving players the ability to hack and slash at hordes of zombies. These weapons can become increasingly effective in small corridors when enemies are funneled in for some melee fun. Along with these, Valve has retooled how you can use Boomer Bile to attract zombies to a single enemy, added more variations of weapons and included additional support items. Much like the new enemies, these items have drastically altered gameplay -- creating almost a class system at times -- where characters focus their efforts on support items like the defibrillator or special ammo.

In light of all this, there is one large thorn in Left 4 Dead 2 that really hampers my enjoyment. The game has become frustratingly difficult to play. Now, I admit… I am in no way the best video game player. My specialties lie more in rhythm games, but I still consider myself a decent FPS player. But while playing Left 4 Dead, I found myself struggling at times. I have yet to finish a campaign on Left 4 Dead 2 without having each member of my team become incapacitated. I’m all for a challenge, but the shocking difference in difficulty from the first iteration of the game really sucks the fun out of this version.

Graphics

The original Left 4 Dead was never the most graphically impressive game. Sure the movement animations and the physics engine were great, but that game sure wasn’t winning any beauty pageants. However, Left 4 Dead 2 stepped up the all aspects in the graphics department. My personal favorite touch is the new character modeling, which lets gamers have the visceral pleasure of tearing apart the undead piece by piece.

The sequel also takes gamers through a wider range of areas. Whereas the survivors were pretty nocturnal in L4D, Valve switched it up in the sequel by including several levels that take place in the daytime. And I love it… Valve doesn’t lean on the old horror crutch of “dark = scary”, and has gamers truly experience terror in broad daylight. This is no mean feat, but Left 4 Dead 2 gives you that feeling. The daytime campaigns also give gamers a chance to take in the gruesome features that are present in the horde, uncommon common and special infected.

Audio

A majority of the audio queues that were present in the first game have returned in Left 4 Dead 2. The shriek of the Hunter and the hacking cough of the Smoker give gamers a heads up when the special infected are nearby and ready to attack. There are also other variations that play into the game for the new infected prowling the streets… the most notably for me being the squeaking shoes of nearby Infected clowns.

Also improved in the sequel is the high-caliber voiceover work. The cast does a great job in creating the frenzied atmosphere through the character’s interactions with each other. I’ve already mentioned earlier how the dialogue between the survivors gives more depth to the survivors and immerses the gamers more into the story of Left 4 Dead 2, and a big reason for that is the quality VO work present in this game.

Multiplayer

Left 4 Dead 2 is a multiplayer game at heart. It’s meant to be played with friends, either split screen at home or online co-op. Campaigns are longer and more difficult, which require more coordination and communication between team members.

Versus mode has been beefed up strategically with the addition of new weapons for the survivors, with new special infected to give them headaches. Also, Valve has added the Scavenge game mode, where the survivors must find and return canisters of gas from around the area (while the infected prevent their efforts, naturally). This adds a shorter, but still fulfilling, alternative to the versus mode.

Summary

Left 4 Dead 2 is not the slap-dash add-on that a lot of gamers were expecting. This sequel gives gamers a lot more value than a DLC could have provided through expanded campaigns, additional multiplayer modes, new weapons and new infected. Those who enjoyed the first game of the series, or newcomers who are looking for a great co-op shooter, should definitely take the time to play through this game.