With angry gamers protesting Left 4 Dead 2 being released only one year after the original, Valve Software had a lot to prove with the Left 4 Dead sequel. Many complained that anything that could be accomplished in a single year would be better off released as DLC - even more confusing, the sequel released only about a month and a half after the Crash Course DLC dropped for the original. In addition to the protest controversy, Valve Software, the developer, and EA Games, the publisher, had to worry about Australia banning the game for excessive violence.
Despite all the controversy, is Left 4 Dead 2 worth paying $60 all over again after only one year? The short answer is yes. For the long answer, read the full L4D2 review below.
Improvements over Left 4 Dead 1
Left 4 Dead 2 still features 2-player local co-op, and 4-player online co-op, with the ability to take two players on one console and play online.
Even with only one year, Valve Software has managed to improve upon the original in a number of ways.
- Three new special infected (The Spitter, The Charger, The Jockey)
- New "uncommon" infected
- Melee weapons
- More gun variety
- Defibrillator, adrenaline shot, bile bomb
- Weather effects
- New panic events
- Five new campaigns
- New Versus mode called Scavenge
- Harder difficulty
The set of new features and improvements is actually more impressive than most sequels. And some changes, while seemingly minor, fundamentally change the gameplay.
Left 4 Dead 2 New Special Infected
The three newcomers to the special infected roster are The Spitter, The Charger, and The Jockey. In addition to that, Valve added a new female version of the Boomer, along with numerous new "uncommon" infected, which range from crazy zombie clowns to swat team undead, and even swampy mud men who blind infected by throwing mud in their eyes.
The new special infected significantly alter the gameplay. As a grotesque, grandmother-like zombie with sagging skin and a dangling jaw, The Spitter launches acid balls at Survivors, which cause big damage in an area of effect briefly. The Spitter punishes Survivors who corner-camp.
The Charger will likely be the fan-favorite, with a bulk nearly the size of a Tank, The Charger can bull-rush through a team, knocking survivors back and taking one for a long and painful ride, followed by repeated smashes with a tree trunk sized arm.
And The Jockey, easily the creepiest of the three new monsters, giggles and cackles uncontrollably. He's about the size of a child, and can jump on and "ride" a survivor into nearby hazards, or simply away from teammates.
These new special infected join the ranks among the old favorites. The Boomer - the bile-bloated monster capable of impairing Survivor vision and attracting the horde. The Smoker - capable of dragging Survivors away with a long, lasso-like tongue. And The Hunter - high-flying infected capable of long leaps, bouncing off walls, and tearing survivors to pieces. The Witch and The Tank also make triumphant returns, sometimes in multiple numbers.
L4D2 New Guns, Items, and Melee Weapons
The original Left 4 Dead felt a little sparse on the weapon variety, with only four different guns (pistol, sniper rifle, machine gun, shotgun) and six total weapons. Left 4 Dead 2 features far more guns - Handguns, Magnums, Uzis, Assault Rifles, Shotguns, Sniper Rifles - and each weapon can have various attachments, such as silencers and laser sights, along with new ammo types like explosive and flame rounds.
New items include the Bile Bomb, Defibrillator, and Adrenaline Shot. The Bile Bomb attracts the horde to a single point, the Defibrillator can revive dead teammates, and the Adrenaline Shot increases speed (faster movement, melee attack, revive, healing, etc).
And the melee weapons such as a baseball bat, frying pan, and everyone's favorite zombie-killing tool the chainsaw, add a new dimension to the weapon variety. Survivors must choose between a handgun or a melee weapon. Melee weapons are powerful, but not nearly as essential (or game-breaking) as the melee attack in the original Left 4 Dead.
Left 4 Dead 2 Environments, Weather Effects, Graphics
Left 4 Dead 2 looks like a brand-new game. The gore is far more detailed, from the blood-splattering melee weapons, to the gaping stomach wounds and severed limbs. Weather effects enhance the suspense, particularly so when the survivors must battle through a murky swamp during a monsoon.
The environments are far more varied in Left 4 Dead 2. Survivors must escape a hotel in flames, set zombie hordes on fire with rock stage pyrotechnics, and battle across an entire highway full of endless zombie waves. Each campaign feels entirely unique, and is a welcome improvement upon the Left 4 Dead 1's mostly city and suburban surroundings.
Left 4 Dead 2 Difficulty
Valve stirred up even more controversy with the release of Left 4 Dead 2, and that's the newly enhanced difficulty level. Left 4 Dead 2 offers gamers quite the challenge, with a now merciless AI Director and powerful new special infected, survivors must work together even more to survive.
But surviving Left 4 Dead 2 is not impossible. The sequel gives survivors even more firepower and items to work with as detailed above, and each special infected clues players in with specific audio indicators. While even the Normal difficult can be unforgiving at times, a full team of competent players and enough patience to adjust to the significant game changes should be enough to ensure survival.
Left 4 Dead 2 Review Conclusion
Playing the Left 4 Dead 2 demo or the full retail game should quickly quell any sneaking suspicions that this sequel was a rushed project, or that the sequel could easily have been released as DLC for the original Left 4 Dead. The improvements are so vast that many will likely forget about all the previous controversies, and perhaps even about the original game, and just enjoy this challenging, co-op oriented zombie FPS for Xbox 360 and PC.
For more FPS game coverage, be sure to check out the 5 Best FPS Games on Xbox 360.
Bradley Kairis - Bradley Kairis loves games, comedy, technology, politics, news and journalism. From the endlessly intricate strategies of Magic the ...
Join the Conversation