Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360)
Genre: First-Person Shooter Publisher: Valve Developer: Valve Players: 1-8
The variety in this game has been improved greatly; there are a wider range of weapons including pistols, shotguns, machine pistols and machine guns, and multiple versions of each. Melee weapons include frying pans, samurai swords, baseball bats and many more. New equipment such as defibrillators and adrenaline shots boost your chances of survival. Pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails are still there, with the addition of bile bombs which can be used to attract the zombie horde to specific locations.
In addition to the common infected, there are the same rare infected as in the first outing, boomers, smokers and tanks. There are also new rare infected, riot police who are bulletproof, clowns in the fairground who lead masses of common infected, jockeys who will jump on the back of one of the survivors, and steer them away from the safety of their comrades, and CEDA agents who collected jars of zombie bile before becoming infected themselves. Each of the five levels has rare infected that are specific to that level, and each with their own specific behaviours. The campaign levels now flow into each other for a story of survival as opposed to the standalone scenarios in the first outing.
Teamwork is still the only way you’re going to get through any of the levels intact, and every time you play a level, the experience is dictated as much by the behaviour of the other players as it is by the environment. If you are lucky to find yourself in a lobby with three good players, the levels can seem remarkably short, and again raise the argument that this game could have been released as DLC instead of a full title. On the other hand, having a teammate who is trying to gather achievement points by using only melee weapons can result in the team getting separated, and individual players using a disproportionate amount of first aid kits. It can also lead to the rest of the team having to cover the same ground multiple times as they have to divert to rescue their repeatedly downed member or risk losing the additional firepower of an extra team member.
Regardless of the experience of your online team, one thing is guaranteed, and that is intense panic. In those rare moments when you are not fighting, the setting is eerie, and every corner must be checked, as the placement of the zombies is different every time you play through. The AI Director also controls team members so you don’t have to have a full team of four players for every level, and don’t have your numbers reduced if a players leaves mid-level. This Director is one of the best AI controllers you will ever see. While so many games give you teammates that are largely decorative, AI teammates will stick with you if the team gets split, will kill their fair share of enemies, and will heal you when required. The Director will also send random groups of infected after you if you wait too long in an area, forcing the tempo and tension to levels rarely experienced for sustained periods in any game. As with the original, there are also survival and versus modes (where you can play as the boss infected characters) for those that have completed the campaign, and new scavenge and realism modes thrown in for good measure.
Even though the pace is frenetic, there are moments of humour scattered throughout the game. In the fairground, clown zombies will lead groups of common infected, and there are rewards for honking their noses. There are also fairground games that you can play for achievement points, but of course the noise and lights attract zombies, so it’s better if one player plays the game while the rest protect him. The banter between the team members is hilarious as well. It’s worth shooting a team mate just to hear the threats and comments they make, and in the safe houses, Ellis will deliver funny anecdotes in his Southern drawl until the other survivors tell him to shut the hell up.
Overall, everything is more vibrant and sharper than in the original outing. You don’t just have to get to a final point and hold off attacks until rescue arrives. Where a car is required to finish one level, you need to find fuel to get it going You’ll need to start a rock concert in another level, and when you think you’ve taken refuge in a boat, it too will run out of fuel, requiring you to disembark and fight through another town to get some. The elements also play a role. In some places the rain falls so hard your visibility is limited, so not only can you not see zombies until they are very near, but you also have difficulty finding your way across the map.
In short, this is a frantic thrill-ride, as fast paced as anything you are likely to endure. Even for those that were not fans of the original, I’d suggest giving this a try. For those that loved the first, this game is a must-have, polished and refined in every way, infinitely re-playable and guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.
[Editor's note: All of the above becomes redundant if you live in Australia, because as a result of problems with classification, the game's zombies disappear as they die. It utterly destroys any sense of trepidation. So buy a copy from overseas if you're keen to get the most out of it]
By colmwarner (1st Dec 2009)
Following hot on the heels of its predecessor, this sequel has addressed many of the concerns raised about the original, but has enough been done to warrant a whole new release? We think so.
When Left 4 Dead was released just about a year ago, we at HellBored praised the AI programming, and relished the simplicity of the game’s premise. We appreciated the tension created by effective lighting and sound effects. We said that there were some issues regarding graphics and variety. And it seems that the good people at Valve have taken note of our concerns, because they have unleashed a sequel that has improved on everything that was good, and addressed the shortcomings of the original.
The game is still set on the simple premise that there has been an apocalypse and nearly everyone has been turned into zombies. Four people find themselves missing the last helicopter to take them to safety, and must battle their way through slews of the undead in an effort to let the outside world know they are alive and save them. Rescuers are made aware of your presence by noise and light, which of course are the same things that attract zombies. This is a sequel in the sense that you find yourself in the same world as the survivors of the original, but you play as one of four entirely new characters, set in the more believable world of America’s southeast.
Finally, an interesting use for a cricket bat.
The variety in this game has been improved greatly; there are a wider range of weapons including pistols, shotguns, machine pistols and machine guns, and multiple versions of each. Melee weapons include frying pans, samurai swords, baseball bats and many more. New equipment such as defibrillators and adrenaline shots boost your chances of survival. Pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails are still there, with the addition of bile bombs which can be used to attract the zombie horde to specific locations.
In addition to the common infected, there are the same rare infected as in the first outing, boomers, smokers and tanks. There are also new rare infected, riot police who are bulletproof, clowns in the fairground who lead masses of common infected, jockeys who will jump on the back of one of the survivors, and steer them away from the safety of their comrades, and CEDA agents who collected jars of zombie bile before becoming infected themselves. Each of the five levels has rare infected that are specific to that level, and each with their own specific behaviours. The campaign levels now flow into each other for a story of survival as opposed to the standalone scenarios in the first outing.
The new special infected, like the Jockey, add new dynamics to the play.
Teamwork is still the only way you’re going to get through any of the levels intact, and every time you play a level, the experience is dictated as much by the behaviour of the other players as it is by the environment. If you are lucky to find yourself in a lobby with three good players, the levels can seem remarkably short, and again raise the argument that this game could have been released as DLC instead of a full title. On the other hand, having a teammate who is trying to gather achievement points by using only melee weapons can result in the team getting separated, and individual players using a disproportionate amount of first aid kits. It can also lead to the rest of the team having to cover the same ground multiple times as they have to divert to rescue their repeatedly downed member or risk losing the additional firepower of an extra team member.
Regardless of the experience of your online team, one thing is guaranteed, and that is intense panic. In those rare moments when you are not fighting, the setting is eerie, and every corner must be checked, as the placement of the zombies is different every time you play through. The AI Director also controls team members so you don’t have to have a full team of four players for every level, and don’t have your numbers reduced if a players leaves mid-level. This Director is one of the best AI controllers you will ever see. While so many games give you teammates that are largely decorative, AI teammates will stick with you if the team gets split, will kill their fair share of enemies, and will heal you when required. The Director will also send random groups of infected after you if you wait too long in an area, forcing the tempo and tension to levels rarely experienced for sustained periods in any game. As with the original, there are also survival and versus modes (where you can play as the boss infected characters) for those that have completed the campaign, and new scavenge and realism modes thrown in for good measure.
If you have a phobia against clowns, shoot them in the head.
Even though the pace is frenetic, there are moments of humour scattered throughout the game. In the fairground, clown zombies will lead groups of common infected, and there are rewards for honking their noses. There are also fairground games that you can play for achievement points, but of course the noise and lights attract zombies, so it’s better if one player plays the game while the rest protect him. The banter between the team members is hilarious as well. It’s worth shooting a team mate just to hear the threats and comments they make, and in the safe houses, Ellis will deliver funny anecdotes in his Southern drawl until the other survivors tell him to shut the hell up.
Overall, everything is more vibrant and sharper than in the original outing. You don’t just have to get to a final point and hold off attacks until rescue arrives. Where a car is required to finish one level, you need to find fuel to get it going You’ll need to start a rock concert in another level, and when you think you’ve taken refuge in a boat, it too will run out of fuel, requiring you to disembark and fight through another town to get some. The elements also play a role. In some places the rain falls so hard your visibility is limited, so not only can you not see zombies until they are very near, but you also have difficulty finding your way across the map.
Staying alive for as long as you can isn't easy.
In short, this is a frantic thrill-ride, as fast paced as anything you are likely to endure. Even for those that were not fans of the original, I’d suggest giving this a try. For those that loved the first, this game is a must-have, polished and refined in every way, infinitely re-playable and guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.
[Editor's note: All of the above becomes redundant if you live in Australia, because as a result of problems with classification, the game's zombies disappear as they die. It utterly destroys any sense of trepidation. So buy a copy from overseas if you're keen to get the most out of it]
9.0
Single Play
9.2
Friend Play
8.8
Multi Play
9.4
Graphics
8.7
Sound
9.5
Challenge
9.2
Entertainment
9.1
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Left 4 Dead 2
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Left 4 Dead 2 (X360)
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we say:
9 - you say: 8.8
- scores: 4 your score: 0/10
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Nicely done dude. Sounds very good i must give it a shot ;-)
whereas over here you're almost wading in them. That must really alter the experience a huge amount.
When the horde attacks, there's no corpses in sight literally as soon as the last one hits the floor. If you play it on PC you can change one file to change it, but other than that, it's a real dealbreaker.
I thought they were banning this outright in Oz, glad on one hand to hear it's got released, but can't believe that they remove the bodies. In levels where you have to retrace your steps, that's really going to detract. The whole idea is to see the aftermath of the apocalypse. There's gravity in some of the dialogue that will simply not make sense. Aussie gaming laws are in serious need of reform.