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Product Description
Left 4 Dead 2 is the sequel to the best-selling and critically-acclaimed co-op multiplayer smash from Valve, creators of the Half-life, Portal, Team Fortress and Counter-Strike game properties. With multiple multiplayer options both on and offline, extensive AI custom functionality, four character options, new melee weapons and more, Left 4 Dead 2 promises to become one of 2009's best shooters on the PC platform and set a new benchmark for co-op centric action games.
Left 4 Dead 2 is set at roughly the same time as the original – just after the outbreak that turned most of the population into various zombie mutants. Players assume the role of four new "Survivors," each with their own personality and new dialog. The game leads these "Survivors" through the southeastern region of the US - from Savannah, Georgia through the bayou country, and climaxing in New Orleans’ French Quarter. Gameplay Just as with the original Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2 is a first-person shooter which pits players against hordes of zombie-like enemies. As you would expect in a scenario where you are regularly surrounded by masses of the undead, it is very good thing to have plenty of help, as well as weapons at your disposal, and Left 4 Dead 2 has players covered on both accounts. The game features several multiplayer options including 2-8 player online and offline support in several modes seen in the first game, including Campaign, Versus, and Survival, as well as the new Scavenge Mode. This new multiplayer option tasks players, in the role of survivors to find a limited number of fuel canisters hidden in a level in order to keep their individual generators going, while other players in the role of the infected try to stop them. In addition the game features very strong co-op play support, with 2-player support locally and 2-4 player support online. The game features a wealth of melee weapons and additional items handy for battling enemies up-close and personal. Along with melee weapons seen in the first game, players can look forward to wielding new weapons like axes, chainsaws, frying pans, etc. Firearms are also available, but seeing as zombie fighting usually requires a little elbow grease, melee weapons are the mainstay. In addition, players can carry other useful items, including a variety of throwing weapons and several different kinds of support items, like flashlights to startle enemies and light the way in dark environments and healing items like first aid kit and defibrillator kits. Customize with AI Director 2.0 Introducing the AI Director 2.0, Left 4 Dead 2's dynamic gameplay is taken to the next level by giving the Director the ability to procedurally change weather effects, world objects, and pathways in addition to tailoring the enemy population, effects, and sounds to match the players' performance. The result is a unique game session custom fitted to provide a satisfying and uniquely challenging experience each time the game is played. Key Features
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Product Details
- On day one, Left 4 Dead 2 features more co-operative campaigns, more campaigns and maps for the versus game modes than the original Left 4 Dead did, plus support for Survival Mode right out of the box.
- Left 4 Dead 2 features quality co-op action gaming from the makers of Half-life, Portal, Team Fortress and Counter-Strike.
- Updated “AI Director 2.0" technology expands players’ ability to customize level layout, world objects, weather, and lighting to reflect different times of day, creating fresh gameplay every time.
- Put a whole slew of melee weapons including axes, chainsaws, frying pans and baseball bats to use which allow you to get up close with the zombies.
- The game features four different survivors, a new storyline and new dialog.
Customer Reviews
 You had me at pipe bomb... |
| Review Date: November 19, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Terry Mesnard, Bellevue, NE |
| When Left 4 Dead 2 was announced about six months after the first game came out, a lot of people were shocked for a few reasons. It's Valve and Valve is notorious for taking their sweet time releasing quality games, was one reason. And then there was the more important question. Was this a cash grab? Is it merely an expansion pack masquerading as a fully priced game? And now it's released and the answer to the above questions is evident: Left 4 Dead 2 had me at "improved pipe bomb."
But you're not here to listen to me go on about how cool the pipe bomb is and how awesome the changed effects of zombie bodies literally exploding through the air is. At least I hope not. The fact is, after playing through Left 4 Dead 2, the original game feels more like a blueprint. Everything that was in L4D is in the sequel, but the sequel is a completely different beast. I was surprised, when we played through the opening campaign "Dead Centre" just how varied and improved the game was. You begin at the top of a hotel, bringing to mind the small apartment complex that began the first game. Except that this time, there's a whole lot more. You see, the building is on fire, you can create backdrafts through doors, and the entire event feels more context driven than...well, than the entire first game. Fire will cause impromptu passages, forcing you to discover different ways through the crumbling building. This means sometimes climbing out a window and balancing precariously on a ledge, moving from window to window in your escape. The intensity is further exasperated by the introduction of the special infected. Imagine playing this in Versus as a Jockey, hopping onto one of the survivors and moving them off the edges or being a Spitter and spitting the goo at just the right moment. Moving through the hotel, the fire increases and eventually, smoke will cloud your vision, creating an extremely claustrophic even where zombies charge out of the dense, dark smoke or other zombies, wearing hazmat suits, will simply rush, unharmed, through the flames at you. This diversity continues as you race through the chapters. In the first campaign alone, you will race through a burning hotel, tear through a grocery store in search for cola to bring back to a crazed, holed up hermit so he'll destroy a barricade and eventually reach the climax where you have to locate gas cans (like in the new mode) to gas up a car to escape. The thing is, that's only the tip of the iceberg. Later campaigns like "Dark Carnival" add a bit of whimsy as you can play some of the carnival games (kudos to Valve for bringing back the Half Life 2 gnome for an achievement), race up and down a roller coaster as zombies chase endless after you, and eventually reach the end which culminates in an inspired ending scenario that's completely different (and a tad whimsical) than anything else in the game. This diversity only continues through the later campaigns as well, with "Hard Rain" being my absolute favorite. In "Hard Rain," as you move through the maps, it starts raining harder and harder. It's by far the most atmospheric and most interesting, since you eventually have to backtrack through the zones, but this time they are flooded and the weather adds a completely different challenge to the map. Additionally, unlike the first game where the campaigns all felt a bit too similar, resulting in my group relying on a couple campaigns we liked the most, each campaign offers so many differences, that I find myself wanting to replay them over and over. With five fully-developed campaigns, there's a lot more content than in the original game. Also, if you're feeling especially masochistic, try turning on the Realism mode which gets rid of the glowy outlines around survivors and ammo, makes infected harder to kill (headshots, please) and gets rid of the spawning closets... And that doesn't take into account the other features. Of course, there's Versus and Survival Modes like in the original game, but L4D2 also throws in Scavenge. Scavenge essentially is L4D2's version of a capture the flag mode, with the myriad of gas cans being flags. The survivors race around the map, fighting both the infected and the clock, trying to get as many gas cans to start a generator as possible. Meanwhile, the infected obviously try to stop them. What I love about Scavenge is that it's not the time commitment that Versus is. It's a quick best of three or five game that ratchets up the tension and can create some truly inspired situations. My only complaint about this mode is that there's only one per campaign right now. Ditto the Survival mode which doesn't seem to have as many maps as in the original Left 4 Dead. Hopefully Valve rectifies this with DLC. After you get past the myriad of modes and campaigns, there's still more tiny additions that made me smile. Guns are now strewn across the level and you won't find conveniently placed groups of weapons that contain everything. The guns also have a lot more variety, with a few different options for each type of weapon (I really enjoy the combat shotgun). The newly introduced melee weapons are interesting. In lower difficulties, they are seemingly overpowered; however, as you start to play on expert, I've found their limitations to be too great. Still, a nice additional and some of them are fantastic: taking down a witch with a chainsaw is perfection. The two grenade types return as does vials of Boomer bile. This operates under the same concept as the pipe bomb, except that the undead will race to the impact point and try to destroy whatever's there...like a Tank. Not that they will destroy a Tank, but they do provide some assistance. Then there's the other miscellaneous items, like defibrillators that will bring back dead party members. And I haven't even talked about the characters and story. I do miss the original gang of archetypical characters; I miss Frank's acerbic comments ("I hate vans...") and the camaraderie they had. But the new gang is also better developed and their banter is fresh and entertaining as they move through the campaigns, which, by the way, feel a lot more connected and there's more story here. So here's the thing. Those who didn't care for Left 4 Dead will probably not be swayed by L4D2 because it offers more of what the first one did. It's not a radically different game, it just feels...more complete. When I blasted through the first game, I wanted more...I felt like I played through a blueprint of a fantastic game. L4D2 delivers on that promise. It's not an expansion, it's a great, new, longer and better game. Very much recommended for fans of the original. |
| Worth The Buy |
| Review Date: November 18, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Jimmy Ho, |
| I loved the original l4d, but l4d2 is just that more amazing. Much more color and the melee weapons are awesome. I couldn't help but laugh my way through most of the campaign modes. This game is amazing if you got friends to play a versus with and do not rage quit. I have to disagree that the new special infected "suck". Spitter does big damage to standing survivors, Charger separates survivors and practically knocks over every survivor, and the new jockey is just really fun to play as. Unlike the original l4d all the versus maps are unlocked out of the box, which is a big plus to me. With the added levels people will create this will be one game I'll be playing for a long time. Still not even played scavenge or realism mode yet. So good one Valve. Oh and for the person that gets a black screen you many need to update your drivers. I had a similar problem until I updated my graphics card driver. |
| Addicting Zombie Killing Fun! |
| Review Date: November 23, 2009 |
| Reviewer: C. Newsom, Chicago |
| As a player of L4D I knew I would have to get L4D2. Before the release there was some bitterness of the L4D community saying "Boycott L4D2" because we didn't get what we were promised..or what have you. I was a bit skeptical of these claims. I played L4D2 The DEMO and wasn't very impressed. Good but not amazing, yet still i bought L4D2 and i was NOT disappointed!!
MAPS Let me just say the demo does NO justice for the game. The new maps are brilliant. For instance, the HARD RAIN campaign takes place in a very stormy New Orleans. The place is filling up with water, hard winds pushing you as you struggle to kill zombies. By time you get back you are knee deep in water. Other maps lead you through swamp lands to an authentic looking plantation house, another where jets are bombing around you, and one more FUN map taking place in a theme park where yes, you can play some of the games in the park. Overall the maps are fun, creative, and challenging. NEW ZOMBIES Even more challenging is the addition of new special infected to attack your team. There is now a Spitter(spits acid good), a Charger(charges and knocks down players), a Jockey(jumps on player to control them), and the old favorites: the hunter(jumps and attacks), smoker (pulls players away), boomer (spits zombie attracting goo) and of course the dreaded Tank(a killer hulk) plus witch(crying killer) who now will walk around, not just sit as she did in the previous L4D. It is a TEAM game, so if a player goes solo, they likely will die. Team work for the win. NEW MODES If that's not enough for you they have also added some more modes. Realism mode does not highlight your team mates making it more difficult to differentiate zombies from players as well as make it very difficult to find them if you stray from the team. Less items are found and when a player dies you won't see them again until you reach the check point. Competitive mode is a survival vs zombies fight where the survivors must accomplish a task while the other human team of special infected try to stop them. They still have versus mode as well as survival mode too. NEW CHARACTERS The characters are all new, although i must say the last group was more fun. They had better lines, who could not love Francis (i hate buses. i hate water. i hate everything) or the old war vet, zoey, or crazy louis. The new characters obviously couldn't be the same - it wouldn't make sense. The AIs also seem to be more stupid than the last. However it may depend on settings. On realism normal, Coach was a complete moron who would literally attack the witch when we were all trying to avoid it and run off randomly. However in Expert all AIs seemed to be on top of killing special infected. NEW ITEMS Melee weapons, you have to give up your pistols but it's totally worth it. Nothing like slicing and dicing using a machete or axe. Or how about a chainsaw? Also new guns, lots of options and way more hardcore then the previous. In addition to the old faves(pipebomb, molotov) there's now boomer bile to get zombies to attack each other. Also there's now adrenaline shots to make you faster to run through a horde or revive players. That's right, REVIVE. IF you have a defibrillator you can zap them back to life. No more waiting for them to respawn. ACHIEVEMENTS FROM STEAM There's also a whole new set of achievements from STEAM which will keep you playing the game just to get all the requirements on the list. They also track your stats such as accuracy, maps played, zombies killed, etc. PATCHES As with any software, there are always bugs and problems found in the beginning as players go through it. Most of these problems seem to have been fixed. They have also been pretty quick about fixing the discovered map exploits on a few maps. New free of charge patches come in time to improve the game. CONCLUSION In conclusion, this game is definitely worth getting and you won't be able to stop playing. If you haven't bought L4D1 i suggest you buy the double pack on STEAM. Get both games for about $65. The first one is still great to play with new maps being created. If you love team play shooters, then you will definitely love this game. |
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Tags: dead, left