Will you be Left 4 Dead 2?
By Maria Murczek
A horrible infection has spread across the area. Everyone except you and three others have turned into zombies. The apocalypse has begun. Armed with the best of the best, can you survive?
Left 4 Dead 2 (L4D2), the sequel videogame to the original Left 4 Dead (L4D), is the ultimate zombie game. Instead of releasing a massive online update to the original, Valve (the makers of L4D) released the second game. Many were skeptical of the quick release (practically a year after the first one came out), but it is definitely not a disappointment.
Four new survivors are introduced in the new location of the Deep South: Coach, Rochelle, Ellis and Nick. These four characters have to go through five new, awesomely dreadful environments in the campaign mode until finally rescued. From fighting zombies on rollercoaster tracks in ‘Dead Carnival’, to treading water and getting mud slapped in their face in ‘Swamp Fever’, the survivors face intense and chaotic combat in all environments. For some extra spice, weather conditions include torrential rains and strong winds, which negatively alter visibility.
Brand-new weapons can be picked up in all these settings. The guns have gone through major upgrades, along with a brand-new grenade launcher. But what I find more appealing are the melee weapons: no ammo, just man power.
It is pretty satisfying to hear the loud iron clang of a frying pan and seeing zombies fall to their death. What’s even more satisfying, though, is spinning in a circle with a chainsaw. If you’re into being a rock star, the electric guitar will help you gleefully shred through hordes of zombies. Other melees, such as a machete or katana, help you bloodily behead and amputate Common Infected (regular zombies).
Besides the original health packs, defibrillators and adrenaline shots have been included for the survivors’ benefit. Use the defibrillator to pump a friend back to life, or take an adrenaline shot for life-saving speed. However, like the original pain pills, adrenaline shots only give temporary health.
Sure, all of that is great, but that doesn’t make the ‘warfare’ any easier.
Notoriously known for causing major panic and perspiration, the Witch is a specific kind of zombie who curls up in dark areas and weeps. She is best left alone. If startled, the Witch will come after you with a shrieking, painful attack, leaving you incapacitated (incapped) or dead. Not only do several of them congregate in the dense sugar fields in L4D2, they now wander in broad daylight. I have mistaken them for Common Infected a few too many times, causing me to freak out about my survivor’s health (and life!).
There are new, ‘uncommon Common Infected’: mud men, clowns, flame-retardant HazMat suit zombies and heavily armored SWAT team zombies.
The Special Infected (zombies that have been mutated into stronger beasts) have three new additions to their original team of four. The Charger runs toward survivors and pummels them to death. The Jockey lunges onto the heads of unsuspecting survivors and steers them away from their team. The Spitter’s Spit is highly toxic and causes major damage to survivors.
All of the Special Infected are playable in Versus, an online game mode from the original game, which allows a group of four to play as infected and four as survivors. Whoever racks up the most points at the end of a campaign wins.
Yet another sweet addition is Scavenge, a new game mode. With the fun of Versus, this time-based challenge has the Survivor team searching for fuel to fill a generator as the Infected do everything to try and stop them. It’s fast-paced, suspenseful, and an emotion inducer (usually anger).
The sequel delivers the best zombie-slaughtering experience possible. The graphics are state-of-the-art (if realistically bloody is an art form). The sounds include freaky zombie groans, screams, maniacal laughs and cries. There are also some humorous comments from the survivors, over eerie southern music (out-of-tune banjoes, fiddles and accordions). With all this new stuff, L4D2 is constantly entertaining.
I have yet to leave this game without my palms feeling sweaty and my heart racing, raving to my friends and fellow players. Screaming into my microphone for help (or just for the hell of it) is a regular part of the game for me. Left 4 Dead 2 is one of the best multiplayer games out there right now, so grab some friends and enjoy the extreme co-op experience.
