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Having recently reviewed Left 4 Dead on the 7th I was very excited to play its sequel, Left 4 Dead 2. The Left 4 Dead series is best played as a multiplayer and as such I had play the newest one with a good friend of mine. Jeffman and I both enjoyed the first one and squealed like girls all the way through it. Jeffman is an avid video game player not unlike my self and I respect his opinion greatly. I have asked him to guest review this game with me. So let us embark on our zombie killing adventure.
It has been nearly a year since Left 4 Dead was released and changed zombie video games forever. Left 4 Dead 2 (L4D2) definitely adds to its predecessors great game play. The first thing to notice about L4D2 are the characters. We have a new cast of survivors to take through five new campaigns. I complained about the characters from the first Left 4 Dead because they were stereotypical and uninteresting. Our new survivors are also kind of stereotyped (an over-weight black coach, a skinny loud mouthed red neck) but I found them very likeable. The survivors talk more in L4D2 and it provides quite a comical relief from the stresses of how creepy the environments are. Each character brings with them a hilariousness that was lacking from the first game. While Jeffman and I played we found that one the other survivors (computer controlled) had an unusual attraction to me. I was playing as Nick and Coach kept running over to me to "heal" me even when his life was lower than mine! All campaign he would not keep his hands off of me, he even some how managed to "stop" Jeffman from reviving me just so he could do it.
There are new special zombies in L4D2, in addition to the ones from the original, that add to the game's overall creepiness. The Spitter zombie projects acidic green liquid on the ground at the survivors feet that does some considerable damage over time. The Jockey infected scuttles about the level seeking survivors to jump upon and "ride" while munching on their head. The Charger is quite similar to the Tank zombie from the original but is easier to kill and this one will actually pick you up and take away from the other survivors. There are other special infected who do not have such game altering abilities but bring with them a whole new terror. The Hazmat Suit Zombie cannot be harmed by fire, and to be honest when Jeffman and myself first encountered on of these it was blood curdling. We discovered a few more zombies that were wearing other things in different levels but by far the most scary zombie ever was the Clown. These clown infected lead hordes of zombies to your location. All these new special zombies were a great addition to the game, they change the entire strategy.
Each of the five campaigns is horrifying in its own way. Valve has done a great job of making every moment in each campaign scary. Jeffman and I were both quite squeamish as we made our way through the carnival level. I did notice that the safe rooms were far less interesting than in the first game. They were missing the scribbled messages on the wall which added a great emotionally engaging touch.
Melee weapons. The final touch Valve added to L4D2. These weapons replace the pistol as your secondary weapon. This was the only aspect of the game I was disappointed in. Granted it was very fun picking up a cricket bat and smashing some zombie heads, it just became unpractical when considering the strategy of the game. Pistols are the default secondary weapon. They have unlimited ammo and one can always manage to find a second pistol early on in the game. Zombies in L4D2 will die from one bullet from a pistol, so while it is fun to get "up close and personal" while wielding a crowbar, it makes much more sense to keep your pistols and take care of business before they even get close.
I thoroughly enjoyed L4D2. It brings exciting new levels and characters, gives new threat by adding creative special infected, and has more weapons to choose from. If you loved Left 4 Dead you will fall for Left 4 Dead 2 as well. This game still remains to be one of the most fun group games of this year and has great re-playability. I do suggest that if you have purchased the first one, it might be a good idea to trade it in when you go to buy L4D2. The two games are so similar that maybe Valve should have offered the game for a lower price. Then again, we are all just mindless, groaning, zombies who will pay any price for a video game.
Thank you for your time my friends.
From the ever clever Jeffman:
Released less than a year after the original, Left 4 Dead 2 felt more like an expansion pack than a new game. It added a few gimmicks, but left a lot to be desired. While the gameplay was just as thrilling as the original, I couldn't help but feel disappointed in more than a few ways. In my opinion, it simply does not pack enough to warrant the outrageous $70 retail price.
The sequel brings us melee weapons, a few new guns, and a handful of new infected enemies to duke it out with over the course of five new campaigns. Shawn and I played through two of the campaign levels, first through a mall and then through an amusement park. Facing masses of zombies led by "special" infected who would pounce on us with alarming accuracy, the two of us shouted, shot, and burned our way through the obstacles set before us with relative ease.
Entertaining? Yes. Epic? No. To be completely honest, the novelty value of the game wore off rather quickly for me - before the end of the first hour disappointment set in. It wasn't anything special, it wasn't anything new. If you enjoyed the first game, you'll enjoy the second - but don't get your hopes up. The melee weapons provided are funny to use during the calmer moments of the game, but completely worthless as soon as the shit hits the proverbial fan - which, as you can expect, is a regular occurance in post-apocalyptia. The guns added offer no substantial bonus over their predecessors, and the screams and gurgles of the new infected are learned and recognized very early in the game.
One thing that I loved in the first Left 4 Dead game was the cryptic messages scrawled on the walls of the safe rooms. Notes left behind for loved ones possibly travelling the same paths mixed between woeful or witty quips about the infection - small bits of information as to what may have happened. A story in a game without a story, it gave a sense of realism to gameplay. Throughout the three or so hours that Boots and I played the sequel, however, we only saw two of said messages. Their absense took a lot out of the game for me, as small a detail as they may have been originally, the atmosphere generated by them was sorely missed.
As I have said in a previous post, I have decided to stick to single player games and put multiplayer games behind me. I have made this decision so that I could play more games in my search for the next great epic. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a multiplayer game. There is a single player campaign but the game was designed to be a multiplayer shooter. I picked up Modern Warfare 2 on Tuesday when it came out and have been playing it since then. The campaign is only five hours long. I should have finished this post on Wednesday afternoon. Too addicted did I become to this game.
I have a problem. I am a completionist. A completionist is someone who must explore every area in a video game. They just have to get every alternate ending, find every special weapon, or retrieve every animal orb. This disorder that I suffer from develops into a much larger issue when playing a game such as Modern Warfare 2. Let me explain. When playing online one receives experience points (exp) for killing enemies, killing enemies with certain guns, killing multiple enemies with a grenade, you get the idea. These exp are used to advance in rank, which in turn unlock more guns and equipment. Each weapon has about 7 attachments that can be unlocked by killing enemies with that weapon. All the unlocks allow for a completely customizable soldier. This alone is addicting but Modern Warfare 2 also tracks your stats with a progress bar. As a completionist I found myself saying "just one more round, I'm so close to being 90% complete!" I've spent the entire week just getting to the 19th rank and unlocking my ACOG Scope.
Modern Warfare 2's campaign is about five hours long and is just as epic as it's predecessor. When I first booted the game up it asked me if I wanted to skip a mission that could be considered offensive or disturbing. I selected "No, I would not be offended" and started the campaign. It never actually said which mission would be offensive so I assumed I would be left to figure that out for myself. I find this interesting. I mean, why write a mission that could potentially be offensive or disturbing? Why is it necessary? Video games already get a bad rap for being too violent already, why must we push the envelope even more? During the campaign you play as Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson of Task Force 141. Roach eventually fights under the command of Captain "Soap" MacTavish (the main character from Modern Warfare) as they both try to take down a group of terrorists called the Ultranationalists. As the story continued to the fourth mission I found myself walking out of an elevator in a Russian airport fully armed with 4 other men. As the other men opened fire on an entire customs line I realized that this was the mission that could potentially be offensive. The mission continues with these men gunning down civilians as we walked slowly through most of the airport. A special operations team shows up after a while to "stop" us, this was the moment I finally fired my weapon. The mission is quite critical in the plot's development but stilled seemed rather avoidable. Could you not just write it into a video? Or even write another mission that achieved the same result? Either way as I continued the campaign shifts back to the heroic Force 141 as you search to eliminate the Ultranationalists.
I have had a hard time trying to review this game. It is an excellent Shooter. Very smooth in its controls, flows really well into multiplayer, and has some really great cut scenes. The only thing it fails to bring, however, is innovation. Modern Warfare 2 is everything I expected it to be because I expected it to be pretty much the same as the first one. This elusive "next great epic" should feel exciting because it will be something we have never experienced. Modern Warfare 2 is just another great Shooter. I am not going to say that this game is bad, I would not be able. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a great game and you should all play it. I guess what I am trying to express is that it is not my passion. I love story-driven games, ones that innovate the industry, and move me emotionally and intellectually. I have been trapped too many times in the cycle of online gaming and have no desire to become that guy.
Thank you for your time my friends.
Left 4 Dead has four campaigns which take roughly an hour each to complete. These campaigns are not connected to each other but are all very cool. The first campaign is my favourite. It starts on the roof of an apartment building and moves through the streets to a hospital and finishes in a climactic battle on the roof. The other campaigns include an airport and more rural backgrounds. Somehow the city back drop is more realistic (and battling zombies in the dark forest is just too terrifying). Each campaign is five chapters long and is divided up by having to get into safe rooms that save the game and load the next chapter. I didn't like a few of the chapters, they seemed a little unrealistic. I mean at one point I jumped into the sewers to continue our journey. Who knows their way around city sewers!? And why is it filled with zombies!? I liked the short campaigns, they were fun and high energy. That being said, I still found myself wanting a longer campaign and deeper story line. Maybe that's the epic adventurer in me looking for a long, emotionally draining, edge of my seat zombie survival journey. But, I understand that Left 4 Dead is a multiplayer survival game and the campaigns need to be short.
There are four playable survivors: Francis, Bill, Louis, and Zoey. To be honest I don't like any of them. They're stereotypical and lame. Although the game needed to have characters, and since the campaigns have no room for character growth, all the character types I could think of would be one dimensional too. There are five types of "boss" zombies ready to eat your flesh. All of them are quite creative, but the best of these is the "witch." I didn't like the "Tank" boss though, it seemed like I was fighting the Hulk. This isn't Marvel Zombies.
In my opinion, one of the most important factors in deciding if a game is worthy is its sense of immersion. To feel any emotion while playing a video game (other than frustration) depends on the ability to forget you're playing a simple video game. This is called immersion. Left 4 Dead has this uncanny ability to build suspense and dread in your heart, and when the situation really hits you, you'll be holding your breath. While I crept through a dark apartment in the first campaign I was so nervous. Immersion is what makes a great game.
There really isn't much to complain about in Left 4 Dead. A few things here and there but overall it was a really fun game, and I'd recommend it to anyone. Just remember: Left 4 Dead is designed to be played with other people. The more the merrier! That's why it's an amazing co-operative multiplayer game. Playing by yourself is kind of disappointing and leaves you wanting. If you do get a chance to play it make sure you have others to join in on the zombie killing fun.
Left 4 Dead 2 is scheduled to be released on November 17 2009 and looks incredible. It introduces 4 new characters and melee weapons. I'm looking forward to it; so should you.
Thank you for your time, my friends.
