Tech Blog

ZOMG!  It's a phrase the internet coined and one that nobody is quite sure of the origins or what exactly it means.  Needless to say it's open to interpretation.  I fall into the camp who believe the acronym stands for "Zombies, oh my god!" and that's exactly what I exclaimed several times during my play through of Valve's latest zombie apocalypse thriller Left 4 Dead 2 .

The game, which released on November 17, 2009, for Microsoft Windows and the Xbox 360, is a direct sequel to last year's co-operative first-person shooter which garnered critical acclaim for its immersive environments, slick online multiplayer, and intense zombie action.  It's only been one year and skepticism has been understandably high considering the industry standard of 2-3 years development time between AAA title sequels.  Has Valve created enough new content and made enough improvements in twelve months to justify your hard earned dollar on a sequel?  Well, the answer is yes, and there are many reasons why.  Read on...

L4D2 is set during the aftermath of the zombie pandemic in America's deep south and follows four survivors, Ellis, Coach, Nick, and Rochelle, as they fight their way through an endless horde of humans infected with a mutated strain of rabies.  The undead humans, called "common infected", have enhanced abilities to sprint, climb and leap towards survivors creating a feeling of tense action that constantly keeps you on your toes.

L4D2 survivor Coach shoots the arm off a common infected zombie

Featuring five brand new campaigns (vs. four in the original), L4D2 packs a variety of locales ranging from a infested shopping mall in Savannah, Georgia, a zombie-plagued amusement park off the highway, and a murky bayou in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Unlike the first game which contained very little in the way of storyline elements, L4D2 contains a plausible story arc over the five campaign levels.  Each campaign is fairly lengthy, consisting of 4-5 levels that takes about 75 minutes to fight your way through.

To add more gameplay depth, Valve devised a new class of zombies, called "Uncommon Common", which are common zombies with special abilities that suit their particular surroundings.  For example, while traversing on foot through the Dark Carnival campaign, vile Zombie Clowns will squeak their shoes as they hunt you down, alerting meandering and idle zombies to join in the pursuit.  Furthermore, while navigating the urban New Orleans streets in the Parish campaign you'll encounter Bulletproof Zombies decked in full riot gear that can take a beating from the front, but are susceptible to attacks from behind.  These new enemy types add more depth to the game and result in constant tweaking of your survival strategy in order to contend with your adversaries.

The five boss or "Special" infected from the first title are back, some with a slightly varied look or modified behaviour.  You'll encounter three new Special Infected that are extremely deadly, especially when paired with a waved of common zombies.  The new enemies include: The Charger, a bulky giant zombie with a powerful, mutated arm; The Spitter, a lanky female zombie that spits acidic phlegm from long distances; and The Jockey, a nimble zombie that can control a survivors movement by jumping on their back.

New Special Infected zombie call the Charger lunges towards Rochelle

Your standard loadout in L4D2 consists of a primary weapon, a secondary gun, and a small assortment of tools such a pipe bomb or incendiary ammo.  This time around your primary weapon can be a melee weapon -- a new addition to the series -- which can range from a fire axe, a frying pan, a guitar and my personal favourite, the trusty chainsaw; nothing devours fleshy zombies quicker.  There is also a whole slew of new guns to pick-up including a glock pistol, some new assault rifles, and an all-powerful grenade launcher.  Most of the guns in L4D2 feel just as generic and interchangeable as they did in the original and your default gunplay tactic is still to spray and pray.

Perhaps the best part about L4D2 is the fully developed and memorable cast that have distinct personalities and a particular feel to them.  For the most part, Nick and Rochelle play it pretty straight, Coach's bad attitude often results in some coarse but witty moments, but it's the hick mechanic Ellis that really steals the show.  At the beginning of each level he always has some inane story to tell, typically revolving around his buddy Keith who seems to find trouble around every corner.

Here's a sample anecdote from Ellis: "I ever tell you about the time my buddy Keith drowned in the tunnel of love? You wouldn't think it could happen cause the water's so shallow, but that's how it gets you man."  Funny stuff.

L4D2 Scavage Mode -- Ellis weilding a chainsaw while Rochelle fills up a generator with gas

On top of the three modes found in its predecessor, Campaign, Versus and Survival, L4D2 includes two new ones -- Realism and Scavage.  Realism Mode strips away many of the advantages you have in other modes such as the ability to see silhouettes of your teammates, ammo, weapons and tools no longer highlight on your HUD, and you can only revive incapacitated survivors by using a defibrillator.  Common infected zombies are also harder to kill, with shots to the body and limbs inflicting less damage.  Headshots are key to winning in this mode.  The other new mode, Scavage, consists of matches on single maps that last about 5 minutes per round.  Survivors carry cans of gas back to a central generator which adds a few precious seconds onto the timer; meanwhile the infected players are doing everything in their power to throw them off or destroy the gas outright. Scavage mode combines all the excitement of versus mode into a more digestible, bite-sized experience.

All considered, L4D2 is a much improved and more robust version the original.  In fact, it feels like this is the game the first one should have been.  If you weren't into L4D you really won't get much out of the sequel since it feels very similar overall.  With all the refinements Valve put into the game the core action feels more varied and satisfying this time around.  It's worth noting that this game simply must be played co-operatively to get the full enjoyment out of the game.  If you're looking for a shooter with a solid single-player experience I'd stick with games such as Modern Warfare 2 or Killzone 2 .  For those seeking the thrill of a multiplayer online shooter though, it doesn't get much better than L4D2.