Last week we managed to go hands-on with the excellent - and oddly controversial - Left 4 Dead sequel in London.
With all of this talk about a full sequel 'ripping off' fans of the original, we thought we'd attempt to put sand on the flames by highlighting the features which we found together (and some alone) form a package that's well worth a new box... and a '2' on the end.
Left 4 Dead's four new characters; gambler Nick, 21-year-old Ellis, TV producer Rochelle and Coach, weren't exactly in feverous conversation during our short demo. Part of the reason is probably the hordes of zombies they're busy painting the streets with, but the other is that unlike the old faces these four are learning from scratch.
Left 4 Dead 2 kicks off right as the first traces of infection reaches the South, with the Government clearing off and the first wave of nasties reaching the New Orleans streets. By the end of the game, says Valve, the four will have grown and changed as characters, which suggest a whole new depth of story and dialogue for the 'quick' follow-up.
The first game has proved that players will happily invest hundreds of hours into their campaign, and in response Valve's planning even more - and increasingly more rare - character dialogue for Nick, Ellis and co.
The new keenness for narrative was present throughout our demo; booming government fighter jets in the sky offer a hint at civilisation, and later we're told they'll even fire bomb the streets - and you with them if you get in the way.
The Dismemberment
Left 4 Dead 2's new dismemberment system sounds like a miniscule change on paper, but in practice it's made shooting zombies four times more satisfying (that's one time for every limb).
With an assault rifle, chunks of flesh and body parts spray with great abandon from your target ghoul. With a shotgun you can blow holes clean through the Mississippi hordes, and explosions send arms and legs spraying in every direction. We even found a Boomer's arse lying nonchalantly in the street.
Dismemberment looks great and feels better; the first time you literally cave in a zombie's face with an axe you'll be convinced, just like we were, that Left 4 Dead 2's going to feel flight aged after some decent time with this.
The Melee Weapons
And if blowing limbs akimbo is satisfying, twatting a stumbling zombie in the face with a frying pan is brilliant fun. As well as the fry-up tool we also got to try out the lethal axe in our demo (the chainsaw was disappointingly unavailable) which chops through infected with incredible power and a plethora of gore.
However, melee weapons are still really only affective against small numbers of enemies as large groups will quickly make them look useless - and don't even think about using your pan on a Witch (we did... and paid for it).
Different hand tools also appear to be affective against different kinds of infected. One Survivor quickly tool down a Witch with an axe (after this Wally offered to cook her breakfast) and other pickups (baseball bats and of course, chainsaws) suggest more baddie mix and matching.
The New Maps
Valve's new dynamic approach to building Left 4 Dead maps - which has the AI Director opening up and blocking off routes through the environment at will - means that the sequel's colourful daytime streets offer a lot more room to explore.
Off-route abandoned villas and battered alleyways are far more plentiful in the demo we played, giving further justification to the introduction of various new pickups (including different kinds of handguns and incendiary ammo) that you're rewarded with for exploring.
In the original game, though the appearance of items, special infected and common baddies was dynamic, would always have you take the same route. Left 4 Dead 2's Southern locales will vary from a mad dashes to safety to winding death traps every time you play.
The sheer sprawl of the playfield also means it's easier for rookies to get lost and separated from the other survivors, and subsequently put to rest by an eagle-eyed Smoker... as we were. We'll pay attention next time.
The Charger
The Charger is the first new special infected revealed for Left 4 Dead 2. In a nutshell, he's half Tank, half Rhinoceros, with one giant arm for knocking down survivors and speedy little legs for charging in out of nowhere.
In the demo we played Chargers were two a penny and carried hardly any of the fanfare gifted to the three original 'boss' zombies.
Two thirds of the time we only realised a Charger was in the crowd when its corpse came speeding towards the ground in front of our feet (see the tail end of the video below) and they're not the strongest of baddies either.
The idea is these charging beasts will split up - and briefly incapacitate - a group of survivors closely bunched together, which became a popular tactic in the original game. Unfortunately our group of Survivors put Chargers on the ground before they go anywhere near us.
Still, we acknowledge that this is very much a work in progress - and we haven't experienced even a fraction of the game - so these critters could be given a much needed boost in the run up to release.
The Finale
The finales are one aspect of the original game that Valve felt needed a good kick in the backside. So instead of the farmhouse sieges we're used to the concluding acts in L4D2 are now frantic, relentless battles from A to B, as seen in the chaotic bridge crossing we got to play in London.
The rat race kicks off - naturally - with a radio. Once the survivors have radioed for help, a large barrier slowly and dramatically recoils to the ground and the action's kicked off with a traditional roar from the alerted horde.
Pictures a worth a thousand words - and moving ones even more - and you can watch the entire demo finale in our video footage below.
Left 4 Dead 2
Gameplay footage
7:36The Parish gameplay (7 mins)
Left 4 Dead 2
Gameplay footage
7:36The Parish gameplay (7 mins)
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The new 'A to B' setup is designed so that players can't "game" their way through the finale, i.e. finding a nice bunker to hold up in and pointing four rifles out the door as was so commonly the best strategy in Left 4 Dead.
During our play sessions we witnessed plenty of players attempting to camp up inside an abandoned truck, only to run out of ammo and get completely overrun by the horde. It's now a more frantic, exciting and entertaining end to a campaign's events, and we welcome the change.
Sounds like there's one heck of a lot to be excited about here!
The revamped finales sound particularly entertaining. Although still pretty heavy on the tension when the difficulty level is ramped up, there is indeed a tendency towards static play in the current finales (with Blood Harvest being a particular culprit.) The mad dashes to safe rooms/corners/ammo piles are the most intense sections of L4D, so a greater emphasis on this element of gameplay promises endgames even more adrenaline-soaked than those in the original.
Personally I'm also really looking forward to discovering more about the origins of the infection.
As a slight aside; given the dates scrawled in the graffiti throughout L4D are all around October 2009, and the apparently increasing fatality of you-know-what-flu (not to mention its geographical point of origin), is anybody else beginning to think that Gabe Newell knows something he's not telling the WHO?
When the Mexican deceased start rising up and puking bile all over the southern USA, let it not be said that the internet didn't TOTALLY call it first.
I just don't like the new survivors, I wan't to play as the cliche crew from L4D. i mean who want's to be a steretypical black woman, a fat sports coach, some smarmy gambler in a suit and some kid when you can be a war vet, a biker, the classic spoilt brat turned zombie pwner and a cat ass office worker.
Anything that will stop the crescendo events and finales becoming a case of people hiding in cupboards or with their backs in a corner until the tank comes is a good thing...
I admit that the finales could have been handled better, but there's something cool about standing at an elevated spot and seeing this massive swarm of monsters running at you. You won't see that if you have to run away from them. In fact, maybe that's why they're doing it. Less monsters on screen means more space to play with environmental effects, lower polycounts mean more detailed environments. No?
Not seen enough about the new survivors to really have an opinion. I like the old ones though, there's a good mix of cowards and veterans. Nobody forgettable. More story for each of them would have been nice though.
Question is - will I get the Genocide achievement before L4D2 comes out?
Was 50-50 about buying the first one for the 360 but after seeing that video I don't think I shall bother at all. Enjoy it none the less those that get it. peace out.
The more I see of this, the more I'm inclined to want to play it. Unlike the first one I may end up buying this. It looks like a lot of fun! That said, I'm glad I didn't jump on the bandwagon and instead chose not to buy the L4D 1 in light of the upgrades in, and fairly quick follow-up with, L4D 2. The one remaining thing that keeps me on the fence is whether or not there will be an option to play this game alone with AI controlled players (and how well this is pulled off). I don't like being 100% reliant upon an internet connection in order to play a game.
There will certainly be the option for AI-controlled players, but the ones in L4D were no fun at all, and you had no control over them.
I wouldn't bother playing it single-player at all, and this is coming from a guy who bought Unreal Tournament mainly to play offline.
One year to make a game though... surely that's not enough? I am worried about the quality of this one, and I never thought I'd say that about a Valve product.
And where are those 6 boycott-trumping features? Cause to me, new Survivors, new maps, one new infected, melee weapons and dismemberment looks like dlc or an expansion pack at most, with 'the finale' being just better ending for new maps.
I liked the endings of the first game. Considdering you were moving all the way through the first sections of the map, the hauling up provided a change in pace and tactics. Still, looking forward to this one. Should be a laugh.
KFD, I wouldn't bother getting either unless you're going to play multiplayer.
The computer controlled survivors were ok, almost too good at the game though - sometimes picking off special infected too quickly, also they will often follow someone if they get seperated, which sounds good but you get quite a few prats who just rip through it, triggering events/alerting hordes when you're nowhere near them. If they want to run off, let 'em die on their own before they get there.
Personally, I don't really care about the DLC argument. This looks like it's going to be bigger than the original - and for everyone person complaining about this, there'll probably be two people complaining it's DLC and they can't lend it/trade it etc.
Plus we still don't know how/if the original will work with the sequel. From seeing a handful of short videos of a game that is about four months from release, I don't think we can say much about the characters - I think the idea is to make them seem like everyday people, the characters in the original weren't anything special, that was fine with me (apart from f**king Francis, 9/10 times when you're getting nailed the back by friendly fire, its by some aggresive dick playing as him).
KFD, I wouldn't bother getting either unless you're going to play multiplayer.
The computer controlled survivors were ok, almost too good at the game though - sometimes picking off special infected too quickly, also they will often follow someone if they get seperated, which sounds good but you get quite a few prats who just rip through it, triggering events/alerting hordes when you're nowhere near them. If they want to run off, let 'em die on their own before they get there.
Personally, I don't really care about the DLC argument. This looks like it's going to be bigger than the original - and for everyone person complaining about this, there'll probably be two people complaining it's DLC and they can't lend it/trade it etc.
Plus we still don't know how/if the original will work with the sequel. From seeing a handful of short videos of a game that is about four months from release, I don't think we can say much about the characters - I think the idea is to make them seem like everyday people, the characters in the original weren't anything special, that was fine with me (apart from f**king Francis, 9/10 times when you're getting nailed the back by friendly fire, its by some aggresive dick playing as him).
Thanks Ric; I'll bear that in mind once we get closer to the actual release date.
I don't get the "sour grapes" approach that some gamers have to L4D.
"I didn't get the first one, and I'm glad I didn't because the sequel comes so quickly". What? I bought L4D on release, and I've had countless hours of fun (I'm 33, and don't get to play daily anymore. I'm sure other people have 20 or 40 times the hours that I have) - and I haven't regretted my investment for a second.
I have a collection of BluRay movies that cost me more than half of what L4D cost on Steam, and few of them have been in use for more than two sittings. L4D still gets played, alone, online, and with my son on a regular basis. Seems like great value for money in my book.
Lots of games have annual "sequels" with hardly any new content (FIFA, NeedForSpeed, et al) and while I am quite disappointed that L4D2 seems (seems!) to move away from the classical zombie-horror genre, I fully accept that it is done for gameplay purposes.
For me, as a zombie "lover" (ehm..you know..) I think L4D will remain the "purists" game, and L4D2 will be more "fun for the masses". I'm getting the sequel regardless - but I do wish our beloved Valvers would stick to the classical zombie "recipe".
Now let's get stuck in, and get L4D2 done, and *cough* GET BACK TO WORK ON EPISODE 3 *cough*.
Anything that will stop the crescendo events and finales becoming a case of people hiding in cupboards or with their backs in a corner until the tank comes is a good thing...
I suspect a lot of people, like me, enjoy the closet approach not least because that's how people would normally behave in a situation like that. With the number of infected in a finale, running about like headless chickens or simply standing in the open means getting drawn into your own personal firefight and often means losing the coordination of firepower - if I wanted that I'd play Serious Sam again.
problem with L4D is its full of damn powergamers. Then again thats the problem with online gaming in general. Its full of guys that don't just play for the fun of it. Its always to win. I have the most fun online generally when i screw up. losing online in a hilarious fashion is more fun in my mind than sitting in a corner and shooting till everythings dead.
Got so p**sed off with guys hiding in cupboards on L4D the other day i started dropping molotovs on my team mates. I got kicked from a lot of games that day.
Like the688 I've had many hours of fun with L4D1 on Steam, and whilst I am VERY disappointed Valve have not given that game any new campaigns, at least the PC has a decent modding community to make up for this shortfall.
If L4D2 comes packed with L4D1 campaigns that would be awesome, here's hoping.
Got so p**sed off with guys hiding in cupboards on L4D the other day i started dropping molotovs on my team mates. I got kicked from a lot of games that day.
Isn't that the fecking point though? If you enter a server where people aren't playing the way you like to play then feck off and find another one filled with players who are. Dropping molly's on other players is griefing, that's why you got kicked - just as griefers everywhere deserve to be kicked. I'm sick to death of reading posts on this site and others about 'hey, that'll sort the campers out', it's just bulls**t uber talk. Some players like to play one way, others another. I don't believe Valve aren't together enough to cater for everyone and let the friends list sort the matchmaking out. Otherwise they'll go the same way as battlegrounds, reducing hitboxes and crafting the game so only the long time players of a certain style get a chance at a kill - and if you think that didn't make a difference go play and choose from the < 3 servers available on average.
I don't know where the idea of PLAYING GAMES for enjoyment got confused with trying to prove something - and by enjoyment I mean playing the game in the way that you want to play.
I'm just worried that they're rushing into it, that's all.
I never play L4D on single-player or with randoms. If you don't have at least three friends with (or getting) the game don't buy it. You don't have to play with all three all the time, but there are times where you will need all four. The reason I find it fun is because I'm playing it with mates who are the same level as me.
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