"Left 4 Dead's" Northern setting was sober in comparison. Not willing to rely only on the writing on the safehouse wall, the night-and-day changes in locale make the arc of the game feel more like an adventure. And other times you just gotta run like hell.Ī fifth character, the game's Southern setting, picks up storytelling duties as well. Sometimes that means camping sometimes that means running fuel back and forth. Much of this hinges on the game's approach to finales: Rather than task the Survivors with simply surviving a wave or seven of zombies, Tanks and other nasties, Valve gives them something to do. Thanks to the new special Infected (especially the Spitter, bane of all campers) and ingenious level design, no two campaign climaxes feel entirely the same. Just know that there are many game-changing moments in "Left 4 Dead 2." We can talk about these things next week or in the comments in the days to come. But I'm of the mind that what goes down in more than a couple of the campaigns in "Left 4 Dead 2" are the kind of thing you don't want to know about until you're in the thick of things. And in this game it isn't all just about getting from point "A" to point "B." I'm usually not the type to fret about spoilers. The plot of "Left 4 Dead 2" actually happens. That's the magic, the pure bad-assery of "Left 4 Dead 2." Valve has gotten so good at what it does that it can pour energy, effort and life into the one aspect that so many others stumble upon - story.Īnd the brilliant thing about "Left 4 Dead 2" is that the story isn't segregated from gameplay by long cut scenes or being tucked into books or audio files or other cheap videogame gimmicks. Bits of character bear out as the four new Survivors fight their way from Savannah to New Orleans. All of these moments pay off as you play and replay "Left 4 Dead 2." Running gags, run. See how Rochelle, the reporter, pores over maps while Coach chews on a chocolate bar.
Watch mischievous Ellis' playful grin as he opens the gun rack. Notice how Nick, the con man, checks the cash register for dough - even though money is mostly worthless during a zombie apocalypse. "Left 4 Dead 2's" intro has greater ambition - it begins the business of character building from square one.
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It introduced you to the special Infected and gave you tips on how to deal with each one. Remember the opening for "Left 4 Dead"? The point of that clip was to familiarize you with the rules of the game. The gab starts in the game's opening cinematic. "Left 4 Dead 2" kicks the convos into overdrive. Not so with the four player-controlled protagonists in "Left 4 Dead." Those guys can't shut up to save their lives. Gordon Freeman and Chell are as mute as a Versus match is long. Games like "Half-Life 2" and "Portal" were chatty, but all that talk came from sidekicks, enemies and companions. "Left 4 Dead" marked a huge turn for Valve - a developer that long adhered to the silent protagonist rule. No, the best thing about "Left 4 Dead" was the way I came to fall in love with Zoe, Bill, Francis and Louis.
And, most importantly, I began to identify the Survivors not as empty player avatars, but as lively characters.įor me the big triumph of "Left 4 Dead" wasn't simply the fact that it was a fun cooperative experience with a surprising amount of replay value. I glimpsed the way that the game would transform cooperative gaming beyond the simple notion that two guns are better than one. I felt palpable fear as hordes of zombies booked down the hallway of Mercy Hospital. Actually playing "Left 4 Dead" changed everything. That was, of course, before I got my hands on the game at E3. "Looks like a lot of back up and shoot," I shrugged.
Before the game came out, my buddy Jeremy linked me some early footage. What's Not: Ignoring the story Playing with strangers Having your head humped What's Hot: The South as setting The Jockey in versus The entire "Hard Rain" campaign