Electronic Theatre In-depth Review: Left 4 Dead 2

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Valve has had a fairly turbulent time bringing Left 4 Dead 2 to market. At once one of the most dedicated gamers’ most cherished developers and at the same time having their near-impeccable reputation tarnished by some fans of the original disappointed by the decision to offer Left 4 Dead 2 as a disc-based sequel rather than adding to Left 4 Dead with further Downloadable Content (DLC) only a year after it’s release. Whether Valve’s plans to continue supporting the original title after the launch of Left 4 Dead 2 will come to fruition remains to be seen, but the reasoning behind the decision to offer a disc-based product should be clear for all to see.

In the modern videogames industry, a year is a long time. Games can come and go in a weekend, drastically dropping in price after only a couple of months on sale, and so it’s refreshing to see a videogame that manages to maintain its value. Along with Nintendo’s selection of “evergreen” software and the Guitar Hero and Rock Band releases, Left 4 Dead has managed to stave off the Electronic Theatre Image bargain hunters, typically still asking more than £30 for a new copy at retail, a year after its’ release. This unexpected turn of events is of course due to word-of-mouth, from which Left 4 Dead has benefited greatly. A year later, a whole new years’ worth of console adopters and another busy Christmas period; these new gamers will more than likely have heard of Left 4 Dead prior to receiving their new system, and with such a commanding reputation could very well have the sequel riding high on their most wanted lists. Offering the new content of the sequel as DLC would undoubtedly lessen the impact amongst the mainstream audience, leading to lower sales of the new content.

Industry politics aside, Left 4 Dead 2 has a lot to live-up to in order to prove it’s worth as a full retail release. Five brand new Campaigns, set in the deep south of the United States and prior to the events of the first title, a new multi-player mode, new Special Infected and the addition of melee weapons are the main improvements suggested to provide Left 4 Dead 2 with the required value, and the modifications to the “director” are obviously prerequisite of asking full retail price. That doesn’t necessarily mean that these new additions have been included simply for the sake of it though; each one has been painstakingly designed to keep the adrenaline pumping, while still being fair to the players in both single-player and when playing with friends.

The five new Campaigns each feature a number of new ideas, most notably the altering routes. Each Campaign will play slightly differently on each play Electronic Theatre Image through, with a number of new routes being carved across each of its’ four or five Chapters. It’s been said that these alterations are intelligent, based upon the team’s actions - should one survivor constantly be leaving their team behind, they may find their favourite route is now unavailable - however, while they are certainly a pleasing addition, the possible options seem far too limited to be intended as a game-altering scenario mid-play, and the extended loading sequences suggest that this feature is instead yet another of the new additions decided prior to beginning the Campaign.

The Hard Rain Campaign features an interesting twist, with players asked to turn back and retread their steps halfway through. However, the increasingly stormy weather has a severe affect on the area, dramatically changing both the environment and the pacing. Each of the Campaigns features more enticing replay opportunities than that of the original, notably dictated by the Achievements, and extended play is a greater incentive when taking into account the varying tactics that will be required for the additional Special Infected and the considerably increased difficulty for each of the available settings.

Over a dozen additional items have been included in Left 4 Dead 2, with the greatest attention having been lavished upon the melee weapons. A small assortment ranging from fire axes to frying pans is available, and thankfully a mightily impressive chainsaw, and collecting any one will replace the option of your back-up pistol. They are, however, extremely powerful, felling even Special Infected with a Electronic Theatre Image single blow – except the Tank, of course. While all of the original Special Infected return, each has undergone slight modification. The Tank appears to be slightly less of a bullet sponge and Witches can now move, often hit by bullet spray as they can easily be mistaken for common infected. Hunters have had their jumping arc altered considerably, with it now being possible to run straight towards them and have them leap over directly over your head; that is, if you’re brave enough. The Boomer now has a female counterpart, who seems to move somewhat quicker but has a shorter range with their projectile vomiting, and players also now have this bile packaged and ready for their own use also.

New Uncommon Infected are specialised to each Campaign and have a few unique properties of their own. The CEDA agents can provide mid-horde equipment and the Clowns will attract short trains of common infected, but perhaps the most interesting are the Mudmen, who while only doing regular damage can soak-up bullets with ease. The new Special Infected additions don’t so much as fill a void as compliment the existing line-up. The Jockey is perhaps the most interesting of the newcomers, wrestling most of the control from a player, whilst the Spitter can make the combat Electronic Theatre Image zone a lot more dangerous, whether managing to successfully attack before noticed or not.

The options for split-screen and online multi-player Campaign events are coupled with both the Versus Mode originally packed with Left 4 Dead and the Survival Mode offered as DLC for the first game, in addition to the all new Scavenge Mode. The new Special Infected certainly add a new level of tactical thinking to the Versus Mode and the Scavenge Mode - which asks players to collect fuel for their getaway vehicle while being attacked by waves of infected, including player-controlled Special Infected. Survival Mode is somewhat of a disappointment however, as it’s frequently glitchy and unresponsive: seemingly lagging out even when playing offline with only computer controlled bots for company. More than simply framerate issues, players will often have made their way past an area, only to find that the game has decided that they should have run into infected enemies, pulled back a few feet and suddenly surrounded. The new Realism Mode takes away all the added assistance of playing a videogames console, with no hints as to the location of items and no feedback relating to player condition. While very far away from the petrifying drama of Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, Left 4 Dead 2’s Realism Mode certainly isn’t for inexperienced players.

Left 4 Dead 2 is a dramatic improvement over its’ predecessor in visual quality, not in that of clarity or bodies on-screen perhaps, but in the range of its’ palette and artistic interpretation. The decision to set The Parish Campaign during daylight dramatically alters the Electronic Theatre Image presentation and, more importantly, the increased visibility and spatial awareness changes the way you play the game. The aural presentation is also superior to the original, offering a greater depth to the characters whilst simultaneously delivering more of a story. The environmental effects have been improved upon too, dynamically adding to the tension and giving audio clues as to the type of resistance players will momentarily encounter.

Although Left 4 Dead 2 is thoroughly enjoyable, much of the spectacle has been lost. Whether this is down to a player’s familiarity with to formula or Valve’s reluctance to actually change too much of the template – or a combination of both – is hard to tell, but it is clear that Left 4 Dead 2 is a package which builds upon the Left 4 Dead, opposed to renovating it. Each new addition is perfectly placed and, much like that of ShadowRun, while the small number of new options may annoy some, many more will appreciate how finely balanced these items truly are. Few who play Left 4 Dead 2 would argue that it would be better suited as DLC, and even fewer would argue against the option to add to the retail package with future online offerings.

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