Will You Boycott the End of the World?

Marcus is back with another game review.

Hands up if you signed the Left 4 Dead 2 boycott petition?  Thousands of us did–there’s no shame in admitting it. Actually, that’s not true; I’m happy to report shame is exactly what we should be feeling.

During E3 2009, Valve Software caught gamers off-guard by announcing the sequel to 2008’s zombie apocalypse co-op FPS Left 4 Dead. For many it was the icing on an already delicious cake, but for others it caused more than a rumble of concern. Many believed a full-blown sequel this early in the IP’s lifecycle was both overly ambitious and destined to disappoint. There were calls for the additional content to be delivered as DLC for the original game, or even an outright boycott. May I be the first to issue a heartfelt thank you to Valve, then. Thank you for ignoring us.

Left 4 Dead 2 brings gamers five new campaigns and four new survivors. The action is transplanted to the deep south, from Savannah to New Orleans, and takes place mostly during daylight hours, bringing a fresh visceral impact to the action. It also incorporates a whole new range of melee weapons, including baseball bats, fire axes, electric guitars, Katanas, crowbars and my personal favorites, frying pans and chainsaws. These additions not only provide endless hours of zombie slaying entertainment but they offer a multitude of potential new strategies. In some situations player survival actually depends on them.

The campaigns themselves have benefited from a number of improvements, including tighter scripting, more varied objectives and even a fair stab at a narrative. Set pieces have increased in scope and are all the more entertaining for it. One particular highlight is signaling an escape helicopter by starting a full-blown rock concert, while another places you in a ‘Dark Carnival’ lifted straight out of the recent film Zombieland. Question: what’s even more nerve-wracking than an army of flesh-eating zombies? Answer: Zombie Clowns.

As with the first outing, Valve have paid homage to several classic zombie scenarios, all delivered with their trademarked sense of humor. At one point you may find your team defending a southern diner while listening to Portal’s Still Alive. It’s the inclusion of such fan service that makes the apocalypse a joy to witness.

Once again Valve’s AI ‘The Director’ controls all aspects of the player experience, regulating the amount of on-screen action and even mixing up the level design, keeping each play-through fresh and unique.

With the addition of new infected and a selection of game modes Valve have once again proved themselves to be one of the leading game developers out there. As a co-op experience they had the market wrapped up with Left 4 Dead. With Left 4 Dead 2 they have sealed the deal and answered the naysayers with a tight, controlled and satisfyingly bloody end-of-the-world romp.

With DLC already announced (including a team-up with the original survivors) this apocalypse will hopefully see us through 2010 without any signs of salvation.

If you and your friends fancy a little blood in the snow this Christmas, Left 4 Dead 2 provides everything you could want and then some. Zombie kill of the week? Possibly the year.

Image: Valve Corporation