Last year we had the perfect Zombie Apocalypse game through Left 4 Dead. It gave us a perfect feel of a desperate situation where zombies lurk at every corner. Running to safe houses felt satisfying. Killing hordes of the "infected" would become routinely fun. Gamers would be immersed in the multiplayer mode deep into the night with alternate rounds of hunting and surviving. We loved it all. Just when we thought it couldn't get better than that, we were gifted with Left 4 Dead 2, and it did not disappoint!
Yes, the sequel to one of the most intense and thrilling mutiplayer games was released only a year after the original, but it was filled with so much more content, that you were bound to love it. Buying it did not feel like a waste, but rather, it made the first game feel complete. The only drawback of the first game was its lack of maps and content. The second game filled that gap with five new campaigns, each playable in all the different modes, with stunning map design and environment that leaves you thrilled and excited after each round. Maps range swamplands to carnival grounds, desolate streets to creepy suburbs, and they look so good, so detailed.
The sound effects are equally awesome. The emotions of the survivors can be felt from the heart, eerie ambience and perfect sound effects totally immerses you into the fray and adds to the tension of the game. The gun shots feel satisfying, especially when they fling back hordes of the infected into different poses of death.
We also got new weapons, along with different versions of the pistol, shotgun, etc. But the true fun lies in the new melee weapons. The crowbar makes you feel like you are in Half-Life, whereas the fire axe gives the impression of a heroic fire fighter. But the most exciting part is when you get up close and personal to kill the enemies with a frying pan. You also have access to a cricket bat. These new content enhances the gameplay a lot, and makes killing the infected even more satisfying. Katana, anyone?
The enemies look more detailed, and they die in different ways. You can dismember them, so finding different ways to hack off limbs or blow them apart is always a fun experience. The enemies also come in different sorts. The armored ones are harder to kill, while some are fast and very confusing. There are even super-"infected" which are really hard to kill. They really spice up the gameplay as their superpowers become a great challenge, and you have to find intelligent ways to beat them. This variety of enemies was much needed, as it drastically changes how Left 4 Dead 2 plays.
The absolute fun lies in the multiplayer games however, as you can play Versus mode straight from the start in the Campaign. Trying to foil the survivor's desparate run for safety is more fun, in my opinion. But it is almost equally satisfying to kill the endless swarm of the infected as they rush at you from all corners. To heat things up, we have the Realism mode, which can prove to be a challenge even for the seasoned players. You no longer get the aid of the outlines that distinguishes your teammates, zombies become tougher to kill, and allies don't recover from death until you reach the next checkpoint. It might sound easy in concept, but in game, it comes apparent how important these factors really are in determining the difficulty of the game.
You also have the Survivor Mode, which offers the fun factor of both the Campaign Mode and Versus Mode. In this mode, the survivors "will" die. It's only a matter of how long they last. This might make this particular game mode boring to some people, who doesn't like to shoot zombies all day without hopes of any rescue, but this mode also offers a different kind of challenge. Scavenge mode is different though, where you have to collect gas tanks and deposit them in a generator to increase the time of your survival. This difference adds to the fun factor and makes the gameplay diverse. Personally, I prefer Scavenge Mode over Survival any day. It's shorter, intense, and fun.
Left 4 Dead 2 has almost same gameplay as the first game, but it provides enough new content to increase the replay value of the game and make it worthwhile to buy the game. Left 4 Dead was one of last year's best game, so it's no surprise that the sequel would be any different for this year. It is the same awesome zombie apocalypse but with more weapons to help you survive, more powerful zombies to foil the survivors. Hunting the survivors had never been more satisfying; fending off the infected had never been more fun! Left 4 Dead 2 is a must have for avid multiplayer gamers.
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