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Available on: PC, Xbox 360

Left 4 Dead 2

Bigger, faster, nastier - this is the apocalypse to beat

Words: on November 17, 2009
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We did want to give a special shoutout to the aforementioned Achievements though, as they’re part of the driving force that keeps you playing (aside from the Director’s random decisions). Dark Carnival alone has four specific goals to shoot for, like punching 10 clowns in the face or using an adrenaline shot to pound a “test your might” attraction.


Above: But our favorite’s Gnome Chompski 

God damn that thing. You win it by beating a shooting gallery, and then have to carry it through the rest of the campaign. Yes, all five chapters. It’s quite a task, and a perfect example of how developers can use Achievements (or Trophies) to suck us in well after the credits have rolled. We were already planning on playing this for dozens of hours, and now we have 1000 reasons to go beyond.


Is it better than?


Left 4 Dead? Honestly, they’re dead even. We adore the new campaigns, setting, characters, dialog and special infected, but the exact same can be said for the original. Both are amazing multiplayer experiences and are essential in their own ways. The plus side – the first one’s way cheap now, so getting both is a reasonable (and suggested) course of action.


Modern Warfare 2? Depends. They're not the same at all, but as the fall’s two premier shooters there are bound to be comparisons. Both contain senses-shattering spectacles, violence galore and exemplify multiplayer heaven, so it’s more your call than ours. Do you want a more strategic take on shooters, or do you prefer bullet-bathed Free-For-All?


Borderlands? Yes. Again, markedly different experiences, but in our eyes L4D2 offers more gameplay variation and more guaranteed entertainment than the MMO-esque Borderlands. As fun as it is, four-player Borderlands is quite the grind-fest, leading to more than a few hours of repetitive tasks. Churning zombie faces into paste never has to worry about getting stale.


Just for you, Metacritic!


More maps, more enemies, more weapons, more glorious spectacle than the original, and that’s just the co-op. Fresh versus modes and intense violence make this the apocalypse to beat.

Nov 17, 2009 

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Platforms:

PC, Xbox 360

Topics:

Super Review

42 comments

  • LMS69 - January 30, 2010 7:58 p.m.

    I loved the first one.

  • LMS69 - January 30, 2010 7:57 p.m.

    Ok, I have this game and love it. Except for two things. ITS WAY TOO SHORT and the online is not what I thought it was. Why? In my book, its an 8.

  • patri0t - January 23, 2010 10:05 p.m.

    in all truthfulness, THIS GAME BLOWS. not nearly as good as the first one

  • PiscesIscariot - January 9, 2010 11:48 p.m.

    It's alright, for some reason though, it seems that no one really plays on the Xbox. Might just be me

  • Shell90 - December 25, 2009 10:32 a.m.

    your joking they took out all the dismemberment and gore for the australian version. goddammit that takes away most of the charm of it, 90 bucks wasted. screw you australian censorship!

  • CreeplyTuna - December 23, 2009 2:10 a.m.

    iplayed the first, but didnt think id get this, but i played the demo and it was sick. more brutal, bloody, and what i finally wanted valve to do with the director ai, change around the routes you have to take to finish the level. so i bought lvd2. im disappointed. the director ai i think got worse in the real game. as in, doesnt do anything. the only differences if seen noticed is how many witches are spawned right in the path you have to go. also, bodies disappear in about 10 seconds. not kidding. a whole room full of them that i had just mowed down with the ak and caused limbs and heads and blood to litter the floor, are gone. i wish this was dlc like Ballad or Gay tony or something like that, because it feels to mush the same. and seriously, i think it would be AMAZING if valve could make the director ai really change around the level comepletely, so you dont play the same level twice, so it'll be like instead of going down the street you went down the first time you played the level, now there's a fence there, and you have to find away around the buildings surrounding it. im just pissed right now

  • VideoGameKing - November 22, 2009 2:36 p.m.

    i wish xboxlive was free like PSN,id play more online,i like vers mode the most

  • Makk_Mizzy - November 21, 2009 12:51 p.m.

    OMG! I must say this time around I still feel like the Left4Dead series is gonna be around and as well an inspiration for other shooter games to come. Its amazing and I admire he melee weapons that alone made the replay value much higher for me than in the first Left$Dead. One thing I will admit is that his time around I notice myself dying more than did in the first one, not because of poor executions but, because this time around A.I is more likely to run into previous areas that we've wiped out and get swarmed by zombies or special infected, can't take down a tank as fast and effectively as in the first one, and there are more swarms of zombies to attack this time around.

  • Remake - November 19, 2009 6 a.m.

    Addressing the flaws of both review and comment - Computer AI - You're right. It's bad. - Aiming - How can you complain about aiming in this game? The only weapon that really needs the accuracy option is the sniper rifles, and they have it. Just because games like CoD and Rainbow Six sponsor an aim button doesn't mean all shooters have to. - Solid motivation to kill? - They're zombies, and they are KILLING YOU. What motivation ISN'T there that's in other games? - Finally, concerning the single player campaign - It's still very playable. A good player can easily get through normal. But yes, the AI is the one drawback to L4D2. 9's about right.

  • _D-Man_ - November 19, 2009 1:08 a.m.

    I'm asd they didnt fix the AI, I was playing the demo, and noticed how damn horrible it is. I was hoping it would be fixed, but seeing that its not, I would reconsider buying it for Christmas,or just borrowing it from my cousin once he gets it.

  • Amatarasu - November 18, 2009 6:36 a.m.

    thank you! the AI in l4d was...not good, they didn't understand that i;m going to shoot the gas cans their so happy to be standing next to, and then when they start burning,they run outside were i can't save them instead of comming to the nice,safe little corner i had i mean, me and my pal ben, we beat 2 expert campains with 2 ai partners, and we couldn't do ANYTHING in advanced l4d2 they are DUMBASSES! i am incapped, in the finali, i only need to pour ONE mor gas can to win, i was about to throw it down to ben when i got incapped, AI coach came right up to me, but as soon as he started, he jumped off the second floor to help ben, who was at full health, with a smoker,that was on fire

  • Cwf2008 - November 18, 2009 3:56 a.m.

    Dont care what this was scored i didnt like L4D1 and didnt like the demo for L4D2 either...its a pretty underwhelming game IMO ahd why the hell are weapons so inaccurate?

  • JustTheBoBreaker - November 18, 2009 2:04 a.m.

    I got the first L4D pretty late and still had an absolute blast. Hopefully I can scrounge enough money to buy this one.

  • mentalityljs - November 18, 2009 12:44 a.m.

    $SOLD$

  • FamousMortimer - November 17, 2009 11:46 p.m.

    How about a Green Box combo? Both L4D's, #1's DLC included, and... I dunno... free token for the inevitable L4D2 DLC for, let's see... $80 sounds about right to me. Of course I'll buy it anyway, but it'll be a nice space saver my way.

  • Yeager1122 - November 17, 2009 10:52 p.m.

    Can't wait to pick this up.

  • patri0t - November 17, 2009 8:03 p.m.

    i loved L4D1 but this one is as appealing to me. i played the demo but never really got into it.

  • Samael - November 17, 2009 6:50 p.m.

    @oryandymackie Um...wow. I literally don't understand your post. Did you play the original L4D? Single-Player in L4D is the exact same thing as multiplayer, but with A.I. controlled allies. Completely baffling. "And for L4D?" What the hell does this mean? *brain explodes*

  • oryandymackie - November 17, 2009 6:22 p.m.

    I'm scared that Valve is focusing more on the online multiplayer market. Is there a decent single player campaign? And for L4D?

  • Gameguy151 - November 17, 2009 5:55 p.m.

    i miss bill :(

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More Info

Release date: US
Nov 17 2009 (PC, Xbox 360)
Expected release date: UK
Winter 2009 (PC)
Winter 2009 (Xbox 360)
Available Platforms: PC, Xbox 360
Genre: Shooter
Published by: Valve
Developed by: Valve
ESRB Rating:
Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
PEGI Rating:
Rating Pending
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