I loved the first L4D, So when Valve announced L4D2 you can imagine I was filled with joy when L4D2 was announced. To be honest I was a bit disappointed at the demo since there was hardly any new content other than the melee weapons, but the full release really brought me to the light.
Level Design/Attributes: 9/10
Seems pretty high right? Wrong. Valve took their time making these campaigns. The game is based in the New Orleans area, so you can expect swamps, small towns, etc. My favorite part was near the end of "Hard Rain". If you have yet to play it, you are missing a great scene. You walk blindly through a storm thats so thick that you could actually walk into a Witch. Then the witch would claw you like a hungry bear.
Characters: 7.5/10
Each character in L4D had some sort of personality. Francis hates everything, Bill was the war veteran on the brink of insanity, Louis was the business guy who was ready for everything, and Zoey was the girl with a can-do attitude. In L4D2, You have Nick, the gambler who thinks only about himself, Coach, the leader, Ellis, the stereotypical young southerner, and Rochelle... who, to me, just seems to plain and boring. She hardly has any of the humorous lines that the other characters have and just seems to be there.
Also, Ellis is the best character in the L4D universe. Hands down.
The Infected: 9/10
The game introduces 3 new infected. The Jockey, who jumps onto a survivors head and pulls him into trouble (Zombie horde, fire, etc.). The Spitter, who spits corrosive acid onto the battlefield. And finally the Charger, who runs at high speed and grabs onto a survivor, then begins to crush their body into the ground over and over again until the target is dead. Also, Witches walk around instead of sitting. So think twice before shooting into a crowd of infected.
Also, "Uncommon Common" are introduced. These Uncommon Common are exclusive to each campaign and have their own abilities. For example, in the Dark Carnival campaign you might come across a zombie dressed like a clown who's clown shoes call more zombies.
And yes, the original infected are also present with a new look.
Weapons: 10/10
Valve decided to introduce melee weapons into the game that take the place of your pistol. The melee weapons never break or wear. You could pick up a sharp katana that can cut through the zombies like butter, or the pre-order baseball bat that bonks the zombies to death. (Note: the pre-order bat is NOT exclusive to YOU, but to everyone in the game with you. So if you only preordered you would still share the bat with everyone else.)
Also, the firearms have also increased. In the demo I noticed AK-47's and Magnums, things you would hardly see in an area that has been plagued with infected. But then I realized the military was here, which makes sense. I was a bit jarateed at the grand total of 5 primary weapons in L4D1. I knew some people who wanted stronger weapons, but in a real zombie apocalypse you take what you can get. I'm glad Valve gave a legit storyline so these weapons feel like they actually BELONG.
Conclusion:
Valve did it again. They have yet to disappoint me. They have pretty much dominated the zombie game market. The game is amazing. Here's hoping for more DLC,
10/10.
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