There comes a time in every person’s life when they just have to be honest with others, and for me that time is now... I can be an absolute pansy when it comes to horror-themed games. Ever since I played the first Silent Hill and Resident Evil 3 in the days of old, similar titles have never appealed to me. Completely steered clear of them actually. If I wanted to be intentionally scared out of my wits I’ll go watch Marilyn Manson, thank you very much. That changed around Christmastime however, when a friend gifted me Left 4 Dead 2 on Steam, after I mentioned I’d like to have a go at it with everyone who already had it. The fact that it’s also a first-person shooter, another type of game I’ve never liked, and that I actually ENJOY it is even more surprising. I’ve always thought of FPS games as “Here’s a gun or three. Shoot the baddies. Run. The end.”
And L4D2, which sort of sounds like R2D2’s socially incompetent brother, is pretty much just that. If it’s plot you’re looking for, you won’t find anything juicy here. You control one of four unlucky (and for the most part, likeable) sods like in the first game and fight your way through a seemingly infinite amount of ‘Infected’ (not taken from 28 Days Later at all) in order to reach the safety of New Orleans. No twists, no character development, no puzzles, no backstory. Nothing. Just a Posh-Spice-thin get-from-A-to-B plot accompanied by pure and simple shoot-em-up action.
The characters. Try as she might, Rochelle just ISN'T cool. Nor interesting.
The choice is between Tim Roth look-alike Nick, stereotypical redneck Ellis, stereotypical black guy Coach and some bland woman called Rochelle who nobody would ever choose to play as willingly. There are five new settings on offer such as a creepy disused theme park and a stormy sugar mill with a frightening amount of Witches roaming it. My personal favourite is the cliché ridden Dead Center, which involves a shopping mall and a celebrity supercar.
Other new features include melee weapons (belting an enemy over the head with a frying pan makes one of the most oh-so satisfying sound effects known to man), a larger choice of guns, and a handful of new Infected. The Spitter is a disgusting creature that looks like Britney Spears during her meltdown, the Charger looks like a bloke who’s been too busy with himself during his private time, and the Jockey gives me the impression of Quasimodo after too many cans of Monster Ripper. So in other words, they fit in just fine with the existing beasties.
Eww. Just. Eww.
Because I loved playing this game so much both alone and with friends online, I thought I’d treat myself to the first Left 4 Dead and after doing so, I came to realise that despite all these little changes and additions, there’s hardly any difference at all. L4D2 just feels like an expansion pack to the original that may as well have been a downloadable add-on. While I welcome the new bits and the feel that the campaigns all have a relation to each other, it just feels like a case of same-old. Is that really a bad thing though? In some instances…not really.
I’m a huge fan of the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney series on the Nintendo DS, and those who share my love for the courtroom capers will agree that there is almost no change between the three games (I don’t count Apollo Justice, he was rubbish), but thanks to the wonderful stories, hilarious script and lovable characters, that didn’t matter. In Left 4 Dead 2’s case, the co-op, replayable value and the sheer adrenaline rush you get on every single play are its redeeming qualities. Additional content also looks to be on the horizon too, which I have to admit I'm looking forward to..
The game itself isn’t that difficult to play; very similar to the one other FPS I’ve played, Unreal Tournament III. Controls can be modified to anything you like so it can cater to all kinds of people, the graphics run smoothly (and look wonderful I have to say) even on a regular computer, the large number of achievements are fun to try completing and for the most part the online play works fine… unless you find yourself on a server so far away every command takes about 3 seconds to register. A search system for closer servers would have been more helpful to players not used to online play, but no matter. Just create your own and let others come to you.
So I suppose the big question that needs answering is whether Left 4 Dead 2 is a good game or not. It all depends on your own personal taste. If you liked the first game I definitely recommend it. If you want an epic story with deep characters, this isn’t for you at all. If you’re one of those COD fans who can’t go 10 minutes in a game without craving the need to kill, buy it now. Or if you simply wish to try something that you wouldn’t normally play, give it a go like I did. You may be pleasantly surprised.
For the sheer fun and addictive quality of this game, mixed with a couple of fun characters to play (can you guess which couple I mean?), I award it an 8.5/10.
