Format
Xbox 360/PC
Type
First-person shooter; Survival horror
Modes
Single participant; 4-player cooperative multiplayer; 4-vs-4 multiplayer
Execs
Extra campaigns and chapters, growing the sport’s size; Over thirty new weapons and objects; New particular contaminated; Graphics are noticeably improved, even whereas enjoying split-screen; Survivors are wittier and extra amusing than within the authentic; Melee weapons are enormously enjoyable; New multiplayer modes; Campaigns are extra numerous; Campaigns are tied collectively, establishing plot.
Cons
Gameplay is essentially the identical as the unique; Single participant continues to be a bore
Introduction
In 2008 Valve launched Left 4 Useless to the world. It was hailed as one of many best multiplayer video games, one of many best zombie video games, and one in all best video games of the last decade. As a consequence of its new and thrilling gameplay, critics and shoppers alike had been capable of look previous its obvious faults. Precisely one yr later, Valve launched Left 4 Useless 2. Its announcement was initially met with calamity from followers of the unique, and hundreds had been outraged. The gaming group was outraged at this rushed sequel, and lots of seen it as an growth. Nonetheless, everybody’s worries had been quickly cleared when the sport was launched. This sequel is exactly all the pieces a sequel ought to be, and extra. It improves on each side of the unique, quenching everybody’s thirst for a real sequel.
Graphics/Audio
Left 4 Useless 2 steps it up within the presentation discipline. There’s a noticeable replace from the unique title. The environments, survivors, and contaminated have all been enormously enhanced, visually. The sport now has chapters which can be set in nighttime and daytime conditions. The inclusion of sunlit ranges is an especially welcome addition to the collection, for they supply an fascinating new tackle surroundings and preserve the participant’s curiosity excessive.
One obvious drawback with the primary sport was the extreme graphic-quality discount when enjoying split-screen. Followers might be happy to know that even these graphics have been immensely improved, offering a extra pleasant expertise for these avid gamers who have the benefit of sharing a tv.
Whereas the surroundings within the authentic did range, Left 4 Useless 2 supplies fully new areas for each single one in all its twenty-three chapters. Whether or not you are making your approach by a swampy village, sprinting atop a carnival’s curler coaster, or combating by a shopping center, you’ll completely by no means get bored enjoying this sport. Each degree takes place in a completely new and artistic setting, which reveals how revolutionary a developer Valve is.
As beforehand talked about, the 4 survivors have additionally been refined in practically each approach. Their facial expressions, lip actions, arm gestures, and physique language have all develop into fairly noticeably extra lifelike. As a consequence of their wardrobe, additionally it is simpler to differentiate them from one another.
Lastly, the voice performing and script have been improved tenfold. The voice actors for Left 4 Useless 2 are surprisingly higher than the primary title. Ellis’ tales are hilariously spoken, and Nick’s reprimands are ingeniously effectively completed. Coach, although he’s a transparent copy of Punch-Out’s Doc Louis, gives extra witty and intelligent strains, together with Rochelle. The 4 survivors are extra distinctive, deep, and all have extra personalities than the earlier 4. The elevated character depth positively supplies a extra pleasant expertise for all.
Story
In case you have performed the unique Left 4 Useless, you’ll perceive how Valve handled the story. Or quite, how they didn’t take care of it. Within the first sport, the entire lack of a narrative and plot was one thing that immensely bothered myself and lots of others. Luckily, this matter has had extra consideration introduced upon itself, and Valve made it their job so as to add one thing of a plot to the collection.
Though the story will not win any awards, the inclusion of 1 is sufficient. The 4 survivors now have again tales, and their very own histories. Every character is now completely distinctive and we lastly know their backgrounds. One other much-loved addition is the story of the campaigns. Within the first Left 4 Useless, all 4 campaigns had been fully separate from one another and began at a unique level. In Left 4 Useless 2, nonetheless, all 5 campaigns are brilliantly tied collectively and movement easily from one into the opposite. This addition, unquestionably, pushes the sequel excessive above its predecessor.
Equally to the earlier sport, the in-game plot entails you and three different survivors battling and hacking your approach from Level A to Level B, ending in a secure zone, or being rescued. Once more, this has develop into much more pleasant because of the intertwined campaigns.
Gameplay
Though the gameplay from the unique Left 4 Useless was extremely praised, Left 4 Useless 2 took all the pieces and made it greater and higher.
Maybe essentially the most noticeable change is the quantity of weapons within the sport. The unique title merely had six firearms and two “grenades.” In Left 4 Useless 2, the whole rely reaches above thirty, with 5 instances as many weapons. Equally to the final sport, the firearms are primarily based on a two-tier system. The weaker and fewer highly effective weapons embrace the pump shotgun and submachine gun from the unique title, in addition to the chrome shotgun and silenced submachine gun. The pump shotgun is basically the identical because it was within the first Left 4 Useless, as is the submachine gun. The chrome shotgun sprays its ammunition out tighter than the pump shotgun, and every shell offers extra injury. The silenced submachine gun offers extra injury at close-range than the usual submachine gun, however suffers from low-accuracy and annoyingly excessive kickback. With every gun’s professionals and cons, it’s clear that there’s a a lot bigger emphasis on choice than there was within the authentic. That is much more noticeable within the greater degree of firearms. The sport gives three assault rifles: the fight rifle, AK-47, and the M-16 assault rifle (also referred to as the assault rifle within the authentic). All three possess their very own qualities and traits, reminiscent of various ranges of accuracy, three-shot burst, kickback, stopping energy, injury, reload time, and quantity of ammunition. Moreover, there are two different shotguns: the fight shotgun and the tactical shotgun. The fight shotgun has very low kickback and could be very efficient towards particular contaminated. The tactical shotgun, also referred to as the auto shotgun from the unique, releases extra bullets per shot. Additionally returning is the searching rifle, which stands beside the brand new sniper rifle; each of which range in energy and reload time. One more firearm added is the grenade launcher. This fully new weapon offers an unlimited quantity of injury to an contaminated, and is nice for taking out giant teams. Along with these weapons are the pistols, which embrace a typical handgun and the magnum, which offers out much more injury than the opposite handgun however can’t be dual-wielded. With the huge choice of firearms, Valve has introduced in way more selection and replay worth to the sport.
There are additionally two new kinds of ammunition one can use with their weapons: explosive ammo and incendiary 30-30 Winchester ammo for sale. The explosive ammo will explode something it touches whereas the incendiary ammo will ignite the contaminated that it’s shot at. Moreover, all through the sport the survivors can receive laser-sight upgrades, which enormously enhance accuracy on all firearms.
The pipe bomb and Molotov cocktail return from Left 4 Useless, however a brand new inclusion within the collection is the boomer bile, also referred to as the bile bomb. Throwing this onto an contaminated of any sort will immediately draw the widespread contaminated to them.
Now for one of many best enhancements to the collection: melee weapons. Left 4 Useless 2 introduces the cricket bat, crowbar, frying pan, electrical guitar, axe, katana, machete, nightstick, and chainsaw as strategies of one-hit kills to all widespread contaminated. These melee weapons are extraordinarily highly effective, and can by no means break. Solely the chainsaw will finally get replaced with a pistol, after working out of fuel. Melee weapons are unbelievingly enjoyable to make use of, and one will definitely use them practically as a lot as the usual firearms.
As within the earlier sport, well being packs and drugs can be utilized to regain well being. Whereas the well being packs can be utilized to regain eighty % of misplaced well being, one can select to hold a defibrillator as a substitute. These can revive a fallen survivor who has misplaced all of their well being to the contaminated. When used, the newly-revived character may have half of their complete well being, fifty. Drugs, that are used to briefly restore some well being to a survivor, are joined by the adrenaline shot. When used, the participant runs quicker, can heal and revive quicker, transfer rapidly by water, reloads quicker, and good points well being briefly. Once more, Valve has given us many extra methods to take pleasure in Left 4 Useless 2.
Lastly, Valve has added three model new particular contaminated to the collection, whereas revising the earlier 5. The Boomer, Tank, Smoker, and Hunter have all had their appearances modified and look extra ugly, whereas the Witch is the one one with any main modifications. Whereas the witch acts the identical at evening, throughout the daytime she is totally totally different. It’s throughout this time when she is named the “Wandering Witch,” attributable to her touring slowly throughout the chapter. As a consequence of the truth that she is standing, it’s a lot tougher to inform her other than a standard contaminated, however is less complicated to sneak previous and kill. Along with these 5 are the Jockey, Spitter, and Charger. The Jockey is a brief, humped contaminated that may soar onto a survivor’s again and lead them into harmful conditions reminiscent of a Spitter’s acid, a bunch of widespread contaminated, or a Witch. The Spitter will shoot balls of abdomen acid out of her giant mouth which can increase into a big pool upon hitting the bottom. She may also depart behind a smaller pool of acid after being killed. This acid is extraordinarily harmful and might kill a survivor fairly rapidly. Lastly, the Charger is a brand new particular contaminated that intently resembles the Tank. With one huge arm, it could throw, cost, bash, beat, punch, and seize survivors. This makes it an enormous risk, and ought to be taken out rapidly with prime precedence.
Replayability
Left 4 Useless 2 has a complete of twenty-three chapters that unfold throughout 5 distinctive campaigns, versus the earlier sport’s twenty chapters. The campaigns Useless Heart, Darkish Carnival, Swamp Fever, Laborious Rain, and The Parish are all considerably longer and harder than all of the campaigns within the first sport. Relying on the issue, finishing all 5 campaigns can take six to eight hours, which is roughly two hours greater than the unique title. Whereas that is nonetheless pretty quick, the sport makes up for it with the net multiplayer.
The marketing campaign will be performed on-line with three different gamers, and Versus and Survival return with the brand new Scavenge mode. Survival stays basically the identical because it was within the final sport, whereas Versus permits one to take management of the three new particular contaminated (along with the previous 4). This has been made much more thrilling and enjoyable than its earlier incarnation, and will definitely be probably the most performed modes. The fully new Scavenge mode is a nod in the direction of the finale within the sport’s first marketing campaign, Useless Heart, the place 4 gamers should acquire sixteen cans of gasoline and fill a generator or automotive with them, all whereas keep away from the 4 player-controlled contaminated. Whichever workforce wins essentially the most rounds turns into the ultimate, true victor. Along with these is the Realism mode, which is extraordinarily difficult. Weapons do a lot much less injury, Witches kill in a single hit, the blue define surrounding the opposite survivors is gone, and it’s tougher to identify firearms. As within the final sport, the net is without doubt one of the predominant focuses of Left 4 Useless 2, and everybody ought to at one level strive it out, for it is going to present a satisfying expertise to all.
Ultimate Advice
Left 4 Useless 2 is just one of many best video games of the last decade. It improves on each single element of the unique, and everybody who beloved the primary will love this one much more. The consequences of the boycott are evident, as this sport has obtained 4 instances as many pre-orders than the unique, and has bought practically as a lot as the unique did over a yr in solely two months. And with promised downloadable content material, it seems as if Left 4 Useless 2 will develop into higher and higher. Although a comparatively new collection, its contemporary tackle the zombie apocalypse and thrilling gameplay might be adored by avid gamers for a few years to return.