RSS
Home
Left 4 Dead 2 Demo Reviewed
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
The four survivors of Left 4 Dead 2.
The big news in the zombie gaming world was this week's announcement that a demo for Left 4 Dead 2, the sequel to last year's hit, would be made available on the PC and X-Box Live. This examiner has taken the time to download and play the 360 demo, and I have lots of good things to say, and one significant doubt.
The L4D2 demo lets the user play the first two levels of a campaign entitled The Parish, just one of the five campaigns announced for the full game. As you can tell from the name, The Parish takes place in New Orleans. And they get the city right. The level designers have done an excellent job of reproducing the architecture of that stately city of the south. And the level deign itself really shines. Though you are still working towards the same goal (entrance into a Safe Houses), the two levels are much more open than those in L4D. And there is a real incentive to explore as useful items and weapons have been scattered throughout the level, hidden in alcoves and dead ends.
Speaking of weapons, L4D2 introduces melee weapons into the franchise. I was skeptical, but the demoes frying pans, nightsticks, and machetes really are a valid option in combat. Especially when you are swarmed by zombies on all sides. It's also quite satisfying to inject your character with adrenalin (another of the games new items) and go charging through a gathering hoard.
All the classic special zombie types are back. But there are a few tweaks. The Witch now moves around, stumbling about with her head in her hands, making her harder to sneak around. We also get to see three of the games new specialized zombies. The Charger, a hulking brute, poses a significant threat as he can instantly incapacitate a survivor. The Spitter's vomit attack can create some interesting environmental hazards, though she doesn't have the same impact as L4D's Boomer. The Jockey is perhaps the most interesting of the new infected. Its ability to straddle the survivor's shoulders and forced them into oncoming hordes or hazards adds a new level of chaos to the game.
One final note. The two demo levels take place during the day. If the demo indicates anything, it's that direct lighting won't make things any easier for your survivors. The downside of all this is that we have no way of seeing how the infected vary their behavior based upon weather the level takes place during the day or night.
I'm thoroughly impressed by the demo. I'd likely place an order for the full game right now if I didn't already have the original Left 4 Dead. And that brings me to my doubt.
As impressive as the Left 4 Dead 2 demo is, it still leaves me wondering if the full version of L4D2 will be able to justify being a standalone game. Surely the new zombies, new levels, and new game play options could have been introduced into the original Left 4 Dead as download content, released incrementally every few months or so. Even with the new items, weapons, and monsters, I experienced no innovation in gameplay. It is folly to expect a new game to make an old game obsolete, but given the choice between new & shinny and old & comfortable, I'll take the broken-in 92% of the time.
We won't know if Left 4 Dead 2 can hold its own until we've had a chance to play the full version. Only then will be know if it is the sequel we want it to be, or Left 4 Dead 1 with go-faster stripes.
Related Articles:
Comments
