Comic Con 2009: Hands On With Left 4 Dead 2

You know we are excited and we know that you are excited for this. The closer to we get to November the closer we get to filling our need for some zombie genocide. Lucky I had the chance to get a little taste of what the four new survivors will be going through as they try to escape the every growing zombie infection.

Left 4 Dead 2 was one of the main games I wanted to try at the EA show case and I made sure that I had enough time to experience the another side of the mysterious outbreak.

The demo I played was two parts of the Swamp level in the game. Right from the get go you can see how they worked to improve the graphically feel of the game. The buildings are grittier and the overall feel of the area has more of a zombie apocalypse feel to it. One thing you will notice is that when you come face to face with any of the infected you can tell they improved all of the overall designs. You will also notice that some infected are no sporting glowing eyes which allow you to see them better in dark areas.

While I’m on the topic of infected I can tell you that the new special infected give you more of a reason to move in a group and pay attention to what is going on around you. With both the Tank and Charger roaming around you will need to keep an eye open because dealing with both of them can become a hassle. Even though the Charger might be easier to kill then the Tank, he still is one mean sob. There was one point where he just grabbed me and kept choke slamming me until one of my team mates came to my rescue. You will also have to be cautious when running around because the Spitter likes to stay hidden and next thing you know the ground is glowing and you are losing health. Other then those two, the returning class of special infected are still there to make your journey to the rescue vehicle a pain in the ass.

Of course, I know the one thing you all want to know about are the new weapons. Personally I really enjoyed the silenced mac-10 and the AK-47. Also the new sniper rifle makes picking off those infected a little more enjoyable. But enough about those and let me tell you about the new melee weapons. These are probably the best addition to the game and make it that much more fun to play. Running around and cracking zombies in the face with an axe, frying pan, or cricket paddle never gets old in my opinion. However, if I can offer one piece of advice don’t charge a Tank with an axe because you won’t win trust me.

Lastly I want to talk about the improved AI. At least, with the swamp level having such a big open environment leaves to many places for any type of infected to be hiding. With the new AI in the game you can tell that Valve wanted to make the experience better and more unexpected. The placement of regular infected is more chaotic then the first game and at some points hordes just keep on coming. It also feeds off how you are playing the game and tries to make it more challenging for you. It will move weapons and any special ammo around making you take more difficult paths to get through the game.

After having the chance to play Left 4 Dead 2 I am even more hyped for this game then before. With all the new additions and the feel of the first game you know this will be a hit. Valve knows what they are doing and put’s a lot of thought into their games making them the best experience. If you are still iffy about this then wait for the demo to come out and try it for yourself. I promise that you will be impressed with it.

Left 4 Dead 2 pounces onto your Xbox 360 and PC November 17, 2009.

5 Responses to “Comic Con 2009: Hands On With Left 4 Dead 2”

1. Earthworm says:

   July 29, 2009 at 8:29 am

   cant wait for this game
2. Agent Antskizz says:

   July 29, 2009 at 8:32 am

   I noticed in the first game, that once you got really good, it was easy to kinda run off on your own and tear things up… Not here people. This game put’s waaay more of an emphasis on “Stickin together”…
3. FLitz says:

   July 29, 2009 at 10:08 am

   We really had way too much playing this. I didn’t really get into the first L4D, but I am very excited about the next installment.
4. Lt Dan says:

   July 29, 2009 at 2:31 pm

   I was sitting next to Rob when he was writing this.

   Seriously, can’t wait.
5. Drew "ViggoTheCarp" Bergmark says:

   August 1, 2009 at 11:16 pm

   For some video footage check out this article that features videos over on GamingAngels.com: http://www.gamingangels.com/2009/07/new-left-4-dead-2-trailers/