Left 4 Dead 2 Preview [360]



£25.99

After the surprising announcement at E3 that Valve would be releasing a new Left 4 Dead game later this year, we had to get some hands on at the event, which we did and we enjoyed.  The only issue we, and the rest of the Left 4 Dead fans had, was the fear that this sequel wouldn't really be any different to the first game.

Irrespective of your opinions, Left 4 Dead 2 is slated for November, and the guys at Valve are really looking forward to the release.  As you all know by now, the game is set in the deep South and we have four new characters at our disposal: Rochelle, a local reporter; Coach, a big monster of a man who's name says it all; Nick the white suit wearing gambler and Ellis, a mechanic.  In addition to this we can expect to see new zombie types in the shape of the Charger; a big, mutated brute that charges at you and repeatedly bangs you into the ground; and the Hazmat zombie, a suit-wearing thing that is immune to fire.  You will also be introduced to the wandering Witch, so you'll have to watch yourself.  Couple this with the vomiting infected and you've got yourself a mess you'd rather not be in.

So the premise is pretty much the same, and the gameplay hasn't changed at all, the setting has, there are new zombies to destroy and new weapons to be had.

Speaking to IncGamers, Doug Lombardi said there were up to 20 new weapons and ten melee weapons, and it's the melee weapons that we were most impressed with.  Left 4 Dead had always suffered from not having a proper melee mechanic, but this is resolved in this iteration of the game.  Your weapons range from frying pans to axes and allow you to hack your way through the zombie hordes.  Although the whole list of melee weapons hasn't yet been revealed, we're expecting a big reveal sometime next week.

Lombardi also said that there are now five levels to play through, each with their own unique feel, and reiterated the importance of the new AI Director, one of the main reasons a whole new game had to be released.

The AI Director now allows for greater flexibility, making it possible to change the intensity of the zombies depending on how well you're doing.  Furthermore, you can expect the AI Director to change the actual layout of the levels too.  It has to be said, the AI Director has made a very subtle difference to the actual gameplay, and playing through the Parish stage, you could tell when the AI had started to get a little more aggressive.

You'll also be rewarded for exploration and ammo pick-ups, which allows for upgrades and more carnage than ever before.  There is no question Left 4 Dead 2 is as gory as it's predecessor, although there's now a real tongue-in-cheek element of humour to the game.

But this game isn't all about the new features that Valve has added.  There is also scope here for modders, with Lombardi telling us that it was important to give players the chance to customise certain aspects of the game, personalising their gaming experience.

The big question still remains unanswered though.  Is this really worth a whole new game at full price?  I'm not convinced yet, and as one fellow journo said to me, "If they sell this at 20GBP they'd make a killing," but there's not enough that's different.  

I think what we'd all like to have seen is Half Life 3 as opposed to Left 4 Dead 2, but we're just going to have to wait and see what else is lurking in the depths of the sequel to one of the best games of last year.

Watch out for our full interview with Doug Lombardi.