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Fans may not be too pleased with an imminent sequel to a game that hasn't long been out. Left 4 Dead is still very much on everyone's play list, with plenty of hope left 4 life in the form of downloadable content. Valve is a developer that tends to take many years between sequels, and with so much life left in part one, surely making the effort to bring us that long awaited Half Life 2: Episode 3 or Portal 2 means so much more than a sequel to last years awesome online zombie kill-fest, right? Of course, we can moan about it, but come November we'll be straight down to the shop to purchase a copy because 'in Valve, we trust' they'll deliver an experience that will occupy our thumbs for a long time after.
With that rant over, what new features are there to look forward to in the upcoming Left 4 Dead 2? Well, the overall package is almost the same, with some additions - The game will offer five new campaigns, which is one more than the original game (good start). This time every campaign will support Versus and Survival modes, plus another mode that is yet to be revealed! Sounds ominous. Rather than take a turn for the Resident Evil Outbreak, Left 4 Dead 2 introduces four new characters to play with, along with a host of new monsters, new weapons and new playgrounds to live out our zombie massacre fantasies.
So, who's up for the doomsday challenge this time around? There's Coach, a rather large black dude with a colourful shirt. Still, don't judge a man by his shirt, he'll no doubt be the character of choice with his muscle and let's face it, he looks badass with a shotgun. There's Rochelle, the token female and if the first game is anything to go by (which it is), she'll be able to hold her own against the foes. There's also Nick, a posh looking chap, dressed in a white suit. Well, if you're going to face the end of the world you may as well dress your best. Finally there's Ellis, a guy who looks like he spends a lot of time playing video games and only dreams of having a shotgun and hundreds of zombies to aim it at.
Like the first game, they're certainly a varied bunch with their own unique personalities. Spending so much time with the original four make these newcomers feel like invaders, but give them a chance and they'll soon be part of the Left 4 Dead experience, hoping not to be...well...left for dead. Valve made a brave decision bringing in new characters, it would have been so easy for them to copy and paste the original bunch, but it's a wise choice as it adds new dynamics to the familiar game play. I certainly look forward to testing out their gun play skills in the zombie infested environments.
As for the environments, this time it all goes south, with trips to Savannah and New Orleans. With each terrain comes a new challenge. In the Swamp Fever campaign, you'll be fighting along narrow pathways, with the gloomy swamp lurking below. I would really hate to fall in that! Ah well, you can expect zombies to drag you into the waste deep swamp, forcing you to wade very slowly through the murky water to get to dry land. You'd better hope there's nothing sinister lurking in the deep! On land, you'll be battling through shanty towns, leading to the big showdown in the plantation. Can you survive the attacking horde long enough for the rescue boat to arrive?