Left 4 Dead 2 (360)

More of the same from the zombie-killing-kings at Valve.

Positives - Superb gameplay; deep and thoughtful. Large variety of online game modes.

Negatives - Lackluster graphics. Tough learning curve online. Lack of offline modes.

Valve has once again coded a uniquely refreshing game. For many of us the thought of beheading, frying, slashing, shooting, *insert standard killing technique*, zombies is an appealing one. From films to books to video games, there's something about the post-apocolyptic state of a zombie-filled world that appeals to us. The Darwinian survival instinct kicks in, the search for food and nutrition is again a basic aim for us, and we always fear what could be behind the next corner or door. Value have undoubtedly greated this unique experience in Left 4 Dead 2.

For those new to the series, there are a few different modes in Left 4 Dead 2 to get to grips with:

• Campaign: Play through the story offline or online with 3 other people.
• Versus: Play through the campaign, but in a 4 v 4 mode. 4 humans take on the campaign, as survivors, while 4 humans play as 'special' (powerful) zombies, trying to stop the humans progressing.
• Survival: Survive in an enclosed space with 3 friends against increasingly difficult waves of zombies for as long as you can.
  
• Sabotage: Like versus, a 4 v 4 game mode. The survivor's have a timer that ticks down, they need to gather gas canisters and refuel at their base to increase their time. Whichever team secures the most gas canisters wins.

Graphics: The graphics show some slight improvements over Left 4 Dead. The game looks a bit more realistic, the zombies have had revamps and come in greater variety. The environments are brighter and much more varied than in Left 4 Dead. For instance, we move from a mall, to a swamp, to an industrial park. However, when we hold the graphics up to compare them to other top games, they pale in comparisons. They look severely dated compared to titles such as Gears of War 2, Halo ODST, Call of Duty: MW2, Assassin's Creed 2. All these top rated titles share superb graphics throughout. Unfortunately, Left 4 Dead 2 cannot match them in this department.

Gameplay: This is where the game shines. The unique necessity for teamwork is essential in play. There is no rambo-ing. There is no lone-wolf style play. If you fall behind or don't stick together, you lose. This style of gameplay is very refreshing to me. The teamwork that you need to use in this game is completely unique when compared to other online shooters. Especially on the harder difficulties, communication and watching your friend's backs are essential.

Each mode requires slightly different rules and methods of play. In the interest of just giving you an overview, I will just cover the campaign. Essentially the Campaign is split into 5 different scenarios. Within each scenarios, there is between 4-5 acts. To progress from one act to the next, you need to move from one 'safehouse' to the next, from A to B.

On your way there you will encounter random zombies stumbling around, 'hordes' of zombies (massive waves of dozens of insane brain-munchers), and the 'special' zombies. Think of these as the name suggests. There are several. For example, the Boomer throws up his goo on you, the survivors, or, if killed to close to you, explodes and covers you in goo. This goo attracts a 'horde'.

The Spitter can use his ridiculously long tongue to suck in a survivor dozens of feet into him. The Hunter pounces on a survivor attacking him, leaving him helpless; other survivors must then shoot the Hunter off. Other special zombies are the Spitter (like the boomer but with acid), the Wretch (jumps on survivors backs and steers them into danger), and, one more uniquely terrifying enemy..the Tank. He takes a lot of firepower to kill, while chucking cars and pounding survivors to the ground. Fear him.

The variety in enemies adds an extra element of strategy to the game. Each enemy requires a different approach and strategy. Each can also be played in Versus mode.

There are several core guns in the game. A submachine gun, a sniper and a rifle are a few examples. This sequel also introduces melee weapons, be it baseball bat, a chainsaw or a frying pan, all are fun to handle. Though there is little variety they are perfectly balanced. The emphasis is on tactics rather than brute firepower. There are also a variety of other throwable items, such as Pipe Bombs (a beebing device which draws in zombies before exploding them all.

At the end of each scenario is a situation whereby you must stay in one area, awaiting rescue while zombies and special zombies charge at you from all concievable directions. These situations are a blast to play, and require a lot of thought and planning on harder diffculties.

Longevity and Online:

The community for this game is dedicated and plentiful. On the harder difficulties the game takes a lot of work and strategy and there are many people online trying to do this. As with any game, there are jerks in the community, but it's just a fact of life that they will pop up. In my experience, there are a lot of good people online just trying to work together to conquer this tough game that Valve has created.

In conclusion:

All in all, this game can be found fairly cheap nowdays, and is without a doubt worth looking at. Watch a few videos and trailers, read a few more reviews, decide if its for you. In essence, if you want a fun, tactical, engrossing, zombie-killing game, and you're happy to play online, this is where it's at.