Doesn't seem to be a thread on this.

It's a fun game. The bots suck. VALVe left out a couple of things they promised. But the campaigns are great. Lotsa stuff to do. Gory. Shame about the Aussie version, though.

Hard Rain's my favourite campaign out of all five.

What's wrong with the Aussie version? Were the zombies replaced with drop bears?

Still no four-player split screen, so they still aren't getting my money.

I have no reason to want 4 player split screen (that sounds like a serious pain in the ass unless you have a gigantic tv), because I don't have 3 other people to come over and play with. I'm quite happy gooning it up on live :]

I badly want to play this game, and would probably be playing it tomorrow, if my xbox weren't in for rrod :[

Yeah, I can't imagine what a jumbled mess it would be to have four players on one screen. Typically I do like a game that caters to local multiplayer, but I just can't see it working for Left 4 Dead. I haven't enjoyed a split-screen FPS since Goldeneye. But to me, an FPS is something you should play on PC and that's where I'm currently enjoying L4D2.

I was a bit skeptical because it's not like Valve to put out a sequel so quickly, and I worried it would be light on content like the first ones. But Left 4 Dead 2 is pretty nice. It has a sort of focus on blockbuster moments and feels like it has more variety than the first game. It also feels a bit more solid and polished.

I agree that Hard Rain is awesome. I remember when the rain picked up and I thought, "I have to go back to the boat through THIS?!"

It wasn't a jumbled mess for people to play Golden Eye on one TV and that was before you had your 52" HD screens. Time Splitters was pretty damn fun, too, and people played the original Halo split screen before the 360 made it possible to play online. Ghost Recon never seemed hard to play with the four player split screen and that game is far more technical and requires more precision than Left 4 Dead. My friends and I have never had problems playing games co-op or vs. on one TV and it is a feature many developers are dropping in favor of online gaming. Problem is, though, that there are still a lot of people out there like myself who play games as a social activity and don't want to spend all their time playing with 13-year-olds they don't know across the country when they have four controllers and a 1080p projector and enough friends to get their game on. The old stereotype of 2-4 people sitting on a couch playing a game together is rapidly becoming a thing of the past and for me that is a shame. The world is becoming too anti-social and I hate to see games follow suit.

To make matters worse with games like Left 4 Dead, the game is exclusively a multiplayer experience that FORCES you to play with four people, but does not offer a single system solution to this problem apart from having two dumb as bricks AI characters sub for the other two players. For the console version, that is an inexcusable oversight and I refuse to give them any money for their laziness. If you enjoy the PC version, all the more power to you. I won't be dropping any money on any version of this game, though, until there is some way for me to play with my friends. There currently is not.

Do you really think Valve employees are sitting in hammocks eating Cheetos and saying, "I could make four-player split-screen, but I don't feel like it"? Right, laziness. I thought you would know more about game development than that. Knowing the way Valve works, I'm sure there were technical limitations on the consoles that prevented them from making same incredible and engrossing experience I'm currently enjoying on the PC. And that's your answer, by the way. Get you and your friends some decent video cards and play it on PC. Eight players, and ONLY YOUR FRIENDS, if you so wish.

I'm pretty sure L4D2 would handle like garbage even if Valve managed to get out of their Calgon bubble baths and program split-screen. Shape recognition is important as you pick your teammates out of a crowd of forty zombies, or identify the silhouette of a special infected zombie fogged up in the distance. Halo and Goldeneye were gaudy, colorful, and empty of visual noise besides the people you were killing. It's not the same for Left 4 Dead. Then there's the sound. With headphones or a good speaker system you can hear what kind of zombie is coming for you, from what direction, and how far away. With four-player split-screen and one sound system, how would that even work? Are you all going to put on headsets?

I realize it's a dumb argument since you're not going to buy the game because it doesn't suit your gaming tastes, but please, don't pretend it's Valve's fault you're missing out on an excellent game.

Actually, yes it is laziness. Valve employees have said on many occasions that their main emphasis is on the PC version and the only reason they stick with the 360 is because it's an easy port. There is no technical reason they couldn't have 4 player split screen in the game, the game isn't that advanced. Which only leaves a lack of desire to actually optimize the code for the 360 to support the feature.

And that's your answer, by the way. Get you and your friends some decent video cards and play it on PC. Eight players, and ONLY YOUR FRIENDS, if you so wish.

No, that isn't an answer. THEY aren't going to do that sort of upgrading when none of them are PC gamers, just like none of them are going to invest in an online-only game and Xbox Live. Hell, half of them own macs and have no desire to dual boot or invest in Windows just to play a game. So no, a ridicuous and completely unrealistic solution is not the answer.

I'm pretty sure L4D2 would handle like garbage even if Valve managed to get out of their Calgon bubble baths and program split-screen.

The game has two-player split screen and I never had any issues making out anything in the first game. Nor was the sound ever an issue. Having two retarded AI characters, however...

I realize it's a dumb argument since you're not going to buy the game because it doesn't suit your gaming tastes, but please, don't pretend it's Valve's fault you're missing out on an excellent game.

I'm not pretending, it IS their fault. They didn't bother to optimize the console version for a console experience (or really optimize it much at all). It isn't that they can't, it's that they didn't. Besides, having this feature doesn't effect you in the least, so I don't see why you care. Valve prioritizes the PC version, so the PC version's going to be same reguardless of what they do with the console version. The existance of a feature on the console version isn't going to change the game YOU buy. For someone like myself, who would prefer the game on a console so they can play with people they know, preferably in the same room, it is pretty lousy for a developer to put out a game that REQUIRES you to play with four people, but only offers a two player split screen option. Either don't offer split screen at all or make it so you can play the game with less people. There isn't any reason they COULDN'T just drop out the other two people rather than have the bad AI. There is no technical limitation stopping them from doing that.

Man, isukun your reply to any game thread should just be "I'm overly critical and I hate it" :]

LOL, wow isukun.

Sticking to the systems you know best is "laziness"? You do know they had to borrow most of the Team Fortress 2 staff to finish the game, don't you? Game development, especially with a good developer like Valve, is about deadlines, man hours, and budget... not, "I don't want to do this, I'm too lazy". You also seem to have an inflated idea of what consoles can pull off. Trust me, the game is advanced enough for there to be challenges running it on a console.

And it sounds like your gamer friends bought the wrong computer. Sucks for them.

You know, the funny thing is that just like you I prefer to game in the same room as the people I'm playing with. But I know when split screen will actually hurt the experience. And I don't care if you really DO think it's Valve's problem. You've been cheating yourself out of good games for years.

Product Placement
What's wrong with the Aussie version? Were the zombies replaced with drop bears?

No gore, no riot police uncommon infected and the dead bodies disappear.

The german version got cencored in the same way but they got Counter Strike weapons. Australia was left in the dust.

I think that some of those effects will happen if you are even in the same game as an Aussie player. I'm not sure if that's confirmed though.

It does :\

They get kicked a lot unfortunatly...

Sticking to the systems you know best is "laziness"?

Not if you actually stick to that system. Valve didn't, they ported their game to the 360 looking for more money. And it isn't like they didn't have time to optimize things. This is the second game in the series. What makes things worse is that the 360 version outsells the PC version 2:1. If anything, they SHOULD be putting more emphasis on a strong console port since that's where the majority of their customer base is.

Trust me, the game is advanced enough for there to be challenges running it on a console.

Only because they won't optimize their engine for the console version. There are better looking games which pull off four player split screen without a hitch, so no, it really isn't that advanced.

And it sounds like your gamer friends bought the wrong computer. Sucks for them.

As I said before, they aren't gamers, so no they didn't. They bought the computers which best suit their needs. That doesn't mean they won't play a game when given the chance.

But I know when split screen will actually hurt the experience.

Apparently, you don't, or at the very least, you're looking for a very different experience than I am.

And I don't care if you really DO think it's Valve's problem. You've been cheating yourself out of good games for years.

I picked up the first Left 4 Dead, and you're right I was cheated out of a good game. I was cheated by Valve. I won't make that mistake again.

isukun

And I don't care if you really DO think it's Valve's problem. You've been cheating yourself out of good games for years.

I picked up the first Left 4 Dead, and you're right I was cheated out of a good game. I was cheated by Valve.

S'ok. well I've played the X360 version, and the online coop was good. The new weapons and enemies and the level Director are a step up from L4D

I want that game so bloody much. I only have the demo to satiate my hunger for zombie killin'.

Stupid UPS won't bring my xbox back til tomorrow. >:[

I played left for dead with a friend on the console and loved it. I just finished playing the second one by myself on my console and loved it, and plan to play the entire thing again with the same friend I beat the first one with. The AI aren't the sharpest bunch in the gaming world, but I'd rather have them at my back than any of the complete incompetents in other shooting games, where the only thing your fellow shooters do is throw bullets at the enemy, and three of them might kill ONE of your enemy after a full magazine each when you could do so in one burst. In this game the AI very frequently does better than you at killing zombies, but they wont go for objectives (such as gassing the race car).

I could take or leave multiplayer gaming, honestly, though much like some other games with co-op campaigns (Halo, R6V2, Gears, Mercs 2 etc) I find I enjoy the story more when I play alone, but when I'm with friends I enjoy the fun we have together. Coordinating and watching each other's backs is fun, but I can have as much fun without it. My favorite moment was the last stage of the first L4D when I was buying time for my buddy to get to the evac in the last mission and I got clipped by the tank and went down. He started back to save me but we were so excited and absorbed into the game I ended up shouting "Leave me, damn it! Save yourself!" and I meant it. That was the only way we beat the damn level was for one of us to die.

Ultimately, it's a shooter I enjoyed playing AFTER Modern Warfare 2, alone or with friends; that should say something for how enjoyable I find it.

Oh, if you have a good bunch of people to play with, L4D becomes a marvellous game that just doesn't get old. The campaigns get a bit boring (unless you are achievement hunting or going for expert), eventually Versus mode is where it's at. Except versus mode with public lobbies is godawful.

skoolmunkee
I think that some of those effects will happen if you are even in the same game as an Aussie player. I'm not sure if that's confirmed though.

From what I've read, Aussie players with the neutered game game play with people with the normal game and they'll each see their own effects.

Puff_Of_Smoke
It does :\

They get kicked a lot unfortunatly...

Aussie players would probably be a bit too laggy for you so that's probably why they get kicked?

I just played the demo.
Ew.
What do you guys see in that game? I'd like it less if there was more gore etc and I can't see what's so great about the effects and things. It's all maxed out on my PC but it doesn't excite me. The characters are very realistic though and I liked the Jonathan Coultan zombie song on the Juke box . :)

I suppose I'm really just not into zombie stuff.

Yeah, you'll only have fun playing it if you actually have friends.

B)

ozoneocean
I just played the demo.
Ew.
What do you guys see in that game?

It's not fun because it's zombies or gory. It's fun because in the full campaigns (against AI infected) there can be some quite difficult bits which takes good teamwork to get through. The game has what they call 'directors' which manages the game differently every time, from the atmospheric music to the amount and timing of zombies and time of day. Each time through is slightly different (though not in the demo) and depending on how some of the special infected spawn you can have a real fight on your hands. The first Left4Dead had survivor characters with a lot more personality, so even if you were playing normal campaigns there was still a lot of funny dialogue which took a lot of playthroughs to hear all of the options. This bunch isn't as good (only Ellis is on par with the original survivors).

Things can get absolutely brutal with good Versus teams, when 4 survivors are against 4 infecteds (all played by humans, no AI). A good infected team can coordinate attacks and take down an entire survivor team unless the survivor team is also good- it's the best fun if teams are evenly matched. And of course taking people by surprise or watching them screw up is good also. :] The L4D games are primarily designed to be multiplayer.


I like the maps in this one, the swamp one can go to hell though. Hard Rain is in fact the best one, and having to go and then come back under different conditions is kind of neat, and running around in the storm is a lot of fun. Dark Carnival was pretty great too. I like the new variety in the crescendo events too.

skoolmunkee
(only Ellis is on par with the original survivors)

Maybe it's the fact that I live with stupid rednecks in real life, but Ellis can kiss Nick's glorious sarcastic ass.

Nick had potential, and I thought he would be my favorite, but they just didn't give him enough to say.

Atom Apple
Yeah, you'll only have fun playing it if you actually have friends.

My friends generally have higher interests than video games...

You know skoolmunkee, I don't think I've ever been in a Left 4 Dead game with a girl. It's cool to know there's at least one out there. And you made a pretty good description of the game.

ozoneocean

Atom Apple
Yeah, you'll only have fun playing it if you actually have friends.

My friends generally have higher interests than video games...

Such as begging for food and lighting fires in barrels.

B)

The only FPS to interest me recently has been Gears of War (haven't had a chance to play GoW2). 2 fundamental reasons:

1. Your GoW character feels like he has actual weight, and slogs around in real human-legs speed. Other FPS feel too arcadey, where your character feels completely weightless and is just gliding thru the environs on ice skates. AFAIK, *all* FPS games except GoW suffer from this fundamental flaw.

2. You can see your GoW character. He's not just a gun on your screen. I know that the FPS genre has evolved away from character-immersion and more towards hopped-up twitch gameplay. Immersion is important to me, so I don't like the FPS genre in general. Survivor horror games usually don't fall into these FPS traps, however.

Gears of War is your favorite first person shooter because it's not first person?