The only good carrier is a dead carrier; Impressions of the Left 4 Dead 2 demo

Written by: Santiago Azpurua-Borras

THIS USED TO BE A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD

In the latest trailer for Left 4 Dead 2, the game promises “More zombies, more friends, better apocalypse.”

The L4D2 demo was released for Xbox LIVE Gold members yesterday and co-editor David Sydionco and our friend Bryan McClaren and I were able to play together. Does the game re-ignite the signature sense of murderous camaraderie the first brought about? Or is there reason to post angry threads on Valve’s message board demanding the game for free?

Hit the jump to read more.

I’m going to say right now, if you had any doubts about Valve’s sequel, stop it. Right now. L4D2 is everything that has been promised and more. I was only able to play through the first two pieces of the campaign but got a taste of a lot of the new features including new guns, new melee weapons, new items and even the new Infected.

The campaign had me and my cohorts traveling through the narrow streets of what looked like New Orleans. You thought Katrina was devastating? Try hundreds and hundreds of Infected. New Infected can vomit acid or “ride” you around like a two-legged show-pony. This isn’t even considering that the classic boss infected return, with a vengeance.

But all hope is not lost, a whole slew of new weapons and items at your disposal. Pistol ain’t cutting it? Pick up something that will, a machete. (Har har.) Oh no! A character is dead! If you have a handy defibrillator, for once you can actually revive teammates from death.

The Director returns as well, and he’s smarter than ever. The AI is much more improved, both on the side of your AI-controlled partners and of the Infected. There was one instance, inside a hedge maze, when a Spitter isolated me from the rest of the group via a crossable-but-very-damaging moat of acid, as I tried to hold my own until the acid cleared, I was assaulted by the signature flying tackle of the Hunter.

Impressive, but terrifying.

If you enjoyed the first game even a little, buy it. Don’t even think about it. The economy is no excuse. Go buy it. It’s what a sequel should be; everything you loved about the original, and only add elements that are similar enough to seamlessly enhance the original experience, but are different enough to sense that this is a different game.

Check back for the full review after the game graces store shelves on November 17.

Also, you saw it here first:

“A Jockey is riding Rochelle” is going to be the new “Zoey has startled the Witch.”

I’m calling it.