Gaming Left 4 Dead 2

[sqrage]

Holy smokes! Who saw this coming? Valve and EA have just announced the sequel to last year's multiplayer zombie-killing smash hit (and Maximum PC's Game of the Year). Left 4 Dead 2 will be released on November 17th, and will feature five new campaigns that follow the story of four new survivors. PC Gamer has the full scoop in an exclusive 8-page feature in their August issue, which hits newsstands this month. Check out the cover below, which features two of the new survivors: Rochelle and Coach (Rochelle is an aspiring cable network news anchor, and Coach is a high school PE coach)

According to the PC Gamer preview, the five campaigns of the sequel will be set in the American south -- in Georgia and Louisiana. The game will feature new playable boss infected characters alongside the Boomers, Smokers, Hunters, and Tanks of the original. Melee weapons will also be introduced, including fire axe, chainsaw, and even frying pan. No word yet on backward compatibility with the original Left 4 Dead, though we would expect that Valve won't split their community in two. You'll want to check out the PC Gamer preview (the Official Xbox Magazine has their own exclusive preview and interview for console fans) for more details, including the new levels, environmental effects, and how the sequel's story ties in with the adventures of Bill, Louis, Zoey, and Francis.

We'll be at E3 this week to meet with Valve, and will report on any additional details revealed. Stay tuned!

Update: IGN has a preview with more details. Highlights below:

Survivors: Nick, Ellis, Rochelle, and the Coach
Missions played in full daylight
Witch behaves differently during the day – wanders around like an old homeless woman
New weapons: silenced SMG (silencer has no gameplay implications)
One new gameplay mode not revealed at this time
Stronger narrative thread to connect the campaigns
Savannah campaign where “the zombie infection hasn’t hit yet”
Instead of a Last Stand-type finale, survivors may have to fight through a hazard-filled highway
Director can change the layout of the map
New boss infected: The Charger

More

________________________
Wow...this is a shock.

I think it's lame though, they should work on adding more content to the original instead of getting a sequel...If anything this should be more like an expansion pack.

The graphics are amazing though....

 

[Oninuva]

Yes.. but this is not "Headline News".. all gamers know of E3..

 

[sqrage]

Yes.. but this is not "Headline News".. all gamers know of E3..

I didn't know it was released until I read this article and it was just announced today....what are you talking about?

This article isn't about E3 it's about Left 4 Dead 2.

 

[Ninva]

I think valve focuses on the game rather than the story. They let the player imagine a story while playing. I think that's a good move on their part. Wasn't Nintendo the first to introduce true stories? I'm not sure, but valve goes back to the basics of the art of game design. I'm glad they're releasing a new game because an expansion sounds like too controversial for valve.

 

[sqrage]

I think valve focuses on the game rather than the story. They let the player imagine a story while playing.

You've clearly never played the Half Life series .... One of the most amazing stories I have ever seen in a game.

But it's an online game...only multiplayer, I don't really think it's supposed to have a story.

 

[Ninva]

You've clearly never played the Half Life series .... One of the most amazing stories I have ever seen in a game.

But it's an online game...only multiplayer, I don't really think it's supposed to have a story.

Oh, I've never played Half Life.

 

[Jindo]

I'm almost certain that this was a joke.

Watch the trailer for it if you haven't already.

* Survivors: Nick, Ellis, Rochelle, and the Coach
* Missions played in full daylight
* Witch behaves differently during the day – wanders around like an old homeless woman
* New weapons: silenced SMG (silencer has no gameplay implications)
* One new gameplay mode not revealed at this time
* Stronger narrative thread to connect the campaigns
* Savannah campaign where “the zombie infection hasn’t hit yet”
* Instead of a Last Stand-type finale, survivors may have to fight through a hazard-filled highway
* Director can change the layout of the map
* New boss infected: The Charger

Some of those features aren't so bad, but some of them are just stupid, the kind of stupid that Valve avoid.

I wouldn't be surprised if they implemented these features with the current L4D, but there's no way in hell they're going to make a sequal already.

I heard that the whole thing was a joke to mock the people on the L4D forums for complaining about everything.

 

[xxxtrickyxxx]

well if its not a joke, i doubt valve will also do it for ps3 since there too lazy to grab a ps3 dev kit and just examine the architecture for a month. instead, they just bash on the console for being too confusing.

 

[Jindo]

Despite what I think, it's looking real.

If they go through with this, it shall be even more pitiful than the first L4D...

But one thing I am sure of is that if Valve have said November 19th(?), you can expect it sometime next year, maybe later.

 

[Vellu]

I was kind of disappointed when I read about this. They "just" released the original L4D and now there's coming the sequel. Dude I gotta buy that one.
I hope they put more into this project than the original L4D.

 

[thewrongvine]

I was kind of disappointed when I read about this. They "just" released the original L4D and now there's coming the sequel. Dude I gotta buy that one.
I hope they put more into this project than the original L4D.

It was released 6 months ago.
This is just like Call of Duty 5 and Modern Warfare 2.

~Hai-Bye-Vine~

 

[Uberplayer]

I don't think anyone has ever released a joke in the E3.

 

[Craka_J]

Sounds fake, but would definitely explain why they haven't released any new campaigns for the first Left 4 Dead game...

At the L4D website, I also saw a news announcement that said all L4D staff has been fired... what the hell is up with that?

 

[Jindo]

It's definitely legit, but it's too ridiculous.

No way am I buying this at full price...

 

[sqrage]

It was released 6 months ago.
This is just like Call of Duty 5 and Modern Warfare 2.

~Hai-Bye-Vine~

Yea but Call of Duty 5 isn't a sequel to Modern Warfare... it's a sequel to Call of Duty 3.

 

[Jindo]

^ Correct, They're renaming COD:MW2 to just Modern Warfare 2, as it's going to become its own franchise.

 

[Karawasa]

^ Correct, They're renaming COD:MW2 to just Modern Warfare 2, as it's going to become its own franchise.

Oh good, it sure beats the hell out of the original franchise.

 

[Darthfett]

At the L4D website, I also saw a news announcement that said all L4D staff has been fired... what the hell is up with that?

It was an inside joke from the TF2 spy/sniper update. Basically someone 'leaked' the "Meet the Spy" video (it was on-purpose), and so they posted a ton of stuff on the TF2 blog about how they fired everyone on the Staff to make sure they got rid of the guy. Then, they posted on L4D that their staff was fired as well (since the TF2 staff and L4D staff are the same people, I think)

Some of those features aren't so bad, but some of them are just stupid, the kind of stupid that Valve avoid.

I completely agree.

Broad daylight goes completely against everything they designed L4D 1 around. They wanted the game to be like an artistic, horrific movie. I saw one of the gameplay movies and almost nothing looked new. It looked like all they did was change models on everything, and add a few new features. Completely not update-worthy. (The models didn't even look as detailed as in the original!!)

They've been extremely successful with Team Fortress 2 using class updates and free weekends to get lots of people playing it. It just doesn't seem like Valve to randomly release a sequel they hadn't put any thought into.

 

[Cheesy]

I'm nearly 100% sure this is not a joke, but I think this is too early for a sequal.

And who knows, they set a release date pretty early into development, I'm pretty sure it will be pushed back, and they will announce more features over time. The features they are revealing to us now will definitely not be the only things in the game come release time.

 

[denmax]

You know what would be cool?
L4D in Black Mesa with playable characters as Barney and Shepherd!
I wish that would be L4D 3
[/sarcasm]

Let's just wish HL2:EP3 comes first than this.
Wait, let me rephrase that.
Let's wish this doesn't come out until TF3 does...