[Mac User #001]

It's still an experience for me. Those shelfs of games are awfully pretty. And PC games aren't locked behind glass doors, so I can pull them out and look at them. I've become friends with one of the guys who works at the Electronics department at the Wal-Mart where I buy most of my games too, so he's always there to help me out and hide copies of games for me so I'll have one on release.

Anyways, it would take more than a $35 game to get me to Best Buy on Black Friday. Maybe $35 for all 8 of them?

[The Final Dakar]

I browse certain products, but video games are not one them. I am too well-informed to need to browse what's out there. (And when I'm not, see: Borderlands)

[Mac User #001]

I don't browse. I look. Admire. Then juggle between the 3,4,5, or 6 games I currently want as to decide which to buy that day. I think anyone who's a regular on the gaming forum here is more than informed on which game to get.

I'm noticing more and more that I don't have the time to play games as much as I did, though (refer to my gamerscore for proof), so I should really stop buying altogether, for a while at least. But that just won't happen, now will it?

[The Final Dakar]

I guess I don't see what to admire.

[Chuckit]

Played through Dead Center last night. After that, I have to say that the game as a whole is more different from the original Left 4 Dead than the demo led me to expect. Overall, it feels a lot more fast-paced (thanks in large part to the "rolling crescendos") and varied than the original.

For example, the second stage is a burning apartment building where the air is filled with smoke and you can hardly see anything but glowing flames and burning zombies running all around. It's actually not that hard a level (because aside from hazmat zombies, half the enemies wind up dying of their own accord), but it's really different, very cool.

The next part is an insanely long (at least it felt even longer than the airport stage in Left 4 Dead) run through a mall, culminating in a crescendo where a store alarm starts going off and you have to find the mall security office to stop the endless horde that thinks it's a dinner bell.

And the finale is really different from the last game. It's not really a holdout or a rolling crescendo. You have to collect gas cans scattered around a three-story area and use them to fill up a display car while fighting off a bunch of infected and a tank.

Pretty fun.

[Rumor]

Well, Gamefly shipped it yesterday, so it may be home when I get there. If so, I'll give it a whirl tonight.

Chuckit, I had sent you a request a couple of weeks ago, but after no response, I deleted the request. If you want to send me one, the gamertag is IP Freley.

[Chuckit]

Oh, sorry. I didn't know who you were. I get a lot of weird friend requests from annoying people and assumed you were one of those.

[Rumor]

Shoot one over and I will approve it when I get home.

[Jawbone54]

Australians apparently got hosed by their (heavily-edited) version of L4D2...

IGN (Aus) gives L4D2 a 5.0

[The Final Dakar]

No surprise.

[Rumor]

Played for an hour or so last night. The melee weapons are fun, and the larger variety of guns is a bonus. However, the animations could become very choppy at times. One of the guys I was playing with was complaining about severe lag, so I wonder if that is the issue. I'll try to test out the game without being online and see if the problems persist as it didn't seem like lag to me.

[Mac User #001]

No problems with lag on my PC version, but I did hear about that happening on the 360. Shame. It'll get patched up, though.

[The Final Dakar]

Review: Left 4 Dead 2

To make sure I wasn't somehow cursed; that AI Director 2.0 didn't just have it out for me personally, I played the game both pre- and post-release with six different gamers, all of whom had experienced the original (and some of whom were really good at it). Playing on Normal difficulty, we were unable to beat a single campaign before opting to readjust the difficulty to Easy. On Easy, we still took quite a licking, in two cases deciding to just quit. A typical campaign in Left 4 Dead 1 would take approximately an hour to run through and, while individual players often died, all four players rarely went down at the same time. In Left 4 Dead 2, on Normal difficulty, that's an obnoxiously common occurrence.

The new, larger maps also mean that after each failure -- when all four players die -- you're sent you back to the last safehouse checkpoint, often as far back as fifteen minutes, a rare experience in L4D1. After failing several times, you might imagine the AI Director would let up, opting to encourage you on instead of frustrating you into quitting; instead, the Director continues to throttle you with experiences that become increasingly less fun and more frustrating, a delicate yin and yang that the latest iteration seems unable to balance.

While the first Left 4 Dead was an incredibly accessible shooter, everything about the sequel seems intent on "fixing" that. While the game's Easy mode has been made frustrating (albeit passable), the Normal difficulty has replaced fun with frustration for all but the most dedicated, organized teams. Not enough challenge for you? Try Advanced. Then move up to Expert. Then up to Expert with Realism Mode enabled. With no replacement for the original's "Normal" difficulty and a plethora of more difficult options, there's a frustrating and inscrutable lack of balance in the game's various modes. While the game design universe seems pre-occupied with accessibility and not punishing the player, Left 4 Dead 2 turns it nose up at the idea.

Yeah, after reading that I don't want this game at all. I think they did a fan service to the hardcore zombie fans, but the experience sounds brutal.

[::maroma::]

It took that guy an hour on average to get through a campaign in L4D1? Takes me no longer than 30 minutes. Not surprised he's having troubles in a more difficult sequel.

[The Final Dakar]

I think it took that long on hard. It's been a while.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Played through Dead Center last night. After that, I have to say that the game as a whole is more different from the original Left 4 Dead than the demo led me to expect. Overall, it feels a lot more fast-paced (thanks in large part to the "rolling crescendos") and varied than the original.

For example, the second stage is a burning apartment building where the air is filled with smoke and you can hardly see anything but glowing flames and burning zombies running all around. It's actually not that hard a level (because aside from hazmat zombies, half the enemies wind up dying of their own accord), but it's really different, very cool.

The next part is an insanely long (at least it felt even longer than the airport stage in Left 4 Dead) run through a mall, culminating in a crescendo where a store alarm starts going off and you have to find the mall security office to stop the endless horde that thinks it's a dinner bell.

And the finale is really different from the last game. It's not really a holdout or a rolling crescendo. You have to collect gas cans scattered around a three-story area and use them to fill up a display car while fighting off a bunch of infected and a tank.

Pretty fun.

Lest I come off as having not read this, thanks.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Review: Left 4 Dead 2

Yeah, after reading that I don't want this game at all. I think they did a fan service to the hardcore zombie fans, but the experience sounds brutal.

That's such crap. I've already beat three of the five on advanced with only one human buddy — and I've hardly had time to play games this week. It's a little harder than the first one, but not radically so. Normal is still easier than the original advanced, and advanced is still easier than the first one's expert. I can't imagine somebody who has ever played an FPS before having that much trouble on easy mode. Is this guy normally their JRPG reviewer?

[The Final Dakar]

It's beginning to look that way.

[Demonhood]

i'm not finding it particularly more difficult than the previous game.

also, the chainsaw is immensely satisfying to wield.

[KCrosbie]

Well I think I'm gonna pick up L4D2 on black Friday. I can't pass it up for $35. Hopefully I will see some of you on it soon.

[KCrosbie]

So my bro Stogie and I got into the game last night and it is certainly tougher than the first one. We were playing it on easy and maybe I'm just rusty, but it was challenging. The amount of infected and special infected that swarm you at once can be overwhelming. Still, I love the layout of the levels. We played one at an amusement park where at the end you're waiting for a helicopter to pick you up at a concert stage. Fun level. The other one we played was in the swamp and was pretty fun as well. Can't wait to play the other levels.

BTW, I'd love for us all to get a 4 player game going. Rumor and Chuckit, you guys down for a session?

[Rumor]

Sure. Perhaps sometime tonight? I think I can pry myself off Dragon Age to play.

[Demonhood]

on single player, in the Mall level, your computer teammates are morons.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Demonhood 

on single player, in the Mall level, your computer teammates are morons.

On which level are they not morons? I swear the computer players got even dumber in this one. The other day, I was being ridden by a jockey, just seconds away from getting silver in a survival match, and rocket scientist Rochelle decides not to melee him off, but instead to spin around in circles shooting at the walls.

[Demonhood]

i supposed i hoped against hope that they'd be smarter this time. but you're right, they seem to have lost some IQ points along the way.

[KCrosbie]

Originally Posted by Rumor 

Sure. Perhaps sometime tonight? I think I can pry myself off Dragon Age to play.

I guess playing with your girlfriend is more important.

[Rumor]

Originally Posted by KCrosbie 

I guess playing with your girlfriend is more important.

I like not having to sleep on the couch.

[KCrosbie]

Originally Posted by Rumor 

I like not having to sleep on the couch.

Man, we lost to your girlfriend again last night. She must have a tight grip on your balls.

[Rumor]

I was out at the bar last night. I'll be playing most of Saturday and possibly Friday night.

[KCrosbie]

SWEET! Hope to see you on!

[KCrosbie]

Left 4 Dead 2 DLC revealed

Zombies are all the.. rage nowadays, aren’t they? So much so that already Valve has revealed details on the upcoming Left 4 Dead 2 content.

Titled ‘The Passing’, the addon brings the original Left 4 Dead cast down to meet the Left 4 Dead 2 survivors. It also adds new single player and narrative, multiplayer and co-operative gameplay features.

The Passing fits in right after the Dead Centre campaign, and is set in Georgia. Players take on the normal role of the Left 4 Dead 2 survivors as they meet the original cast on their travels.
The content will also include new maps for Versus, Survival and Scavenge mode, a new co-op based challenge mode, new ‘uncommon common’ infected, melee weapons AND firearms.

"The Passing will become the most important campaign in the Left 4 Dead story, as all the Survivors are being called together in one campaign," said Doug Lombardi, VP of marketing at Valve. "It will also be a huge offering of new gameplay content, with something new for every game mode plus a new uncommon common and weaponry.

With the AI Director 2.0, L4D's dynamic gameplay is taken to the next level by giving the Director the ability to procedurally change weather effects, world objects, and pathways in addition to tailoring the enemy population, effects, and sounds to match the players' performance. The result is a unique game session custom fitted to provide a satisfying and uniquely challenging experience each time the game is played.”

Left 4 Dead 2: The Passing is down for release ‘early spring’ and pricing is yet to be detailed. Although they never mentioned it, the content will hopefully add more tasty achievements, too!

So a new campaign where you meet the original cast with new weapons and new uncommon infected, new maps and a new challenge mode.

Gotta wait till spring for the DLC. Bummer.

[chichow]

Pretty sure L4D2 has been on sale for $30 at Fry's for a little while now.

[mattyb]

I never played the first one. I'm finding the solo stuff pretty hard on Normal. I haven't gotten through the fairground yet - seem to run out of ammo just when I could really do with it.

Played one online game, something about crossing a bridge. Died within a minute. I have a feeling that this is going to be quite a test.

Since I've played so much MW2, I keep thinking that one can aim by pulling the left trigger - oops !

[KCrosbie]

L4D2 DLC out next week!

The passing is finally coming out for 580 M$ points. Anyone else gonna get it?

[Stogieman]

I totally forgot about this. The Passing was supposed to be released back in March. Let's hope Valve used the extra time to fix any bugs. It better not be as glitchy as Crash Course was.

[Stogieman]

Just finished "The Passing" campaign with my brother.

 

OMG!! They killed Bill.

[The Final Dakar]

In retrospect, Valve probably did the right thing by the bottom line. The game has fallen off a cliff as far as buzz is concerned.