Left 4 Dead 2 Review: Not Just Another Mindless Zombie Massacre

When Left 4 Dead 2, the popular sequel to previous First Person Shooter (FPS) Left 4 Dead, was first recommended to me, I admit I had some reservations. FPS have become so incredibly abundant, that finding a video game in this genre which truly shines above and beyond flashy settings and realistic (read: gory) graphics is a definite challenge. However, I finally succumbed to peer-pressure and picked up Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 from GameFly to play-test over the last two weeks.

I am as much of a fan of the pop culture fad "The Zombie Apocalypse" as the next person, even to the point that I make an effort to watch movies within this pseudo-genre, such as last year's Zombieland. When I realized that the Left 4 Dead franchise capitalized on this growing trend to create another FPS full of mindless zombies questing for carnage, I'll admit I was excited to test the games. Discovering that the PC version of this video game is playable online, similar to the connectivity XBox Live provides, I had flash-backs to the heyday of Half-Life and LAN parties.

Unfortunately, Left 4 Dead 2 left me wanting. The graphics were passable, with all the visual intensity and realistic elements players would expect from a FPS, especially one powered by Valve-the creators behind the Half-Life series. The sequel provided more colorful upgrades to the weapon arsenal of the first one, by way of chainsaws and fire axes to name a few. And yet, something in the formula was missing-even when using real life allies instead of the NPC (non-player character) ones which are apparently mandatory when playing with less than 4 living participants.

I will be the first to admit that Left 4 Dead 2 is an absolute festival of sniper opportunities for those of us who appreciate the thrill of long-range scope hunting with a rifle. As my LAN friends and former Half-Life opponents will tell you, I am a fan of the stealthy kill. Left 4 Dead 2 gives players a limited amount of weapons available to carry, often choosing between the unlimited-ammo pistols and a melee weapon, or the faster shotgun over the high-powered rifle. Considering the game has a fantastic melee-with-your-gun feature-something which quickly became my favorite trait of the series-the speed of the shotgun as both a ranged and a melee weapon in unsurpassed by the alternatives. Unfortunately, this meant that my sniper-delicious rifle was too slow and clumsy for viable melee use-thankfully I had that fire axe to fall back on.

Another nice feature of the Left 4 Dead video game series is the assortment of "special" opponents. While nothing to rival the variety of other FPS titles, Left 4 Dead 2 still manages to have enough zombies with unique abilities and kill-requirements to keep the zombie hordes interesting. I especially enjoyed the finesse of killing the "witch;" this includes listening for her child-like, sobbing sounds, and never "startling" her. The "tank" was another enemy which took a measure of teamwork and cooperation, and Left 4 Dead 2 certainly requires a sense of camaraderie among teammates.

One aspect of the Left 4 Dead video games that I greatly enjoyed was the dialog between the characters. Each of the playable personalities has a distinct stereotype applied-not that I support the application of stereotypes, mind you-with an often hilarious build-in dialog which creeps in at random. The "redneck," the "tough chick," the "sleeze-ball;" it certainly provided some entertainment while flying solo as the only non-NPC character on the crew.

Ultimately, I would recommend Left 4 Dead 2 to anyone who enjoys a FPS. If the genre isn't your cup of tea, being a fan of the "Zombie Apocalypse" trend probably isn't enough to make you enjoy this title. If both happen to apply to you, you're in luck; FPS isn't on my top 3 favorite types of video games, so that may explain my moderate disappointment with the titles.

I give Left 4 Dead 2 a solid 3.5/5 star rating-rent, don't buy, to try it.

This video game carries an ESRB rating of Mature, and was released on November 17^th, 2009 for North America. Left 4 Dead 2 is available in Xbox 360 and PC formats, according to Gamespot.

Sources:
Gamespot,"Left 4 Dead 2 for XBox 360"