Left 4 Dead 2 Review

2008 saw the release of Left 4 Dead, the hectic team based survival horror from Valve, the development team behind the Half-Life series. It had a way to make you rely on your team members for survival like no other game could. A year later the sequel is here, a quick turn around for any sequel in the gaming world, more-so surprising from a developer that is renowned for their lengthy development schedules.

While many fans cried out in a boycott, stating this was more of an expansion back than a full blown sequel, after a few hours with Left 4 Dead 2 it instantly proves itself worthy as a new addition to the franchise as opposed to a glorified expansion pack. Fixing and tweaking many of the first titles downfalls and adding in new components creates a title that is bursting at the seams with rich, zombie slaying gameplay.

For those of you who haven’t had an experience with the first game, Left 4 Dead 2 places you in the middle of a Zombie apocalypse. You fill the role of one of the four survivors who try to blast your way through hordes of “infected” in an attempt to get to the end of the map. This time round the game is set in the southeast regions of America, and the new cast of characters carry humor, charm and wit in spades. Hearing stories about particular Nascar drivers, and stories about hilarious accidents while hundreds of zombies are honing in on your position gives the characters more of the spotlight that the first title was lacking.

The improvements are so rich in-fact you will find going back to the original game is a pure disappointment. L4D2 features five new interesting campaigns, that have you fighting your way through far more invigorating environments than it’s predecessor. The situations you find yourself in simply give you more to do, which keeps things feeling fresh as opposed to run and gun to the safe house feeling the first game tended to have. All five campaigns can also be played in the Versus game mode right off the bat, no waiting around for Valve to release DLC to unlock that ability this time. As a result the game feels like a full package, where the first game tended to feel a little hollow.

L4D2 is team based gameplay at it’s finest. It is paramount to communicate and work together as a team to achieve success, more-so than any other game you’re likely to play this generation. You will need to rely on your team mates to keep you informed of where they are, when finding health, ammo or weapons, or when there is a world of hurt about to come raining down, and you will have to return the favour. The catch is that no level will play the same thanks to Valve’s AI which they call “The Director”. The Director changes up the location of enemies, weapons and difficulty each and every time you play. It manages to encourage repeat play as you will never know exactly how it will pan out, and manages to provide a challenge every time, regardless of your experience and skill.

Difficulty will play a big part in your experience with L4D2 which offers some of the most challenging gameplay you’re likely to see. Normal is a good entry point as you grasp the concept and learn what weapons work in what situations, while Expert requires the very best in reaction time, communication and overall skills. To make it even harder L4D2 introduces realism mode, removing hints and glows on items such as health and weapons from the HUD. This means your communication with your team member needs to be top notch, otherwise you are going to find yourself high and dry and left for dead.

If you are anti-social or just don’t feel like playing online there are Bots included who can go through the five campaigns with you. They also jump in on the action if a player drops out, and while they do make accurate shots and do their best to help out, it’s far more entertaining with with human players. The bots are largely unreliable. There were a few situations where I went down and needed to be revived, the bots came and took out the zombies and then ran away again without helping me up, leaving me there to die. It’s functional, but to play L4D2 as intended you really do need to play with fellow gamers.

If the campaigns aren’t challenging enough for you Versus mode is sure to get the blood pumping. Versus pits four players as “survivors” and another four players control special infected enemies such as Tanks, Boomers etc. With the addition of new Special Infected in Spitters, Jockeys and Chargers, the Versus gameplay is now far more interesting and fleshed out. Spitters have the ability to spit out acid, Jockeys ride the survivors controlling their movements and Chargers are like mini tanks, charging at their enemies and pummeling them. It keeps gameplay varied and with the 4v4 action things can become quite tense and unpredictable.

What makes L4D2 so successful is the tension and overall stress it will cause you. It get’s your heart racing, and you will find your attention fixated on the screen at all times, constantly reassessing the situation and making decisions you hope will pay off. Each campaign features pivotal moments that will stand out in your mind well and truly after you complete them, whether it be frantically filling a car full of gas in Dead Centre, or dealing with the storms and winds in Hard Rain. If you are a fan of the first game, you are going to go ga-ga for L4D2.

It’s not just the new characters, the fantastic and varied environments or gameplay situations that make L4D2 a far better package, it’s the little things that make the game so much more entertaining and varied. A bigger range of guns, the inclusion of explosive and incendiary ammo pickups but most importantly, and the most fun, the inclusion of melee weapons.

That’s right ladies and gents, you can now slice and dice, whack and smack and shred your way through each campaign with a delightful assortment of melee weapons. There are the conventional melee weapons for a horror film setting, there’s the machete and the katana and of course a chainsaw, but then there are some unexpected ones such as a cricket bat (paddle bat for the Yanks) electric guitar or a frying pan. In all there are a number to choose from and you will have a blast regardless of your choice. There is nothing quite like the feeling of facing off a bunch of infected and smashing their heads off with a well timed swing from the old cricket bat, you can’t help but have a smile come across you face, disturbing as that thought may be.

Along with new weapons come new perks as well. Along with your pain-pills and your medipacks you know have access to adrenalin shots which give you that little pick me up when the odds are against you, making you faster and stronger for a short period of time. Add this with the new defibrillator pack to bring slain survivors back from the dead, and you have some great new additions to the gameplay.

Now it’s time to address the heavy censorship applied to the Australian release of the game. Due to the fact that in Australia we don’t have an R18+ rating for video-games, the original cut that rest of the world received was refused classification by the OFLC board. While violence doesn’t make a game, in a game like L4D2 it certainly adds to the authenticity of the situation. The lack of blood, bodies on the floor or dismemberment makes the game really seem lacking. I’d highly advise you to get an uncut version of the game, if you want more info on how to do that, check out my article on this website.

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Despite the quick turn around between releases Left 4 Dead 2 is a far more complete, rich and rewarding gameplay experience, improving in almost every aspect it ventures. This is team based gameplay at it’s finest, and the amount of tension and stress this game can cause you is a true testament to Valve. They have created one thrilling and immersive game here. For those who enjoyed the first game then you will fall in love with the sequel, yet if the first Left 4 Dead didn’t rev your engine, chances are this game will do nothing to change that. Overall, one of the most thrilling games this year.

GAMEPLAY: 9.1/10 – Gameplay has been improved in each and every facet over the original.

GRAPHICS: 8.8/10 – The graphics are fairly decent but it isn’t the greatest looking game on the market. Enemies are detailed and animations are fluent. The daylight environments add a little something that the first game was lacking.

AUDIO: 9.0/10 – The weapons sound full and punchy, the voice acting is top notch, campy but it suits, and differentiating groans from different zombies comes together is a great sound package.

VALUE: 9.2/10 – The AI Director makes each campaign play different each time. Add this to the versus mode and the new scavenger mode and you have a pretty decent bang for buck. Hopes for further campaigns via DLC.

OVERALL: 9.2/10

Melbourne- A Cesspool of Degenerate Thugs?

Regardless of the fact I’ve grown up a Victorian citizen, I have had the pleasure of visiting every capital except Darwin in the grand country we call Australia. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing with the quaint feelings of Adelaide, the relaxed atmosphere of Brisvagas or the hectic community that is Sydney. Still nowhere feels quite like home than the streets of Melbourne, filled with a thriving artistic community, a pumping local music scene, and just an atmosphere that I can’t seem to find anywhere else in Australia….or at least it used to….

A series of senseless acts over the past six or so months has made me, and some of the general public terrified of the once familiar and safe surroundings of one of the greatest cities in this fine country.

Constant street brawls have become a ritual weekend event around the nightclub hotspots, largely contributed to the local “Lock Out” trials that were running last year, another initiative from a naive government who believe “binge drinking” and late nightclub hours are to blame for the issues. Rising prices of “Alco Pops” have not done anything to tackle violence on our streets, well done Rudster, we are forever in your debt for that smashing idea!

Luke Mitchell was a 29 year old upstanding citizen, who helped a fellow Melbournite avoid being kicked to death, just to be assaulted a few hours later and stabbed to death. Three suspects have fled the country to Thailand, and with the tough laws on extradition in place, I’d be surprised if we ever see any justice come out of that.

Follow this with a house in the ever safe community of Melton being shot at last night, leaving it’s elderly residents scared shitless, and that’s just a mere cherry on-top of recent stabbings, bashings, shootings and murder that has been carried out over the past six months.

I’m not naive enough to think that these crimes weren’t appearing before these last six months, but there is no question that things have seemed to elevate to a new level. Is it the work of a corrupt police force? Increased gang activity? Perhaps it’s those renegade motorcycle clubs causing all the trouble, or maybe it’s the recent news that Johnny Farnham is planning a comeback tour?

It’s Not Over

The nation has stopped and watched the horror as hundreds of people died, and even more were left homeless as the worst bushfires in the state’s history charged through on Saturday 7th of February.

Some light rain offered some relief for firefighters here in the Gippsland region, but it didn’t last long. The Churchill/Jeeralang fire is still active, and with weather conditions heating up this weekend, the possibility of a hard weekend is looking worse and worse with each passing hour.

Chris and his family got a chance to finally get up the hill to Koornalla and see first hand the damage the blaze had caused not only to his families property, but the houses that were missing in his block. He has been kind enough to provide these photos so everyone can get a sense of the damage that has been caused.

More Exclusive Photos from the Koornalla region can be found here
http://gallery.me.com/hellerphant#100191&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=73

Scorched Saturday – Traralgon

The sky was a display of fire on the 7th of February here in the Gippsland region. As bushfires roared across the state, just a mere 25km out of town a fire started in the town of Churchill. Smoke soon filled the air as the fire spread, and within minutes it was already crossing over closer to Traralgon.

Conditions were the hottest we have ever seen during the month of Feb, the winds were hitting over 50km/h and when you are in a rural community, fire fighting authorities are always going to be sparse.

 

The fire reached the communities of Traralgon South, Calignee and Koornalla, burning everything in it’s path. Houses, cars, livestock, and of course, people.

The town was completely black by 5pm, it was as if it was raining pure mud from the sky. Driving was becoming hazerdous as people began to flee their homes, taking what they could.

Support centres have been setup across the town, with the Red Cross giving families information when it comes in.

The fires are suspected to be an act of arson, and already 2 suspects have been apprehended for this tragic disaster. Details are yet to be released to the public.

The official death toll is constantly rising, and it seems that everyone has a connection to someone who perished in the fire.

Chris Zaffina is one of the many people who left their homes behind in Koornalla and retreated to safe ground in Traralgon. Taking only what he could fit into his car, he along with his family are one of the lucky ones in their area who’s house actually survived the blaze.

Here is an interview I conducted with him tonight about his feelings on the ordeal.

http://web.me.com/hellerphant/The_Hellerphant/Blog/Entries/2009/2/9_Scorched_Saturday_-_Traralgon.html

Another family who I know rather well have lost their home and all of their posessions. They have been left with nothing but the clothes on their back, and the money in their bank accounts. It’s times like these that the community pulls together and really shines. A rental property has been offered to them free of charge, a local electrical store has provided them with a brand new Fridge, Washing Machine and Lounge Sweet, the Traralgon Ultimate Frisbee Club has donated a weeks worth of player fees to the family in form of Coles Gift Cards so they could purchase food, and the amount of support has restored my faith in humanity.

I am going to be updating this blog with what is happening in my town as time goes on.

Binge Drinkers Unite?

What are your thoughts on the Rudd Governments rediculous tax hike on “alcopops” and now the claim that if you drink more than 4 middies of beer or two glasses of wine you are binge drinking?

I’m interested in both legal age and all you kids who like a drink on the weekend (I’m not agreeing that you should be drinking below the age of 18 lets just make that clear)

First of all my thoughts….

The Rudd Crusade are trying to tackle the problem of street violence which they believe is largely caused by teenage binge drinking. How do they think they will stop this issue? By introducing a 70% tax hike on all alcopops. For starters WHAT THE HELL IS AN ALCOPOP? I’ve never once heard someone refer to a Jim Beam or a Bundy as an ALCOPOP. So now instead of paying a sweet price of $16 for a six pack of Bundy I find myself paying $22, and a slab of Jack Daniels is now $105! I am a hard working, responsible adult who enjoys a drink on the weekends, only a six pack or so, and now because parents can’t control their teens I am suffering for them. THIS IS TOTAL FUCKING BUFFALO DIARRHEA ASS MUNCHING OUT MY DICK BULLSHIT!

This sudden large increase in price is having people go out and buy straight alcohol instead. Cheaper alternative, but this has a negative impact. Why you may ask? Well for us over the legal age each can or bottle of PREMIX (I refuse to call them alcopops) drink has a standard drink rating so you can monitor how much you have had, so you can know if you are safe to drive and drink responsibly etc. This is a standard and is easy to monitor and control. Well now I refuse to pay rediculous prices for my booze I find myself mixing my own drinks, which is NOT controlled. I have no real way of monitoring how much alcohol I have in my drink as someone else may mix a drink for me a little stronger than I would myself, or maybe my second drink had less coke in it than my first etc…

So now instead of having a controlled substance, teenagers are mixing their own straight drinks and end up even worse off! Smart move Ruddster!

So if teens are the problem, upping the price on alcopops must be the solution. NO! How about tougher liquor laws, obviously they aren’t tough enough if teens are constantly binge drinking. Upping the price stops nothing, it just makes consumers who are responsible and of legal age outraged!

Parents are the problem. Control your children. If your kid is having a party don’t let them have booze. It is your responsibility to look after your own kids, not us tax payers paying for it in the long run.

Now the Rudd Crusade comes out saying 2 glasses of wine or 4 middies constitutes as binge drinking…..REDICULOUS! This is all to support their plans to now up the price on beer and wines too. I know many people who go out for dinner, drink a bottle or two of wine and are perfectly responsible, I wouldn’t call that binge drinking.

Personally I think it’s a fucking joke, and just another example of Rudd’s lack of understanding of our country, and another prime example that he should not be leading the country….

Thoughts?

Run Tony Run!

Run Tony Run! That’s right ladies and gentlemen, now the fun loving criminal has been extradited from his safe haven in Greece, his lawyers are claiming that he cannot get a fair trial in Australia due to comments made by Victoria’s former premier at the time, Steve Bracks…

Lawyer Mirko Bagaric says Mokbel’s chance of a fair trial has been severely diminished, not just because of the amount of media coverage but because of the source of the prejudicial material.

“When Tony was actually firstly apprehended, the then premier Steve Bracks come out and said that Victorians should be happy about that because underworld crime has now been solved in Victoria,” he said.

….

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Murder…..Drug Trafficing………..I seriously doubt that Steve Bracks comments have anything to do with a fair trial, but his lawyer may be onto something here, and there is a chance that Mokbel could have his trial in his homeland of Lebanon

Cyber-Terrorists Attack Scientology

Being labelled a “Cyber-Terrorist Group” Anonymous has been responsible for staging demonstrations in almost 100 cities across four continents in the last 24 hours outside the Church of Scientology. 

Demonstrations have been held in a number of cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, London, Manchester, Dublin, Stockholm, New York, Detroit and Washington. Number of participants were put at between 6000 and 8000 on an internet forum used by members of the group.

Over 100 protestors turned up to the Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide protests

The aim of the group is to remove the church’s tax-exempt status as a religion, as protestor’s claim that the church financially exploits it’s members and supress their freedom of speech. Anonymous stated their aims in an open letter posted on their online forums.

I’m sure that if Tom Cruise showed up to make a public statement they would all feel better about it

Corey Worthington- Party Liason?

I’m not going to lie, this whole story with this little wanker Corey Worthington has gotten TOTALLY out of hand!

For those who have been hiding from the world wide media, the story here is that this 16 year old kid threw a party at his house while his parents were away on holidays. He organised it through popular social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook and via text messages and word of mouth, which resulted in 500 + teenagers getting to his place, with a whole bunch of booze and drinking themselves stupid.

Naturally the police were called, with several squads, sniffer dogs and a police helicopter required to bring the party to a close. Police cars, and surround property were damaged, and the police are charging the Worthington family $20,000 to compensate.

Well first of all the media attacks his parents, which I feel is completely unfair. They were on a holiday in which their son backed out of as he “had to work”. They then organised for him to stay at a friends place for the weekend, and obviously he changed those plans without their consent or knowledge.

But the real issue here, is this little brat doesn’t think he has done anything wrong. He is actually proud of his achievement and really doesn’t give a shit about what he’s done.

Now the media is adding fuel to the fire, with every TV station getting interviews with this kid, thrwoing it in our faces. Facebook has developed a Corey Worthington Trust Fund with donations to pay for the $20,000 bill this kid a got himself. Still he hasn’t even been home to his parents since they returned.

Soon we are going to see this kid with his own show on TV, most likely some MTV junk like Punk’D. This is really going to send a strong message to the youth, “Kid’s don’t try this at home….. because you will get 15 minutes of fame and a reality TV show out of it” really makes me not want to throw an awesome party!

 I just can’t get over the attitude this kid displays. When asked by Channel 9 if he had any tips for others throwing a party his response was “Yep, get me to throw it for you”. He’s been getting job offers from events companies, nightclubs, you name it, this stunt could turn out to be very lucrative. One promoter has said

“We’re prepared to put him in as a party promoter — we’d organise an underage party and have him as the host.

“A promoter who can organise a party for 500 people can make anywhere from $2000 to $10,000.

“If he can pull 500 to the street, he could easily fill up a club.”

I just wish the media would let it go, and stop sending the message that what this kid did it all ok!

Vic Boy In Blue Face Rape Charges…

Once again we are reminded of just how trustworthy, reliable and morally just our officers in the Victorian Police Force are with this great piece of news…

A 33 year old Victorian Senior Constable from Melbourne’s Eas has been arrested after a six month investigation by the the Police Ethical Standards Department. 

The officer is facing 4 counts of rape (with 3 women), 11 drug offences, attempting to pervert the course of justice, two counts of misconduct and just as the cherry on top, two counts of offering bribes. Police allege that the drugs in question involved ecstasy, cocaine and amphetamines

Well done officer, still would have liked to have seen a few counts of Grand Theft Auto and maybe Manslaughter in there

Geek Killer

A Melbourne “Computer Geek” who stabbed to deat a work colleague after robbing her has been jailed for 19 years

19 years? Let’s just get the facts right. The killer stabbed his work colleague 66 times, stuffed the body in the boot of her own car, and robber her of $9000 to spend at Crown Casino and he only got 19 years of jail time, with parole in 14

What is wrong with society? This guy has stabbed someone 66 times to death, and due to a gambling problem and depression, this guy has seemed to get off light with only 19 years of jail time?

It’s scary to think that I could be here at work and get killed by someone jsut because they are an alcoholic, not right if you ask me