Left 4 Dead 2 (Video Game 2009) Poster

(2009 Video Game)

User Reviews

Review this title
14 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
9/10
Groovy...
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews19 June 2013
Three or four weeks after the outbreak began(depending on the source you go by), the optimistic rescue attempt(the government's response increases over the course of this) leaves some standing on the rooftop, looking at the helicopters flying away, and realize they have to take things into their own hands. Nick(a gambler and small-time hustler), Ellis(chatty and upbeat young mechanic), Rochelle(low-level employee of local TV station) and Coach(overweight African-American who trains high school football) will have to make their way from Savannah, Georgia to New Orleans(this really captures the flavor of The South, in aforementioned characters who have personality without being obnoxious, the fast-paced if lighter score, the areas, etc.) in search of a safe place to stay.

They will move through a carnival(clowns! Honk their noses, take 'em out to stop their squeaky shoes from attracting more!), swamp, a deep forest(did I mention that this has some levels that take place during daytime? This creates a stronger contrast between the brightly lit outdoors and the pitch black deepest inside areas - plus, running around, with the undead around, in the sun? That's just plain creepy), a mall, a cemetery(much bigger than the other one, and it's too obvious to not do... sure, they don't unearth themselves, still), a huge cornfield(look above to spot a sign on a building to see if you're even going the right way!), small towns, and, where the FX enhance the atmosphere, with the slight increase in continuity and/or story not locking it in place(the AI Director 2.0 will keep you guessing, changing things like weather, objects and paths depending on what you are or aren't doing, it still feels alive and is endlessly replayable), rather making it have an impact - Hard Rain is a *journey*, as you make your way from a vehicle, to gather gas, and all the way back, as the downpour grows terrifyingly, hampering visibility and even making it difficult to hear if danger is near. And right where they start? Atop a hotel. Which is partially on fire. Smoke obscures the view, flames block the path as debris did before.

In total we have 7 new campaigns, for half to a full hour per, with 3-5 parts each. The 6 of the original return, and with all the new content and variety, this won't wear out its welcome anytime soon. I don't know why not all 20 Survival(and that can now be played with a team controlling the Smoker, Hunter, etc.! Swap places, beat the other guys' time) stages return... only 4, from The Sacrifice and No Mercy(so not even all of them), and they're joined by 13 new. The one new mode has 16 total, 9 for this and 7 from the '07 ones(not just the same): Scavenge. Gather the 21 gas cans and fill the generator. Timed, so don't dawdle, and if too long passes with you not getting further, that's it. The other team will have tried to prevent you from getting them all, and will have to top your score, however high or low, to win. This is distinct from regular Vs. - everything in this complements, fits, doesn't replace and doesn't rehash - in that there's always a rush, it's in a single small area, and that camping is not an option.

In fact, that does seem to be a priority with this, preventing that, the death of all creative approaches to online shooters. The aforementioned is also present in regular play, as one of the two new crescendo event types - refuel something or otherwise transport one or more items from one place to another before you can proceed, with the final one being the Gauntlet, where you have to get from points A to B - and you'd better be ready, because it's a relatively tight corridor, it's far, and you have to keep moving(once you get there, it has either the end, or the button to turn off an alarm that keeps luring foes in). These make it vital to take an active part in these climax-like portions, and one that, like when making your way forward in general, may be unique; how many will transport the important thing(which prevents whoever is carrying one from attacking... and if dropped, they are volatile, this is gasoline we're talking about), how many, if any, will cover them? And if you're almost there, should you turn back to help if needed, or come back after securing victory?

Further keeping you on your feet when taking on the role of one of the humans are the three new Special Infected, all of them filling niches and mending holes in their side's tactics. The Spitter has a projectile that does splash damage, has good range and who won't be immobilized from using it. Don't stand so close to me! That goes for The Charger, as well - a faster, less armored version of The Tank, he'll bowl right through all four of them, sending them in different directions, grabbing one, and rushing further, until he hits a vertical surface. Or goes right off an edge(if he doesn't, he'll pound the one he got into the ground until they die, or he does, at the hand of the others). The Jockey steers the person he's on the back of away, and possibly into something that'll hurt 'em... like one of the many, and no longer always stationary, Witches.

While the arsenal is made up mostly of the same kinds, each now has at least two within that(all useful, yet with different stats), and you're more likely to find a replacement gun than additional ammo. Save your bullets, or lose, if you have, a laser sight or incendiary/explosive clip? You can replace your pistol with a mêlée weapon(like a chainsaw!), with instant-kills in an arc in front of you.

There is constant detailed, bloody, disturbing gore and violent content in this. I recommend it to anyone who's ever enjoyed a post-apocalyptic zombie concept. 9/10
3 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Eight years old and still beloved
SyoKennex8 September 2017
Left 4 Dead 2 is a game that most people have at least heard of in their life time. Released back in 2009, this game still remains highly popular, eight years later, and is still one of the most loved zombie apocalypse games on the market. After playing a few games, it's not hard to see why.

After being new to this game on PC, having played it on Xbox for quite some years, it was a different experience coming onto it and having to relearn controls. But with L4D2, there's something about it that stops people feeling brand new, and you learn quickly. Even playing with my friends who are basically pros at the game, having put thousands of hours each into it, felt like I was just another guy with tons of hours. It's user friendly, and not hard to get used to.

There's so many different game modes in this that allows you to go through and do pretty much whatever you want in the game, there's a mode for almost anything. Of course, I wouldn't recommend playing multiplayer as a new player, with no friends. The online community are absolutely horrendous when it comes to new players, and are definitely the kind of people who kick others just for being new. It's a shame that a game that's so amazing has such a horrible community behind it.

But really, that's the only con about the game. The game itself is amazing, with brilliant graphics, an awesome soundtrack and really good movement and controls. The only downside, is the community. Definitely grab this, grab some friends, and make a night out of it.
2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Gnarly!
Analog_Devotee3 August 2021
Man, I love this game! This is one of those multiplayer games that I can't help but revisit every so often. And when I do, there goes my afternoon, because I'm instantly sucked back in and hooked! This was a great time to be a gamer. I bought this off the shelf for my Xbox 360 and eventually for my PC, the latter of which still has a very active community!

It's never too late to buy this one! Make the jump and prepare for some gory, deep-fried zombie fun with folks from around the world!
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse...Again?
DylansFearFiles27 November 2009
Left 4 Dead 2 is set one week after Left 4 Dead 1. In it, four strangers named Nick (a gambler and conman), Rochelle (A news producer), Coach (A health teacher and coach), and Ellis (a mechanic) team up to survive an outbreak of the "Green Flu" which causes people to behave like zombies (the Infected). There isn't just one type of Infected though. Here is all of them:

1. The Smoker- An Infected with a long tongue that can snatch survivors from a distance and constrict them.

2. The Boomer- A bloated Infected that can puke a bile on the survivors and attract a horde of Infected.

3. The Hunter- A hooded Infected that leaps long and high to pounce survivors and claw them to death.

4. The Tank- The biggest and baddest of the Infected that simply attacks with its strength and throws debris at the survivors.

5. The Spitter- This Infected spits and acid-goo that rules out the possibility of corner camping during crescendo events and if you stand in it too long it will kill you.

6. The Jockey- This Infected jumps on a survivor's head an steers them into danger.

7. The Charger- Another large Infected that charges at a survivor and pummels them into the ground.

8. The Witch- A crying Infected that if startled, will attack the Survivors.

9. The Common Infected- These are the normal Infected that you fight that will travel in "hordes".

10. The Uncommon Infected- These are types of Infected you only see on one map. They usually have varied abilities. For example: the Clowns on Dark Carnival attract hordes with their squeaky shoes.

The game is very fun with large improvements over the previous title. The game now has melee weapons to kill the Infected and a lot more guns. The variety of the maps is interesting and they are all connected, unlike the original Left 4 Dead.

The game is also more challenging. The bots aren't as good as they were in the first game is my only problem. Sometimes they will let you die or try to kill a Charger with pistols LOL. But overall the game is better than the first (which was my favorite game until I bought this one).

The multi-player is good. There is a new Scavenge mode, as well as a Realism mode, a versus mode and normal coop. Here is a breakdown of how the multi-player modes work:

1. Coop- Just you and a friend teaming up with two bots to survive a campaign.

2. Versus- A team of survivors trying to make it to rescue while a team of player controlled Infected tries to stop them.

3. Scavenge- The Survivor team tries to collect gas tanks to fuel up the rescue vehicle while the Infected team tries to kill them all before they can or cause as many gas drops as possible.

4. Realism- This mode is the same as campaigns except that you can't see the Survivor Halos (this causes you to have to stay together), the Witch can kill you instantly and the common/uncommon Infected take less damage to the body and cause you to have to shoot them in the head.

The only game types I've played are coop, Realism, Versus and the normal campaign. The Realism mode is a nice tough. Very challenging and causes you to work together more to survive, it makes the game feel less like 28 Days Later and more like the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead.

The game is great. I highly recommend it to fans of the first game.

10/10
16 out of 17 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Great continuation of the L4D series
smurfster15 December 2009
Left 4 Dead 2 is brilliant. The game's many additions such as new weapons, new infected types, daylight campaigns and more varied scenery really spice up the format of Left 4 Dead. To me, the original now seems fairly bland and boring with its exclusively night-time maps and only a very small number of weapons.

I feel the two best campaigns in the game are Dark Carnival and Hard Rain. Dark Carnival takes the survivors through an abandoned theme park. You'll be running from infected hordes through a Tunnel-of-Love and along a roller-coaster track. There's also an achievement for carrying a garden gnome through the entire campaign and the finale is fantastic.

Hard Rain sees the survivors' boat run out of fuel, forcing them to disembark and head to a gas station for a fill-up. They then have to make a return journey, which means that if the players use up all the safe room health packs on the way, they won't have any left on the way back.

Hard Rain gets its namesake from the dynamic weather effects it features. At any moment, a storm could roll in, reducing visibility significantly and making the survivors sitting ducks for special infected attacks. It also means that, on the return journey, much of the route will be flooded, slowing the survivors down and making them use alternate paths.

The other campaigns are excellent as well, and there is a running story arc throughout them, unlike in the original game. The only problem with this is that, due to Left 4 Dead's multiplayer format, there is no real ending sound-off to the story, although the last finale of the game is by far the hardest.

Left 4 Dead 2 takes Left 4 Dead's award-winning format and improves on it tenfold. Anyone who liked Left 4 Dead, or likes shooters in general, should definitely give this one a go.
10 out of 13 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Left 4 Dead 2: As good as the last one!
RM-Montoya28 July 2021
This game takes the first one and keeps the simplicity of it, buts adds new and amzing weapons and characters.

This game, like the last. Was amazing and if you have a steam account. I definitely recommend buying it!
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Teamwork is Awesome
girtasdede29 April 2022
L4D2 is a great game and probably the best game to play on a friday night with a few friends. Almost every time me and my friends play we have a similair experience: starting of goofing around and eventually beating a level dead serious with complete teamwork. I recommend buying yourself and a few friends this game and I guarantee you'll have a great time.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
One of the funnest games ever made
zsbiw12 November 2021
This is one of the most entertaining games ever made, especially online versus mode. But even single-player is fun.

Zombies are never in the same place when you re-play a map, so the game always changes and never gets boring. You never know exactly where zombies are going to be.

This game is just a blast to play because it is so chaotic. There are also a lot of different weapons in the game. The 4 playable characters are all very different from each other and entertaining.

The best campaigns are Dead Center and Dark Carnival, in my opinion.

One of the best games ever made. 9/10.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
5 Stars out of 5 Stars
ajneeago9624 April 2022
It was probably only a year after I got the first left 4 dead before I got left 4 dead 2 for my birthday(?) or maybe my brother bought it; don't entirely remember. I just remembered that this game was a complete upgrade from the original through and through, with some kickass new zombies to kill, (like the jockey for example) some improved graphics, and even cooler, creepier levels to complete. The story is about as weak as the first game, but there's enough narrative to keep me invested. Gameplay is the biggest feat here. It's also a nostalgic experience for me, even probably moreso than the first game because my brother, are childhood friends, and cousins used to play this with us; countless days and nights wasted playing this awesome, gruesome game. Definitely one of the best zombie games I've ever played.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Massive zombie action.
swedzin26 July 2013
Woohoo! Take all of zombie films and take the good old FPS action element and you got this game. It's a pretty good game. I have only played singleplayer mode, and I have enjoyed enough. Now, this game is pretty, compared to the movies, pretty colorful, it has nice graphics, interesting AI and tense action. You can choose between four characters. They are not special in their own way, that's too bad, I expected that each of them have something special, some special move, or combo, something like that, but no, they are just based upon some usual characters from the zombie movies that joins together to fight their way through the zombie filled terrain. The only thing different is… weapons… UZIs, shotguns, handguns, melee weapons, now these are cool, you have katana, or chainsaw for example. You just pick your character and go shoot some zombies. Now, the zombies are pretty good here, they are attacking in packs, of course, but, they are not slow, oh no. They move slowly, until they see you, then, they start running at you and slap you crazy. They are not typical slow zombies, but fast paced, kill-you zombies. Not just that, but you also have special zombies that have special abilities, for example you have Charger, a large, mutated zombie that runs like nuts and crushing everything in their path, you also have Smokers, Spiters, Jockeys, Hunters, Boomers, pretty much pain in the neck all of them, and two more very, very specials the Tank, a very large mutated zombie, more stronger than Charger and a Witch… now that's an unusual character, but she is the most dangerous, when she jumps, she will claw you to the ground. Now… the gameplay is pretty simple on moments, but on some occasions, it can be pain in the neck, especially with these special zombies, but overall, it's fun. The levels are good, a pre-apocalyptic ambient of deserted villages, small towns, hotels, malls… If you 're watching "Walking Dead" for example, and you enjoy it, well… you'll enjoy this too.
1 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Epic #2
tastytacos3 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Starring: (Survivors)

-Nicholas Cage

-Burger Man

-"Sentry goin' up!"

-Stinky Head

(Infected)

-Parkour Master 2009

-Walking Chicken Nugget

-TikTok Clown (remastered!)

-Human Headcrab

-Dodge Charger

-Donkey Kong

-Smokey the Bear

-Pac-Man
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Your 3D review for L4D 2
ratcat030 June 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Ratcat here your 3D reviewer. First for my 3D review. nVision works almost perfectly as this game is built on the Source engine. The only problem is the lack of a 3D cross-hair so you end up having to pick a point half-way between the two cross-hairs you have in front of you, for some reason the 3D turns your cross-hair into two cross-hairs. Apart from that the 3D is great. If you had told me that I would enjoy a Zombie kill fest game where you simply run -shoot-save team mates (in the single player mode)I would have said you are quite mad but surprisingly I did enjoy this game and it is pretty much exactly as I just described. It seems that your mission is to start inside a 'Safe' house run through maps killing everything that wants to eat your brains in order to get to the next 'Safe' house. There are objectives which help alleviate the tedium of run-shoot-kill such as when you are in a shopping centre (mall if you are American) and the only way out is to drive a car that is on display for a prize - the only problem is that it has no petrol (or Gas - again American) So you must scavenge enough fuel cans to have the car filled enough to make your getaway. This is the sort of game that you must play at least once and forget it for at least a year then come back and enjoy it all over again - Bwains!! Gimme Bwains!! 8 out of 10 rubber chickens. If you would like a game reviewed for its 3D readiness please email me at ratcat17@hotmail.com
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Action movies
adhethunjilucckheymhan19 December 2019
I really like this movies because everytime i watch I'm always happy and enjoy myself Have watched it several times with my friend.. I recommend this movies
1 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Not bad- but not 10 stars...
astroass3426 December 2009
This game is pretty good. There are a lot of things I like about it, and a lot of things I don't like. I mean, no game is perfect.

One thing i immediately notice is the game is harder than the first one. I understand that Valve is going for the whole "teamwork" thing, but Easy mode is harder than normal mode on the first one. Not so great if you don't play online, like me. Yes, i have played online a bunch of times, but if it's not with my friends, I hate it. People are jerks online and ruin the fun.

I like how they kept the same weapons as in the first one, but all the new weapons are pretty much the same as the old ones. The grenade launcher really isn't as great as people say it is- but fun nonetheless. I like the Boomer bile, but that's the only new thing you can pick up and throw in the game. I wish they came up with other stuff to go along with the cocktails, pipe bombs, gas cans, gas tanks, and O2 tanks. the same stuff as in the first one.

A major problem I have with the game are the glitches and crashes. A few times a night the game will lose the connection with steam. Reading reviews, i am not the only person to experience this. Also, there are a bunch of glitches- like on the rooftop in the finale of "Hard Rain," where parts of the roof are missing, so it looks like pipe bombs, etc. are floating in mid air. Again, another issue people are facing with this game- at least for the PC.

I am not a huge fan of the characters. I liked the characters in the first one much better.

A few of the campaigns were boring. "Swamp fever" was the same thing every time you left the safe room. Hard rain is kind of half a campaign. I do like that they added more to the levels than in the first, however. But, like in the Carnival for example, they could have added so much more cool stuff- I mean, you're in a carnival and you can play 2 games and walk on a roller coaster. the tunnel of love was horrible because it just went on forever and it was all the same thing.

You can definitely tell Valve rushed this game- they even admitted it. They say that they are working on fixing the problems with the first game, but they have been saying that for almost 3 months now.

I am a huge fan of melee weapons. They are pretty fun. Wish there were more of them. The only one I don't like is the cricket bat.

But all in all, it's still a really fun game, but I definitely would not give it 10 stars- I think 10 stars is just foolish because it doesn't deserve 10 stars. If Left 4 Dead 1 did not exist, I'd give it a 9- but because it's the sequel, and they really didn't jazz it up as much as they could have, I give it an 8. I feel as though they should have spent more time on it. I guess that's the reason why Valve usually does take a long time to release a game.

I give it an 8 because it's a good game, but because L4D1 exists, i can't give it more than an 8. L4D1 gets a 9 from me because it's just a better game. Giving it a 10 is kind of a tad much.
1 out of 15 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed