Left 4 Dead 2 - First Impressions

All of the complaints about this just being a shitty rehash of the first one have been proven wrong, as #2 adds so much more in the way of weapons, gameplay, and infected. It actually goes so far past L4D1 in a year that it makes the first game look like the phone-in version that was released way before it was ready.

Just playing through one campaign, it's obvious that these are two completely different games. It's no longer just an A-to-B thing over and over, the cresendo points and finales require you to actually complete a simple task, like finding and shutting off an alarm, retrieving an item, or collecting gas cans to fuel your escape vehicle. The melee cooldown in 1's multiplayer is everywhere in 2, but there are also new melee weapons that can be used nonstop.

The introduction of melee weapons is just part of the incredibly immersive co-op play. In 1, the extent of co-op was special attacks that required help, and possibly having different players carry different kinds of the three weapons or two thrown ones. In 2, there are more special attacks, with at least 6 different weapons, 3 thrown ones, and even the health packs and pain pills have options.

Once you add in the fact that there's actually a continuous story, it's obvious that Left 4 Dead 2 is not a shitty rehash, but rather a completely new experience that Valve somehow managed to pull off in a year.