I think it's very clear now why Valve took the decision to develop Left 4 Dead 2 so soon after the original game's release. The company has in its hands the hottest franchise it's ever had, and as if to prove it, the studio has revealed to CVG that pre-orders for the game have eclipsed those of the first game by four. Co-op zombie shooting has never been so popular.
"As we get closer to launch we see the reaction to the demo, pre-orders are four times what Left 4 Dead 1 was, people's excitement, the boycott itself and how it's changed ... I think people are just excited now," exclaims writer Chet Faliszek.
Left 4 Dead 2 hits stores November 17, and while it probably won't unseat Modern Warfare 2 as the year's biggest shooter, it's looking to do remarkably well and rake in more money than any Valve game before it. I know some people dread mainstream success for such a game-oriented company, but come on. I think Valve's earned a little bit of franchising.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
5:00 PM on 11.05.2009
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I guess I have to get it earlier than expected.
@Usedtabe
I totally agree I played the demo at my buddies place and it was not anything special at all. The online fun this games provides is why I bought the first one and it's whats calling me to this version.
Who's with me?!!?!
(sorry, had to do it for the lulz)
Makes sense though, since the original was heavily team based too, a lot of people played the game over a friend's etc. This time around they're buying it themselves.
I have to say that all in all, I really didn't like Left 4 Dead 1, but I love this one.
Nobody "earns" or "deserves" whoring out a franchise. I don't think that's what Valve is doing (unless they release L4D3 in 2010,) but continually making the same game is something that should be avoided by every developer.
But I really need to thank valve because, through their magic that nobody will understand, the demo actually performs better on my PC than the original l4d1 when both are on the lowest settings. Widening the range of PC specs that are playable in both directions is something I wish would be embraced more.
It will be close anyway IMO.
Agreed. Having fun is way overrated, and should be avoided at all costs. That's why I signed the boycott not once, but 97 times. That's how furious I am.
That, and don't forget about the Christmas sale.
Somebody tell Activision ;)
you guys can suck it. It's rare where a game sequel can be as good and in someways better than the original. I wanted more of the same and am happy to get it with the sequel.
If the game had any potential to be worse than the original I'd be inclined to agree but based on the demo it's a massive refinement and much improved AI, something that wouldve probably upset a few people had they just forced "new gameplay rules" on people who bought the original. Add in the new Infected, more diverse weapons, melée weapons, new campaigns, new characters, etc...
People LINE UP to milk the teat of EA annually for a fucking roster update.
Be a bit grateful that Valve managed to actually produce something with a lot more meat on it. They couldve just thrown out new maps and left the game out to pasture with endlessly recycled expansion packs.
YAWN.
I will laugh my head off when the inevitable 20% Steam sale shows up in time for christmas.
gamers....you can never please em
unless l4d2 has a story....the lack of one is what eventually led me to get bored of the original
Maybe the reason there are so many preorders is because there are free hats in TF2.
GODDAMNIT EPISODE 3.....GODDAMNIT.
I completely agree.
ROLLING CRESCENDO FTW
everyone deserves to be rewarded for hard work. having a winning, unique and exciting game, and then making significant improvements upon an already great experience? we're not talking about lazily slapped together rehash here. valve is one of the few gaming companies (not to say there aren't others) who are truly worthy of the 60 odd bucks we give them for the experience they've spent so much time, money and effort into creating for us.
Only play on expert, you won't be having such an easy time. I find anything other than that is just to little a challenge.
i do play expert quite a bit but the only challenge comes from the 2nd level....oh well
ill probably play Realism mode most of the time anyway
It's not meant to be story focused anyway.
The L4D universe is about gameplay and dick'n about with some friends.
The only real story that should be taken seriously is that the guys who developed the game said in interview once(near enough what they said): "Everybody's seen Zombie movies by now. You know what's going down when you play this guy. So we skipped that bit and got down to the meaty center. That we call plain old fun, adulterated or otherwise."
Which is weird. I love FPS, I love co-op style, and I love zombies.
I even have a group of set people who I co-op with all the time, our current favorite being, no suprise, the excellent Borderlands.
So it would seem I'm the prime target audience. And all I keep hearing is how great this is but...I'm not seeing it.
Graphics are okay but outdated, levels are very basic and the creatures are nothing special. Seems like a very middle of the road average shooter. Not bad, just not all that good either.
I don't understand the hype. I know if I was already getting Call Of Duty, (because be honest, who isn't?) and my money was tight where I had to choose...I can't imagine how anyone into co-op would pick Left 4 Dead over Borderlands. It's a better, longer, higher quality version of two very similar styles of game vying for the same type of gamer.
Hey, go have a blast with L4D, I guess my point was for those more cash strapped, Borderlands will be more satisfying of the two.
....um, have you even TRIED to look up anything about this game? Hahah. No offense intended, but this game has everything you say it doesn't.
The graphics are amazing, dude, with a level of detail and gore that you would be hard pressed to find in any game. The gore alone needs an award for it's sheer level of detail; shooting a giant hole in a zombies back and watching him walk a few steps trying to grasp his brain stem is just as awesome as it sounds. Also, simply because it doesn't look like Uncharted 2 or Modern Warfare 2, doesn't make the graphics outdated, it makes them different. Not everything needs hyper realistic textures and parallax occlusion mapping.
The levels are not very basic at all. The levels dynamically change every time you play them. Levels have multiple ways to get from A to B, and the game changes up which ways are blocked, where weapons are and what is spawned and tons of other dynamic factors. There are areas in the game where you have to do things like run through fast paced gauntlets, or take your time sneaking between a field of readily alarmed cars, or keeping a generator going while being attacked from all sides; this isn't taking in to account the vastly different levels and how their environments will come in to play - carnival, swamp, etc.
And the creatures are nothing special? Are you insane? I don't think there have been any enemies from any game that I remember being as stylish and unique as the 8 special infected from Left4Dead 1&2. They all have their own unique attacks that effect gameplay in a vastly different way to alter the experience. Can you give me 8 enemies from another game that are equally as unique and fun?
Borderlands, while I love it and have put like 30 hours in to the game, has no where near the variety of enemies that Left4Dead2 does. Nor does it offer the range of gameplay experiences that Left4Dead2 will in the form of it's little tasks. Borderlands consists entirely of go to X and press Use on the glowing item/kill the Badass. It's fun, but it's nothing amazing either.
I think you are judging the game too harshly. The real fun of Left4Dead lies in 8 player coop, not 4 player coop. Being able to play as the enemy to try to stop the opposing team of survivors from reaching the safehouse is unlike anything in any other game EVER made. Give it a chance!