New L4D2 Special Infected, The Jockey, is riding into PAX

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2:20 PM on 09.01.2009, Jim Sterling

35 comments | 158928 views

New L4D2 Special Infected, The Jockey, is riding into PAX photo

#Left 4 Dead #PC #Valve #Xbox 360

We got word of a brand new Special Infected coming to Left 4 Dead 2 from reader Josh, which we promptly followed up with Valve to get official confirmation. Those attending PAX will be the first to witness the arrival of The Jockey, perhaps the most annoying-yet-awesome sounding Special Infected of them all.

The Jockey is a smaller zombie who jumps on the backs of Survivors and tears them apart from behind. Not only that, but he gets to control the movements of the Survivor while he's doing it, meaning that Versus Mode just got a whole lot crazier. Sounds like a helpful little guy who'll help guide the Survivors into ambushes and other desirable locations.

That's all we know so far. We'll get to see him in the flesh at PAX.

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34 comments | showing # 1 to 34

Jon B

Okay, that just sounds downright awesome. Only problem I can see with it is it can lead to a lot of cliff instadeaths. Be interesting to see how they get around this.

falinter

Wow, thats just fucking amazing sounding.

mo0man

I'm guessing it's going to be more cliffhangs than anything else, the same way the smoker works on someplaces. That's more making sure to clearly mark the cliffs as incap spots instead of instadeath parts

smurfee mcgee

I can't wait. L4D2 is looking awesome.

^^^^^^^People who are boycotting.

Stevil

I love how they're coming up with various new ways to split the group up. Sure, they're just variations on previous Specials, but they seem to be working for me anyway.

bbrigg1

That would be good, if they made no sound so it would seem like your controls just start screwing up.

ouched

That is actually really cool. I'm glad that they are really pulling out the stops with these last 2 new special infected, those being the Jockey and Spitter. Not too impressed with the Charger concept, but it may be more effective in practice than the concept sounds.

These will really force players to change things up. The first was the most entertaining when the game was unpredictable, the first few times I played each campaign. Now that we've worked out all the tricks, its not nearly as challenging. These new infected sound like it will completely change the common dynamics of closet camping and turtling in together corners and confined spaces.

Isay Isay

Is this a response to the people beating that dead horse about a boycott?

/Affirmed

DaedHead8

This is awesome! I dread playing against the Jockey but I can't wait to play as him. >=)

@Isay Isay

No

Coafi

The Jockey will literally ride you. Awesome

mix

Sounds pretty wicked, can't wait to play it!

Batthink

@ JonB and Mooman;

Yeah, you have a good point... maybe Valve will make it so that the Jockey only controls the upper-body, thus controlling shooting/melee/bomb/Molotov-based attacks. Or maybe they could make the parts of the body that the Jockey access randomly on every attempt.

And when I think of jockey, I think of this fella;

Sharpless

Oh, Valve. Is it even possible for you to stop being awesome?

Lobster Mobster

So is he a kid or a midget? Wonder which the ESRB would prefer!

Batthink

^^^ Referring to the end of my comment:

MowDownJoe

I'mma gonna look for people with pipe bombs!

Holyetheline

Can't wait to find out what else Valve has in the works! I also can't wait to see the jockey in action.

MechaMonkey

In Soviet Louisiana, zombie ride you.

Blasto

Fucking awesome !!! All other multiplayer games can kiss my ass after this comes out :D

...and hopefully Sharpless will actually buy this one ;)

MasterBalls

Muhaha
This sounds fantastic.

5thDimensionYeti

A major change to the game mechanics, can't wait!

danthuman

Sounds like some crazy times ahead for our heroes. Also, sounds like I'm gonna be spending more time in the closets /wrists

Klempky

I never picked up the original L4D (played it plenty of times with friends, but never got around to buying it), but the new zombie ideas are really making me consider skipping the first and buying 2. The whole turtling strategy goes against what I loved about the game in the first place, so a game that's built around getting rid of that sounds awesome.

Also, I'm from the South and I really wanna play as Coach.

@Smurfee: Gah, I thought I had that joke in the bag!

DTRiiX

@Blasto: Ha! That's mean of you to put our bud Sharp out there like that.

I am REALLY looking forward to the game with this announcement. I hope it will be one of the playable infected characters in versus mode. I'll ride people off cliffs muahahahaha. Perhaps we could have two jockeys spawn at the same time and have the first L4D Joust!

Trebz

How small would that be? About the size of a rhesus monkey?

If it is, it'll be hilarious watching players shoot each other in the back when they have a Jockey on them.

Dexter345

Okay, I might have to rush in early to play L4D2. This just keeps getting better and better.

Knives

No dex you'll get trapped in the line for hours!!

ajaxender

Wait... what? Valves L4D team have come up with a special infected that might actually be fun in Versus? Didnt think it would happen, but this could change my rather negative feelings towards that particular component of the game. Full control sounds like it could be insanely frustrating on Expert difficulty though, so we'll have to wait to see exactly what it does.

smurfee mcgee

@DTRiiX: That's genius

ardecila

Sounds a lot like a headcrab.

MCChampaignMillionaire

That sounds cool...but I can imagine a jockey-spam every time I go around a corner...

Jimeee

Are you people finished creaming your pants?

Ok, now think about this for a micro second - how the fuck will this new infected be a threat at all? It's sounds like a shittier version of the Hunter.

Unless the second he jumps on your back your character runs off out of your control at high speed away from the group I don't see this as being a problem - at least a Hunter can cause some damage to a tight group before getting killed - Most likely a melee and kill is all that's needed.

KingKings

@ Jimeee: It's apparent that you don't play enough versus. You obviously wouldn't strike while they're all grouped together, undisturbed and fully armed. Like any other infected, you would wait for an opportune time. (After boomer puke per se.)

If you knock off a hunter as soon as he pounces, he won't do any damage. Not only that, he can be bashed. Easily. Also, the Jockey will be clawing your back much like a hunter claws your front. No one knows how much damage he'll actually be causing p/s, but he will be causing damage.

Like many others have mentioned, cliffs will be really detrimental to the survivors. Imagine being panicked by the Tank/Charger & then boomed and all while nearing the edge of a cliff/building?! Deadly.

MrSlippery

actually, if he has a stick like a jockey, I will love Valve forever.

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