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Like its predecessor, ''Left 4 Dead 2'' is a [[Wikipedia:first-person shooter|first-person shooter]] with a heavy emphasis on cooperative gameplay, with some cutscenes presented in the third-person or using pre-rendered movies. The game presents five new campaigns, each composed of four or five smaller maps. In the first three or four maps of any campaign, the survivors attempt to reach a safehouse, while the final stage requires the survivors to call for rescue and hold against a large horde of infected while they wait.
Like its predecessor, ''Left 4 Dead 2'' is a [[Wikipedia:first-person shooter|first-person shooter]] with a heavy emphasis on cooperative gameplay, with some cutscenes presented in the third-person or using pre-rendered movies. The game presents five new campaigns, each composed of four or five smaller maps. In the first three or four maps of any campaign, the survivors attempt to reach a safehouse, while the final stage requires the survivors to call for rescue and hold against a large horde of infected while they wait.
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Each survivor can carry one main weapon, and either one or two pistols, or one of several melee weapons (introduced in ''Left 4 Dead 2''), such as frying pans, fire axes, katanas or chainsaws. Players start levels with a single pistol, and the choice to upgrade to double pistols or trade for a crowbar; players who preordered the game received the ability to start with a baseball bat as a downloadable extra. Though melee weapons cause extra damage to the infected when struck, the survivors can use any other weapon or item for weaker melee attacks and to temporarily push the infected back. Players also carry a flashlight, which can be used to maneuver in dark areas but may startle the infected; a first aid kit or defibrillator kit which can be used to heal or revive other survivors respectively; pain pills or adrenaline shots that give a temporary burst of health recovery and agility; and a throwable weapon—a Molotov cocktail to set an area on fire, a pipe bomb modified with smoke alarm to attract a large number of infected before detonating and, new to ''Left 4 Dead 2'', a vial containing Boomer bile, which can be thrown at infected to cause them to turn on each other. A supply of these weapons and items and additional ammunition are generally found at the start of each campaign and within safehouses, but may also be found scattered about the level.
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Each survivor can carry one main weapon, and either one or two pistols, or one of several melee weapons (introduced in ''Left 4 Dead 2''), such as frying pans, fire axes, katanas or chainsaws. Players start levels with a single pistol, and the choice to upgrade to double pistols or trade for a crowbar; players who preordered the game received the ability to start with a baseball bat as a downloadable extra. Though melee weapons cause extra damage to the infected when struck, the survivors can use any other weapon or item for weaker melee attacks and to temporarily push the infected back. Players also carry a flashlight, which can be used to maneuver in dark areas but may startle the infected; a first aid kit or defibrillator kit which can be used to heal or revive other survivors respectively; pain pills or adrenaline shots that give a temporary burst of health recovery and agility; and a throwable weapon—a Molotov cocktail to set an area on fire, a pipe bomb modified with smoke alarm to attract a large number of infected before detonating and, new to ''Left 4 Dead 2'', a vial containing Boomer bile, which can be thrown at infected to cause them to turn on each other. A supply of these weapons and items and additional ammunition are generally found at the start of each campaign and within safehouses, but may also be found scattered about the level.
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As the survivors make their way through the campaign, they must work together to make their way to the safehouse and rescue. Players are shown the health and status of their fellow survivors, and should they not be in sight, will also be shown the silhouette of the other survivors. Taking damage from the infected causes the survivor to lose health, and their actions become slower as more damage is taken. If a survivor takes too much damage, they become incapacitated, and forced to fight off the infected using pistols until rescued by another survivor or dying from further damage; the character remains dead until the next level, or, in Campaign mode, reappears in a "rescue closet" to be freed by the other survivors. Many of the special infected can quickly finish off a survivor if they are not rescued, and thus the game encourages players to stay as a group and work together to traverse the level safely. Should all the survivors be killed or incapacitated, the game is over, and players must restart that level. While most events the players experience are semi-randomly generated by the game's AI Director, some levels feature staged events which, when triggered by a survivor, cause the players to be rushed by a horde of infected.
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As the survivors make their way through the campaign, they must work together to make their way to the safehouse and rescue. Players are shown the health and status of their fellow survivors, and should they not be in sight, will also be shown the silhouette of the other survivors. Taking damage from the infected causes the survivor to lose health, and their actions become slower as more damage is taken. If a survivor takes too much damage, they become incapacitated, and forced to fight off the infected using pistols until rescued by another survivor or dying from further damage; the character remains dead until the next level, or, in Campaign mode, reappears in a "rescue closet" to be freed by the other survivors. Many of the special infected can quickly finish off a survivor if they are not rescued, and thus the game encourages players to stay as a group and work together to traverse the level safely. Should all the survivors be killed or incapacitated, the game is over, and players must restart that level. While most events the players experience are semi-randomly generated by the game's AI Director, some levels feature staged events which, when triggered by a survivor, cause the players to be rushed by a horde of infected.
''Left 4 Dead 2'' retains the three game modes of the original game—Campaign, Versus, and Survival—and adds a new game mode called Scavenge. In Campaign mode up to four human players fight against the computer-controlled infected to make their way between safe houses and eventually to rescue; any survivors not controlled by a human player is controlled by the computer. In Versus mode up to four other human players take control of the various Special Infected who try to prevent the Survivors from reaching the next safe house. The two teams swap sides once per chapter and are scored based on their play through as Survivors, with the scoring based on factors such as health, distance traveled and the number of Survivors alive at the end. Survival mode is a timed challenge where the survivors are trapped in a section of the campaign maps, and try to survive as long as possible against an unending onslaught of infected. In the new four-on-four Scavenge mode, the survivor players are required to collect and use as many of the sixteen gas canisters scattered about a level to maintain fuel in power generators, extending the time in the round, while the infected players attempt to stop them, or at times, detonate the canisters themselves. New maps specific for this mode have been distributed with the game.
''Left 4 Dead 2'' retains the three game modes of the original game—Campaign, Versus, and Survival—and adds a new game mode called Scavenge. In Campaign mode up to four human players fight against the computer-controlled infected to make their way between safe houses and eventually to rescue; any survivors not controlled by a human player is controlled by the computer. In Versus mode up to four other human players take control of the various Special Infected who try to prevent the Survivors from reaching the next safe house. The two teams swap sides once per chapter and are scored based on their play through as Survivors, with the scoring based on factors such as health, distance traveled and the number of Survivors alive at the end. Survival mode is a timed challenge where the survivors are trapped in a section of the campaign maps, and try to survive as long as possible against an unending onslaught of infected. In the new four-on-four Scavenge mode, the survivor players are required to collect and use as many of the sixteen gas canisters scattered about a level to maintain fuel in power generators, extending the time in the round, while the infected players attempt to stop them, or at times, detonate the canisters themselves. New maps specific for this mode have been distributed with the game.
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The infected in ''Left 4 Dead 2'' are largely unchanged from ''Left 4 Dead''. While referred to as zombies, the infected are humans that have been infected with a mutated strain of rabies. The most numerous infected encountered by the survivors are the "common infected", individually weak, but can swarm and overwhelm the survivors with large numbers. In ''Left 4 Dead 2'', damage dealt to the infected are portrayed more realistically, with bullets tearing off bits of flesh and in some cases, limbs. A new addition to ''Left 4 Dead 2'' are the "uncommon infected" unique to each campaign. By virtue of equipment worn before infection or mutation, they possess an ability that separates them from the common infected. For example, in the Parish campaign the player encounters infected wearing riot gear, making them almost impervious to gunfire from the front, while Dead Center features infected with Hazmat suits immune to fire.
The infected in ''Left 4 Dead 2'' are largely unchanged from ''Left 4 Dead''. While referred to as zombies, the infected are humans that have been infected with a mutated strain of rabies. The most numerous infected encountered by the survivors are the "common infected", individually weak, but can swarm and overwhelm the survivors with large numbers. In ''Left 4 Dead 2'', damage dealt to the infected are portrayed more realistically, with bullets tearing off bits of flesh and in some cases, limbs. A new addition to ''Left 4 Dead 2'' are the "uncommon infected" unique to each campaign. By virtue of equipment worn before infection or mutation, they possess an ability that separates them from the common infected. For example, in the Parish campaign the player encounters infected wearing riot gear, making them almost impervious to gunfire from the front, while Dead Center features infected with Hazmat suits immune to fire.
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As in the first game, there are "special" or "boss" infected in addition to the common infected whose mutations grant them special attacks that make them much more dangerous. The presence of such infected nearby is hinted at by sound effects unique to each type, or with certain musical cues. The five special infected from the first game return in ''Left 4 Dead 2'', some with modified behavior. They are: the Boomer, a bloated infected whose vomit and bile (which may be released at will and upon death) blinds the player briefly and attracts a horde of common infected; the Hunter, an agile infected that can pounce on survivors from great distances; the Smoker, an infected that can ensnare survivors with its long tongue from a distance and, upon death, releases a cloud of smoke that obscures vision; the Tank, a gigantic, muscular infected that is powerful and difficult to kill with the abilities to knock players backwards, dealing massive damage, and attack from afar by throwing a lump of debris or bashing a heavy object towards survivors; the Witch, a passive female infected, who, when provoked by loud sounds, lights, or proximity of survivors, will attack her provoker - she is able to incapacitate or kill the provoker (depending on the difficulty setting) in one hit. If her victims survive, she will attempt to kill them if not killed herself.< In ''Left 4 Dead 2'', the Witch now has the ability to wander aimlessly in certain campaigns, such as "Hard Rain" and "The Parish."
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As in the first game, there are "special" or "boss" infected in addition to the common infected whose mutations grant them special attacks that make them much more dangerous. The presence of such infected nearby is hinted at by sound effects unique to each type, or with certain musical cues. The five special infected from the first game return in ''Left 4 Dead 2'', some with modified behavior. They are: the Boomer, a bloated infected whose vomit and bile (which may be released at will and upon death) blinds the player briefly and attracts a horde of common infected; the Hunter, an agile infected that can pounce on survivors from great distances; the Smoker, an infected that can ensnare survivors with its long tongue from a distance and, upon death, releases a cloud of smoke that obscures vision; the Tank, a gigantic, muscular infected that is powerful and difficult to kill with the abilities to knock players backwards, dealing massive damage, and attack from afar by throwing a lump of debris or bashing a heavy object towards survivors; the Witch, a passive female infected, who, when provoked by loud sounds, lights, or proximity of survivors, will attack her provoker - she is able to incapacitate or kill the provoker (depending on the difficulty setting) in one hit. If her victims survive, she will attempt to kill them if not killed herself.< In ''Left 4 Dead 2'', the Witch now has the ability to wander aimlessly in certain campaigns, such as "Hard Rain" and "The Parish."
Several new Special Infected are introduced in ''Left 4 Dead 2'', all of which are playable in versus and the new Scavenge game mode. The Charger is an infected with a mutated, oversized arm, able to move quickly and knock players in its path off their feet. It can also grab players and smash them against the ground to deal major damage. The Spitter can project balls of stomach acid that splatter across an area, eroding the survivors' health as long as they remain within it. The Jockey can jump onto the back of a survivor and steer them into other infected or terrain traps set by the Director.
Several new Special Infected are introduced in ''Left 4 Dead 2'', all of which are playable in versus and the new Scavenge game mode. The Charger is an infected with a mutated, oversized arm, able to move quickly and knock players in its path off their feet. It can also grab players and smash them against the ground to deal major damage. The Spitter can project balls of stomach acid that splatter across an area, eroding the survivors' health as long as they remain within it. The Jockey can jump onto the back of a survivor and steer them into other infected or terrain traps set by the Director.
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====Racism accusations====
====Racism accusations====
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Willie Jefferson of the ''Houston Chronicle'', after seeing initial promotional material for the game, considered that several of the infected "appear to be African-Americans" implying a racist approach to the game, and also noted that "setting the game in a city that was a scene of dead, bloated bodies floating by" some years after the impact of [[Wikipedia:Hurricane Katrina|Hurricane Katrina]] was "a bad call". While this last objection veers slightly off the issue of racism, it is hard to deny that Left 4 Dead 2 is rich in imagery from stock footage of the Katrina evacuation and flooding.
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Willie Jefferson of the ''Houston Chronicle'', after seeing initial promotional material for the game, considered that several of the infected "appear to be African-Americans" implying a racist approach to the game, and also noted that "setting the game in a city that was a scene of dead, bloated bodies floating by" some years after the impact of [[Wikipedia:Hurricane Katrina|Hurricane Katrina]] was "a bad call". While this last objection veers slightly off the issue of racism, it is hard to deny that Left 4 Dead 2 is rich in imagery from stock footage of the Katrina evacuation and flooding.
Faliszek, commenting on Jefferson's claims, considered the supposition to be "utter insanity", and commented that the infected are a mix of all races, and that the game's version of New Orleans is "not a brick-for-brick representation" of the city and were not trying to make any statement about it with the game. Others noted that the appearance of African-American infected simply reflected the racial diversity of New Orleans. The accusation is further rebutted by the fact that two of the survivors are African-American.
Faliszek, commenting on Jefferson's claims, considered the supposition to be "utter insanity", and commented that the infected are a mix of all races, and that the game's version of New Orleans is "not a brick-for-brick representation" of the city and were not trying to make any statement about it with the game. Others noted that the appearance of African-American infected simply reflected the racial diversity of New Orleans. The accusation is further rebutted by the fact that two of the survivors are African-American.
====Banned in Australia====
====Banned in Australia====
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Left 4 Dead 2 was refused classification in Australia by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC). It failed to gain a MA15+ rating, the highest possible rating for video games, thus preventing the sale of the game within the country.[6] In its report, the OFLC cited the reason for refusing classification as "The game contains violence that is high in impact and is therefore unsuitable for persons aged under 18 to play."[59] However, a small number of members of the OFLC board believed the game could merit the MA15+ rating which was used to publish the first Left 4 Dead. It was expected that changes could be made to the game, as had to be done with Fallout 3, to allow the game to be classified as MA15+ and thus sold in Australia.[60] Both Lombardi and Newell were "surprised" by the classification refusal.[61][62] Valve appealed the OFLC's decision about a week after being notified of the ruling, comparing the sequel to its predecessor, which had been classified as MA15+, and the mature ratings the sequel had received from similar rating organizations around the world.[63] However, as the appeal process, expected to end on October 22, was close to the planned release date, Valve submitted a modified version of the game for classification addressing the concerns the OFLC has stated.[62] This version, which no longer contained images of "decapitation, dismemberment, wound detail or piles of dead bodies", was classified as MA15+ by the OFLC, thus allowing for the game's release in Australia, though Valve and Electronic Arts still hoped to have their preferred, unmodified version classified by the OFLC for release.[64] The appeal of the decision to deny classification to the unedited version of the game was conducted by the independent Classification Review Board, and resulted in the previous ruling to deny classification being sustained. The Classification Review Board cited "insufficient delineation between the depiction of zombie characters and the human figures" as one of the key factors in its classification refusal.[65] Zombified gamers involved in the Epic Zombie Lurch•Left 4 Dead 2's classification refusal, as well as for other recent games such as Fallout 3 and Aliens vs. Predator, has reignited debate over the current prohibition of sale and exhibition of video games for mature audiences.[66] On November 14, 2009, approximately 170 people participated in the "Epic Zombie Lurch" protest in Sydney, Australia, organised by local video gamers in protest of the lack of an R18+ rating for video games in Australia. In mid-December 2009, the Australian government sought public opinion on the adult classification rating for video games, despite statements by South Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson believing the issue to only affect a minority of the country's citizens.
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Left 4 Dead 2 was refused classification in Australia by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC). It failed to gain a MA15+ rating, the highest possible rating for video games, thus preventing the sale of the game within the country.[6] In its report, the OFLC cited the reason for refusing classification as "The game contains violence that is high in impact and is therefore unsuitable for persons aged under 18 to play."[59] However, a small number of members of the OFLC board believed the game could merit the MA15+ rating which was used to publish the first Left 4 Dead. It was expected that changes could be made to the game, as had to be done with Fallout 3, to allow the game to be classified as MA15+ and thus sold in Australia.[60] Both Lombardi and Newell were "surprised" by the classification refusal.[61][62] Valve appealed the OFLC's decision about a week after being notified of the ruling, comparing the sequel to its predecessor, which had been classified as MA15+, and the mature ratings the sequel had received from similar rating organizations around the world.[63] However, as the appeal process, expected to end on October 22, was close to the planned release date, Valve submitted a modified version of the game for classification addressing the concerns the OFLC has stated.[62] This version, which no longer contained images of "decapitation, dismemberment, wound detail or piles of dead bodies", was classified as MA15+ by the OFLC, thus allowing for the game's release in Australia, though Valve and Electronic Arts still hoped to have their preferred, unmodified version classified by the OFLC for release.[64] The appeal of the decision to deny classification to the unedited version of the game was conducted by the independent Classification Review Board, and resulted in the previous ruling to deny classification being sustained. The Classification Review Board cited "insufficient delineation between the depiction of zombie characters and the human figures" as one of the key factors in its classification refusal.[65] Zombified gamers involved in the Epic Zombie Lurch•Left 4 Dead 2's classification refusal, as well as for other recent games such as Fallout 3 and Aliens vs. Predator, has reignited debate over the current prohibition of sale and exhibition of video games for mature audiences.[66] On November 14, 2009, approximately 170 people participated in the "Epic Zombie Lurch" protest in Sydney, Australia, organised by local video gamers in protest of the lack of an R18+ rating for video games in Australia. In mid-December 2009, the Australian government sought public opinion on the adult classification rating for video games, despite statements by South Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson believing the issue to only affect a minority of the country's citizens.
===Post-release reception===
===Post-release reception===
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Left 4 Dead 2 received strong positive reviews from game journalists, praising the changes made with the new melee weapons and firearms, the new strategies introduced through the new special infected, and the details of the southern locale and individual campaigns compared with the campaigns of the first game. Ars Technica praised the game's replayability and the attention put in every detail.[79] Libération, one of the French mainstream newspapers, also praised the game, commenting that Valve was one of the last game studios making games geared toward hardcore PC gamers.[80] IGN considered that the game improved on the first on every way, and that anyone who liked the concepts introduced by the first game should buy the second.[78] Eurogamer also praised the game, and considered that it was "overflowing with personality".[74] Left 4 Dead 2 received the Best Xbox 360 Game award at the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards.
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Left 4 Dead 2 received strong positive reviews from game journalists, praising the changes made with the new melee weapons and firearms, the new strategies introduced through the new special infected, and the details of the southern locale and individual campaigns compared with the campaigns of the first game. Ars Technica praised the game's replayability and the attention put in every detail.[79] Libération, one of the French mainstream newspapers, also praised the game, commenting that Valve was one of the last game studios making games geared toward hardcore PC gamers.[80] IGN considered that the game improved on the first on every way, and that anyone who liked the concepts introduced by the first game should buy the second.[78] Eurogamer also praised the game, and considered that it was "overflowing with personality".[74] Left 4 Dead 2 received the Best Xbox 360 Game award at the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards.
====Technical issues====
====Technical issues====
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==External links==
==External links==
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* [http://www.l4d.com/ '' Left 4 Dead'' official website]
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* [http://www.l4d.com/ '' Left 4 Dead'' official website]
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* [[Wikipedia:Left 4 Dead 2| Left 4 Dead 2]] on Wikipedia
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* [[Wikipedia:Left 4 Dead 2| Left 4 Dead 2]] on Wikipedia
* [http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,28348,26086374-5014239,00.html Article on Australia's Ban on L4D2]
* [http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,28348,26086374-5014239,00.html Article on Australia's Ban on L4D2]