Left 4 Dead 2 - Xbox 360

“Shoot the Jockey, shoot it, shoot it, it’s on my head, SHOOT IT, SHOOT IT! HELP!”

This is the standard conversation you’ll find yourself having when you play Left 4 Dead 2 online, shortly followed by cries of “I’m down, just leave me and run”, as your four-strong team of apocalypse survivors flee over rooftops to escape the zombie hordes chasing you down.

In short, it’s fun – never has the end of the world been so enjoyable.

While the first Left 4 Dead was a great game, its successor ups the play in every single way. There’s more campaigns, more enemies, more weapons, more climax events and more of the frenzied teamwork Valve does so well, it’s the complete package, eclipsing the success of its predecessor in every way.

First off, there are five campaigns, all of which are longer and more exciting than the first game’s four.

Dead Centre is a blast through the remains of shopping mall. Swamp Fever is a battle with mutated mudmen in the swamps of the south. The Parish is a slog through the suburbs, as jazz music plays in the background amid the zombies’ moans. Hard Rain is a battle through a storm to collect fuel, with rain drenching your survivors in torrents of muddy water, and finally Dark Carnival is a brilliant campaign set in an amusement park, which provides some odd contrasts between the zombies and the cheery merry-go-round music.

The zombie roster has also been updated. As well at the Smoker, Hunter, Boomer, Tank (who is still tough to kill) and Witch, there’s now the Spitter- whose acidic spit is deadly, the Charger- who can send survivors flying and pummel one survivor into the ground, and the Jockey- who clambers on to survivors and can steer them off high ledges and into flames, all while cackling like a madman.

The Witches also now wander around during the daylight campaigns- and much hilarity ensues.

Gameplay-wise the game is largely unchanged from left 4 Dead. The characters have to work together to reach safe room after safe room, before fighting off wave after wave of enemies and escaping on a vehicle of some kind.

The survivors can still only carry two weapons- one main weapon and one sidearm or, as a new inclusion to the series, a melee weapon.

The melee weapons themselves range from a fire axe to a machete, baseball bat, Shawn of the Dead-style cricket bat, frying pan (with satisfying ‘donnnnng’ sound effect) and even a chainsaw, which is brilliant for the climax moment when the horde of zombies is closing in.

Throwable weapons are also more varied. While pipe bombs and Molotov’s are still in abundance, a jar of Boomer bile has been added to the mix – useful for distracting zombies, especially if it’s thrown on a tank.

There are also boxes of fragmentation and fire ammo, which can be shared amongst the four, but they are sparse and so should be used carefully.

More rifles and shotguns have also been added, ranging from the powerful AK-47 to an automatic sniper rifle and a combat shotgun with surprising power but a small magazine – a fact I discovered when facing off against one of the ‘uncommon common’ infected- a hideous clown in Dark Carnival.

The ‘uncommon common’ is a new breed of zombie which appears in certain campaigns.

In Dark Carnival the clown (obviously having a bad day at work) attracts zombies to it with its squeaky shoes and giggles.

In Swamp Fever the ‘mudmen’ – bearing a surprising resemblance to a bad 60′s B movie monster – rise from the swamp to grab at your ankles, and in The Parish armoured riot cops shrug off bullets fired at them, but are not immune to a katana thrust to the back of the head.

Though these specials are unplayable, they add a brilliant variety to each campaign, forcing the survivors to work together to counter each enemy with a new strategy.

The previous game’s versus and survival mode also make a welcome return, but the true star of the show is the newly-added ‘scavenge’ mode, which pits survivors against human-controlled specials and NPC zombies in a race to acquire as much petrol from cans spread across the map as possible, before the timer runs out, or all the survivors are dead.

It’s a brilliant addition, and especially useful for those who tire of playing versus mode, only to have to restart thanks to ‘rage quitters’ unable to accept defeat.

Scavenge mode has a much faster pace, with players swapping sides every five minutes or so, rather than every 20.

Graphically the game is not a huge improvement on Left 4 Dead, but the texturing is sharper, there is more detail in the campaign’s many streets and bloated bodies and the hit-detection on the zombies is much more accurate- shoot a zombie in the arm and it will go flipping off into the distance (and don’t get me started on the blood spray from the chainsaw).

The Survivors themselves also seem a little more three-dimensional. While there is very little backstory, the four all have good voice actors and their Southern American drawl doesn’t become as annoying as you would think.

I can’t deny, however, that I preferred the old group, if just for crotchety old Bill and the ever-useless bullet magnet Francis.

Left 4 Dead 2 is more than a worthy successor to Left 4 Dead, improving the game in just about every way. With more missions, modes, weapons, zombies and climax events (including one on the stage of a massive rock concert), there’s a lot to like here, and the multiplayer gameplay is as sharp and as fun as ever. Get four friends together, boot up Dark Carnival and dive in, you will not be disappointed – especially as the revamped AI Director now changes the route you have to travel every time, so it never plays the same way twice.

Score: 9/10

Good Stuff:
More missions, weapons, zombies et al
Great new ‘scavenge’ mode
More multiplayer brilliance

Not So Good Stuff:
Rage quitting still an issue in versus
Dedicated servers can be very, very laggy

Compared to the rather meagre offerings from the MCM Expo last week, Eurogamer was a relative feast for the gaming senses, ranging from the hilarity of ‘new’ Super Mario Brothers Wii to the relative sobriety of Heavy Rain, all in the halls and vaults of the surprisingly massive Old Billingsgate building on the shores of the Thames.

Here’s my highlights from the Expo, but more details are covered in our Game On Podcast: Eurogamer Special, so listen to that too if you get a moment!

Here’s my take on the day’s best offerings:

Battlefield: Bad Company 2
A massive booth set up on the main floor of the building was running BC2 games throughout the day, and with my shiny press pass I was one of the first gamers to get my hands on EA’s hotly-tipped squad shooter. Playing similarly to its predecessor, BC2’s graphics had clearly had an overhaul, and a variety of new vehicles and weapons were on offer.

I jumped on to a quad bike at one point, then hijacked a tank and drove through a building – needless to say EA’s Frostbite graphics engine is still up to the task of simulating dozens of buildings exploding in sequence, so expect more of the falling bricks and mortar of the previous titles.

The enhanced radar and tighter controls were a welcome improvement on the last game, but it remains to be seen wether EA can improve the laggy gaming typically associated with playing Battlefield games online.

Aliens Vs Predator
I missed the last game in this series, and having seen the movies I was hoping Rebellion wouldn’t be using those terrible insults to SciFi as any point of reference for this new game – luckily I was right.

Playing in a booth off the main showfloor, AvP was showing off a deathmatch mode, pitching Colonial Marines (armed with traditional guns and a flashlight) against the deadly aliens (who can clamber over every surface in the game and even cling on to the roof) and the stealthy Predators (who come with the familiar red-tinted heads up display and a wicked pair of claws ideal for ripping the enemy to shreds).

Though the action suffered from a fair few graphical bugs, the game was a blast to play, with each of the three combatants offering their own variety of advantages and disadvantages.

It’s early days for the game though, so wether the high speed of the alien and the Marine’s overpowered pistol-whip will be in the final build is up for debate, but either way, I’ll be keeping an eye on this one.

God of War 3
Ex-servant of the Gods, Kratos, returns in the blood-drenched conclusion to the venerable Playstation series.

Screens in the over-18’s section of the expo (watched over by a suitably massive bouncer) were showing the game in all its brutality, with Kratos in fine form tearing enemies to bits with his familiar chain blades, as well as some funky new magical powers, an improved bow and pair of rather nifty wings.

Also making a return are the massive bosses so beloved by fans of the series, and I can promise that the boss battles are just as spectacular as before – I saw Kratos rip the horn off a demon and stab it through the head with the bony protrusion – It doesn’t get much better than that!

Mass Effect 2
Not much to say here which hasn’t already been discussed.

Sadly BioWare didn’t have any new songs to sing, showing the same game scenes released in earlier months. I was happy to see the improved combat system in full swing, with Spectre agent Commander Shepard gunning down robots and organics in equal measure, pausing now and then to hold a conversation with his target. The wheel of conversation choices I loved so much in the last game (with the added bonus of being able to interupt your partner in mid flow!) also makes a return.

Graphically the game’s had an overhaul, and the ever-annoying pop-in textures seems to have been done away with, hopefully along with the game’s notoriously long elevator loading times…

The Saboteur
Tucked away in the basement was a preview build of Pandemic’s World War 2 shooter. A quick play of this revealed a control scheme familiar to anyone who’s played Star Wars: Battlefront or Mercenaries 2, and the previous game’s open-world action makes a welcome return in this game.

I played my way through a factory level, slaughtering Nazi’s left and right and taking in the interesting colour scheme the developers have implemented, as killing Nazis gradually restores the colour saturation to the area, bringing the world back to life, as it were.
However, the main character’s terrible Irish accent didn’t help the proceedings.

‘New’ Super Mario Bros. Wii
Since this one was Colin’s game of the expo, I’m going to let him write this bit, as though I enjoyed the new Super Mario Bros. I was rubbish at it…

“For me, the game that surprised me most at Eurogamer was Super Mario Brothers Wii. While not really a game that I have paid much attention to, I was vaguely aware that it was due to come out this side of Christmas.

Upon taking the wii-mote from the friendly PR lady I was immediately taken with how familiar the game was. For me, it was almost like hooking up with an old friend.”

“Nintendo have very wisely stuck with the familiar 2D layout, giving the game the retro feel that will appeal to gamers of all ages. Those who fondly remember playing Super Mario Brothers on the NES back in the 80s will feel at home playing this game.

The level we played was 4-player co-op, and was immense fun. I was controlling Luigi and Andy was a toadstool. Needless to say, naturally, I used and abused the opportunity to jump on Andy’s head, several times.

It’s not often I get excited at the release of a Wii game, but this one has perked my interest.”

Left 4 Dead 2
This was the game of the show for me, and the new mode on show – Scavenge – only continued to keep me excited for the return of Valve’s venerable zombie blaster.

Graphically the game hasn’t really changed much, though the textures have clearly had an overhaul.

New weapons were on show though, ranging from a katana and frying pan for melee combat to a whole variety of rifles and pistols. Good thing too, as Valve also bought the new special infected into play, with the Charger – a massive hillbilly who can send survivors flying, and the Jockey – who clambers on to survivors and can steer them off cliffs and into fire (all while screaming horribly) being two particular favourites of mine.

The new mode, Scavenge, pitted the survivors against waves of the infected, while they worked to collect petrol cans and get them back to the safe zone.

This looked a total blast on versus mode, and the relatively short rounds seemed ideal for combating the familiar rage-quitters which mar the Left for Dead versus’ online experience.

I really can’t wait for this one, so watch this space.

So those were the highlights of the expo for me, but to hear more about what Colin and I got up to, along with a whole bunch of hear-say and other whispers of a pair of deranged gaming journos, have a listen to our special podcast.

Among the games tried and tested were:

• God of War III
• Lost Planet 2
• MAG
• Alien vs Predator
• Assassins Creed 2
• Battlefield: Bad Company 2
• Left 4 Dead 2
• Heavy Rain
• (new) Super Mario Brothers Wii

Full written report coming soon.

Surrounded by hundreds of costumed manga fans, my counterpart and I checked in, grabbed our shiny press passes and hit the expo floor.

First on the agenda was Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell: Conviction, which was being shown in action by a Ubi rep.

The action on screen seemed faster than previous titles, with an increased feel of playing ex-Third Echelon agent Sam Fisher as more the aggressor than sneaky spy. The rep quickly grabbed one enemy, before using the ‘mark and execute’ trait to shoot two others in the head, breaking his captive’s neck and shimmying up a nearby pole.

It remains to be seen whether any of the earlier title’s stealth-based sneaking has remained intact in Ubi’s interesting reboot of the series, but I’ll certainly be happy to see Sam’s return in early 2010.

Right across from the Splinter Cell zone another rep was showing off a build of Avatar: The Game.

Avatar

Donning a pair of 3D glasses I studied what appeared to be a decent recreating of the upcoming movie’s lush worlds and brutal firefights, with the rep starting out in a helicopter-hunter-killer-flying-thing before hitting the ground and burning the hell out of a massive, slavering beastie.

The 3D effects were excellent, but I was assured by Ubi rep Phil Brannelly that the effects could be turned off for those of us without a 4,000 inch TV screen. Appearing to be a decent cross of Cameron’s world with a Gears of War-style shooter, it remains to be seen whether Avatar will break the trend of rubbish film tie-in games.

Bayonetta

Across a busy street of massive sword-wielding manga fans I spied the raven locks of Bayonetta, Sega’s latest slice-em-up, which features a witch who carries a sword, user her hair and clothing as a weapon, can conjure up a giant boot to kick anything into the distance and has a gun strapped to each limb.

Playing very similarly to Devil May Cary, I was quite drawn with Bayonetta’s outlandish attacks and artistic style, but I fear the game is too similar to Devil May Cry to really stand out on its own. But, from what I played, it hasn’t ruined the simple ‘slice things, shoot things, repeat’ method of the DMC games, and so will no doubt be a riot of action in early 2010.

Hidden away in a nearby metal container was a build of Valve’s necrotic flesh-em-up Left 4 Dead 2, which will offer more missions, more guns, and more of the brilliant co-op action the series does so well.

Though I didn’t get to play it (there was a large queue of spiky-haired ninja in the way) it looked like as much fun as the last game, and a representative promised me it will lay fan’s fears to rest after the ‘boycott Left 4 Dead 2’ campaign took root in a disappointed fanbase.

The queue for Left 4 Dead 2

Leaving the zombiefied remains of new Orleans, we swung by Lego Rock Band’s stall, where a team of confused-looking people dressed as anime animals were trying to pull off the Kaiser Chief’s Ruby while little Lego versions of the Chiefs danced on the screen – this is just more of the same old Rock Band I fear, just with Lego – it will be interesting to watch the sales figures for yet another Rock Band title, and whether or no the public have cottoned on to the money making scheme yet.

2K was up next, who were showing the E3 video of Bioshock 2 – in all its art deco loveliness – on one wall, and had about 30 gamers blowing enemy after enemy away on Borderlands on the other four.

Though reviews for Borderlands have been overwhelmingly positive, I took the time to ask PR director Alex Bickham why the 2K team decided to do away with the realistic feel of the game and instead replace it with a cel-shaded, cartoon style for the wasteland shoot-and-loot experience.

“It was an insurrection.” He told me, furiously handing out posters to the game’s many fans, “the team took the build and went off and added the cel-shading behind the developer’s back, then they came back, showed it to the team and the bosses and they were like ‘wow’, so we decided to go with that.”

Not one for cel-shading myself, Colin thinks it’s sure to be a fun title to play, and was wondering if the wasteland scavenger approach (which brought back memories of the excellent Fallout 3) might have had something to do with Borderland’s makeover? Either way, the game looked like a fast-paced shoot-em-up with a decent co-op experience tagged on, and we’re sure to have a review of that for you soonest.

Wandering amongst the katanas and bunny ears, we came across the final gem MCM had to offer us – Star Trek Online, the MMORPG sensation which has got every Trekkie jumping up and down at the chance of becoming a starship captain – including Colin.

Star Trek Online

While I settled in to play a decent build of the space combat section, happily blowing away Klingon ships with my starship’s weaponry in a very pretty space theatre, Colin asked an assistant (whose name he forgot to write down…) a few Trekkie questions:

Who can you play as?
“You can play as a federation officer, a Klingon, Vulcan or a Romulan.”

What about the Borg?
“You can’t play as the Borg yet, but we are considering that for DLC.  The Borg are definitely going to feature in the game – in a mission you will have to defeat them in a space battle.  They are going to be huge and it will take about 20 players to defeat them”.

What is the plot?
“It’s set 30 years after the movie Star Trek: Nemesis, and there is a big political struggle around the Neutral Zone.  It’s an endless universe and there will be various missions for you to check out.  It will be presented in episodic form to give the player that typical weekly TV impression”

Does the JJ Abrams vision of Star Trek feature in that at all?
“There’s a funny story about that.  The development team went to see the film last summer, by which point the game had been in production for 3 or 4 years.  As we watching it we all gasped in horror when Vulcan was destroyed – but by the end of it we all like ‘oh ok, this is a new timeline, so it shouldn’t affect anything. But yeah, since the game is a MMO there is plenty of scope for sending players to different timelines – a recurring theme in the Star Trek series”.

Personally I found the space combat bit to be a little tricky to master, with a difficult and unruly camera that was, I was told, able to be clamped to the rear of the starship – I just couldn’t find the option to do it. Other than that it was great fun, shooting phasers and firing torpedoes into wave after wave of Klingon ships. The ground section, which was a ‘rough build’ (in the assistant’s words), was a bit jagged around the edges, but judging by the commitment the team have put into the game I’m expecting Star trek Online to be something special – so watch this space.

And so, our business done, Col and I made for the Jubilee line, dodging dozens of manga fans, people clutching signs offering ‘free hugs’ (what’s all that about? Answers on a postcard please), and made our escape.

Expect a report from next week’s Eurogamer event soon!