User Score
8.4 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1574 Ratings

User score distribution:

Review this game

  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
  1. AkaneD
    Dec 7, 2009
    0
    Got it as a gift from a friend that wanted to relive some of the the fun we had in L4D1. It got boring in about 2 weeks (since it's basically just a 'prettier' version of L4D1 with a couple added gimmicks). He went back to TF2, I'm playing L4D1 again with addon maps. If you liked L4D1 but played it to death, you'll get bored really fast with L4D2. The nice thing is it seems most of the griefers moved to L4D2. Fine by me. Expand
  2. TimotheeB
    Nov 22, 2009
    2
    Maybe there is new stuff, maybe there are new weapons, campaigns, characters, special infected and so on, but the greatest problem I can see in L4D2 is that the atmosphere of the first game is completely lost... Whereas in L4D first of name, there's always a bit of gloom, a sense of expectation and an environment in which you really need your torch and in which the witch's red eyes shine out from where she sits and weeps, in the second L4D, all of the tension is removed by the brightly coloured characters (look at all of their clothes...) and the fact that buildings look all nice and pretty. Yes, there are a few wrecks and broken windows, but Valve in this case has put too much emphasis on making a much lighter game that might be more fun for some people, but that loses the main reason you played the first one: tension in co-op, relying on your teammates when for example reloading (you can't see a thing most of the time when reloading), or anticipation as you hear a witch sobbing, turn your flashlight off and creep around looking for red eyes... I of course also think that valve should have given us the promised updates rather than packaging them into another game, but that's probably another issue altogether. All in all, I think that L4D2 does add a lot of content to the first L4D, but that it removes the essential elements that made the first L4D so brilliant to play. Expand
  3. lukeg
    Dec 18, 2009
    3
    whats the point of this game if you dont like online gaming. there is no decent story and gameplay gets so repetative i was bored within 5 mins, levels are badly maped and AI are just a pain at times.
  4. ChrisP
    Dec 29, 2009
    4
    Ok im a die hard left 4 dead fan and i have spent countless hours playing l4d1. I was so excited about l4d2 that i had it pre-ordered and everything. once i got this sucker i was a little dissapointed on how its' just a plain knock-off of the first one. i was expecting a better feel, not some half-assed work that Valve has made. Valve has done better than this and they still are currently my favorite game designers but l4d2 was one of the games gone wrong Expand
  5. Sep 9, 2010
    9
    This is is trully amazing than L4D. There are lotta improvements ,gameplay, and a bit storylines too.... The graphics are nice too....but i think the Valve company is too rushed about this game bcoz this game release after 1 year making a L4D...... The multiplayers is great but lag can cause the people to go annoyed....like the incoming attack. Bugs and glitches are not much since the updates were released. Expand
  6. Sep 25, 2010
    0
    It is the best game in the world! In it there is all - Replaying, fascination, she class, interesting. I say thank big to developers! In Russia game costs 600 roubles - the real price for such game! First a part of game much more interesting - she interesting and characters is more attractive than the second part better...
    All I shall advise to get this game, you will not regret cent, you
    will be keen in this game for a long time and if you have friends - that tell and let they will buy it, they will not regret! Expand
  7. Nov 23, 2010
    8
    Don't listen to the haters, this game is better than l4d1. The versus is more balanced and has more special infected, more weapons, more everything, it's just more better.

    They're currently importing some of the original maps, and adding more content to this one so unless you like playing with sub 4k players and waiting in lobbies, there isn't any reason to pick up the first over this one
    .

    Overall definitely a solid team based fps for those of you who hate fps.
    Expand
  8. Nov 7, 2010
    6
    The game can be very entertaining, especially when playing with friends. If you like just spraying zombies down it can keep you entertained for a long time, but for me it simply lacked the competitive touch. Even versus games just seem more like PvE than PvP. If there wasn't any prequel to it, I would have given it a 8. But what really pissed me off is that valve makes us pay for an other game, which hasn't really changed that much. All the new content in L4D2 should have just been released in a content update, now that I own both I would naturally prefer playing L4D2. But if I had known there wouldn't be more to it, I wouldn't have bothered getting it Expand
  9. May 14, 2011
    6
    This is an amazing game. Valve has put a lot of effort into balancing the game and improving its graphics, and it makes for an enjoyable multiplayer experience with friends. However, the game has quite a few fundamental flaws. The versus games often end very early due to a whole team ragequitting. This makes it very difficult to actually play an enjoyable game. The single player mode is unplayable, there is no way to work with a team of bots. The ability to restart a chapter or return to a lobby is often abused by teams when they first lose. A game can be lost because a single player will not cooperate, and either rushes or uses his own strategy.There are many greifers. Though many of these issues are beyond valve's control, they severely detract from the experience of the game. I do not recommend you buy this game unless you have at least one or two friends who will play it with you to avoid these issues with the multiplayer game. Expand
  10. May 14, 2011
    1
    After more than 300 hours in game, i must say, it was waste of time. This game has become garbage. Community is full of arrogant no-life emo kids. People are leaving over and over. Maps are buggy and every new update is worse than one before. It's really time for Valve to create new game engine, otherwise there will be no reason to buy expensive and old looking games.
  11. Apr 19, 2011
    10
    Most negative ratings seemed to have come after this game initial release. I can understand where people are coming from in being die hard L4D1 fans previously. However, i started with L4D2 first over a year ago, and it is the BEST online game i have played to date. I bought L4D2 about 6 months ago and while it still have that awesome L4D gameplay, it was just nowhere near as polished as 2 for me. I like in 2 how there is comedy and interesting levels, where 1 seems to have focused more on the horror effect, where there is a dark and gloomy atmosphere. To be honest, i don't see how the atmosphere really makes the game better or worse.

    Left 4 Dead 2 has a huge replay value. You can go on and on and constantly learn new things. I personally play all game types, but usually prefer versus. This is one of those games where it will constantly evolve into a better game. The online community is still very strong (even in 1). It is definitely hard to start off when you don't know maps etc. My suggestion is to read/watch some strategy guides or videos.
    Expand
  12. May 21, 2011
    10
    This is one of the best game ever. Plenty of fun with friends and a very enjoyable versus mode. The coop system is the best ever seen in the games history. The animations are incredibly fluid, some of the best I've seen so far in a game. The dialogues are great, the characters say a lot of different things and are never annoying or ripetitive. Definitely a masterpiece!
  13. Jul 7, 2011
    4
    If it weren't for the 90% of players I've played with that were complete *******, I would've given this game a 8 or 9. Unfortunettely I can't enjoy a game where almost everyone game I've joined, there will be some elitist **** that'll complain about everything, rip through the map while leaving the rest of the team behind, and won't help their teammates for ****.
  14. Dec 26, 2011
    4
    Valve is amazing, and Steam has forever changed how I look at PC gaming. Unfortunately though, not everything Valve touches is gold. For example, this game. L4D1 was a lot of fun, and I would have rated it maybe an 8, since it was a great casual pick-up-and-play game, but not good for long periods. This game, however, is fun for maybe 15 minutes at a time. I enjoy challenges, but I loathe when games can only make it more difficult by being annoying (every Nintendo game ever, I'm looking at you). This game is an absolute joke in single player; don't even try it. I know it wasn't designed for single player, but even multiplayer is bad. The original (L4D1) special zombies were bloat, witch, smoker, hunter, tank, 3/5 of which will incapacitate you in 1 hit, and 1/5 of which will incapacitate you just about as quick. So you need a good team. In L4D2, there are MORE special infected such as charger, jockey, and spitter, 2 of which will incapacitate you in 1 hit as well. Now given that witches and tanks aren't ever spawned in the random waves the "producer" throws at you, that gives you 4/6 of the special zombies coming at you will incapacitate you in one hit (meaning while you may be alive, you can't shoot or otherwise help your teammates), so playing this game, there will be MULTIPLE times each level where you will be the only one still moving around while your 3 teammates are unable to help. While this may sound like chaotic fun (and possibly is if you're drunk), it gets really annoying REALLY fast. Add that on top of the fact that the "producer" in this game throws waves at you like a twitching 5-year-old who can't keep his hands off the keyboard, and friends you're playing with will decide "I'm done" after 2 or 3 attempts. Not fun. This game is seriously a mild update from L4D1, but it's one that I wish could be undone. Oh wait, it can, I'll just go play L4D instead. Or Killing Floor. I seriously regret buying this game. Expand
  15. Oct 31, 2011
    7
    Let's get one thing straight. L4D2 is not a mere expansion pack. It's not Left 4 Dead 1.5, but Left 4 Dead 2.0 as the title suggests. There's twice as many guns, melee weapons can be used as secondary, new equipment and grenades, new enemies, more campaigns which last longer, new characters who join originals and new maps as well as new game modes. There's Realism, scavenge and more maps for survival. It's a new game alright- a great continuation from Left 4 Dead. So why do I only give it 7/10? Simply put, the game's appeal doesn't last too long. No matter how much you add to it, killing zombies gets boring very quickly. The achievements, as usual with Valve games, are creative but pointless. Zombies in CoD are way more addicting even without achievements. If you liked Left 4 Dead, this is definitely worth gettiing. But despite the AI director in both games, it's just not addicting. I suppose in CoD Zombies it's addicting to beat your best. Here, in survival mode, it just doesn't grip me at all. Maybe it's the gameplay mechanics, maybe it's that in CoD you get 2 types of zombie. Issues still exist with the AI though. They'll try to heal you when you don't need it, for example, in the middle of a horde. Their only use is as a storage for all the pills and healthpacks you didn't pick up. Generally, Valve's shooter doesn't feel like a 2009/10 release due to the Counter-strike gameplay. With their games, it's much more about the concept rather than the intricate details. Overall, the game is a complete package, since you get survival, co-op, single-player, and competitive multiplayer where you play as the zombies as well. It's a good game, but still not one I'd want to play for a long time. Expand
  16. Oct 27, 2011
    0
    The addition of new weapons and a few of the maps is the only positive thing I can possibly say about this game. After Valve rushed this game without properly supporting the first Left 4 Dead, I told myself I would not purchase Left 4 Dead 2. I finally gave in and as the demo had suggested, this game sucked and continues to suck. No matter what hardware I've played on, the game will randomly lag for 1 to 2 seconds (online and offline). The characters (survivors) are not very well developed, leaving your with boring dialogue, annoying voices with no way to relate to the characters. The old special infected look and sound really stupid. In general, I'm against DLC's, but I would much rather have paid 49.99 for an original L4D DLC that added all the new maps, weapons, and cool game types like Mutation, Scavenger etc... Gabe I am disappoint. Expand
  17. Oct 26, 2012
    5
    I've actually had this game for around 2 years, I just haven't gotten around to reviewing it till now. That said, I don't play it that often.

    The Negatives: Pretty typical plot and equally typical enemies. You have the big slow but strong enemy with lots of health, the kamikaze enemy who explodes if you let him get too close, and the normal zombies don't do much other than run into your
    bullets or melee. Then you have three basically identical enemies who incapacitate you and then you need someone else to help you out.

    The positive: The multiplayer is where the game shines - with good planning you can quickly kill the opposing team and if you are the humans then you need to have quick reflexes and be able to adapt to the situation fast.

    Unfortunately, there are times when it is wiser to just let your teammates die because they died much further behind everyone else and going back risks the entire team. I don't feel that is great team play, but that's how the game works out sometimes.

    At the end of the day, if you enjoy a pvp oriented first person shooter that requires a bit more than just point and shoot you will enjoy this game. If your more of a single player or your looking for an interesting story... keep looking.

    Even in purely pvp standpoint I would recommend quite a few other FPS shooters before this one unless you love zombies or something.
    Expand
  18. Nov 1, 2012
    5
    I don't understand how this game got so many high ratings, a very overrated game. Game play is extremely shallow, its basically just a shooting gallery over and over. Zombie ai is pathetic and levels are very boring. I only spent 5$ on it during steam sale and I almost feel ripped off. If you just want to play with a friend and blast through waves of zombies and THAT IS IT, then hey this game may be for you, otherwise keep clear. Expand
  19. Jun 1, 2012
    5
    Rating of this game really depends on YOUR circumstances. What I mean is, if you have a ton of gamer friends who play at the same times/frequency as you, this game can be GREAT fun, especially with versus matches. If on the other hand, you do NOT have a ton of friends you can play with, the general community of L4D2 is some of the worst I have ever seen. Because the game content is so limited, multiplayer is very important to the longevity of this game. Often I have encountered all varieties of douches - whether they use up all the health packs just to troll, refuse to help their teammates, run off like Rambo into the distance and then die, join your expert level difficulty games in which they gun everyone down before leaving immediately, abuse the microphone and kicking functions, rage quitters left and right, team killers - really, the list is endless. The randoms community is generally terrible to play a game with, particularly in versus. In my own personal experience, I have a survival rate of 99% and never get accuracy below 30%, I frequently get accused of hacking because of my ability to spot enemies and dispatch them quickly, often (90%+) top damage in versus, and yet I have often been the scapegoat for "why we are losing", and subsequently kicked despite being decently skilled as survivors and zombies. It could just be terrible luck of the draw, but you definitely encounter these kinds of folks if you play this game with randoms. While you cannot blame the developers for attracting such a freak show, there are plenty of other things you can still blame them with. If you like single player, you will find that it the game is basically L4D1 in mechanics, graphics and gameplay. The new weapons are more like an expansion pack than an entire sequel, and while levels are very different experiences, it is so much the same game they easily ported the L4D1 maps over. Story line is minimal as it was in the previous L4D, and levels are still designed so that in reality, you could easily avoid lots of the terrible situations they put themselves in by simply climbing a fence. There are a lot of piss-off-the-horde-and-then-dash-through-them scenarios, where if you stop pushing you will most certainly die because of your ammo will run out, and zombies like to run these comically stupid zig-zags which make them more difficult to shoot, but make absolutely no sense. My overall verdict: if its $5 on steam, it's a good deal. If you have lots of friends who will play, it's great fun. Overall its neither novel nor spectacular in any sense. Expand
  20. May 7, 2012
    10
    A great game.The graphics are nice, the campaigns awesome and the new infected are really nice to play with in versus mode! The game modes are interesting and challenging, requires intelligence to play as Infected to hit-and-run.The price isn't very high (13.99 euro here) and it is totally worth it!
  21. May 9, 2012
    9
    Left 4 Dead 2 is bloody, fun and really successful. Not only multipalyer is fun, even the single player is fun. It doesn't want hard specs and It's amazing. The only bad thing there is that It doesn't have checkpoint in single player. Overall, it is amazing! (9.1)
  22. May 21, 2012
    10
    L4D2 was the first L4D I've played and I like it very much. I give out 10 of 10 points because the game does what a game should to do: Fun.
    I play the whole time VS and sure, sometimes you've got problems with flamers and griefers, but sometimes you've got also good teams and a lot of fun. One of the best MP-FPS I've played.
  23. Jun 1, 2012
    4
    You shoot zombies with other people. That's literally the entire game, and it's only multiplayer too. Would have been much more impressive with some interesting guns or mechanics, taking the semi-realism path for developing this game was a huge mistake. Even though the gameplay is garbage, the aesthetics are pretty good and I don't think I'll be forgetting the voice acting any time soon.
  24. Jun 2, 2012
    0
    L4D is one of rare games where I really cried for money spend. Even if game is bad I never complain because people did a lot of effort to make a game. L4D is just too bad game. If you want 4 player MP COOP go for Payday: The Heist. Skip L4D is BIG CIRCLE!!!!
  25. Jul 5, 2012
    7
    Im predominantly a Single Player gamer, and prefer solo rounds to online play, partly due to stupidity online, and poor ping rates in Australia. So, simply put, L4D2 is NOT a single player game. Sure it has that mode, but its limited, poorly balanced, annoying, and does not even play through like a normal storyline. Instead you have to manaually set up each story separately, and remember where you are up to between games. It really feels like they have just tacked it on the end of the game to say "its a single player game too". All the fun modes of play are NOT available in single player. As for your "team mates" in single player. They are nearly useless. They dont keep up, they dont protect you, they get separated easily, and why is it you are the only one that can do stuff like pick up fuel cans, de-fib units etc?! Im also sick of playing 3/4 of the way through a story on Advanced difficulty, only to have some random tough enemy wipe out the whole team. All in All, its not bad for a cheap thrill, and it is good to pick up and play if you are only in the mood for a quick round of massacring zombies, but if you want a zombie shooter with decent Single Player capability, and a story, then forget it. Expand
  26. Jul 25, 2012
    6
    I'm disappointed in this game. I thought it would be ... better. The lack of driving story coupled with the mindless zombie shooting almost makes me want my money back. One redeming feature - multiplayer, which the game focuses on. Even with this, it's still not that great a game unless you just want to run around shooting zombies in the face because you're mad. Can't wait for Resident Evil 6... I'll never get another Left 4 Dead game. Expand
  27. Dec 14, 2012
    6
    Im not saying this game is bad, but its too similiar to original l4d. They added like 20 new things and most of them are useless melee weapon etc. From a steam sale its worth buying but wouldnt have paid full prize back then when the game was released.
  28. Oct 8, 2012
    9
    just like the first game it was a huge sucsess and an enjoable game, story was actually interesting , and made me connect to the characters, the graphics were pretty good as well, and new weapons and the option for melee made killing zombies a whole new level of fun, and even the small jokes every now and than are great! people thought it might be a bad idea to make another l4d but they were wrong, ohh they were so wrong! Expand
  29. Nov 14, 2012
    5
    Let's be clear- this is a multiplayer game. There is no other reason to play it. I enjoy playing games by myself and as such did not have a very good experience with this game. With that said, I did play multiplayer a few times, but the repetitive gameplay detracted from my experience. There's very little variation in your encounters with zombies. I feel like I would've been better off playing Borderlands. Expand
  30. MoizR
    Dec 20, 2009
    5
    Story and background seems a definite downgrade from the last game, especially the characters. I really hate the hill-billy setting. No great improvement in graphics and AI is complete shit. It completely kills the game if you're playing a really fun match and someone quits and a douchebag AI replaces him. Game is completely overpriced, its NOT worth more than what you can get from similarly priced games. Expand
  31. GustavoF
    Dec 27, 2009
    10
    I dont know yet why people still talks about L4D2 like a "DLC" a month after its release. Strange complains like "I got stuck through the levels" (?) looks dummier. Does this people really played the game more than 15 minutes? L4D2 makes the gaming experience of L4D1 even better IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY without taking away the Left 4 Dead original style. New campaigns, new weapons, new characters, new special infected, and overall, a totally new way to play L4D. Awesome job, Valve. Expand
  32. michaels
    Dec 20, 2009
    10
    i lurve this game. fun to the max for hours on end. the new zombies add a spectacular pizazz to a already awesome game. It seem to be more difficult than its predecessor but who doesn't like a challenge. Get it and MAN up, beat expert!!
  33. AndréP
    Dec 30, 2009
    10
    No other zombie game can beat l4d2. First, new infected, new weapons, new campaigns, new survitvors, best graphics. Included scavenger and realism mode that are great. Added more items to heal ( adrenaline, and defibrilator). Added melle weapons ( chainsaw, machete, fying pan, weapon of the police( i dont now how its called). Awsome versus.
  34. shawnd
    Dec 3, 2009
    10
    L4D2 was perhaps released to quickly for the major populace of L4D players around the world, but it was also done strategcally to grasp the players attention again while the game was in its prime. I think this accomplished two things, one, it made a killing financially, and two, it changed the dynamic of the game itself before dedicated players got to used to the gameplay of L4D1. This new dynamic is definitely a lot more thought out that it was in L4D1, which looking back, seems like more of an experament than anything. However, if there is one gaming company that deserves my 10 on their game, it is valve. This game gets a 10 out of 10 from me. Expand
  35. MartyB
    Dec 5, 2009
    5
    An average game from an average franchise, for casual players only. If you have a few minutes to spare, jump online and play through a map, otherwise, if you're interested in tactical zombie killing, Killing Floor is a more suitable option. No character growth makes Marty a sad player. Melee weapons overpowered, and the new special infected are silly - Jockey? Give me a break. Leave this to the children who need a crosshair. Booya! I went there. Expand
  36. HansM
    Dec 7, 2009
    10
    If you liked L4D, you will love L4D2. Better game dynamics, more SI, more weapons. This game is significantly more difficult than L4D1. Expert Realism mode will make you empty your bladder.
  37. MichaelR
    Dec 7, 2009
    9
    other then a handful of very minor problems and a few personal preferences L4D2 is truly a masterpiece of a game. It takes all that was in L4D1 and reboots it with better ... well... everything.
  38. AdlaiH
    Dec 7, 2009
    10
    This game is fantastic. I only played a bit of L4D1 and thought it was decent. L4D2 takes it to a whole new level and completely fleshes it out. Fantastic.
  39. JonnyC
    Dec 8, 2009
    9
    Those who indulge in the self-satisfying blasphemy of this game, due to it supposedly being "just like the original", or " just an expansion" (to the original) are incredibly pathetic, and uninformed claims. As you will find with ANY quick and easy Google search, or shoot, simply a quick run-through on the demo, you will know first-hand that this game is a NEW- and IMPROVED game. Of course, Left 4 Dead (1) was such an original game, many felt that to play through it was an, almost, religious experience. And ok, so Valve may have had hopes of providing you with more than 3 substantial DLC's for the original - but thoses are all FREE - and they've already provided 2/3 of that content. I'm sorry, onto Left4Dead 2 - I've played this game extensively on PC AND XBox 360... no doubt about it - PC reigns supreme . The graphics are so much more defined, and the gibs are so overwhelming, that when I played the 360 version, I thought maybe there was a bug (that was omitting such quality gibs). ANYWAYS - look, if you own a PC that can run TF@, or L4D (1, original), or Half-life 2 ep's - you'll HAVE NO REGRETS purchasing L4D2. It's my newest favorite game since the original! Expand
  40. TeddyBear
    Dec 9, 2009
    10
    Left4Dead 2 is great, even better than the first. They improved so much...additional weapons, more special infected and campaign challenges. The melee weapons are just fun, period (chainsaw, hehe). The spitters force the group split up by running from the acid, the charger can take out the entire team, the jockey, though hilarious, can be a menace. As for the campaigns, wow, running along a roller coaster, making your way through a building infested with witches, or a parking lot completely stocked with alarm cars, and Hard Rain, having to conserve items for the run back to the boat. I can go on and on about how fun this game is, but I won't. Go find out for yourself. Happy Hunting Expand
  41. HarryR
    Jan 10, 2010
    10
    Played first part already, and was not satisfied when i heared of a full-priced release by valve. but now i must admit, that it is one of the best games i have ever played, considered the fun you have with a couple of friends. Would it be a single player game, it would get some 6 or 7 points for the scenario. but fun only starts with friends coming along.
  42. BrunoB
    Jan 1, 2010
    10
    The game is perfect there are some bugs but it is because it is pretty new. So... You've got to play at least 1 day to understand everything.
  43. GarethW
    Jan 11, 2010
    9
    Having played the first game, i was wondering what Left 4 Dead 2 would offer that it hadn't already offered us in the first game. The demo suggested very little, and I thought to myself perhaps it'd be foolish to buy such a game, when the first Left 4 Dead is satisfactory enough. But it was when there were hordes of zombies coming towards us, a tank coming out from behind a corner, and a friend of mine shouting random orders into my ear whilst the rest of us complied, did I realise that it is just so much fun to play! When you've got 3 good friends, who understand the mechanics of the game, and will watch out for your back whilst you watch theirs do you actually have fun. It is an easy game to get immersed into, as there is so much going on. People complain against the replay factor, saying that there isn't one, but there is! Even when you play the same campaign with the same friends as the same people taking the same routes, there is always something different. The game itself is also a vast improvement on its predeccesor. Graphics are improved, but most of all, there is a story being played underneath it all, which reminds me of what Valve does best in its games like Portal and Half-Life. I found it easier to identify with the characters in Left 4 Dead 2 than in Left 4 Dead, and i found the story to be much better as well. There was more humour, but that didn't take away what could be perceived as... for use of a better phrase... the fear factor. Left 4 Dead 2 has some of the best written campaigns in any game (pointing fingers at Hard Rain here, with two thumbs up). Also, to sum up quickly, cause anyone reading this will be bored to tears, melee weapons... where have you been all our lives? Overall, a much needed improvement upon the first game, and easily renders it obselete. Expand
  44. PsiSonic
    Jan 13, 2010
    10
    for all of you guys out there thinking left 4 dead 2 is garbage or just a complete waste of time, l4d2 is way better in so many ways than the first one. Some say that the game is bad because there are some day and night scenes in the game making it less scary. Valve wanted to make the game as realistic as possible. I found out that adding melee weapons were quite useful when getting out of a horde. Expand
  45. DiggerDogg
    Jan 15, 2010
    9
    This is the only co-op game where I can quickly find people to play with. I enjoy playing games with familiar and unfamiliar people, and Left 4 Dead 2 lets me do that easily. Without the co-op multiplayer action, I'd probably be rating the game only 6. The game itself, is less fun for me than Left 4 Dead 1, but it scores better marks for being fresh, and having many more people still playing regularly. What bothers me most about this game is the melee weapons. After 200 hours of play, they still seem idiotic to me, breaking my immersion in the game - it's hard to believe in a sword relyably taking down 4 common opponents in a swing, let alone a heavy frying pan taking out 5. However, the game is set up in such a way that one can't survive very well without a melee weapon. Thankfully, the maps are set up in such a way that a sniper rifle is usually quite effective. I'd forgotten how much I like one-shot, one-kill weapons. (Jan 18, 2010) Expand
  46. JakeC
    Jan 21, 2010
    2
    The game is unplayable most of the time, because of the worthless servers which either have: 1) horrible ping 2) annoying mods/custom content The game is also filled with bugs of all sort. Why did they have to rush out with this piece of shit anyways? Fix the useless servers and bugs and I would give the game an 7, the game costs too much for what it delivers compared to the first game.
  47. NickP
    Jan 4, 2010
    9
    Great game, don't get me wrong, but it definitely was a little rushed. Some of the things like special ammo (incendiary and explosive rounds) seem a bit silly in my opinion. The special ammo just wipes out CI as if they weren't there to begin with. The AI is just hands down purely awful. I've seen better AI coded by children than this. It seems really rushed like Valve did everything first but then in the last 3 days before the demo they started working on the AI, both infected and survivor AI. Character design isn't as...well...great, as compared to the first one. I definitely prefer Zoey over Rochelle any day. Expand
  48. KyleH
    Feb 16, 2010
    10
    By far one of the best games I have ever played. I have read some of the negative comments and I think it is really absurd. They are treating this game way too realistically. In fact, I have never really cared for the small stuff to begin with because I was trying to survive throughout the game. Frankly speaking, you just don't have the time to be looking at small details. The main reason why I give this game a 10 is because of co-op. Team work is extremely crucial if you want to survive and beat the campaign. It took me almost 100 hours to beat all the campaigns on expert. Yeah I suck, but I had a great time. If you really want to feel a sense of accomplishment don't play the game on lower difficulty, play it on expert! It just takes away the fun if you play on easy, normal or advanced. In my opinion the re playability of this game is great. Expand
  49. GuillaumeL.
    Feb 21, 2010
    10
    This game, and the one before, was the answer to all my desire as a gamer and zombie fan. The teamworks required make the game even more interesting. You can't be a good player and win everytime alone, you need to be a good TEAM player, and that's what I like. It's also the game I've heard the more '' Sorry'' for all the friendly fires. The difficulty level of the Expert Realism mode is simply fantastic, being a challenge every time you play it, not matter how good you are... and if it's became boring to you, please friend me, I need you haha. Expand
  50. WalterG.
    Feb 23, 2010
    8
    This game is pretty much a love/hate game becouse its a sequel of a great game, but with some changed properties. I didnt buy L4D and thats maybe why i like this game. Graphics are very good but some animations doesnt seem right, like zombies' punches are pretty slow. I think the reason why they didnt put a RADAR was becouse a RADAR makes it so much easier for rushers. I agree with Onslaught that there is a awful damage output on firearms, compered to melee weapons. The add-on feature is great but you need to download much to play them. Two things i absolutely hate about this game is the bots and the servers etc.. I got clawed and killed by a witch and my bots are just standing aside or grabbing ammo. The server selection is not that good. You cant choose which game you'll enter so that is very hard to return to the same server. Also, I always find myself alone against 4 other players on versus. Or then my ping is 300 or more. But becouse i fixed those problems by replacing my wireless connection with a cable and editing some of my internet-settings, it wont lower my score. Great gameplay with new special infected and good effects and campaigns. Some things like finding defibrillator in a hotel or in the swamps and fuealtanks in a mall seems unrealistic. So why i gave 8/10 was great graphics, gameplay, features and level design. Some downsides are few animations, unrealistical item placements and stupid bots Expand
  51. Justblazed
    Feb 3, 2010
    10
    The only reason these kids are giving it a bad review is cuz this game isnt noob friendly. these are the kids that join the servers run away from the team get pounced by a hunter and die. This is what a true fps is suppose to be like. Its all about teamwork and fast reaction time. If you gave it a 1-7 its because you suck at this game no question about it. Go play a game that is easy like COD.
  52. kinkalor
    Feb 9, 2010
    8
    I was a big fan of L4D 1 and now have L4D2. I have been playing for a while and feel that not as much work was put into L4D2. There are some rough corners, some glitching and lag, where sometimes your shots dont register. Left For Dead 2 also did not seem to have the imagination put into it, the charecters are dull and don't develope. The difficulty of the games has incresed suffinciently. Although Left 4 dead 2 has several flaws, the setting is cool! Expand
  53. EricC
    Mar 17, 2010
    7
    First off, let me say that the 8 is calculated by giving the gameplay a solid 9, the graphics 8, and replayability 9. However, the biggest drawback in this game is perhaps the most important thing in multiplayer games, the community. I've seen more ragequitters, more whiners, more assholes who call each other the most shocking things than in any other multiplayer FPS I've ever played. This game is not like Counter-Strike, while individual skill play a larger role (don't get me wrong, I love Counter-Strike). This game is all about teamwork. You might be a expert on other FPS's but that doesnt guarantee that you are good in Left 4 Dead 2. The game isn't exactly noob-friendly either as Justblaze already said. What I want to see in this game is more content as well. Yes, there are alot of custom campaigns and maps (more coming all the time) but I can't see anyone playing them in any of the game modes. Bottom line: Buy this game if you intend to play it with friends. It just might be best FPS you can play. But if you play it without any friends, IRL or not, it won't be nearly as fun. Expand
  54. ThatGuy
    Mar 21, 2010
    7
    L4D2 is a fun and different game. The coop feels good and rewarding, but there is something wrong. I don't know what it is, but the first one was better. The first game had a feel to it, it felt more different. I know that this one has more weapons, more special infected and more levels. But the first game was just better. Overall it's a good game, but if you have played the first, you may be dissapointed. Expand
  55. JuanC
    Mar 28, 2010
    10
    Excellent game. Its left 4 dead with a lot more replayability. I understand some of the younger audience are upset due to lack of newbie friendly features. However there are plenty of games out there for kids already. L4D2 is aimed at adults and has a lot of character and charm which I beleive makes up for lack of features like save games and radar!
  56. FranciscoF
    Apr 17, 2010
    9
    this is it, the game that has captured the feel of a vintage horror movie, the decay of the journey that has to be made in order to survive, the exhausting yet rewarding final scene(including some funny moments), the commentaries between survivors and their humorous grasp of whats left of the reality once known... just superb in most aspects, excelling in strategic and stressful areas where you're forced into scenes of frantic displays of zombie bursts. playing with others is a must, most of the time you wish you could control the AI with commands just to find yourself getting chocked to death by a zombie and your fellow team members doing nothing to save you, the game actually forces you to play with friends, which is not that bad considering the great necessity of getting by many areas where a good plan is gold. graphically also leaves you with a very happy feeling just seeing pieces of body fly at your every attack, blood splatter in your eyes and machete, just cant be topped. but if theres a spot that left me with a bitter taste was the multi-player, overall excellent game-play modes and very rewarding achievements, but, for some reason they never included the capacity for players who create a match to state their level in quality, which for most is a must since many experienced players just dismiss new ones as they are not as good as them, and there is no point in playing as a newbie against a group of veterans that will take advantage of you and never give you the chance of making an improvement with your infected skills. all in all the best game i have ever played. Collapse
  57. MattyO
    Apr 18, 2010
    10
    OMG why does all Dislike this one, Do you guys even played the game? all of thoese faggots Rating this 0-6 is some fucktards that doesn't know the gameplay at all, YOU HAVE TO USE TEAMWORK with your friends, if you don't have any friends then i understand that! Asshole THis game isn't made for Kids! play some Flash games! and all of those faggots that says, ''it's the same game, there is almost no diffences'' the first game only had 11 weapons ( and yes i have played the first, Awesome game) overall this game is great, but you will maybe need a friend to play with just to make it a bit more fun. Expand
  58. merc9861
    Apr 21, 2010
    10
    The l4d games are just pure awesome, no other way to put it. its like being able to actually interact with a true horror movie. hard rain is my personal favorite campaign, it has that true deserted/ somethings watching you feel, not to mention the storm effects are amazing, but all the campaigns are good in their own individual ways, one thing i really like better in 2 is that it has more of a connected story, explaining how they got to each location, i'd recommend this game to anyone whi wants a good thrill. Expand
  59. AdamR
    Nov 19, 2009
    9
    L4D2 is essentially everything that you were hoping for in L4D1. Now, I loved L4D1, don't get me wrong. But L4D2 addresses just about everything that people would pick at, and get the feeling that it could be better if they just changed a thing or two. The weapon selection no longer feels anemic, and melee (As well as ammo running out more readily, but maybe that's just me) adds another layer of strategy. Almost double the number of playable infected, means the mechanics jumps from being simple to being just tightly well designed, and uncommon common add an even greater variety, while new items builds on subtleties within strategies without muddling the core game play. Valve has clearly gotten far more comfortable with experimenting with new sorts of gameplay, especially with the crescendo events, and it has paid off in spades. The hurricane weather effect is particularly memorable. Also, 5 campaigns, and a variety of other game modes ensures that getting board with doing the same thing will become a thing of the past. There are only 2 weaknesses: The first is that the characters, with the exception of Ellis, are no where near as memorable or interesting as the original team. The second is that the Source engine starts to show its age rather badly when brought into the daylight. It's certainly acceptable, but it no longer has anywhere near the same wow factor as it did back in 2004. Overall, though I can't ever give a proper 10, I feel that L4D2 deserves a sizable decimal after the 9. Boycotters were clearly wrong, as great care has been taken to transform this into an entirely new and exciting game, far above and beyond the realm of a paid DLC. If you even somewhat enjoyed the first, then the second will not disappoint. Expand
  60. Joe
    Nov 22, 2009
    7
    I give this game a 7. I am have played L4D 1 for a total of about 350 hours. L4D2 has several improvements that are quite nice. Nevertheless it mostly does the same mistakes the first one does, lacks the same features and even adds a few more buggy things. If you liked the first one, you will have fun with this one. Actually a lot of people will enjoy this game but there is nothing in the gameplay, graphics, features that would qualify this game as top notch! Quite fun to play not more. If you like games with nice suprising storylines look somewhere else. If you need astonishing graphics... look elsewhere. If you want complex very motivating gameplay... not this game. If you want a brainless fun shooter- buy it! If you want a nice multipayer experience for you and a few friends - very advisable to buy it. Small niche, and the game fills it quite nice. But against all the hype around this game: There is nothing NEW in this game. It is warmed up alphabet soup with some additional numbers. Expand
  61. BoTl1ke
    Nov 24, 2009
    9
    The game feels much more polished and complete than the original, although its the same engine, they've really added more than expected. Main things i enjoy about the new game is that the versus gameplay is much more dynamic as opposed to "zombies are coming, everyone take autoshotguns and sit in a corner til they're gone". Same goes for infected, the variety of infected can produce interesting results with syncronised attacks with the new and old specials alike; eg. hunter+ spitter = hunter rape with added acid damage. or charger+ jockey = charger takes one half way across the street while jockey hops on one and takes him for a ride in the other direction causing the remaining 2 to either split up or go for the nearest survivor either way making infected much more effective and causing havoc. 9/10 mainly because i miss the old survivors :( Would be nice if they did a DLC involving the old survivors but hey i'd be asking for too much. Expand
  62. WalterF.
    Nov 28, 2009
    10
    This game is truly amazing. It is godlike. It is more epic than an oil tanker full of epicness. Boycotters have only money to complain over like little girls now but it's well worth the money anyway. Tons of new weapons, even two different pistols to use at once. The variety of guns makes the game a whole lots more fun and enjoyable. On top of this they added in melee weapons. I mean come on, a freakin' chainsaw. And a fire axe. The list goes on and on. And if those aren't awesome enough then the gore is. Grab your axe or whatever quenches your thirst for blood and chop up some zombies. When I say chop up I mean chop up. Valve has made it possible to actually cut of limbs, or chop zombies in half and even make incisions all over them. Even intestines fall everywhere. And teamwork is not forgotten in this game. Its not like you sprint away from everyone laughing because if a smoker or a hunter gets you you will go Chuck Norris and rip its tongue off... or slam it onto the ground and start ripping its chest to pieces. No. Teamwork is still involved to survive these levels. The graphics are great I find, and the environment is well detailed. Facial detail is stunning. Voice acting is great and the mouths move exactly to the words. The survivor AI could be better but they still do as needed and heal you when your low on health. Skins are fantastic, the zombies looks great . They look a lot more like your 28 days later type zombie and the animations are perfect. They run at you like they want to tear your face off. Which they do. The new SI are very imaginative and counter tactics survivors attempt thus you have to think harder to survive. Online is great fun and adds to the enjoyability of the game. With plenty of new game-mods to try out it adds a great competitive online gaming community. The single-player campaigns are extremely re-playable and almost all of them have some humor and way more tension. There is more story line in this than L4D as L4D was some survivors blasting through zombies (which I have to admit was a totally awesome game) whereas L4D2 makes each consecutive campaign a follow-up in some sort of a storyline (at least more so than L4D) and the final campaign finale acts like a whole game finale unlike L4D. Great game all in all 10/10 as "great game" was a complete understatement. Amazing game! 10/10! Expand
  63. Louis
    Nov 30, 2009
    9
    I was a little weary about L4D2, but when I first played it, all the feelings went away. I noticed that the great people at Valve put a lot of effort to make every campaign completely unique. For example, in Hard Rain, a great rainstorm comes while you are returning to the ship, and affects gameplay greatly. In The Parish and Swamp Fever Campaigns, you can listen to 5 different songs on the jukebox, which are all awesome( Portal: Still Alive :D). In the Dead Carnival Campaign, there are arcade games you can play, and you have the chance to save a gnome from the horrors of the zombie apocalypse. The settings are beautifully rendered as well. As you also know, there are 3 new infected, which all help counter camping. New Panic Events require you to perform tasks such as running a roller coaster, or running coke for a gunshop owner, which also counter camping, and add a new twist to the game. They add many new primary weapons to the game and also melee weapons. Adrenaline, revive kits and boomer bile are some other new equipment in the game. They also add Scavenger mode, in which you frantically try to gather gas cans. Unfortunately though, I find that Scavenger mode is greatly unfair, as one team usually wins 3 times in a row. The losers have to go first, and the winners have to try to beat them. Easy call, who do you think is going to win? The characters are also a little bit more dull, and while I do like them, they don't stand out as much as the original L4D characters.(PILLZ HERE) Also, the Survivor AI Sucks, so don't think about trying single player unless you are good at killing smokers. Overall, I give the game a 9m because while this is everything Valve promised, there is just a little more that can be done. Expand
  64. ab
    Dec 10, 2009
    10
    Captures the spirit of the first one and adds a lot of new things. If you've got friends and want to have a good time with them, by all means, buy this.
  65. MitchS
    Dec 10, 2009
    10
    Improves on the first in nearly every way. Single player AI is sometimes questionable, but hey, who plays this for the single player anyway?
  66. DonovanN
    Dec 10, 2009
    9
    This game is a great improvement over the original Left 4 Dead. The only aspect to the game that is rather annoying is that in Versus mode, the Infected wins probably >70% of the time. You have to be AMAZING at the game to beat four player-controlled infected.
  67. JordandD
    Dec 14, 2009
    10
    not just an expansion pack... its *sniff* perfection. although for anyone inexperienced... you may want to get help with versus
  68. MarioX
    Dec 1, 2009
    0
    Steam and L4D2 is a complete joke, you can't resell the game due to the registration online. Just shows what greedy capitalists Valve are. Imagine buying a TV and not being able to sell it..only YOU can watch it lol that kind of thing. The word ridiculous isn't strong enough. But what goes around comes around, give it a few years and no one will be playing L4D and there won';t be L4D3 or L4D4. Even if there was, are you dumb enough to buy it? Another $50 for a few extra weapons and the SAME storyline? Haha...Better spend your money on medical treatment, seriously. Expand
  69. TobiasN
    Dec 21, 2009
    10
    I sinserely disagree with all "it-should-have-been-an-DLC" talk. This game is awesome, addictive and full of ultimate multiplayer fun!
  70. P.Dude
    Dec 21, 2009
    7
    Ive given it a 7 because it is pretty good remodel of l4d1 even tho in l4d1 i worked out how to get incendiary ammo and some other cool things but we all know valve could have made it better in l4d2.all in all l4d2 is good but not worth £30
  71. KieranP
    Dec 22, 2009
    9
    I only just bought the game today but i find its incredible.Its more than an expansion mainly because its a complete revolution. Completely new characters who are acted perfectly and are easy to connect with, and the inspired AI Director which I think should now be implemented into all future games. The new modes are entertaing and absorbing, plus the old ones are a good as ever. Melee weapons are awesome but i think they could have some more variety other than constantly hitting the head clean off your oponent. Also I think defib are a bit of a cheat since you can bring people back on the spot instead of going on your own to find them, ehich I found more challenging. But despite these little quirks, the overall game is excellent and on a par with, if not surpassing, the original. Expand
  72. DougW
    Dec 29, 2009
    9
    As a multiplayer game, this is fantastic. Every aspect of this game is excellent, the graphics, the level design, the AI Director and the humour are notable for their quality. In particular the combination of the atmospheric design and the waves and waves of insane zombie death work together beautifully. Overall the only let downs are the number of levels and the NPC AI. An expansion is in the works, adding more levels, and the levels currently available will keep you busy for a while. The NPC AI means the computer players are about as useful as humans, but they're quite different - they are basically aimbots, but they never follow more complex strategies and in some places are a virtual liability, when you need a lot of coordination. Expand
  73. Proximo
    Dec 3, 2009
    10
    I dont need many words to say how good this game is. For myself its the best Coop-Game i ever played and also far better than L4D1!
  74. ElishaH
    Dec 30, 2009
    10
    L4D2 is a great game and is different from the original because there's alot more to it. First of theres 5 brand new campaigns on release instead of the 4 in the original. All of the campaigns are very long and will take some time to complete evan on easy difficulty. All of these campaigns have 4 or 5 chapters. There's a lot more content in game aswell, there's cool stuff like incendiary and explosive ammo, puke in a vile and adrenaline. There's also a big variety of new weapons, like grenade launchers , shotgun, rifles, snipers, pistols, the biggest new group of weapons is the melee weapons and boy are they amazing. Some melee weapons are chainsaw (has a limited petrol and can not be refilled but is very effective against tanks and all enemy's), axes, ninja swords, frying pans and guitars etc. And to make the melee action more intense they made it incredibly gory compared to the original. Blood goes everywhere when attacking with a melee. There are also a few new special infected such as the charger, spitter, jokey and the witch can now WALK. There are also uncommon common infected which are exclusive to each of the campaings, some of these include mudmen (crawl along the ground and when you get attacked by one of these, some mud goes al over your screen), police (with bullet proof armour) and men in fire proof suits (fire proof!) . They have also added new modes witch are called realism (makes the game more realistic and harder, no glowing lines around teammates) and scavenger (Like versus where the survivors have to go round the map to find fuel cans and bring them back to a generator ect to fill it up. And some 4 players can be special infected and play as the new once, and they have to try to stop the survivors getting the fuel). The new survivors are actually good and funny, they make the game different from the original. The survivor AI (bots) are worse than in the last game becuase when your getting attackes by a charger, hunter, smoker or jokey they just stand right next to you and attack the very few common inffected. I have also had a problem on the parish campaingn where the uncommon common infected are police men with bullet proof armour (there 75% bullet proof). I had a melee weapn which is supposed to be the only way to kill the police, I kept attacking one of them but he would not die untill a team mate SHOT him. Hope there will be mroe downloadale content for this one. There's also a lot more great achivements. This is a great game and is very addictive! Expand
  75. MooMan
    Dec 5, 2009
    7
    ALthough this game has some new features, it clearly proves the quote "sequels suck." If you're looking to spend the money to upgrade your l4d, go ahead. New chars are not really that great, too attached to the old ones =). other than that, laser sights are fun to use
  76. DennisF
    Dec 7, 2009
    10
    It is Amazing how all people who rated this game 0, only played the left4dead 2 demo. Their arguments showing signs of Blind Raging Boycotter Arguments. Left4dead2 is Deffinitly worth a sequel. It is way better then left4dead1. Because the new Infected and weapons, the game is way more fun to play and way more balanced when playing versus. The new daylight campaigns gives more a feeling of an Infection rather then zombies wandering in the night. And to people whining about "OMG What did valve do to the Australian version" I say: Don't blame valve, blame your government. Expand
  77. HervéG
    Dec 7, 2009
    10
    This game is one of the best I've played in a long time. I already loved Left 4 Dead 1, but this one is even better in every way. The game is longer and more difficult, Graphics are amazing, gameplay is much more complex (more SI, and they are smart and really work together now), environments are more varied and often really awesome, there are a lot of aw moments in the game, there is a story we can follow even if it is a multiplayer game built to be played a lot of times (which is really something new in FPS gaming). Don't listen to those who are saying that this game brings no innovation because it is called Left 4 Dead 2 and builds on the same basis as the first: There are only two games that are evfen remotely like that, Left 4 Dead, and Left 4 Dead 2. If we say that this game does not innovate, we should also say that all First Person Shooters are the same. And Realism mode is a blast. And I really love the new survivors. Expand
  78. TadL
    Dec 7, 2009
    9
    This game improves upon every aspect of L4D2. It's good enough that I can actually stand being on the losing team in Vs. mode this time. It was unbearably frustrating/boring in L4D1.
  79. ChrisW
    Dec 8, 2009
    9
    Apart from the terrible AI, this game is what the first L4D should've been, very well done Valve.
  80. TiesW
    Dec 9, 2009
    10
    Left 4 Dead 2 was high on my list this year, and it appears my expecations were right; this game is the best multiplayer game ever! Not only does it include a lot of features to just play with a couple of friends, but the new modes also gave our clan a lot more possibilities! Good job VALVe!
  81. CamerenW
    Jan 16, 2010
    10
    Love this game, it's definitely something to play to take anger out or have a night of zombie killing.
  82. RZ
    Jan 18, 2010
    10
    Left 4 Dead 2 is absolutely amazing. While the first one finally made zombie games actually scary (the zombies look even scarier now), was a good first-person shooter, and the best co-op game of the whole year, the second one takes all of those from before and greatly expands upon it. It adds a much larger slew of weapons and equipment, which serves to mix things up a bit and makes things more fresh, particularly with the addition of melee weapons. It makes all new Campaigns that have MUCH more originality and difference that in the first game, makes Crescendos actually interesting (it frequently isn't just "hold out for 2 minutes" anymore)... The finales are all pretty interesting, too. In Dead Center, you have to fuel up a car with gas cans that are scattered all around the area on different floors to escape. In The Parish, you actually have to run across a bridge and get to the end to survive. All of these things serve the purpose of making Left 4 Dead less repetitive, and it sure as heck does. Additionally, there is the introduction of three new Special Infected, which all serve their different purposes; with the Spitter, it's putting the nail in the coffin on the all-too-common and all-too-effective strategy of "stacking" that was abused in L4D1. WIth the Charger, it's scattering a group of players and leaving them all vulnerable while also running off with one Survivor. With the Jockey, you are given complete control over where a Survivor goes, and thus you can scatter them from their group very effectively, even to the point of making them hang onto a ledge. Versus is even more fresh at this point, and suddenly, being a Hunter isn't super common and boring. Scavenge is a great new addition to the online multiplayer, which, while making your time as one team (Survivor or Infected) less annoying, also serves to make the game a whole heck of a lot less frustrating playing online. With Versus it's pretty serious business, with Scavenge it's just a short, nice game. Realism Mode really isn't a new mode at all, more just a new setting. It can be applied to any difficulty, and it makes Witches always instantly kill, makes bodyshots far less effective to the point of you wondering how this is "realism", and worst of all, removes all player glows, even when someone is puked on/pounced. It serves to make teamwork extremely vital and it makes you go for headshots as if it's Counter-Strike or something. While I do not particularly enjoy this mode, and I doubt many people do, it does bring up a new challenge to do, especially with the "The Real Deal" achievement. Speaking of achievements, the achievements in Left 4 Dead 2 are fantastic. Just like the original, they are extremely varied, most of them being fun, and you never have to go too far out of your way to get them. It also only has one repeat achievement from the first game, that being to beat all Campaigns on Expert, as it would be absurd not to include that. The achievements are weighted in such a way that they are mostly for Campaign play, but almost all of those can also be earned in Versus as well if you feel you are up to it. There are a few achievements for the new Scavenge mode that are fun to strive for, and while you can earn any Infected achievement in either Scavenge or Versus, there are some that are easier to earn in Versus and some that are easier to earn in Scavenge. There is a measly one achievement in Survival, which, while some might consider it a shame, I personally do not as it was not a very popular game type in the first place and is very unsatisfying in general. Thankfully, there is only one achievement for Realism, but good luck getting it, as it requires you to survive a Campaign on Expert with Realism mode enabled. Truly an achievement that takes much effort, showing that there is a good blend of achievements; from easy to insanely hard. In terms of the characters, Ellis has a ton of lines that most all quite humorous and entertaining. Nick's lines makes him the only believable character yet in the series. Coach is supposed to be some kind of leader and encourager but he frequently ends up coming off as just annoying. Rochelle is just a complainer who makes really lame jokes and she screams really, really annoyingly when she's incapacitated. So overall, I liked the Survivors better in the first, but Ellis is, without a doubt, a hilarious edition to the series, bringing up much of the comic relief in Left 4 Dead 2. Back on to Infected, it is even more fun now to play Infected, as it is more varied as to what you will be, and you can make a much bigger influence than before. In the first game, if a team was extremely good at sticking together, the worst thing you could send them was a Boomer, and even that proved quite ineffective frequently. Now, you can deal with Stackers and people who are good at grouping with the Spitter or Charger, which are both very much welcome additions to the game, as well as a blast to play, although the Charger can be extremely difficult to play. Another small edition to the game was "Uncommon Infected", which are basically Common Infected that have around 1/10 or so of a chance of spawning in the place of a Common Infected. They possess special abilities that are not terribly game-breaking, but once again, serve to make the game more fresh. There are Infected CEDA Agents/Hazmat Infected, which are fire-resistant and occasionally drop Bile Bombs, Clowns, which alert other Common Infected with their squeaky shoes, effectively creating miniature hordes, Mudmen, extremely dexterous, fast, and sneaky Infected that slightly obscure your screen with mud upon each hit, Worker Infected, which are tougher than Common Infected and are not attracted to Pipe Bombs, and Riot Cops, which are wearing bullet-proof kevlar, meaning that you have to shoot them in the back to actually kill them (yes, even headshots don't work, which is ridiculous). As far as bad things go, there are not, in my opinion, many problems with Left 4 Dead 2. There are, of course, many minor glitches that can really make you mad at the game, as L4D2 was clearly rushed. Don't get me wrong, it's rushed, but it still seems to be a very complete game. Another thing that is extremely annoying is that the Tank is probably only half as scary as it used to be; they're really slow, and on Expert, the only thing scary about them is their concrete throw, which still proves to be quite annoying. In Versus, it is extremely easy to backpedal a Tank even at yellow health without it catching up, and you can circle-strafe to a lot of effectiveness even at red health. While playing the Boomer, it is obvious that you can now not vomit through, for instance, Common Infected; which is just plain annoying and a pointless nerf. Also, something that is not really a negative but just something I will say; Valve really should work on their first-person animations. I'm sorry but when you're flying through the air after being punched by a Tank and your hands just plain disappear, that's just lazy and I think that showing a lot of different first-person animations serves to make the flow and integration of the game much better. AKA, Valve, please take lessons from Dice because they made Mirror's Edge and that game was absolutely fantastic at that. While I said before that the zombies look more scary now, the Tank is completely the opposite if you ask me. Sure they're not a whole heck of a lot different, but now they have... shiny abs? What the crap? So yes, the Tank is now less scary gameplay wise and appearance wise, which is kind of sad because they really used to just be plain scary. Another annoying thing that is similar is Witches. The Witches are just plain slow at responding now and you can kill them really easily due to them having a reaction time that was increased by probably a full second. This may not sound like much, but when it comes to first-person shooters, it is. Especially disappointing is the "Wandering Witches", which are supposed to be more easily disturbed but instead are actually even easier to avoid and react even slower despite the fact that they stand up. But besides a few little things, Left 4 Dead 2 overall is a fantastic game that is perfect for co-op with your friends off or online, playing against/with random people, and shooting zombies. Buy it, it's seriously amazing. Expand
  83. JoshD.
    Jan 31, 2010
    9
    Left 4 Dead was a great game. Left 4 Dead 2 is even better. The game is perfected beyond the first, and offers a great experience. Many people have issues with servers, but you can fix it in the lobby by selecting "Official Dedicated" instead of "Best Dedicated". The game is very much like the first, however many sequels are that way. The level design (Coming from a level designer), is astounding. Valve has perfected it. The subtle hints that lead you from one area to the next help this game for new people. The new characters, although realistic and you can identify with them, just don't come out as unique as the first's. Another problem I had was the Charger's AI is horrible. The Charger more-often-than-not runs into walls, and little corners, which can get infuriating. The Jockey's however, is great! He hides, and uses his advantage of being short to hide behind small areas. Scavenge is a great addon too, offering a quicker, fast-paced versus mode that does it's job really well. Kudos to Valve for making my heart race as the music gets quicker, as we grab the last can, and attempt to protect our convoy as we are in overtime. The weapons seem too close to the screen, and the Magnum would blow your head off. Again, these are minor nuisances, that can be ignored. The Hunter is somewhat buggy, as I once pounced off a high ledge and landed right on his head, but simply fell off. There aren't as many memories, but over-all, it is a better game. The new DLC should help this game out, and it could either do really well or fail miserably. Overall, I'd give Left 4 Dead a 9.3. I rounded it, so that's why I put it as a 9. This game was one of the best of last year. Expand
  84. AlS
    Mar 23, 2010
    9
    This is one of the greatest games that has come out to date. The game-play possibilities are endless. Things rarely happen twice. With all the different modes 5 in all the game-play is very fun and nearly endless. One of the modes "Realism" can be set to the difficulty by the player. This makes some of the levels a REAL challenge to complete. As the same in the first game I am glad that there is no radar, because in a zombie Apocalypse you will have no clue where or when a zombie will start beating on you. With the graphics on full sometimes at night some of the images are blurry. This game is easily better than CoD:MW2 just because the game-play is WAY better and there are less hackers in the game, which makes it better for everyone. A definite need in any gamers collection. Expand
  85. KingArthurIIIIIH
    Mar 26, 2010
    10
    Holey shit this is a long comment but i agree with it ------------->Left 4 Dead 2 is absolutely amazing. While the first one finally made zombie games actually scary (the zombies look even scarier now), was a good first-person shooter, and the best co-op game of the whole year, the second one takes all of those from before and greatly expands upon it. It adds a much larger slew of weapons and equipment, which serves to mix things up a bit and makes things more fresh, particularly with the addition of melee weapons. It makes all new Campaigns that have MUCH more originality and difference that in the first game, makes Crescendos actually interesting (it frequently isn't just "hold out for 2 minutes" anymore)... The finales are all pretty interesting, too. In Dead Center, you have to fuel up a car with gas cans that are scattered all around the area on different floors to escape. In The Parish, you actually have to run across a bridge and get to the end to survive. All of these things serve the purpose of making Left 4 Dead less repetitive, and it sure as heck does. Additionally, there is the introduction of three new Special Infected, which all serve their different purposes; with the Spitter, it's putting the nail in the coffin on the all-too-common and all-too-effective strategy of "stacking" that was abused in L4D1. WIth the Charger, it's scattering a group of players and leaving them all vulnerable while also running off with one Survivor. With the Jockey, you are given complete control over where a Survivor goes, and thus you can scatter them from their group very effectively, even to the point of making them hang onto a ledge. Versus is even more fresh at this point, and suddenly, being a Hunter isn't super common and boring. Scavenge is a great new addition to the online multiplayer, which, while making your time as one team (Survivor or Infected) less annoying, also serves to make the game a whole heck of a lot less frustrating playing online. With Versus it's pretty serious business, with Scavenge it's just a short, nice game. Realism Mode really isn't a new mode at all, more just a new setting. It can be applied to any difficulty, and it makes Witches always instantly kill, makes bodyshots far less effective to the point of you wondering how this is "realism", and worst of all, removes all player glows, even when someone is puked on/pounced. It serves to make teamwork extremely vital and it makes you go for headshots as if it's Counter-Strike or something. While I do not particularly enjoy this mode, and I doubt many people do, it does bring up a new challenge to do, especially with the "The Real Deal" achievement. Speaking of achievements, the achievements in Left 4 Dead 2 are fantastic. Just like the original, they are extremely varied, most of them being fun, and you never have to go too far out of your way to get them. It also only has one repeat achievement from the first game, that being to beat all Campaigns on Expert, as it would be absurd not to include that. The achievements are weighted in such a way that they are mostly for Campaign play, but almost all of those can also be earned in Versus as well if you feel you are up to it. There are a few achievements for the new Scavenge mode that are fun to strive for, and while you can earn any Infected achievement in either Scavenge or Versus, there are some that are easier to earn in Versus and some that are easier to earn in Scavenge. There is a measly one achievement in Survival, which, while some might consider it a shame, I personally do not as it was not a very popular game type in the first place and is very unsatisfying in general. Thankfully, there is only one achievement for Realism, but good luck getting it, as it requires you to survive a Campaign on Expert with Realism mode enabled. Truly an achievement that takes much effort, showing that there is a good blend of achievements; from easy to insanely hard. In terms of the characters, Ellis has a ton of lines that most all quite humorous and entertaining. Nick's lines makes him the only believable character yet in the series. Coach is supposed to be some kind of leader and encourager but he frequently ends up coming off as just annoying. Rochelle is just a complainer who makes really lame jokes and she screams really, really annoyingly when she's incapacitated. So overall, I liked the Survivors better in the first, but Ellis is, without a doubt, a hilarious edition to the series, bringing up much of the comic relief in Left 4 Dead 2. Back on to Infected, it is even more fun now to play Infected, as it is more varied as to what you will be, and you can make a much bigger influence than before. In the first game, if a team was extremely good at sticking together, the worst thing you could send them was a Boomer, and even that proved quite ineffective frequently. Now, you can deal with Stackers and people who are good at grouping with the Spitter or Charger, which are both very much welcome additions to the game, as well as a blast to play, although the Charger can be extremely difficult to play. Another small edition to the game was "Uncommon Infected", which are basically Common Infected that have around 1/10 or so of a chance of spawning in the place of a Common Infected. They possess special abilities that are not terribly game-breaking, but once again, serve to make the game more fresh. There are Infected CEDA Agents/Hazmat Infected, which are fire-resistant and occasionally drop Bile Bombs, Clowns, which alert other Common Infected with their squeaky shoes, effectively creating miniature hordes, Mudmen, extremely dexterous, fast, and sneaky Infected that slightly obscure your screen with mud upon each hit, Worker Infected, which are tougher than Common Infected and are not attracted to Pipe Bombs, and Riot Cops, which are wearing bullet-proof kevlar, meaning that you have to shoot them in the back to actually kill them (yes, even headshots don't work, which is ridiculous). As far as bad things go, there are not, in my opinion, many problems with Left 4 Dead 2. There are, of course, many minor glitches that can really make you mad at the game, as L4D2 was clearly rushed. Don't get me wrong, it's rushed, but it still seems to be a very complete game. Another thing that is extremely annoying is that the Tank is probably only half as scary as it used to be; they're really slow, and on Expert, the only thing scary about them is their concrete throw, which still proves to be quite annoying. In Versus, it is extremely easy to backpedal a Tank even at yellow health without it catching up, and you can circle-strafe to a lot of effectiveness even at red health. While playing the Boomer, it is obvious that you can now not vomit through, for instance, Common Infected; which is just plain annoying and a pointless nerf. Also, something that is not really a negative but just something I will say; Valve really should work on their first-person animations. I'm sorry but when you're flying through the air after being punched by a Tank and your hands just plain disappear, that's just lazy and I think that showing a lot of different first-person animations serves to make the flow and integration of the game much better. AKA, Valve, please take lessons from Dice because they made Mirror's Edge and that game was absolutely fantastic at that. While I said before that the zombies look more scary now, the Tank is completely the opposite if you ask me. Sure they're not a whole heck of a lot different, but now they have... shiny abs? What the crap? So yes, the Tank is now less scary gameplay wise and appearance wise, which is kind of sad because they really used to just be plain scary. Another annoying thing that is similar is Witches. The Witches are just plain slow at responding now and you can kill them really easily due to them having a reaction time that was increased by probably a full second. This may not sound like much, but when it comes to first-person shooters, it is. Especially disappointing is the "Wandering Witches", which are supposed to be more easily disturbed but instead are actually even easier to avoid and react even slower despite the fact that they stand up. But besides a few little things, Left 4 Dead 2 overall is a fantastic game that is perfect for co-op with your friends off or online, playing against/with random people, and shooting zombies. Buy it, it's seriously amazing. Expand
  86. EchoEcho
    Apr 23, 2010
    9
    This game is a million times better then the first one in every way but one, I don't like the characters as well. Or maybe I just miss Francis hating everything lol! The game is really awesome, I love the new melee, the new and improved weapons, and the Spitter is wicked cool. The Jockey is admittedly beyond stupid, but it's ok, since he has his purpose. You still get the old special infected, however now they have walking witches, which can be a pain, but are very interesting and fun to crown. I would highly recommend this game over the first, just for game play alone. It's beyond satisfying to behead a zombie with my "ninja sword." Expand
  87. DavidP
    Apr 26, 2010
    10
    L4D2 is much better value for your money than the original. Let's see. 3 new types of playable special infected; several new kinds of weapons; daytime campaigns (not just night); weather variations; greater variety of level design and objectives; new game modes; 5 campaigns in-the-box and a 6th campaign in a new, free DLC. The game is distinctly more polished than L4D. The story has a more polished beginning, and there is a clear connection between the end of each campaign and the beginning of the next one. My only complaint is that there are usually too few good spawn locations in versus mode; it seems like they completely ignored the issue of spawning in level design. Expand
  88. AndreiA.
    Nov 17, 2009
    10
    Very well made, a ton of fun with anyone who i played with, friend or not (mostly not). The game is actually designed to get players to help each other and fight along side. For example if X is badly injured and you have a medikit, the game will actually hint you to heal the x player, and that is promoting team play, not only letting you to decide who deserves the medikit. Bravo VALVE. I would blind-foldedly choose this to be Game OF THE Year over Modern Warfare 2, having played them both. Expand
  89. mikew
    Nov 17, 2009
    10
    I bought this game and played it for 6 hours straight. This game is MUCH better than l4d1. I thought l4d1 was great, btw. The graphics have gotten distinctly better. The physics react more realistically. Now when you shoot a zombie in the back, flesh will explode from the area you just shot revealing dripping flesh and bones. The map layouts are great. The are more multiplayer friendly than l4d1 maps. There are more areas and ways to ambush the survivors in multiplayer, plus more special infected to play with. The game doesn't seem like a rehash or something that was thrown together. It feels very polished and the levels are tremendous. For instance, in the first stage's finale, survivors must work together to grab 13 cannisters of fuel to start a car. They are all spread out and the survivors must work together to grab all fuel tanks and fill the car. The entire time 100's of zombies are coming at you. Me and my friends failed the first 4 times on normal lol. The AI is better too. Witches can climb, Tanks can open safehouse doors and the special infected coordinate their attacks so well you'd think you were playing an upper level clan. I am absolutely shocked at how great this game is. Valve has done it again! Expand
  90. DanP
    Nov 17, 2009
    10
    Improves in every way over the first game. More campaigns, more weapons, the addition of melee weapons, tons of new Special Infected, addition of uncommon infected, new multiplayer and co-op modes. All in all, a tremendous improvement over one of the best games out there. In essence, it retains the core of what made Left 4 Dead so excellent and addictive and multiplies that. Instead of every "Panic Event" devolving into corner or closet camping, many of the new panic events force the team to keep on the go to end the waves of zombies! Brilliant level designs. Everything about the game is top-notch and exactly what we'd expect from Valve. 10/10, without question. Too bad no higher score can be given. Expand
  91. EllisB
    Nov 18, 2009
    9
    It's a worthy purchase even if you own L4D1, Few things I liked are a bunch new weapons, except they are sometimes as plenty as litter; and it is hard to tell which one is better. I was pleased to see a lot of content was "borrowed" and improved from user created content already available for L4D: like ammo upgrades, laser sight and a couple of campaigns reminded me of best rated L4D add-on campaigns. The additions of new special infected are well awaited, but I'm still undecided whether all new ones are very likable: the Jockey and the Charger are extremely hard to avoid, and I wish were a bit weaker. I do like the walking witch, it leaves lots of chances for ZOMG WTF moments. I though that the continuity between campaigns is great for a better story line telling, but overall there was no story in either games. The characters are different... I would've been fine if they left the original characters, especially Ellis the mechanic sounds like one of the developers on the audio commentary for L4D; so his character should've been at least an office kind of guy. The downfalls: Like I previously mentioned the weapons are sometimes very abundant, too abundant, you end up running back and forth trying to figure out which gun you want to take along; and on the other hand the game sometimes forces you to give up your preferred weapon by not having many ammo piles - which sucks when you find a great rifle with a laser sight, and then have to trade down to a manual shotty. The voice overs are not engaging and feel kind of forced and unprofessional acting. The sound booth literally comes down on you when your character says something unrelated. I did miss the legs when looking down or crouching on ledges like in original L4D; I think it added to the immersion while playing. Of course it was annoying when they get in the way when camping ladders, but seeing them there really made you feel the ground - and not just float around like ghosts. As it is early to say, the current crash to desktop issues I've experienced may go away sooner or later. I do wish Valve makes it sooner, but the second day first update did not fix my problem; and my game seems to crash right during the finale, stealing my completed achievement. It has done so many times, and not only during the finale; but I do have much faith in Valve, and I think it will get pretty stable. So far it is a solid 9 from me, and I'm not going to count-in the disappointment that this game did not come out as an add-on to L4D, with no discount, and treated like a separate product. Thumbs up Valve! Expand
  92. JohnT
    Nov 22, 2009
    9
    Awesome game, it has the core gameplay on L4D1 we all know with several new things that make it even better. This is what L4D1 should have been. VS is a blast now (because it's much more balanced). The new gamemode (Scavenger) is my favorite. The new specials combined with the old ones create devastatig havoc. The AID 2.0 doesn't really do what was advertised but it's much better than the 1.0 because it spawns zombies that can attack well together like a Boomer and Spitter or Charger and Jockey. The only negative things imo are the achievements re-setting on PC, the unfinished Dead Center map, they beyond horrible survivor bot AI (supposed to be a MP game so that's not too bad) and the unrealistic realism mode. Overall this game scores a 9/10 and is the best game of the year on PC in my book. Expand
  93. MichaelS
    Nov 26, 2009
    9
    I was unsure about getting this game at first, but I'm very happy I did. The new Specials really mix things up a bit more, and the uncommon infected keep the standard zombie rush a bit more involved. Beyond that the new Weapons / Items are great. It just adds another level of randomness to the AI director to keep each replay feeling unique. And as for the new modes of play, there really great. Scavenge is a great way to get some Vs action going with out playing an entire campaign. While Realism Mode is a much welcome addition to standard Co-op. The campaigns themselves are more interesting then in the first game, with great settings and some great new events (In a few places you trigger an event with hordes rushing at you, but rather then sit tight and fight them off you have to advance further into the level to find an "off switch" to stop an otherwise endless rush of flesh munchers.) The Finallys themselves are great, flashy, fun events. While there are a few bugs that need to be fixed (gotten stuck in a wall now on 3 occasions after a Charger hit me. And lets not forget the new wondering witches that any AI you have seem to completely ignore until they get there face gnawed off.) But both are rare enough that they can be over looked assuming they get patched in the near future. In closing L4D2 is not ground breaking, and even with all the new content it will get old after awhile. And if you disliked the first one I would advise renting before buying. But if you liked the first one this is a must have. It's not prefect, but I've had a blast so far and highly recommend, 9/10. Expand
  94. QN
    Nov 29, 2009
    9
    Want L4D2? Get L4D1 as well! The first game is set at night, the second is mixed day and night. The two games don't replace each other, they are different games. Fantastic gameplay in #2, different strategies needed for this game from the first. When Valve fix the little bugs, glitches and crashes, this game will get a solid 10 points. L4D2 is a stunningly fun game, and we'll be playing on this and #1 for quite some time. Expand
  95. JanisA
    Nov 29, 2009
    10
    I`m huge L4D1 fan I loved that game, but now new L4D2 have more zombie types, new/more weapons new maps... I hope soon will be out new DLC for this game... Awesome!
  96. AndrewOfHell
    Dec 1, 2009
    10
    Highly impressed with this game! I enjoyed the first one to a large extent but my main issue with L4D1 was it was just too repetitive, once you completed all the campaigns, screwed around in versus that was about it. I did not like having only 6 weapons to choose from, constantly meele+shooting with no other aspect. L4D2 basically improves L4D1 in virtually every aspect, and makes it much more thrilling and exciting. My only minor complaint would be the few bugs in the game. Other than that? Well worth a go. Expand
  97. mysticalfryz
    Dec 1, 2009
    9
    This game is not that different from the last installment of the game. So I will not give it a 10 out of 10, but instead I am treating it like a expansion if you put a little bit of time into it you could of gotten it for around 30 bucks so I am ok with it considering all of the boosts to the game-play, and also to mention the second and the first use the same map style so you can easly put the old maps on to the second. This makes them better, and also adds more compelling stages, and more reasons to play the first maps all over. Expand
  98. TobyM
    Dec 14, 2009
    10
    Now i've played alot of games and some games i find meh and some i really like and still give 9 or 8 and am pretty tough for a common user rater, but that said Left 4 dead 2 has really captured everything great about left 4 dead 1 and expanded it with the new infected, the maps are now more fun and rewarding and playing one game after the other doesn't get repatative - trust me I know i've been playing it since the minute it was released. All in all i think left 4 dead 2 is a great game with the added gore vastly improved infected and map quality upgraded to the point near unreconisable to left 4 dead 1. Final quote - a MUST-buy game! I swear this game is a infinite resource of fun! Expand
  99. ZankF
    Dec 14, 2009
    10
    I would have given 9.5 but that isn't available. There are some minor quibbles like the Grenade Launcher that can kill the suspension. O, somebody startled the witch, let's all shoot her quick, then: BOOM! Never mind, the guy with the GL got her. O, there's a tank, quick everybody shoot him. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!. Never mind the guy with the GL got him. If your lucky he'll blow you up too. I also think you should not be able to kill the witch so easily with the autoshotgun. Nevertheless, the game is so brilliant and entertaining that I still love it Expand
  100. NathanM
    Dec 15, 2009
    10
    Completely original campaigns that can even change in what paths you use. L4D2 is the game of the year. By increasing the entertainment factor in every single way from its already amazing predecessor. Anybody who actually plays the game will realize that there is no way this game could be only DLC or an expansion, it had to be a sequel.
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 55 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 55
  3. Negative: 0 out of 55
  1. 100
    L4D2 delivers multiple improvements over its predecessor, and I get to keep all my fingers and toes.
  2. 90
    It remains one of the most distinctive co-operative titles out there, and allows for some of the most nerve-searing team-based multiplayer gaming on the market.
  3. Whereas once we treated Left 4 Dead as a stopgap between Half-Lifes, this is no longer a weird little side project with modest expectations, and Valve is confident enough to play around with it, safe in the knowledge that you can trust your players. Left 4 Dead proved it. And whereas that game had a personality, this one is overflowing with it.