User Score
8.4 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1576 Ratings

User score distribution:

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  1. Oct 15, 2011
    10
    This is an awesome game due to the replay value. The "Director" changes the campaigns every time you play to spawn the horde, witches, and tanks in different locations every time (or no witches or tanks at all). The graphics are fantastic for anyone that has a 4 to 5 year old computer as of 2011; the FPS is superb (depending on your computers video card and RAM) and works flawlessly for me.
    The Vs Mode is awesome - sometimes you have a good team and sometimes you don't; sometimes you have people who stay when they are losing or some who leave (ragers) because they're losing. The "Director" does a great job making the Vs campaigns random.
    The Mutation mode offers some different styles of gameplay; while some are not great - others are exciting to play.
    Survival Mode: How long can you survive against the horde (need I say more?)
    If you want to up the difficulty, play Vs Realism which doesn't show the survivors outlines if you are a survivor (playing normal as survivors, you would see an outline of your team but not in Realism)
    Also - you can download custom maps and campaigns and all other sorts of things to customize the game (look at: http://www.l4dmaps.com/l4d2/ ).
    Full score and highly recommend.
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  2. Oct 8, 2011
    8
    Wow, never played a funner co-op game, completely honest. Not only blowing off heads like in the first one, but it has added melee to whack heads off. It's not scary, just intense, and it's a game I don't think anyone will ever forget.
  3. Oct 2, 2011
    5
    New zombies, new weapons, pretty much just dlc for the first game, i found little differnt and i am insulted that the devs would make basicaly the same game a year later? Well they realy want our money realy bad for the greater good of the future or has the first game done poorly for profit? Just like most franchises, their predessors in sequals are far to repetative for their own good.
  4. Sep 30, 2011
    10
    I'm coming up to playing 300 hours on this game. This game would have to be my favorite game. The only bad thing I can say about this game isn't actually about the game itself but the ****heads who play it online. Other than that I love this game and play it almost daily.
  5. Sep 28, 2011
    10
    This is a superb co-op game still being played now almost 3 years after its release. Its a game where you only get out of it what you put into it. Players are expected to help each other, in an environment where anyone can just into your game and leave as easily you have to be expecting the odd pain. The variation in the kind of teams you can find yourself fighting with adds a lot to this games re-playability.
    The game has been consistently supported with patching, new official maps, new play modes. There are tonnes of servers still providing loads of free online multiplay. On top of that you get a game which all other co-op zombie shooters are compared against as it still is the best one one the market hands down. The game has co-op campaign, versus, survival (with leaderboard), single-play and scavenge modes. You will make new friends playing this game, and there are some very good people playing this game now-a-days with many of the turkeys having gotten bored of cheating and pk'ing.
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  6. Sep 28, 2011
    8
    I loved Left 4 Dead for some really good atmosphere, solid game play, and the co-op I desperately wanted in my games that nothing I had owned (up to that point) had ever filled though some had the potential to do so (looking at you StarFox). I only played L4D1 for about half a year or a little more before Left 4 Dead 2 was announced and then, quickly, released. The rush to get it out is really noticeable as the game has its bugs, but (since I started playing) patch-work has been done to fix that. The game is still far from perfect as it feels more like an expansion pack than a sequel. Only Melee Weapons, a few new maps, and a few new zombies were added to the mix. I get that trying to reinvent the FPS-zombie game for every game in a series might be asking for much, but I don't feel like this is a true sequel to L4D one like, say, F-Zero GX was to F-Zero X (for a random comparison).

    The aesthetics are about the same, if not weirder because a lot of the maps are set during the day, which isn't scary. So the game lacks the previous game's tension. But common infected have a much larger variety and uncommon infected added to the mix improves the looks of the enemies, a bit. The uncommon, however, are rather low in number and don't present as big an impact to game play. For the mechanics, the game works, I guess. you point the gun and the enemies die if you click on them. Some new mechanics, like gauntlets, really make for a more interesting horde run. But the number of gauntlets are low, so you won't get them as often as you should. There is also dynamic path-making which will alter the course of a map depending on certain circumstances. While I like the idea of alternate paths to change things up, I don't like it depending on conditions being met. It should just be random so I have a chance to see all the parts of the game rather than having to go through a lot of guess work to figure out what path I can take. Overall, it has improved in terms of game play from the first. Melee weapons, bullet upgrades, and a larger variety of weapons makes for some improvements on the Survivor's side of things, while the horde gets new zombies and new uncommon infected to hopefully balance it all out. If you liked L4D1, this isn't a bad buy. At the time of reviewing, $20 is a good deal for this game, but you can easily wait for a Steam Holiday Sale when it drops to somewhere around $10 or lower.
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  7. Sep 14, 2011
    9
    New zombies, new maps and more weapons! YES! But, for some odd reason I find the game play different. I actually find the original more appealing. The graphics look better as in better looking versus more advanced graphics. The characters aren't that appealing either. It seems a bit rush and too soon. Left 4 Dead 1 just got off the ground when this was released! Shame... But the games still good.
  8. Sep 9, 2011
    9
    Its a fun but repetitive game. But it hasn't aged well. Its starting to look rough around the edges. If you can fool yourself to thinking it looks good you probably can get several hundred of hours of addicted playing out of this, else it will feel more like a repetitive slog because the environments look very bland. This looks like a game that worried too much about hardware budgets , or was developed on a tight budget itself. Not much is textured properly and there is too many details missing from the scenes. For example, their idea of a store is a room with an empty shelve and a block looking cabinet with a register on it, and no other details you'd see in a store. The good side, being a MP game, its still alive currently and finding a game is not too hard. The game also appears to be still be supported regularly by the creator Valve with recently now the l4d campaigns being added into the game. Expand
  9. Sep 8, 2011
    9
    I've played more hours of this game than any other - 800 at the moment. It's a truly great game, the only negative is the online community can be very annoying and love to cry "NOOOB!"
  10. Sep 6, 2011
    10
    Woah woah woah... time out. All these people complain about L4D2 being the same thing as L4D, but that simply isn't true! At its core, yes, L4D2 is the same but so is every game on the market. Halo is still a shooter, Command and Conquer is still a strategy game, Starcraft is still epic, Episode 3 still isn't released, and Left 4 Dead is still a co-op zombie survival game. Just because Valve didn't go for L4D2: Cooking Mama as their sequel doesn't mean they're ripping us off. This game easily has enough new content to teach Infinity Ward and Treyarch a thing or two.

    Valve obviously worked hard to make the original experience much more fun in every aspect and they definitely delivered. The only thing that I would have docked a point for is not having enough maps, but free DLC took care of that. Besides, I had to do something to even out all the people trying to say the game hadn't changed. I wouldn't be surprised if half of them don't even own the game.
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  11. Sep 5, 2011
    9
    Years on and this is still one of the BEST co-op shooters available... ok the graphics are workmanlike, but Source is gettting way too long in the tooth to ever look top end...accept that sacrifice for everything else being super fast with tonnes of sharpened gameplay and high replay values thanks to it's huge modder community (on PC) supplying hundreds of free campaigns, how can you go wrong?
  12. Aug 30, 2011
    8
    Nothing has really changed since the first version. New characters and maps mixed with improved graphic and nothing else. It's not really L4D2, it's rather L4D1.5.
  13. Aug 9, 2011
    10
    The great part about Valve is that they patch the game, add new content based on player's interests and no longer allow it to go stale. I have at least 600 hours into the game and have learned specific tactics for taking out the special infected while most people run aimlessly out to their death. It's a team-based game where if you stay together, the chances of survival are high. Cool binds to use such as taunt, yes, no, take the lead, stick that up your a$$, etc. make for some interesting jokes even if everyone is already on voice chat. What you're really doing is making a movie and if you're one of the 4 star actors you're able to take a break and watch. I love how the game seamlessly as well as instantly adds new players or replaces them with bots without some lengthy game re-load or re-sync making everyone wait. It was remarked that the grenade launcher sitting out in the open for anyone to grab and descimate the game solo was making the game too easy and allowing people to leave the rest 4 dead, so Valve moved them to more hidden areas so players had to search for the big guns. I hope it's evolution continues. Expand
  14. Aug 7, 2011
    7
    Game are good, but some players think they are pro and other sucks. It's not a friendly game for newbies, as other players rather kick them out.

    But yeah, if players are good, it's fun!
  15. Jul 22, 2011
    7
    I haven't played L4D1, so i don't have anything else to compare it to, (other than perhaps Killing Floor). I thought of giving it a 6, but then i guess it's still a *good quality* game, just that the gameplay didn't suck me in at all. I guess i'm not a fan of a thousand no-AI-whatsoever npc's running at me, it kind of makes each individual kill meaningless, and there is no river of blood to make it at least visually bad-ass. And it's very linear too: after finishing a campaign once, i had no desire to replay it, having to go through exactly the same path again. I did like the vs. scavenge mode though, i think this one aspect of the whole game is what really stood out. Having to be the zombies who die faster than the waiting time between respawns, it was the first time i ever reaaallly had to strategize in an fps. To finalize, if i were to give this game a price, i'd say it's worth about $5-$10 (depending on who you are. To me it would have been worth $5, but definitely not $35, or however much i actually paid for it.) Expand
  16. Jul 22, 2011
    8
    As addictive as Heroin, without the illegality - Although I did prefer the old L4D, it was more original and better designed, and L4D2 is in essence L4D with a Gok-Wan style make-over. Also, Zoey is much more attractive than Rochelle, and less annoying too. But hey, it was fun and good, and to save me writing an L4D review read the first seven words of this review but keep the score the same.
  17. Jul 11, 2011
    10
    This is a typical game to just get ur head clear and mindlessly kill all that walks, if ur a game addict its not to play 24/7 youll get mad but its a lovely way to just do something elsze with friends for a change,
    i love it!
  18. 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 ****.
  19. Jul 6, 2011
    0
    All I can say, is that this game is a **** awesome sequel to Left 4 Dead, ticked all my boxes, nothing negative comes to mind. Awesome! The gameplay is awesome in multiplayer, had tones of fun, the new infected are fun to kill and are fun to play as! Very very verry good game :D
  20. Jul 5, 2011
    10
    Left 4 Dead (2) Series is just amazing i just loving killing me some zombies i dunno maybe because i'm a gun nut and have my own arsenal of weapons for such occasions and just want practice. Anyway This is a great Multiplayer Platform you can team up against zombies or become a special zombie on teams against each other.
  21. Jul 3, 2011
    7
    I enjoyed the mayhem and personalities of LFD2, but the simplistic shooting system and the somewhat short campaign leaves my money spent questionable. 30 bucks for this game isn't really worth the time or money unfortunately. Liked the game, just not worth it for the price.
  22. Jun 30, 2011
    10
    Left 4 Dead 2 was an exceptionally good game, in my opinion, from the moment I started playing it. It brought to mind the play of Dead Rising, where I could simply kill zombies as a sort of stress reliever. It never needed to have much of a purpose. Just as long as I could kill, move forward, and feel like I accomplished something I was happy. I really enjoy the level designs in the second one. I find especially the Dark Carnival campaign to be extremely fun. The main difference between this game and those of other zombie shooters is that you cannot win this game alone. It is very hard to make it anywhere, especially on harder difficulties, without being a team. Versus mode only proves all the more that without effective teamwork, you cannot win the game. A single player being good is not enough to win the game. More importantly, a lot of times, you don't even have to be good to play, you just have to work together.

    A lot of multiplayer video games have completely lost sight of teamwork. When I go to play Call of Duty, if there is a single good person on my team, I may win because of their skill. The next round, they win on someone else's team. It is too dependent on individual people. Left 4 Dead is rarely possible to move any farther when you want to play as a loner. The single player proves this even more with the terrible AI being of little assistance. It certainly feels like you are alone with them. (I still think it deserves a ten because especially friendly AI is rarely very skilled in video games anyway...)

    Left 4 Dead 2, as a sequel, also provides some semblance of the creepy level design in the first one. A dank mall, with all the lights turned out, one of the levels virtually serving as a maze because all of the obvious directions are not the right ones. The Carnival, with clowns attracting massive hordes if they are not eliminated effectively. The swamp is a nightmare, especially in realism mode(which is AMAZING... It adds value to the melee weapons and makes you work much harder to remain a team) where you may be dragged away by a smoker and be impossible to find in the foliage. The sugar mill, with a forest of witches, and rain that blinds all view of the screen, is very well designed and very creepy. The Parish is the only campaign which stays well lit for the majority of the campaign but it is not without its challenges as well. The Impound lot, which leaves a massive amount of car alarms in front of you is especially dangerous when you have a person playing who has not memorized where the alarms are. Several of the events in the Parish force hordes of monstrous sizes on you.

    This game is only as hard as you make it. You can change the settings to make it simplistic or make it very challenging. Realism mode only adds to the nightmare and makes everything a lot more interesting because you cannot see people through walls, glows around items are disabled, and worst of all, the witch will instantly kill you.

    I feel as though a lot of the negative reviews on this game are written by people who rushed out to by this game when it was brand new, who weren't very good at the game, and who could not appreciate all the new things this game had to offer over the old Left 4 Dead. The melee weapons are life saving in Realism mode(which is why describing them as useless seems ineffective and incorrect to me), the guns are vastly improved from the original, and there are three entirely new infected creatures which are all extremely dangerous.(Spitters are great when well timed) The characters are much better developed, interesting, and surprisingly realistic. Especially for those gamers out there who cannot afford an expensive game when it first comes out and wait for the prices to be those of bargains, this game was an amazing buy. I have gotten well over a few hundred hours of gameplay for roughly 20 dollars. I would have paid the 50 dollars if I had it. This game was worth it. Especially with friends, the online is worth every second of playing and I recommend this game to anybody who does not yet have it.
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  23. 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!
  24. 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.
  25. 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
  26. Apr 24, 2011
    8
    A good game, yes. But I can't really find myself playing it for more then a few hours, if not only a couple minutes. I quit half way through story modes when I play by myself, and really only play it with friends. With friends, or with people online, this game is really good. But like I said, playing by yourself wasn't as enjoyable as Left 4 Dead 1, because it's the same thing with enhanced A.I (Maybe). But other than that, this is a pretty good game to play. The best on the PC I would say. It's a buy Expand
  27. Apr 21, 2011
    9
    It's not as spooky or atmospheric or creative as the first game, but the gameplay is improved, the graphics are improved, and the versus mode is not only playable, but is also the most fun I've had in a multiplayer zombie game since the craziest nights of Zombie Master.
  28. 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.
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  29. Apr 15, 2011
    10
    I have 236 hours on it. The base maps alone are tons of fun but the modding community adds even more to it. And thanks to the modding community some servers have 8 on 8 versus which is effectively D-day. It's just awesome. This is not just an expansion pack. It's not just DLC this is a full game.
  30. Mar 27, 2011
    10
    Strategy and shooter in one phenomenal game! You can play it for 1000 hours and more, but never it will be boring! Nice maps, great weapons, awesome modes and cool infecteds! I could play it all the time :P
  31. Mar 17, 2011
    10
    An absolutely amazing game I enjoyed playing for many hours already and the constant Mutation changes and custom maps always add a new replay value to it. If you don't have it you should definitely get it, the 4 player Co-Op campaign is simply amazing (although there are a lot of e.g. 16 players co-op servers for extra fun) and survival too. I believe I will play it a lot soon cause of the upcoming Cold Stream DLC including a new awesome map and the rest of the L4D1 campaign. Expand
  32. Mar 13, 2011
    9
    after reeding a lot of reviews on the game left for dead 2 i would agree with some of the criticism posted up but on the defense despite the lack of gaming quality and key things what could be improved it is still a good game. as the turn " you pay for what you get " i payed £20 - 30 as a package deal for my game so did not expect any thrill's like playing a high end full on 3d graphics game what would have cost around £60+ ether tho it is a social game and you can have a lot of fun ether make some rilly good friends or just to blow of some steam after a hard day at work and you just want to kill some zombies all tho yes this game works for me and i have made a lot of friends so guys A+ for me Expand
  33. Mar 13, 2011
    10
    This game is fantastic. One of my top five of all time... co-op is fun and engaging if you get a good team together, and the mod community is top notch.
  34. Mar 8, 2011
    9
    Decent game, although they didn't change that much from the original L4D i still enjoyed it. The promised revamped AI director wasn't as amazing. The voice acting(especially rochelle) hasn't been as good. The new alarm events, new infected, and new gamemode (including mutation) are pretty creative and fun though. Although campaign can get too easy and boring over time, i feel the strength of this game lies in its multiplayer. It is immensely fun to play with friends, whether you are dominating in pubs or are playing against challenging opponents. There are learning curves and strategies to play both the infected and survivor, and valve designed it so it is easy to pick up for beginners, while maintaining a high skill ceiling for advance players to hone their tricks. Once again Valve never disappoints. Expand
  35. Feb 27, 2011
    10
    I have been a die-hard fan of the L4D series. Once the Sacrifice and No Mercy came out, I was psyched. Now I have L4D2 on both Xbox 360 and Steam/PC, and with both versions, I can play this game anytime I want. I have to say, VALVe and PowerSource, as well as Steam, made one of the best games on the district.
  36. Feb 16, 2011
    10
    This is one of those games that can eat 800+ hours of your life away and keep you coming back for more. For that one fact alone I give it a 10. My money was well spent. There are many modes to keep it fresh and enjoyable. Cooperation within a team is a must. The replay factor and fun factor are simply through the roof. L4D and L4D2 are both worth the investment.
  37. Feb 8, 2011
    10
    When you can make a game from a idea thats been beaten to death and do it succesfully you know your good.
    This game is a blast to play and the steam achievments add that much more to it.
    The graphics are top notch so i dunno wth JayF is talking about.
    I'm running an old GTX295 and it looks awesome cranked up so maybe his card needs replaced not this game.
    Now on top of all the goodness
    add the add on campaigns free from lfd2maps.com and you get more for your dollar than you can shake a dismembered limb at. Expand
  38. Feb 4, 2011
    5
    It has all the the perks of the original game and more, which includes lack of support from Valve. I still believe that they have done nothing to improve the re-playability factor, which sadly wore off faster on this iteration than the previous installment. Gone is the writing and enjoyable characters from the first game, the first of many frustrations the game has to offer. Now, before I go any further, let me say that I did have fun with this for about 3 months after I bought it. But, admittedly, I did and still do feel like I payed for an expansion pack to the original game, not a sequel. The problem lies within Valve's Left 4 Dead team, which have made a sadly forgettable entry into their own game series. Almost ironically, I've gone back to playing the first one finding little things that make it just that much more enjoyable than the second. Such as difficulty that isn't just increasing the amount of damage enemies do to you, the gun models looking leagues ahead of what they look like in L4D2, Versus mode that feels partially balanced, and last of all, good maps. I can't stress how idiotic of a decision it was to make the setting in daylight, not only does it break the atmosphere, it also can make for some confusing map designs, which there are plenty of in this game. I have been let down twice now by a game valve has failed to finish. Expand
  39. Jan 30, 2011
    10
    I always have a good time on this game with my buddies, both in this and in Left 4 Dead. With custom content you'll never get bored. You can also make your own maps and skins for it if you take the time to learn. Great game, but make sure you have some friends to enjoy it with, and some free time to get good at the game!
  40. Jan 29, 2011
    6
    If you're into hectic precision-gore-fests, then this game's Realism Expert mode is for you. Other modes are pretty much jokes for the kids, as they provide all sorts of visual aid. The fluency, reflexes, teamwork and some planning is what makes this game shine. The level designs, special infected and overall tone should have been darker, though, but it's still fun to obliterate such amounts of meat. Having said that, they should make the fleshy gore more realistic. Sometimes zombies keep running even if the crucial posture-muscles seem to have been destroyed and they should be falling over. Some more variety in the zombies is necessary. Variety in how they transport, too. Why they never crawl? And other issues, as it badly needs a darker tone. The fluency of movements sometimes doesn't make sense when the zombies don't seem to have any inertia (why?) and they seem to be stopping you by touch (is that even possible?). So these are the main gripes. Expand
  41. Jan 15, 2011
    1
    ( This is a really 'cheap' game ) A boring & mindless shoot-em-up. The screenshots and trailers are very deceiving compared to the actual gameplay... I was very disappointed! Overall, Left 4 Dead 2 STINKS! It really lacks the "intellect" that a game should have, and I think it can actually cause people to become "brain-dead". The gameplay gets very old (without interesting objectives), mostly killing a bunch of sick people over and over and over and over!.. seriously, how fun can that remain??? NO real purpose to this game other than constantly whacking and shooting thousands of half-dead sick people ALL THE TIME!!! The talking and taunts can get repetitive and annoying... The only few things that are good are some of the graphics, effects, environments and frame rate. The overall speed of gameplay is a little bit too fast IMO ( sick dieing people usually can not move that fast!! I mean come on Valve, make it a little more REALISTIC! ). -CONCLUSION: Games like Left 4 Dead 2 should simply be Left Alone 2 Die! It's just another one of those pointless, brainless, waste-of-time shoot-em-ups. I can NOT believe this game received such high reviews... it just proves how many whacked-out-players are really out there playing mindless games like this. If you must try this game, play a friend's before you waste your precious money. !CAUTION: If you require "Real-world Objectives" and if you want to keep your brain cells alive then STAY AWAY from games like Left 4 Dead 2!! Expand
  42. Jan 10, 2011
    8
    l4d2 brings melee weapons and other guns to an instant classic. This has to be the best zombie game ever made for PC to date. The zombies move fast, run around corners, and climb over and under things to get to you. You play one of four survivors who are immune to the infection. With L4D2 more attention is given to the storyline, which is cool, but I really would like to see a good zombie game with a nice single-player mode that tells a good story. Single player mode is almost non-existent in this game. L4D2 is meant to be played online. You can play with 3 bots, sure, but the fun really isn't there until you go online. Starting off, you should play a campaign on normal with 3 other human players in coop mode to get the idea of the game and how it is played (Normal because easy is just way too easy). After playing through all campaigns, you might think that the game isn't worth replaying, but you would be very wrong. First up is versus mode. where you and 3 other friends play against 4 others friend...er, enemies and compete for the best score. Versus mode is probably the best part of this game and the most played game-mode. And if you get bored of versus, load up a campaign in advanced mode and then expert and you'll have a real challenge on your hands (play it online not in single player). Valve also added a realism mode that is even harder, so the game can be replayed quite a bit. In fact, it is one of the most played games I have. Where it also shines are the crescendo events, in which you'll find yourself running through an area with wave after wave of zombie hoards coming at you while you attempt to reach a switch or get to safety. Probably the funnest finale is the bridge crossing at the end of the last campaign where you must run to a helicopter while zombies are trying to take you down. Valve has been putting out DLC that is FREE for this game, and they keep updating the game almost weekly with 'mutations' (mods), updates, and tweaks, and there are plenty of custom maps to download and try out, and Valve has been featuring some of the best ones in their blog. Even though the game uses an older graphics engine (Source 2), it is still a fun game to play and definitely worth having in your collection. However, if you are not a social person and just like to play single-player, story driven games then this game is not for you. It is only worth playing on a PC connected to the internet, as the single-player mode is a waste and I'm not even sure why they bothered making one. I really wish that Valve would make another version of this, but this time give us a single-player mode that tells a story and is worth being in the game. But as much as I play this game, you'd think I'd give it a 10, but I can't because of these reasons: 1. It uses a dated graphics engine. 2. This is just l4d1 the way they wanted it to be but didn't have the budget for it. 3. No in-game download and install of custom maps/content. Consequently, there isn't a lot of people playing custom maps. 4. Single player mode sucks. It may as well not even be there. Yeah, we get it that multilayer games are all the craze, but many of us out here still like a good story-driven single-player mode. The lack of such a mode gives me the impression that Valve was just in it for the money, and didn't really expect the game to make as much as it did. It is still in the top sellers list on Steam. Expand
  43. Dec 30, 2010
    10
    Great game and I think this game is better then the first one, I love new infected as well as new weapons and new survivors! I would suggest this to anyone looking to have a fun and easy time playing a game!
  44. Dec 27, 2010
    10
    Simply one of the best and most original games I have played in years and years. Hands down. And I'm a tough reviewer. If you have any doubt, try it. You won't regret it.

    Redefines co-op gameplay and has enough play options to keep you entertained for months.
  45. Dec 26, 2010
    9
    An overall very good game and great co-op experience with beautiful graphics. I only gave it a 9 because the characters are not as original as in L4D1, the maps designs are not as charming (although they're better in gameplay and many other ways) and the atmosphere is more like a mass-killing zombie game than a survival one. I was also deceived as in the first one that they didn't design the menu like a movie. Expand
  46. Dec 19, 2010
    9
    This is one the the most amazing game i have ever played
    Nothing negative comes to mind.
    This gameplay is f****** awesome in solo and multiplayer

    I LOVE THAT GAME
  47. Dec 19, 2010
    10
    Milujete zombie? Radi je strilite a sekate na kousky? Chcete to delat spolecne s Vasimi prateli? Potom je to jasna koupe. Pokud nemate moznost sitového hrani je zde i singleplayer, ktery Vam ale nenabidne takove zazitky, protoze vasi partaci jsou rizení umelou inteligenci, ktera je sice na dobre urovni, ale zivy hrac je zivy hrac.
  48. Ed1
    Dec 12, 2010
    9
    Its clear that the developers really paid attention to this game. The game play is perfect and the graphics are very good. The additions of weapon types, extra special infected and melee weapons makes this a fine sequel to part 1.
  49. Dec 11, 2010
    10
    Valve may have released the sequel too soon, but their promise is still kept, they continue to support both versions of the game, Left 4 Dead 2 carries the same feeling Left 4 Dead 1 brought but with a twist, new weapons, items, maps, and zombies to come across. some engine enhancements. All I'm going to say is, this is worth it! you will have some good times playing with friends, and the new AI Director 2.0 just seals the deal. Expand
  50. Dec 5, 2010
    5
    The only thing different about this game from the first version is, this one is harder. You get a lot more zombies thrown at you. If I want to change the difficulty level, I can do that myself. No need to throw a gazillion more enemies at me at my normal playing level. To get a good rating in my book, you need to make the sequel more creative, not just crank up the difficulty. Certain parts are enjoyable, but many are just plain dumb. I'm giving it a 5 - not a complete waste of money, but there are reasons this one went from full price to discount very quickly. Expand
  51. Dec 4, 2010
    8
    With new campaign, new levels, and new weapons, Left 4 Dead 2 is as good as its previous version. Although I did not like the new backgrounds and graphics. They were just horrible. But the game still gives me the creeps.
  52. Dec 2, 2010
    8
    While this game can get boring, it's a near perfect example of a zombie apocalypse.
  53. Nov 30, 2010
    9
    People say that this is a poor attempt at sequel but I have to disagree. Its done very nicely and the online mode runs very smoothly. The AI is very intelligent and honestly smarter than most players online. The difficulty levels are true to there name and are actually hard.
  54. Nov 29, 2010
    10
    "Attaching laser sights to your weapon makes it more accurate." Yeah right. It actually does, and also attaching laser sights to your weapon certainly makes it look cool. XD Teamwork is also needed for this game so all the haters technically have NO sense of teamwork and therefore they think the game sucks, have you heard the F**K You spoof on youtube by DeStorm? It is for you losers/haters =) My critic would be that game is VERY EPIC, a lot of people in Steam and Garena thought so too =) And those haters who writes long critics are, in my opinion, the biggest losers and rage quitters. Since they have so much time to write these things. And also, those who says melee weapon sucks? I completed a expert campaign using only melee and NO CHEATS =) Peace to all =D Expand
  55. Nov 28, 2010
    8
    It doesn't bring all that much over the original, but it's still one of the best games of recent years (though most recent games have been utter trash).
  56. Nov 26, 2010
    10
    k whoever is being a loser saying l4d and l4d2 is a bad game and stuff, stop this game is awesome.and jay u know both l4d's deserve atleast a five for you but with the good graphics and sound effects im giving this game a 10.
  57. 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
  58. Nov 7, 2010
    10
    I never played the original L4D and I must confess having now played quite a bit of L4D2 I dont know why ? Left 4 Dead 2 is an excellent game, zombies + loads of weapons + insane ammounts of gore + multiplayer online chaos = LOADS OF FUN !

    Buy it, you will not be dissapointed (unless you get the censored version which will dissapoint for obvious reasons).
  59. 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
  60. Oct 31, 2010
    4
    I was terribly disappointed when I realised that the hype was just a hype. This game qualifies as a mediocre, run-of-the-mill first person shooter, with the exception of the infected.

    The missions are quite challenging whilst playing online against well experience players, which unfortunately is the rare exception to the average player of this game. It is not unusual to find yourself yell
    ing at your own team, for being generally terrible at the game.

    The maps are so few that you grow tired in less than a few hours. This goes for the characters as well. The survivors are all the same, they have no unique niche to them - except for models and voice acting.
    The infected work well together, but that is unfortunately all they do. One becomes terribly bored of them after just a few matches. Not to mention the linearity of them, but at least that makes them very intuitive.

    There is nothing upgradeable; no incentive of playing well.

    The single player is not worth mentioning since it's basically a multi-player map with bots instead of players.

    In conclusion.
    As long as this game cost what it does, roughly 19 euros, I for one would not make the mistake of buying it. If you for some inexplicable reason still is thinking about buying it, get your friends on the train, it is the only way of having any fun in this game.
    Expand
  61. a12
    Oct 29, 2010
    1
    this game is absoloute......pathetic! theres nothing good about it.its the most depressing game of all time.......now then somebody open the guiness book of records to the most depressing games of all time
  62. Oct 28, 2010
    10
    I was a very big fan of L4D, and was excited for L4D2 to come out. It kinda sucks that they released it only a year after the original, but it has enough content to make it worth it. The new stuff keeps things pretty interesting. With the price now hovering around $19.99 (its on a Halloween sale for $9.99) its a great buy!
  63. Oct 25, 2010
    10
    game Left 4 dead 2 funny oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
  64. Oct 17, 2010
    9
    People, you can't downgrade a game meant to be coop because the Single Player is lousy. It's also not clear if you should be rating L4D2 relative to L4D, since that rating wouldn't matter to someone who doesn't have either. Rate L4D2 on its own merits, for how it's meant to be played, and if you do that, the game is practically flawless.
  65. Oct 16, 2010
    8
    Killing Zombies in a Post Apocalyptic wasteland is a Right of Passage for any gamer...This game delivers...If you are trying to increase your point total for your XBOX 360 GAMERTAG...look elsewhere...
  66. Oct 11, 2010
    7
    This is more of an extended update to the original, if you really loved the first there are very few excuses for you not to get this one. Steam offers this game at a discount multiple times a year, definitely should watch for that if you still don't own it.
  67. Oct 11, 2010
    10
    Do not underestimate versus fun you can get from this game. Do not try to play single player. Get out there, find a lobby and aid other survivors against endless horde of zombies. Once you get the point, you can't let it go. Absolutely wonderful on many levels.
  68. Oct 6, 2010
    10
    An amazing sequel. While many were worried that the quality of the game since there was such a short time period between this and the original game but I can safely say that Left 4 Dead 2 is amazing! The game is quite unmatched by any other zombie themed game. The addition of mellee weapons and new guns really added to the experience. With "Uncommon Infected" and new Special Infected added, the campaigns could never be more fun. The enw characters are colorful, interesting, and funny yet still insanely realistic. This game is gleaming with Valve's polish and it shows, it really does. Expand
  69. 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
  70. 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
  71. Aug 24, 2010
    10
    All I can say, is that this game is a **** awesome sequel to Left 4 Dead, ticked all my boxes, nothing negative comes to mind. Awesome! The gameplay is awesome in multiplayer, had tones of fun, the new infected are fun to kill and are fun to play as! Very very verry good game :D
  72. Aug 23, 2010
    9
    Left 4 Dead 2 is a great game that is probably the best FPS that i've played in a long time. I recoend this game to everybody. Its pure Great. This game has new levels, zombies, weapons, and chracters. anybody who likes First person shooters should get this game.
  73. Aug 18, 2010
    9
    Incredibly fun multi-player. Unfortunately, playing solo is not very fun. As for being the sequel to Left 4 Dead, it does not feel like valve changed much. It's nice to have more range on the weapons, and adding melee was a fantastic idea. If you've already played the original Left 4 Dead, I give it a 6. If you haven't, 10. Left 4 Dead 2 makes the original Left 4 Dead look like a beta, unfortunately, with this feeling comes the feeling like Left 4 Dead 2 really could have used much more time to add more content. If you have already played Left 4 Dead then don't expect much difference, just a few new weapons for each class (Assault Rifle, Shotgun, Hunting Rifle) and melee weapons (the highlight of this sequel) and two new special infected, the jockey and spitter. If you are looking for a great online multi-player game and have not bought the original, then get this. It is an amazing game if you want multi-player. If you already have the original Left 4 Dead, I'd say buy something else, unless you really really really want an upgraded version of the first game. I, on the other hand, had an excuse to buy the second. I have the original for the 360. I finally got a computer more than capable of playing recent/new games so I got it for the PC, also I'm going to college and I don't want to bring my 360 along/it wouldn't fit.

    TL;DR If you have played Left 4 Dead: 6
    If not: 10
    Overall: 9

    Felt like less like a sequel and more like a big patch update to the original Left 4 Dead. An amazing game if you haven't. Also, don't expect much story, mostly just tons and tons of multi-player fun.
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  74. Aug 17, 2010
    5
    Better in some ways, worse in some ways. Mostly worse but still fun. There are lots of new weapons and features. Unfortunately the ambiance is completely destroyed. Instead of dark horror moods you have more of a jackass vs zombies mood. The ridiculous music played during the mobs is killer to the survival mood. The new ai director also seems to be poorly put together. Instead of well paced hordes you get one every 3 freaking seconds. The thing that upset me most was that the movie posters don't have screen names below the characters anymore. On the upside you have more weapons, more support, and realism mode. Overall this could've been made an expansion and should't cost anything over 30$ Expand
  75. 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
  76. MaxB
    Apr 25, 2010
    6
    In a rush to get this sequel done, Valve seems to had forgotten that coat of polish, which separates their games from others and makes them great. Lacks the atmosphere and beautiful level design from L4D1. The daylight setting totally throws the idea of lighting cues out the window, which DOES cause people to get lost within the maps. Mostly a meh experience, it's harder than the first, but in a particularly annoying way, it might just be my computer but I seem to have a few hit detection problems and the zombies like to run around like retarded headless chickens. The most fun I got out of this game was by exploiting all those glitches in the survival maps with some friends. Not much enjoyment beyond that, really. Not worth the 55 bucks for me, but now it's 30 bucks on steam.. Still not worth it. "If you liked L4D1, you'll LOVE LEFT 4 DEAD 2!!1!1!1!1" That's wrong. It's a matter of taste and point of view, really. Expand
  77. 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
  78. 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
  79. 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
  80. 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. Expand
  81. PR3D470R
    Apr 16, 2010
    9
    I gave it this score because of the tactics and teamwork that is engrained into this FPS. As this is a sequel I'll just discuss the things that separate this from the original. I agree with those that are annoyed at the price of the game, it doesn't seem to detract too far from the original in terms of graphics and 'the feel' of it. However I never bought the original so it doesnt annoy me a lot. :P Also 2 those that are disappointed that it is not like the original, i consider it better for this reason. The Reason: The 'Versus' ('VS') gametype has been amped up considerably. The introduction of new SI presents more threats to the survivors, that make no place on the map safe. Eg; The introduction of the spitter eliminates corner camping and the charger also makes alleyways EXTREMELY dangerous for combined Special Infected ('SI') attacks. A constantly wary and skilful team is needed to meet these challenges. It seems to me that VALVE really listened to the competitive VS community from the original, and I commend them for that. Digressing a little, I think the 'VS' experience could have been made much more challenging for the survivors, by putting down less medpacks, and to the side of the beaten path, forcing them to divert from the 'railway tracks' from point A to point B. Plus there needs to be a reduction in the amount of ammo in the weapons. The game does not award accuracy, as ammo and weapon stockpiles are everywhere, and sheer 'spraying' from automatic weapons is not punished. It is harder to use the infected but this is only a matter of concern for mostly competitive and serious players. If there is any reason to be longing for the old game it would be minor things such as the greater chemistry and personalities of the survivors, certain weapons and 'simpler' VS experience. Personally I love being able to casually get online with a bunch of friends, in a game that promotes conversation, shoot zombies and watch the visually appealing decapitations/blood-squirts. On a final note if you enjoy the artistry of competitive play l4d2 will not disappoint (but you have to be a team player. Expand
  82. JayF.
    Apr 10, 2010
    4
    As an online play game, it's just average in my book. I'd rather play other recent games with better graphics. Solo play is a joke. There's no campaign so to speak. Rather, it's like playing online with yourself. I played this game for maybe 3 hours and then looked for another.
  83. ScottF.
    Apr 9, 2010
    3
    This game was a disappointment after L4D in every imaginable way. Instead of well-paced gameplay that rewards teamwork, we get a game where whoever can rush the most wins. Tight confined spaces of L4D give way to much more open ones in L4D2, making it far too easy to avoid the traps that made L4D great. Mood music and tension are replaced instead by Louisiana jazz during horde attacks and sad one-liners like "Axe me a question." This game tries way too hard to be a fanboy game, and it loses the amazing and gritty zombie shooter that was Left 4 Dead along the way. Expand
  84. GazMan
    Apr 8, 2010
    2
    The game itself is meh... I agree with others saying the game is "dumbed down. The level design isnt that great and I personally dont like the characters. L4D2 just doesnt play well nor does it have a good feeling about it. Most people I speak with are leaving the L4D / L4D2 community as not much is going on regarding competitive gaming either which is a real shame as the teamwork aspects could make it such a great platform. The original L4D was a fantastic idea and had some real promise but sadly it was never supported properly by Valve and I think most players think the same is going to happen this sequel. Once bitten twice shy, twice bitten... game over. Expand
  85. SallyV.
    Apr 4, 2010
    0
    +10 because it's a sequel to the best co-op ever made and -10 because it's the SAME F*CKING GAME as the original. why did I buy it? I employed some wishful thinking, trying to convince myself that the sequel would be amazing. it's valve, and valve games are usually the best... but this one's just for the money. unfortunately i cant give my copy to someone else. avoid this game if you have part 1, but if you are like me and do have it, i will recommend the following style of play: join expert game-> kill teammates -> have fun hearing players rage. Expand
  86. pipelinecache
    Apr 2, 2010
    7
    I did play L4D1 quite alot and I must say the sequel is (almost) exactly the same. Sure, it's got new characters, different elite mobs and there are some more weapons to go berserk with. But it's really an extension of the original, nothing more. The game still suffers badly from connection problems, which is quite a downer for an online game. It's an "okay" game ... but nothing fancy. Expand
  87. Nimorrax
    Apr 1, 2010
    9
    I like it, I've not had the chance to play the first one yet but it really wants me to get the first one to experience what it was like before. This one taught me how to stay with my party, unless I really want to get pounced or ridden to death. The three new Special Infected are pretty good, the only problem I have though is that when a Jockey catches a PLAYER, the bots have trouble getting it off. The Charger also tells me either rush narrow hallways or stay on one side or the other. The Spitter quickly gets me moving when she spits, luckily she's an easy kill. The "Uncommon" Common Infected are also great. Fireproof, Horde Leading, Vision-Impairing, Immunity to Pipe Bombs and Bulletproof. All unique to their own campaigns, what more can I ask for other than a third game with even more exciting campaigns and zombie types? Expand
  88. 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!
  89. ElliottF
    Mar 27, 2010
    1
    Should have been an expansion for L4D, hardly anything new. New character, couple new zombies, new maps and melee weapons, and thats where it stops the rest is perfectly identical to the first. This is the biggest rip-off in valves history. $50 STILL, and its got $20 worth of new stuff tops. Over hyped and way over priced. To get rid of overpriced games and to stop them from doing this YOU HAVE TO NOT BUY IT ITS CALLED BOYCOTT. Something yall F'ed up on with xbox live. Sony online you don't pay. Expand
  90. 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
  91. mattg.
    Mar 26, 2010
    6
    IF I were an online/coop kind of player I probably would give this game a 10. BUT, I am not. The story, AI interaction, scenes and general game play are excellent, but for single player action it's over in a hurry and there is absolutely nothing to make you want to come back and go at it again. I am a hugeb RE fan, but this game falls completely flat when it comes to re-playability. Love the characters, love the game itself, but PLEASE make this game on equal par with the single player in mind. (Hint for LFD3). Expand
  92. 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
  93. Cyph3rPunk
    Mar 22, 2010
    8
    While this is an amazing game, there are WAY too many problems with it to warrant a 10. Charger hit detection is way off (due to how the Source engine processes hits), jockey is a fail class, only useful against scrubs, and (unfortunately) the community, just to name a few things. To those who say this should have been DLC: 5 completely new maps, new weapons, all new voice acting, new AI Director, and new ammo types/throwables. What more could you want in a new game? Everyone buys Dat Madden every year with only minor upgrades and roster changes, but nobody bitches about that. Expand
  94. 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
  95. MichaelR.
    Mar 20, 2010
    3
    Okay, before the fanboys get angry with me, read the whole review. A)Director 2.0 - The "new" director isn't very new at all. I'm sure many people remember the "Crash Course" campaign for L4D. Remember how it had the "sort of the l4d2 director" functioning? That's because the L4D1 director and the L4D2 director are exactly the same besides the fact that there's a few new items and weapons in L4D2. They guaranteed "random" item and gun positioning in L4D2 and it wasn't implemented correctly. The guns still appear in the same places nearly every time, just like L4D1. No improvement, barely any change. B) "New Zombies!" - L4D2 introduced 3 new special infected. The Spitter is really only useful in scavenger to destroy gas cans unless someone is already being beaten by another infected in campaign. The Jockey is a useful little guy on certain maps...and a total waste of space on others. His forte is dragging people off ledges, really. On about 9/10 of the maps there is no ledges to catch a survivor alone on. Then there's the Charger, he's a terrible terrible implementation of the "hallways aren't safe anymore" idea. The point of the charger as far as the commentary says was to scatter the survivors or hurt them if they're in a hallway. You cannot turn (Even Slightly) while charging, so unless they ARE in a hallway your chances of hitting more than one survivor are low. And if they ARE in a hallway they don't scatter anywhere. Charger does much lower damage than he needs to make him useful as he tends to die before he can slam a survivor once or twice into the ground. The only time Chargers are really useful is near cliffs and ledges, when there is only one or two survivors left or in situations like the Parish bridge finale when survivors don't want to go back for the teammate. C) "New Weapons" - L4D2 introduced a few new weapons to the just about complete set of L4D1. Melee weapons - Everyone says that melee weapons really changed the L4D gameplay, I disagree. It's not often you see people using melee weapons to attack special infected. Common infected die easily to begin with so I don't see the melee weapons being all that useful once you have an automatic weapon or a semi-auto shotgun. Aim for the head, people. Grenade Launcher - Friendly fire, friendly fire, friendly fire! The grenade launcher was made to loosen up hordes of common infected and make special infected stumble around and die. The broken thing about this weapon is the fact that special infected often don't die from one indirect hit from this weapon, the person using this weapon tends to hit his teammates around twenty more times than everyone else, and the person using this weapon tends to be an easy special infected target due to hunters, jockeys, smokers, and chargers being able to get in close and force them to switch to melee/pistol. Bile Bomb - "Throw this to attract the horde away from you, even onto a tank!" The problem is the only time anyone will use this is if there's a horde coming and they want to just run away from it. The only usefulness of the bile bomb is distraction, and in versus it's a waste to carry. Defibrillator - Over a medpack the chances someone takes one are around 30%. When someone takes one they usually happen to be the Rambo style person who runs at the hordes with a baseball bat out and they die, leaving the rest of the team to fend for themselves until they reach the body. All in all, medpack is better. New ammos - Make special infected stumble or burn. Imbalanced in versus. Thank god they're rare. New primary weapons are pretty much all slight changes to the old primaries. Pump shotgun(2, difference is a slight damage difference and chrome has tighter spread), auto shotgun(2, one wide spread, one tight spread I believe), SMGs(2, one is stronger, the other more accurate.), Assault rifle(3..only differences, clip size and one is burst fire, and the AK has higher damage and slower firing speed), sniper rifles(2, military fires faster, hunting reloads faster) D) New AI - Terrible Special infected AI even on expert. Even worse survivor AI, if you're being beaten by a charger an inch away they'll stand there a few seconds then turn slowly and shoot it, then help you up. I was diappointed. Expand
  96. 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
  97. StevenP
    Mar 16, 2010
    6
    Left 4 Dead 2 did not live up to the original zombie killing game. Even though Valve went through a lot of trouble adding all the new features, and don't get me wrong, I love the new stuff, but I just love the original better. The new band of survivors do not give you the sense that they are in a zombie apocalypse. In fact, they give you the sense that they love it which kills the little fear that L4D provides. The hillbilly versions of the original themes are cool and I like them, but L4D's night campaigns will always, in my opinion, be better then the day campaigns in L4D2. Expand
  98. Professor
    Mar 16, 2010
    9
    Yeah, ok, the game is not perfect and its just too reminiscent of the first game - but it's NOT bad, in fact - it's absolutely GREAT. L4D2 (as L4D did) combines simplicity, teamwork, and of course - the sheer pleasure of killing hundreds of rabid people. To answer some things people have complained about: Why isn't there a radar? Why can't they just highlight my teammates? Well, first of all - the game (as I see it) was made to be realistic. Do normal people carry a radar (or for that matter have access to one?) and also - it's not hard to discern your teammates from zombies, they do highlight them when you mouse over them as friendly AND as I have mentioned before - the game is supposed to be realistic, giving a radar or always highlighting your teammates just makes the game less ... well - real.. and would definitely dumb the game down if such was done. Then theres, "omg friendly fire is soooo bad." Well, let's be real. if you get shot in normal mode it isn't so bad - but as the difficulty is raised, it only makes sense that you and your teammates would be better players and AVOID shooting each other, with the addition that greater damage = better deterrent for shooting each other. This also promotes better teamwork which is crucial as you go up in difficulty level. If you're complaining that friendly fire sucks - get better teammates or shoot better maybe? The realism in this game may be too much for most people - the water slowing you down makes sense (have you ever trudged through water and mud before? It's not a fast paced activity) - though I completely agree to when the water is just up to the ankles, it shouldn't be a tough walk (If Valve wanted to be more realistic, they'd have people slip, but people would cry and whine about that being lame as usual). To reflect upon the weapon damage though, I totally agree that the guns do less damage than melee - and it's unrealistic that melee should be that great in comparison to a gun (not everyone has superhuman strength after all) - and I agree that that needs to be adjusted. Other negatives are that even if you do play on expert - the original game is too short and that I suppose the pvp makes up for it... though I'd rather see more story too. All in all, L4D2 is a great game - there are different difficulty settings for a reason. Need a stress reliever? Play on easy and go berserk. Want to play with others without screaming about friendly fire? Play on normal. Got a good team of friends and want a challenge? Then advanced and expert is for you. The difficulty scale actually makes sense in this game - so heed it well. If you're crying about how other people suck - well then you're probably unlucky with team match-up (i've had a couple of those before, don't feel like it's a reason to hate on the game). I mean, yes it's not that different from the first - but it's solid, it's good, it's definitely a keeper. I'm not a fanboy/girl whatever you want to call it of this game, but I feel like people aren't taking this game for what it is (like Quentin Tarentino films). It's NOT COD, it's NOT Borderlands - it's a totally different game from those - so give it a try before turning it away based on what other people have said because it's worth a shot (zing!). Expand
  99. 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
  100. FranciscoJ.
    Feb 23, 2010
    10
    Para mí este juego es una auténtica pasada, grandes características que lo combierten en uno de los mejores lanzamientos del año. Sin duda alguna la forma más divertida de matar zombis sin sufrir malas consecuencias! Muy manejable y facil de jugar además de un gran modo online!
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.