Left 4 Dead 2: Review
Reviewed by: SalSet in the zombie apocalypse, Left 4 Dead 2 is the sequel to Left 4 Dead of 2008. This co-operative action horror First-Person-Shooter takes you and your friends through the cities, swamps and cemeteries of the Deep South, from Savannah to New Orleans across five expansive campaigns.
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This section provides a comprehensive review of everything that you need to know about each video game we have reviewed. We’ve thought about everything a gamer needs to know before making a purchase: Is the game too difficult? Does it have good graphics and sound? A solid story-line? Can you play it with your buddies and are the controls so hard that a cyborg would struggle with them? We all know how tough it is to find an awesome game and we hope that this review will help.
Challenge
If you have ever played Left 4 Dead then Left 4 Dead 2 is extremely similar in the difficulty level. Just like the original there are zombies everywhere but there are some new arrivals that will grab your attention pretty quickly. On the bright side there are many new to kill them as well. Maybe you want to use a chain saw or an axe to chop them to pieces. I found the campaign in L4D2 much more appealing than that of the original.
Graphics
The graphics of Left 4 Dead 2 were slightly better than that of the original. On the other hand they did add some interesting effects that weren’t in the original. When chopping up zombies with an axe or chainsaw you get blood spatter on the screen.
Replay Value
While I wouldn’t replay the campaign in this game over and over again like some other games, its true value lies in the multiplayer on Xbox Live. Off of Xbox Live I do enjoy playing survival mode and killing zombies with a frying pan and baseball bat from time to time.
Narrative
The story in L4D2 is just like that of L4D. You're part of a rag tag crew of survivors trying to escape a zombie infested city. As you make your way to safety you have to battle hordes of zombies. I would have enjoyed the game a little more if they decided to change up the setting a little more. Maybe to have made it more like one of the resident evil movies. All and all it’s still interesting and a captivating story.
Ease of Controls
It has a very good default layout for the Xbox 360 controller. You can alter the sensitivity of your controllers easily.
Social Playability
Xbox Live need I say more. There are rankings and tons of party play features on live. Also there is co-op play for campaign and survival off of Xbox Live.
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Social Playability
As far as a game to buy to entertain your kids, it would only be worth it if you also have Xbox Live or plan to get it for them. If not then I would say this game would entertain them for a couple weeks and that’s about it. It can be fun to play survival with your friends off live for a little while but it’s eventually going to get a little boring.
Objectionable Content
As far as this goes on a movie rating scale this would be an R due to the graphic violence present in the game. The language is a little mild but the majority of the content is extremely violent and gory. There are parts of the game where blood spatters on the screen or where you chop up zombies with an axe or chain saw. So if you’re ok with letting your kids do that then go ahead and buy it. If not, then maybe you should choose a milder game.
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In our dealings with video games, we have also explored the academic research on the topic. We understand the roles that presence, narrative, and even aggression have and we also understand that certain video games might influence learning, gamers’ social interaction, stereotyping and sexual messaging. We have included in our review this section for those interested on the academic perspective of video games and how certain game characteristics can affect video game players.
Academic Perspective
This game provides a great sense of arousal to the player. I definitely could feel my heart beating and my hands started to sweat while playing this game. It is very intense and provides a great sense of presence and immersion which both lead to the sense of flow when you’re slaughtering zombies.
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Available for:Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360