Updated 15 Feb, 2012, 9:55 am IST

Hands On: Left 4 Dead 2

04 Nov, 2009, 8:58 am IST | Avinash Bali

Knee deep in Zombieville.

Killing zombies is immense fun and few games let you have an absolute ball while doing so. Last year’s Left 4 Dead was one such game that allowed you to enjoy a zombie apocalypse with up to four friends co-operatively. Now in less than a year Valve are set to immerse us knee deep in zombies once again with a sequel that’s more badass in nearly every aspect. �

As most of you already know by now the action’s shifted to a few new locations, one of which is Louisiana where a similar kind of outbreak has converted all the locals into blood thirsty brain munchers. You play as one of four people who armed with a plethora of weapons have to make it to an extraction zone – in every level.

The first thing that hits you as soon as you boot up the game is the fact that the game no longer takes place only at night. You have day time missions as well and if you think this shift in time is going to make things less terrifying you’re completely wrong. Intense co-operative action is still the name of the game here.

New to the sequel are a bunch of infected creatures in addition to older ones like the Boomer, Smoker, Tank etc. You have the Jockey, a creature that basically latches onto your head and controls your movement until someone shoots it off. You have the Spitter, a grotesque little thing that vomits acidic bile on the floor, injuring anyone who steps on it. You also have Hazmat suit wearing zombies that are impervious to bullet fire from the front making gameplay way more diverse and varied this time round. �

Another welcome addition to this series is the inclusion of melee weapons that are just buckets of fun to use. You have the machete with which you can lop limbs off easily, a frying pan that’s just downright amusing, a nightstick, a cricket bat, a chainsaw and lots more. Not only do these melee weapons dish out tons of damage but they are lifesavers as and when you run out of ammo. But wait there’s more. You now have newer weapons to choose from as well and I got to try out some of them in the demo like the submachine gun and the AK47 that perform fabulously against the horde.

When Left 4 Dead 2 was announced way back in E3 2009 I was a tad skeptical. It really didn’t help matters that the gameplay videos I saw were downright boring. But now I realize Left 4 Dead 2 is a game you actually have to play to appreciate. It’s improved on the original in every aspect be it gameplay, visuals and all out mayhem. The 18th of November can’t come soon enough.

Tags: Left 4 Dead 2 , Valve , Source