So, we have entered October. And as we approach Halloween, I thought to myself, "Y'know, this is the PERFECT time to talk about scary games!"* So, with this post, I'm proud to present the Month of Horrors!** For the rest of this month, every Sunday, I'll post a review of a different horror/monster video game. In addition, I also have plans on other posts, various horror-type topics related to video games. So, to start this off, here's my review of Left 4 Dead 2!
Left 4 Dead 2 is a First-Person Shooter released by Valve in 2009 for PC and Xbox. You play as one of four survivors of the zombie apocalypse, trying to survive and find a permanent home. As you progress through each campaign, you periodically reach safe-houses, which are basically checkpoints. Safe-houses are typically full of first-aid kits, weapons, ammo, pretty much everything you'd need to make running through a zombie apocalypse enjoyable! However, between safe-houses, items are rather scarce, especially if you're doing well, though I'll get into more detail about that later. Also between safe-houses are, of course, the zombie hordes.
There are several varieties of zombies, or Infected, as the game calls them. You have basic Infected, which go down pretty quickly, but then there are the Special Infected. These are much stronger, and also all have special abilities, which are hinted at in their names. Spitters vomit acid at you, Hunters pounce you from a far distance, Jockeys... actually, I don't want to go into what Jockeys do. And then there are the Tanks and Witches. Tanks are massive, hideous creatures with arms the size of tree trunks. They take a LOT of damage to kill, and, if you're not careful, will do a LOT of damage to you. You usually only see one Tank on each portion of the level, and you tend to be thankful for that. Witches are much smaller, and potentially more harmless. As long as you don't startle her, she won't attack you. However, if you DO startle her, by doing something like shoot her, get too close to her, shine your flashlight near her (even if it's daytime, which makes me just think she hates flashlights), run. It won't help, but run. She will find you, and she WILL kill you in one hit unless the other three survivors can kill her first. So, best to avoid them as much as possible.
So, talking about the gameplay. This game is well-made, I think. I'll admit, I don't have the most experience with FPSes. Or any, really. However, the game does what it's supposed to. I point at things, I click, things die. And I suppose now's a good time to talk about the Director.
The Director is a term for the AI in this game. The AI in this game is very adaptive. If you do well, the game gets harder, sending more zomb- Infected after you, and giving you fewer first-aid kits and ammo. Conversely, if you do poorly, the game takes pity on you, giving you more first-aid kits, fewer Infected, and better weapons. It's actually a good way to judge how well you're doing. Basically, if the game gives you a Grenade Launcher, you're not doing so well.***
This game does not have a lot in terms of story. It's basically just "You're at point A, get to point B, GO." There is some backstory about how the zo- Infected were created, but it's not really important. The characters are a lot of fun, though. You have Ellis, the... okay, he's bit of a redneck. But he's also probably my favorite character. He goes off on all of these stories about he and his buddy Keith, and the zany misadventures they went on. There's also Coach, a former... football coach, who kinda serves as the father of the group. Similarly, Rochelle, a former reporter, is basically the team mom, especially towards Ellis. And then there's Nick, a con man. ...Yeah, that's all I really have to say about him. Not that I don't like him, I just don't have anything to say about him.
This game has some good music, especially from the Midnight Riders. Let me explain that last part: This game created a fictional band, created music from this band that plays in the game, and then turned actually turned one of their concert venues into the stage for the finale of a campaign. And, on top of all of that, the music from that band is actually pretty good. I enjoyed it, at least. And the rest of the game's music isn't half-bad either. It does a really good job of building up the atmosphere, creeping you out at just the right times. Each of the Special Infected, as well as the Tank and Witch, have their own little themes where they're somewhere nearby. Instead of giving you fair warning, though, all this does is freak you out more, because you realize that they're nearby, but you just. Can't. See them yet. And then they kill you.
I mean, not always, but they WILL kill you. You can hold it off for as long as you want, but it doesn't matter. You will die at the hands of the horde someday.
...I'm sorry, I got a little... off-topic there. Anyway, this game is great, you should get it, and be sure to come by next Sunday for my next review, and keep your eyes peeled for other posts at no set interval this month.
See you!
*For a certain definition of scary.
**INCREDIBLY tentative title. I'd be happy to take suggestions for new ones.
***Yes, I have received a Grenade Launcher. Multiple times. I felt bad about it at first, but then I went, "Wait, I have a Grenade Launcher." And then I stopped feeling bad.
Oh, and I WILL review Superstar Saga eventually. I swear. Just, not this month.
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