[Intrepid Homoludens]

title - Left 4 Dead 2
platforms - Xbox 360, PC
developer/publisher - Turtle Rock Studio / Valve
game type - first person shooter, squad based tactical online multiplayer
release date - November 17 2009

DEBUT TEASER TRAILER | FIRST GAMEPLAY FOOTAGE

In conjunction with the Microsoft press conference unveiling, Valve has provided additional Left 4 Dead details. First, the new melee combat options. We saw the chainsaw teased in the trailer, but players will also be able to wield a frying pan, axe, baseball bat, and additional blunt-force objects. Valve has also detailed the new AI Director 2.0, which will not only affect how many of the undead you'll be tackling at any given time, but will also dictate weather effects, world objects, and pathways provided to the players.

Left 4 Dead 2 is scheduled for release on November 17 on Xbox 360 and PC, with new co-op campaigns, Versus campaigns and Survival maps.

- Joystiq

There will be a frying pan you can use as a weapon! A FRYING PAN!!!! (watch the teaser trailer to see it at the end) Looks to be set in New Orleans. I wanna play the girl again, with a frying pan and then a chain saw.

[silent_m]

With the huge success of the first game, this was a no-brainer.

Has anyone played it with nVidia's 3D Vision? It is absolutely amazing and I highly recommend it if you're into this.

[kadji-kun]

^No pun intended....lol

Anyways, this looks great. New Zombies, New Weapons, New Melee Weapons, New Environments, New Campaigns, New Survivors and the best thing of them all.......SUNLIGHT!!!

I love valve.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Originally Posted by kadji-kun

New Zombies, New Weapons, New Melee Weapons, New Environments, New Campaigns, New Survivors and the best thing of them all.......SUNLIGHT!!!

You forgot the frying pan! LOLOLOLOL!!!!

[kadji-kun]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

You forgot the frying pan! LOLOLOLOL!!!!

Oh man, that was icing on the cake.

Yeah, I was reading up on the new tech in the game. I guess they are implementing a new version of AI Director (2.0) which changes up the gameplay quite a bit. Despite this being an early release, at least the quality is still there.....being Valve and all.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

The developer is Turtle Rock Studio, and Valve is the publisher. So it looks to be an excellent collaboration, a talented studio under the aegis of the high quality veteran game company most famous for the Half-Life franchise.

I bet that the actual development team at Valve is working on the next Half-Life 2 episode, and possibly conceiving the next Half-Life game.

Valve is simply being just....well, Valve, as you stated! LOL!

[DustyShinigami]

Awesome.

As i've already mentioned, Valve/Turtle Rock Studios may as well have just released add-ons (weapons, new playable characters, new enemies etc.) and new maps to the first Left 4 Dead. But yeah, a sequel was pretty inevitable. Either way, i'll definitely be getting this. Can't wait for some more zombie killing. I can't wait to put that chainsaw and frying pan to good use. And i'm intrigued by the A.I. Director 2.0. Nice to see that there'll be weather changes this time around.

[kadji-kun]

Originally Posted by Gazzoid

Awesome.

As i've already mentioned, Valve/Turtle Rock Studios may as well have just released add-ons (weapons, new playable characters, new enemies etc.) and new maps to the first Left 4 Dead. But yeah, a sequel was pretty inevitable. Either way, i'll definitely be getting this. Can't wait for some more zombie killing. I can't wait to put that chainsaw and frying pan to good use. And i'm intrigued by the A.I. Director 2.0. Nice to see that there'll be weather changes this time around.

If they did that then all the new engine features will have to be added to the current campaign and maps. Its not like its just a couple of new maps and such. Its a whole new game using a heavily modified engine.

If that doesn't reckon a new game, then one could say every game should just be an addon for another. Its not your say on what they should or shouldn't do, not to mention you know nothing about the decision.

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

The developer is Turtle Rock Studio, and Valve is the publisher. So it looks to be an excellent collaboration, a talented studio under the aegis of the high quality veteran game company most famous for the Half-Life franchise.

I bet that the actual development team at Valve is working on the next Half-Life 2 episode, and possibly conceiving the next Half-Life game.

Valve is simply being just....well, Valve, as you stated! LOL!

Actually the game is made by Valve. A while ago Turtle Rock Studio was bought by Valve. Now its called 'Valve South'. Also, the original Left 4 Dead was made by Valve South, not valve. So there is no difference there.

[DustyShinigami]

Originally Posted by kadji-kun

If they did that then all the new engine features will have to be added to the current campaign and maps. Its not like its just a couple of new maps and such. Its a whole new game using a heavily modified engine.

Fair point. But then, they could've added maps, weapons, characters, enemies etc. that would be easier/possible to implement into the original. Like they did with the Survivor Mode add-on. Valve could sell these add-ons over XBLA for a fee. But yeah, i understand that business-wise, making a whole new game would get them more cash.

Its not your say on what they should or shouldn't do, not to mention you know nothing about the decision.

I never said it was. And no, i don't know anything about their decision. I just didn't take a 'heavily modified engine' into account. Nor how much work would have to go into the original to make these new maps/campaigns work etc.

[Roper Klacks]

I am a bit disapointed with Valve. No episode 3 and instead they anounce a sequel to a game released 7 months ago. I cant stop feeling ripped off by those 50€ i payed for the 1st game. That new stuff that is going to be in this game could easily be incorporated as a payed expantion pack for the first game, at least to us PC Gamers, thats why they made the Source Engine (easy to update and incorporate new stuff) and Steam (easy to update).

The lack of support for L4D was really a huge setback, the game had so much potential. I'm now reluctant to buy this game. How can i be sure that they will not make the same mistakes again? The 1st one was extremely expensive for the very low ammount of content (they promissed us new campaigns), had almost no support and was replaced by a sequel a year later. I dont want to make the same mistake again.

And i dont know if this was the right move for them. Right now we have millions of HL fans waiting (for two years now) for the conclusion of HL2, instead they lauch a sequel to a game where most of the fans were happy with, and just wanted more content to keep playing the game.

I know thats the way the industry works, but that was not the Valve way of doing things. I loved how their multiplayer games last for so long time with a lot of support. I understand that they need to make money but i cant stop feeling that my trust in them got a bit shaken with this (and i didn't forgot the 1$=1€ issue on Steam)

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Am I one of the very few who at this point don't care about Episode 3? I have full trust in Valve to come out with that one when they're ready. Again: when they're ready.

I'm honestly far too distracted by all the other exciting, progressive, even innovative upcoming titles to even remember that, oh yeah, there's supposed to be new Half-Life game in the pipeline. Whenever that is.

Titles like Alan Wake, Heavy Rain, Final Fantasy XIII, Assassin's Creed 2, Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Dragon's Age: Origins, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Splinter Cell: Conviction, and a bunch of others are more than enough to keep me happily occupied for a while.

At this point who am I to feel I should be entitled to or owed a Half-Life sequel? Valve doesn't owe me anything, nor do I want them to. I say let Valve take their own sweet time and I refuse to be one of those gamers who throw a fit if I don't get news right away.

[kadji-kun]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

Am I one of the very few who at this point don't care about Episode 3? I have full trust in Valve to come out with that one when they're ready. Again: when they're ready.

I'm honestly far too distracted by all the other exciting, progressive, even innovative upcoming titles to even remember that, oh yeah, there's supposed to be new Half-Life game in the pipeline. Whenever that is.

Titles like Alan Wake, Heavy Rain, Final Fantasy XIII, Assassin's Creed 2, Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Dragon's Age: Origins, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Splinter Cell: Conviction, and a bunch of others are more than enough to keep me happily occupied for a while.

At this point who am I to feel I should be entitled to or owed a Half-Life sequel? Valve doesn't owe me anything, nor do I want them to. I say let Valve take their own sweet time and I refuse to be one of those gamers who throw a fit if I don't get news right away.

Exactly. Not to mention Left 4 Dead 2 is made by Valve South and not Valve.

Valve works on Valve Time, not our bloody impatient Gamer Time.

[Ninja Dodo]

Not anymore, looks like!

The studio -- founded by Counter-Strike AI bot creator Michael Booth -- was renamed Valve South and planned to operate as a satellite studio to Valve's main Bellevue, Washington office, but Gamasutra received information suggesting the studio no longer exists in that form.

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=23913

[kadji-kun]

Yeah I read that yesterday. lol Interesting news.

[Vahkris]

I'm hoping on more information on this before I really start getting annoyed. The first Left 4 Dead came out 7 months ago, that's quite a small amount of time for the sequel to come out.

The only thing I can think of other than they're being money-grabbers is that they're continuing their "similar to a horror movie" theme by presenting each set of campaigns as a sequel.

It says it's coming out later this year. Even though it IS Valve Time, that would put it about 1 year after the original came out...I don't think fans are going to be very happy about that.

[Ninja Dodo]

This was illuminating:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009...chet-faliszek/ (podcast interview)

[kadji-kun]

Originally Posted by Vahkris

I'm hoping on more information on this before I really start getting annoyed. The first Left 4 Dead came out 7 months ago, that's quite a small amount of time for the sequel to come out.

The only thing I can think of other than they're being money-grabbers is that they're continuing their "similar to a horror movie" theme by presenting each set of campaigns as a sequel.

It says it's coming out later this year. Even though it IS Valve Time, that would put it about 1 year after the original came out...I don't think fans are going to be very happy about that.

They also never said they will stop supporting L4D. Despite announcing L4D2, they will still release new mappacks, new campaigns and more. The only reason there is a Sequel is the fact that its going through another makeover, which most people just cant grasp because we are talking to gamers here, not developers.

Not to mention I really can't count how many friends actually went to E3, and not be a developer. What is this? They are allowing every single fanboy in and let them judge based on what they don't understand? Its like saying a game sucks just because you don't like the genre.

You want milking, look at the Metal Gear series. Now that is whoring to a new degree.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

For X360 owners the HD version of the official trailer is now available in the XBL Marketplace.

LOL, the loud clang that frying makes when Nick whomps that zombie with it at the end is such a thing of beauty!

[DustyShinigami]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

LOL, the loud clang that frying makes when Nick whomps that zombie with it at the end is such a thing of beauty!

Always makes me laugh.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

A smorgasbord of various gameplay moments!

The frying pan is still my firm favourite melee utensil, followed by the axe.