Left4Dead 2 Review: Eat it

This is one of the games I wanted most this year. I LOVED the original, one of my good buddies and I would do as a daily mantra for months "I can't wait for Left 4 Dead." As such, Left 4 Dead 2 has a lot to live up to. Does it?

Pros:

AI Director is better than ever: In the first L4D, the AI director was really well done. While you played the same 4 campaigns over and over, the AI director did a fantastic job of mixing every game up. Now the AI director controls more of every campaign from smoke and fire, weather and time, to more special infected spawning judging by your progress. In other words, the AI directors always thinking, always watching, and ALWAYS improving.

Give me a challenge: The first L4D did feel like in general, the game was in your favor. L4D2 is absolutely NOT. You REALLY need to think strategical and play with your teammates effectively in order to survive. Also, in L4D1 it was hard to go a game and run out of ammo for your primary weapon. L4D2, you WILL go through bullets quickly. This is absolutely more of a challenge. And it's good.

Hit it: Melee weapons are now in the game and can be used instead of pistols. It's going to take you a while to figure out which you prefer to use, short distance or long as your secondary weapon, but long story short, every melee weapon is fun and hilarious to use. Yes, even the frying pan.

New guys, good guys: So yes, it's brand new characters and even though we miss the originals, you will love the new ones. For whatever reason, Coach has been the source of many arguments amongst my circles. Personally I'ma fan of the scout-er, Ellis. But to each their own.

Gotta let it burn: Coolest gun idea yet: Incendiary ammo. Nothing as satisfying and cool as shooting flaming bullets (no homo) at zombies and watching them catch neighboring zombies on fire.

Fat lady's singing: The finales are really epic in this game. More challenging, more intense and a deeper sense of accomplishment when you beat them. Even the mini-finales are fun, like in dead center when you have to recover cola for a gunshop owner while taking some of the awesome bounty of ANY gun in the game. With laser sight. Love the laser sight. Even on a shotgun.

Cons:

Incredible Lag: I know this is something that's eventually going to be fixed with patches and servers and such, but I simply cant understand the amount of lag that's rampant in a standard multiplayer game. ANY version of the multiplayer game. What's worse is that you'll try to play single player while they try to fix it, but it's not the same experience. You can't have the same kinds of interactions with an AI, regardless of how good Valve can make one.

Some weapons are redundant: It's hard to deny that many weapons seem redundant and not necessary. For example: baseball bat, cricket bat and machete. The speed and damage are almost identical, so whats the point of having different versions?

Left 4 Dead 2 is one of this years best games, but the lag makes it feel like a bloodhound on a short leash. You know where it wants to go and that it can find it pretty quick and easy, but it's held back by something so tedious that you wonder why it's still chained. It'll get fixed, but maybe you shouldn't be jumping at it JUST yet.

Recommended buy price: $45
Game Score Ratings - HORRIBLE - Pass - Meh - Good - EPIC
Good