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L4D2's next Mutations: Gib Fest on PC; Chainsaw Massacre on 360
Valve has announced the latest Mutations for Left 4 Dead 2 and it looks like the Survivors will have a leg up on the undead hordes. It's good to know that even in the apocalypse, humans can sometimes catch a break. In the PC version, players can check out Gib Fest, where all survivors are packing M60s with unlimited ammunition. Xbox 360 players will have to get a bit more up-close-and-personal in Chainsaw Massacre -- all survivors will have access to nothing but Chainsaws. Who wants zombie kebab?
Valve reveals 'The Sacrifice' DLC for L4D1 and 2, digital comic
Both Left 4 Dead titles will be getting a new DLC pack -- titled "The Sacrifice" -- in the future. Valve's Chet Faliszek announced as much on the latest episode of GameTrailers TV, detailing the DLC's story as an explanation of how the first L4D crew lost a member (during "The Passing") and saying that the content will work across both games. Owners of Left 4 Dead 2 will be able to play as the first game's fearsome foursome and even be able to choose which member of that crew will end up having his or her brains eaten by the horde. Faliszek also noted that the content will be free -- like usual -- for Steam users, and the series will be arriving on Steam for Mac as well. If that wasn't enough, L4D1's "No Mercy" campaign has been updated for the sequel and will be included with "The Sacrifice" when it ships. Though players will be able to choose which crew member passes in "The Sacrifice," a 150-page, four part digital comic details events leading up to the new DLC will have a more definitive finale which will effect the future content for the series (we can't be more specific without spoiling "The Passing"). Faliszek didn't give a price or a release window on the show, but he did admit that this "is not the end, we're gonna continue going" with future content for the series. Update: According to an interview with PC Gamer (via Shacknews), it seems "The Sacrifice" will be available (at least on PC) as of October 5 for free, though it will cost 560 MS Points ($7) on Xbox 360. We've reached out to Valve for clarification on the release date for 360 and Mac.
Left 4 Dead 2 mutates again, DLC teased
Thanks to Left 4 Dead 2, Friday has become some kind of weekly masochistic holiday. This week proves no different, as the latest mutation, Iron Man, pits the survivors against the Infected with "no respawns, no restarts, no ammo, all tension." In other words, you get the ammo you start with, no one respawns and, should your whole crew bite the dust (or be bitten by dusty zombies), you'll have to start the entire campaign over again. Ouch. In other news, the Left 4 Dead Blog also dropped some hints about upcoming DLC. Those who finished "The Passing" DLC will know that someone from the original Left 4 Dead heads off for the great Safe House in the sky (don't hit the source link if you'd like this to remain unspoiled). According to the blog, a forthcoming comic and DLC will explain exactly how the survivor kicked the bucket. We're no psychics, but we're guessing it was zombies.
Valve breaks down Left 4 Dead 2 mode stats, 'Gib Fest' is latest mutation
Valve has posted some interesting stats for Left 4 Dead 2's mutation modes. The team has been watching you closely as you work your way through the zombie hordes, and it turns out you like realism and gore in your L4D games: Realism Versus and Chainsaw Massacre have been the two most popular mutations by far, with Realism Versus (which was later turned into a permanent mode) grabbing 41 percent of the player base during its featured week and 22 percent of the playing time. The Chainsaw mode was the "most tried" of the mutations, with 52 percent of the player base revving it up, and 14 percent of player minutes spent playing it. Outside of mutations, versus and the co-op campaign actually both nab about 40 percent of players every day. And while Valve doesn't mention any of the least-played mutations, it does give notice to the Infected-doubling Hard Eight mutation, which was only tried by 26 percent of players but still grabbed over 10 percent of that week's playing time. This week, it's a "Gib Fest," with everyone on the team getting M60s and unlimited ammo. That sounds like a hunting accident just waiting to happen.
Left 4 Dead's 'Tank' figure unveiled, busting through bank accounts
We've got some mixed emotions about the just revealed Tank mini-statue (statuette just doesn't seem fitting for a giant terrifying zombie), created by Gaming Heads for Valve. Sure, its detail is marvelous and it comes with a totally sweet, albeit miniature, pump-action shotgun, but it's also 325 real-life actual dollars for the "exclusive edition". At 15 inches tall, you'd better have a real special place in your heart (and in your house, preferably a cage) to shell out that kind of cash. If you'd like to save yourself a bit of money, there's a less-exclusive version (limited to a run of 750) for $300, but unfortunately it comes with no mini pump-action shotgun. And frankly, we both know that's completely unacceptable. How else will you fight off the little monster when he goes after your throat? Hmmm? Interested parties will be glad to know that orders appear to be open as of right now, though the statue won't be set free until "Q1 2011."
New L4D2 Mutation: Hard Eight (more like 'Just Hard')
At first, we really liked the idea of Left 4 Dead 2 "mutations." They promised fun tweaks to the gameplay to keep it interesting and fresh. In practice, however, they seem more like an excuse for Valve to make the game even harder. For instance, this week's mutation is "Hard Eight," which doubles the maximum number of active special Infected from four to eight. Eight. What's that? You just killed a Boomer? Well, don't worry, because there are seven more standing right behind you.
Left 4 Dead 2's latest mutation is nothing but swords
The official Left 4 Dead 2 blog has posted the latest mutation to Valve's great zombie apocalypse simulation and it's ... swords. All swords, all the time. Hacking, slashing, slicing, dicing, piercing, thrusting -- you name it, you'll be doing it against the undead horde. The post also has the results of the poll about players' favorite level finale, and Dark Carnival's Midnight Riders concert takes the win on Xbox 360, with The Parish's bridge traversal tying it for PC players. The worst? Unanimously, Hard Rain's boat wait is the pick (and we'd have to agree). Finally, the blog teases next week's mutation with the words "Hard Eight." That could only mean one thing: Get ready to star in an underrated Paul Thomas Anderson movie!
X10: Left 4 Dead 2 'The Passing' DLC in March, L4D1 tie-in DLC to follow
So what's the appropriate greeting for when you pass another survivor in the zombie apocalypse? We'll find out next month, when Valve plans to release the first Left 4 Dead 2 DLC campaign, "The Passing," on Xbox 360 and PC. The Passing will feature non-playable appearances by the original Left 4 Dead cast (those shadowy figures in the background there), who will aid L4D2's four survivors during the third act of the new campaign, which is set in rural Georgia. Not one to leave holes in a good story, Valve will explain the original survivors' frantic journey to Georgia by way of -- yes, it's really happening -- a new DLC add-on for Left 4 Dead 1 (not compatible with L4D2). No additional details were provided about the upcoming L4D1 DLC by Valve at X10 today, but it will follow the release of The Passing campaign and a digital comic (illustrated by Michael Avon Oeming) that will tie together the two DLC stories. Additionally, Valve confirmed that The Passing will also include new arenas for Survival, Versus and Scavenge modes, and a new co-op challenge mode. Players will also encounter a new "uncommon common" infected, dubbed the Fallen Survivor, which can drop random items when killed. The Passing is currently on track for a "late March" release. %Gallery-85283%
Left 4 Dead 2 PC gets new Steam patch, Russian subtitles
Valve's just served up a fresh update for Left 4 Dead 2 that aims to give our fellow survivors a gnawed-off leg up on the zombie horde. Most of the fixes deal with backend issues, streamlining the lobby system, and making official dedicated servers preferred when searching for team matches. The game now also has Russian subtitles for our comrades defending the Red Square (which, of course, is really a Burger Tank in the deep south). Remember: communication is paramount to winning the war against the undead. Head past the break for the full patch notes.
Left 4 Dead 2 sold 2 million at retail in 2 weeks
Valve apparently threw Boomer bile all over Left 4 Dead 2, because hordes of consumers gobbled up two million retail copies globally since its release a couple weeks ago. Valve won't release the Steam digital distribution sales data, so that's not included in the retail count. According to the developer, sales are currently double that of the original, with "Black Friday" helping to push copies into the hands of players (who now have their hands full with two Tanks, a Spitter, a Hunter, and a Jockey coming in for the kill). Valve also noted that information about L4D2's first batch of downloadable content would be coming very soon. %Gallery-64704%
Review: Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360)
When Valve announced Left 4 Dead 2 during Microsoft's E3 2009 press conference -- less than seven months after the release of the award-winning original -- gamers were, perhaps rightfully, shocked. This was the same Valve that spent nearly ten years iterating on Team Fortress 2 and whose experiment in episodic gaming has forced us to reevaluate our expectations for future installments of Half-Life 2 using the "Star Wars–definition" of episodic. So when Valve announced a direct sequel to the ground-breaking Left 4 Dead on what could only be considered an accelerated schedule for normal developers (and an impossibly accelerated schedule for Valve) we had every right to be shocked. Valve answered this concern with assurances that Left 4 Dead 2 was an entirely new game, with changes that could not be simply grafted onto the original. And the team was right! ... But that's the problem. %Gallery-67753%
Left 4 Dead 2 delayed in UK, due 'by Friday morning'
We'd usually say it's a good thing when a zombie invasion gets postponed, but not when we're talking about Left 4 Dead 2 releasing in the UK a couple days after the rest of the world. According to Valve's own L4D2 blog, "copies of the game are still arriving" across the pond, with assurances from the developer that it will "have everyone in the UK playing Left 4 Dead 2 by Friday morning." Wait -- everyone in the UK? Whoa now guys! While Xbox 360 owners and PC gamers who still buy physical copies of software are out of luck, Valve says that everyone in the region who pre-ordered L4D2 via Steam can play it right now. Of course, those left waiting can pretend they're fighting to survive the scariest of all Left 4 Dead campaigns: "Delay of Game" (tagline: "Patience never killed anyone -- until now!").
Aion grips top ten digital sales charts a month past release
You'd be forgiven for thinking Aion would've fallen off the Steam and DIrect2Drive top ten sales charts, what with the fire hose blast of new PC releases. Fortunately for NCsoft, that isn't the case as the game is still clinging to said charts in the face of games like Dragon Age: Origins, Borderlands, Torchlight and Left 4 Dead 2. Boldness! Actually, the game is pretty darn good -- if you don't mind your peanut butter with extra grind -- so that's not a huge surprise all things considered. It's always a good sign when an MMO can stay on the top ten after its launch, moreso when it does so against high profile, high pedigree releases. So, rejoice Aion players, you've likely got a strong community! (We could've just told you that, but now numbers vindicate said observation.)
Left 4 Dead 2: now with 4 times as many pre-orders
As if blissfully dancing on the grave of its opposing and recently deceased boycott, Valve's shambler-shooting sequel, Left 4 Dead 2, seems destined to surpass its predecessor. Speaking to CVG, Chet Faliszek revealed that pre-orders for the game had quadrupled those enjoyed by the original game. "As we get closer to launch we see the reaction to the demo, pre-orders are four times what Left 4 Dead 1 was, people's excitement, the boycott itself and how it's changed..." he said. "I think people are just excited now."Having tested what the power of the people can accomplish (most of all when wielding skull-smashing implements) Valve can finally let that excitement wash over them, content that fans have latched on to what's in the game -- and not what's missing. "Honestly I made the joke and it's true: If you put $20 in a box and charge $10 for it someone would complain you didn't put $50 in a box," added Faliszek. "Not to say some of the concerns raised aren't valid, but you're always going to have some kind of upset and that's not how we work. We work at looking at the project and trying to get it out."Valve gets Left 4 Dead 2 out on November 17th.
Pre-order Left 4 Dead 2, get a spiffy Team Fortress 2 hat
Left 4 Dead survivor Bill's hat is now available in Team Fortress 2 for those who pre-ordered Left 4 Dead 2 from Steam or "participating retailers." Though the hat does ... apparently nothing, it implies – in the immortal words of Destiny's Child – "I'm not gonna give up, I'm not gon' stop, I'm gonna work harder, I'm a survivor." Some may hold issue with the fact that the Team Fortress and Left 4 Dead universes have collided; however, Valve has explained the phenomena, stating that "while conducting a science experiment on parallel dimensions, Bill's hat fell off a table into the Team Fortress universe." Done! That's all the justification required. Oh, and if Bill's hat isn't enough incentive to pre-order the zombie apocalypse survival simulator, know that the game is currently 10% off on Steam. [Thanks, ZaxCG2]
Left 4 Dead 2 twofer: 'Edited version' approved for Australia; 'Realism mode' revealed
We're going to break this post down into three distinct (and clichéd!) categories: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. First, the Good: The suddenly puritanical Australian government -- by way of The Office of Film and Literature Classification -- has seen fit to grant the previously unclassified Left 4 Dead 2 an MA 15+ rating, paving the way for millions of impressionable minds to be programmed into zombie-killing machines. Next, the Bad: The version of Left 4 Dead 2 that the OFLC approved was an "edited version" that "no longer contains depictions of decapitation, dismemberment, wound detail or piles of dead bodies lying about the environment." In other words, it's nothing like the real zombie apocalypse. And when the inevitable human-vs-zombie war reaches Australia's isolated shores, her people will be ill prepared for what they encounter. "Gross, these zombie corpses don't disappear when you kill them! And, what's this? Blood?" Valve and publisher EA are still hoping to launch an unmodified version, pending the October 22 review by the OFLC board. Lastly, the Ugly: 1UP noticed a "special modifier" in its Scavenge Mode demo last night: "Realism mode." Valve's Doug Lombardi explained that it was for the serious player: "Take Portal for example: We had our best internal players who could blow through that game in about 30 minutes, but within weeks of launching it we had people on YouTube beating [the testers'] times by 10 minutes or more. Realism is for those players." In other words, it's training for the real zombie apocalypse. If our imagination is any indication, expect Realism mode to feature plenty of realistic pants crapping. %Gallery-75034% Source – "Left 4 Dead 2 Secures Australian Release" [Edge Online] Source – Realism mode detailed [1UP]
Left 4 Dead 2 trying 2 approaches 4 sales in Australia
Valve is working two angles to get Left 4 Dead 2 on Australian consoles and PCs, following the Aussie ratings board's refusal to classify the zombie shooter. One version of L4D2 making its way through the OFLC is an "Australia specific" (i.e. edited) take on the game, while the other is the gore-lovin' original, which Valve currently has on appeal. Gamespot spoke with Valve's Gabe Newell, who explained that the next step for the unedited version won't occur until October 22, which means the timing gets tight in terms of manufacturing and other hurdles before a November 17 launch. Valve project manager Erik Johnson finds the OFLC's issues with the sequel to be "inconsistent" because of Left 4 Dead's unedited release in the region. We wish Valve (and the gamers of Australia) all the best in working out those Michael Atkinson issues. Source -- Valve to resubmit two versions L4D2 (Gamespot) Source -- Newell discusses ban on video (Gamespot) %Gallery-64704%
Left 4 Dead 2 boycotters flown to Valve; boycotters boycot original boycotters
The two Steam users (Walking_Target and Agent of Chaos) who kick-started a Left 4 Dead 2 boycott, soon after the game was announced at E3 2009, were recently invited to Valve's offices to play the game and interview members of its development team. While both users (pictured above invading Valve boss Gabe Newell's personal space) vow to continue boycotting the upcoming title, they reported Left 4 Dead 2 "seemed balanced and 'tight' and did not feel like a rushed job." Ironically, since visiting Valve's office the two boycott leaders have been forced to defend themselves against accusations of "corruption," a position not too removed from the one Valve now occupies in relation to the boycott. Some Steam users have asked the pair to relinquish admin duties of the boycott group, but the Valve visitors maintain the effort has progressed "well beyond what most people thought we'd get done." The Left 4 Dead 2 Boycott group on Steam currently has over 40,000 members and requests (demands?) that Valve offer the sequel as either a free update or as a discounted expansion pack to owners of the original Left 4 Dead. [Via Shacknews. Image credit: L4D2 Boycott Group]
All 10 Left 4 Dead 2 melee weapons over here!
Speaking to Valve's Chet Faliszek at PAX, we asked how many melee weapons will make it into Left 4 Dead 2. At the time, Faliszek told us he wasn't sure, but he knew there were more melee weapons in Left 4 Dead 2 than there were guns in the original game. We followed up with Faliszek after the show and we can now share all ten of the game's melee weapons. Without further ado, they are: Baseball Bat Cricket Bat Crowbar Electric Guitar Fire Axe Frying Pan Katana Machete Tonfa (police baton) Chainsaw The question you have to ask yourself: Which one of these would you abandon your teammates for? Remember, a teammate constricted by a Smoker is a teammate that can't pick up that katana over there.
The Digital Continuum: Outrageous outcomes
Sometimes I can actually hear the barking, crowing and general upheaval of a community to the extent that my knee jerk response is to consume the cacophony of squawking in a great ball of churning fire. Thankfully, I always resist that urge, and much for the better. That doesn't mean I'm unwilling to share those initial feelings here, though.There's a good reason I'm sharing an otherwise personal knee jerk reaction. Too many people don't deny the evil voice growling incessantly from the back of the mind. They allow that pure id impulse to take the journey from their -- quite temporarily deranged -- minds, down their limbs, through their fingertips and into the comments section of many a website.
