Left 4 Dead 2

[Defi]

Lanzado en noviembre del año pasado, el festín de violencia y sangre a cargo de la rentable Valve mezclaba de manera adictiva supervivencia y cooperación en un explosivo cóctel repleto de adrenalina, abriéndose paso a tiro limpio entre los innumerables seguidores del género de los muertos vivientes. Con más zombies bajo el brazo de los que jamás podríamos llegar a enumerar, la secuela para Left 4 Dead apenas ha tardado ocho meses en anunciarse de manera oficial, desatando un agridulce cúmulo de opiniones al respecto de una segunda parte en un plazo de tiempo tan corto.
Polémicas aparte, lo cierto es que Left 4 Dead 2 promete potenciar todo aquello que pudimos disfrutar del original, añadiendo más posibilidades en nuestra toma de decisiones y sumiéndonos de forma magistral en una salvaje orgía donde por encima de todo, lo que no falta es gente. Apunta bien a la cabeza, pues el kilo de carne putrefacta no se anda con tonterías.

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Aforo máximo
Dispuestos a sobrevivir a la mayor experiencia de sus vidas, nuestro cuarteto de protagonistas comienza su aventura al sur de los Estados Unidos. Sin ningún tipo de conexión previa entre los mismos, el particular grupo de supervivientes deberá cooperar con dedicación a fin de no sucumbir a las macro oleadas de zombies que azotan las regiones de Savanah y Nueva Orleáns.
Amigos a la fuerza, el equipo estará formado por Nick, un joven de traje llamativo perfecto para la ocasión, así como Ellis, un mecánico acostumbrado a cambiar ruedas de coches que deberá enfrentarse a quehaceres mucho más peligrosos. Completando, Rochelle representará la parte femenina de armas tomar, mientras que Coach, fornido y equipado con unos músculos bien torneados, no dudará en emplear toda su fuerza al máximo con tal de sobrevivir a la masacre.
Vista la plantilla, lo cierto es que resulta gratificante comprobar como Valve ha incidido de manera correcta a la hora de desarrollar las personalidades de cada uno de ellos, algo palpable por mediación de los geniales diálogos que mantendrán los integrantes del equipo. Con ello, se sucederán discusiones hilarantes cargadas de espontaneidad, perfectamente integradas en función de la situación que nos esté tocando sufrir, e idóneas en el plano cómico si tenemos en cuenta las numerosas adversidades en las que por norma general, la superioridad numérica no estará de nuestro lado.
Respecto a la estructura del título, Left 4 Dead 2 estará dividido en cinco campañas distintas, asegurándonos por parte de los desarrolladores una mayor duración en los variados niveles que compondrán cada bloque del juego. Como principal novedad, los escenarios a plena luz del día harán acto de presencia, ofreciendo al jugador una atmósfera completamente radical frente a los veteranos niveles nocturnos que tampoco faltarán a la cita. Y es que con el sol pegando desde el horizonte, la jauría de zombies corriendo hacia nuestra posición se dejará ver con total claridad, conformando así un aterrador marco en el que para nuestra desdicha, la muerte circula a toda velocidad.






Unidad para la victoria
Dispuestos a no dejarse comer por el enemigo, nuestra particular brigada anti zombie deberá nutrir su equipo con un bonito surtido de armas de fuego, seleccionando el arsenal que más se ajuste a nuestras preferencias de combate, y compartiendo sitio con la fiel pistola de 9mm y su munición ilimitada. Para ello, las diferentes ametralladoras, escopetas, subfusiles o rifles de precisión se sucederán a medida que vayamos avanzando a través de la historia, pudiendo alternar dichas armas una vez alcancemos pequeños refugios repartidos por el mapa.
En este sentido, asignar distintos tipos de armas para cada miembro del equipo resultará especialmente útil de cara a la batalla, pudiendo combinar la fuerza de alguna escopeta potente a corta distancia mientras que otro compañero descarga una ametralladora rápida desde una posición elevada. Claramente, a diferencia de otros shooters en primera persona, aquí hacerse el héroe solitario es directamente proporcional a ser pasto de la muerte, no quedando más remedio que el de coordinarnos correctamente con el resto de nuestros camaradas. Así, la tónica habitual de la aventura será vernos abordados por cantidades ingentes de infectados corriendo como locos, por lo que deberemos intentar alcanzar alguna zona mínimamente segura y cubrir los flancos a fin de no ser devorados.



Por suerte, otra novedad para esta segunda parte consistirá en ítems especiales que serán útiles por un tiempo limitado, por lo que por ejemplo, podremos adquirir numerosos cócteles molotov que deberemos lanzar a diestro y siniestro antes de que el cronómetro del objeto llegue a cero.
Envueltos en esa vorágine de mandíbulas amenazantes, salvaguardar la vida del resto del equipo será vital para continuar, prestando especial atención hacia donde apuntamos, puesto que el fuego amigo será una característica inamovible de la historia y en más de alguna ocasión contribuirá a que acribillemos por error a la persona equivocada. Por supuesto, en caso de que algún amigo sufra daños severos podremos acudir rápidamente a socorrerlo, administrándole un botiquín del inventario que lo dejará listo para volver a la fiesta.






Cabe destacar que como alternativa a las mencionadas armas de fuego, Left 4 Dead 2 añadirá la novedad de zurrar al enemigo mediante el uso de armas cuerpo a cuerpo, por lo que si la munición del momento escasea, equiparse con un buen bate de béisbol nos dará otro aliento de vida. Desde tablones de manera, tuberías, llaves inglesas, o una desgarradora motosierra, estos contundes utensilios serán idóneos para despachar pequeños grupos de infectados básicos, por lo que la situación nos será favorable hasta que algún peso pesado del repertorio enemigo irrumpa en escena.
Pero a falta de profundizar en la plantilla de adversarios potentes, Valve solo ha querido hacer pública la presencia de "The Charger", un robusto engendro que no dudará ni un segundo en arrollar contra todo aquello que se interponga en su camino. Y es que para nuestra desgracia, el hecho de escondernos en alguna casa o estructura cercana será totalmente inútil frente a este titán, el cual poseerá una fuerza sobrehumana capaz de hacer añicos cualquier tipo de cobertura inicialmente segura. En cuanto al resto de mutaciones, se espera que asiduos como Hunter o The Witch vuelvan para complicarnos la existencia, variando incluso sus rutinas de patrulla en función de si el escenario es diurno o nocturno.
Nuevamente, el llamado modo director se encargará de balancear el transcurso de las partidas, por lo que si no somos capaces de aguantar las contínuas oleadas cargadas de hostilidad este particular sistema se encargará de suavizar la dificultad del título, otorgándonos más munición para recoger y rebajando de manera sutil el número de zombies. Por el contrario, si el director detecta que nuestras andaduras son más similares a un camino de rosas, la ferocidad y cantidad de infectados se incrementará como si de un reto se tratara. Además, su omnipresente batuta será la encargada de amenizar la cacería con una buena banda sonora, acompañando la intensidad de las situaciones con acordes rápidos y escalofriantes.






Dentelladas por doquier
Excelente para crear toda esta locura de no muertos, el mejorado motor gráfico Source será el encargado de dar vida propia a todo lo que graben nuestras retinas, incluyendo objetos explosivos que detonarán con nuestros impactos y lanzarán por los aires a toda la multitud de zombies que se encuentren en las cercanías. Y si de generar fuegos artificiales sin despeinarse se trata, las considerables cantidades de enemigos en pantalla serán otro de los puntos fuertes del citado motor, haciéndonos sentir partícipes de una auténtica película de terror de serie B.
Unido a un magnífico uso de la iluminación y a unas físicas de infarto, el buen hacer técnico de la desarrolladora quedará reflejado en cada pequeño recoveco del título, quizás sin llegar a estar por encima de los grandes del género, pero si demostrando un más que respetable acabado visual.
Si algo ha quedado demostrado en esta generación, es que sin duda los muertos vivientes tienen una estupenda cabida entre los diferentes géneros que coexisten en las estanterías. Bajo una propuesta frenética y descaradamente orientada al multijugador en línea, Left 4 Dead 2 apuesta por un estilo rápido y directo, sumergiendo de lleno al jugador en una de esas aventuras de pesadilla irónicamente divertida. Aún sin saber si queda sitio en el infierno, los muertos ya caminan sobre la Tierra.

[KILLER]

Doug Lombardi, de Valve, ha anunciado en un evento especial que ha tenido lugar en Londres que habrá una demo de Left 4 Dead 2 antes de su lanzamiento, previsto para el mes de noviembre.

Y es que, según ha señalado Lombardi a los medios, Left 4 Dead fue un juego que ha funcionado sobre todo por las recomendaciones de los jugadores, por lo que creen que es importante que los usuarios puedan probar el título antes de su lanzamiento.

Por el momento, según se ha sabido, las reservas de Left 4 Dead 2 ya superan a las de Left 4 Dead.

INFORMACION DEL JUEGO:

Spoiler:

Left 4 Dead 2 Information

The primary sources are interviews, E3 gameplay videos, and blog articles. Please post any missing/new information!L4D twitter.

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Official Information: Any information that is considered official (from an official source like Steam News) will be colored I'll be updating and rewriting this regularly. If you'd like to be notified of new info, I recommend following my light green. Any information derived from Valve employee remarks and demo gameplay are not considered official.

Throughout, the names "Chet" and "Doug" may appear. "Chet" refers to Chet Faliszek, the team leader for Left 4 Dead. Doug Lombardi is the Vice President of Marketing for Valve.

Also, please, please, please restrict your comments to questions and comments about L4D2 information. There's plenty of room elsewhere for evaluating Valve's choices.

Game Information

• Release: November 17, 2009 (US) and November 20, 2009 (Europe).
• Platforms: Windows and Xbox 360.
• Engine: Source.
• Preliminary Price: $59.99 for Xbox 360. $49.99 for PC.

Highlighted Features

• 5 new campaigns, including The Parish. (See art.)
• New, unannounced game mode. All chapters will be available for all game modes at launch.
• 4 new characters: Coach, Rochelle, Ellis, and Nick.
• At least 20 new weapons and items. [Source?]
• 10 new melee weapons. Known melee weapons: axe, chainsaw, frying pan, baseball bat, cricket bat, katana, guitar, crowbar, machete, and tonfa.
• New ranged weapons. Ranged weapons at least include new pistols (including a magnum), SMG, new pump and auto shotgun, grenade launcher, and at least a few new rifles.
• Some old weapons from Left 4 Dead 1 may be included in the new game.
• More powerful AI Director 2.0.
• New Infected types, including at least 3 new SI (e.g. Charger).
• Some daylight gameplay. At least one campaign occurs at night.

Other Features/Mechanics

• Will work with community maps made with the L4D1 SDK.
• A new, more powerful SDK will be included with Left 4 Dead 2. In the new kit, modders will be able to affect the weather, adjust the AID’s behavior, and more.
• Portal level designer Kim Swift is involved in the level design.
• Left 4 Dead 1 content may be included in the DVD, so that Xbox players will not have to switch DVDs to play the old content. This might also be true for PC users.
• Co-op mode, Versus mode, and Survival mode for all maps will be included at launch.
• Melee fatigue will be included, and may affect Campaign mode.

Storytelling

Left 4 Dead 2 is designed as a much more continuous story than the original game, with more tie-ins between campaigns. The team has expressed a desire to improve the storytelling without adding bulky narrative devices like a deluge of cutscenes. To do this, the Survivors will be round characters—over the course of the campaigns, their personalities and relationships will change. There will be more back-and-forth interactions and running jokes. Some lines or conversations will happen very rarely. Also, each campaign will have a brief introduction cinematic that helps to bridge the gaps.

The campaigns are set in the American Southeast, one week after the original game’s events. In some places, the infection is not as pervasive as in the Northeast, and at the very beginning, Savannah, GA (the location of the first campaign) has not been completely affected yet. The Survivors do not know each other at the beginning. They meet in Savannah and make their way west to New Orleans, LA, where they attempt to reach a military outpost.

The military takes a much greater role in the new storyline. The infection has progressed past the point of CEDA's control, so the military has decided to take more aggressive measures. There will be evidence of "humans turning on humans"viviolent tension between the military and survivors who wish to enter the safe zones. In some places, Survivors may see downed helicopters or uninfected human bodies. This comes in stark contrast to the current L4D, which has a decidedly bleaker outlook with no show of a cohesive defense.

Despite this conflict, Chet has specifically said that Survivors will not be firing at other humans.

Survivors

Look here for a lineup with nameplates.

Coach
A high school defensive coordinator and health teacher with dreams of coaching professional football. During college, Coach was a skilled defensive lineman and intended to go pro until he had a career-ending knee injury. He's from the Savannah, GA area, and is used to dealing with (living) kids and parents. When the zombocalypse broke out, he lamented allowing himself to fall out of shape.

Coach wears a short-sleeved polymer sports polo. Originally, it was yellow and blue, but new gameplay footage shows him wearing purple and gold. He also wears khakis, white wristbands, a chrome whistle, a black belt, black shoes, and black weight-lifting gloves. Coach is overweight, and his rotund model sometimes clips weapon stocks.

Coach’s booming voice is brought to you by Chad Coleman, who plays Denise "Cutty" Wise from the TV series "The Wire". His mildly scornful personality and patronizing voice lines seem to be a reflection of the paternal nature of his job, his interest in sports, and his religious leanings.

Rochelle
A tough-as-nails northerner from Cleveland. After graduating from Cleveland State with a degree in communications, Rochelle pursued a career as an on-air news personality, but only managed to find work as an associate producer/intern. Two months later, after an outbreak hit Atlanta, Rochelle got her big break and was sent to the evacuation center in Savannah to produce her first big segment. If only she’d known that her biggest break would be out to kill her.

Rochelle wears a thin brown over-the-shirt belt and tight blue jeans. In the E3 demo and the teaser trailer, she wore a plain orange shirt, which differed from the rose-colored shirt she wears in the poster art. However, in more recent official screen shots, she can be seen wearing a rose-colored shirt with a Depeche Mode graphic.

Rochelle is voiced by Rochelle Aytes, an actress whose repertoire includes "White Chicks" and "Madea’s Family Reunion". She appears to be strong-willed and can be somewhat indignant.

Ellis
A smart, fun-loving, beer-loving, goofiness-loving mechanic with Southern flare. After finishing high school in his hometown of Savannah, he spurned thoughts of college, choosing instead to pursue his passion of working on cars. Ellis’ youthful exuberance and carefree nature allow him to remain upbeat even in the direst of situations.

Ellis wears a gray-and-white work shirt. Two crossed black-and-white checkered flags and the words "J.B.’s Auto Service" are printed on the back. Ellis also wears a matching gray-and-white baseball cap with webbing in back, work boots, and a tan jumpsuit with the top half gathered around his waist.

Ellis’ voice actor is Eric Ladin from "Generation Kill", who voices the role with a moderate Southern accent. Ellis is the most helpful and good-natured of the group, and even his most aggressive lines only reach the point of humorous indignation. At the end of The Parish, Ellis utters the line every player has yelled into the mic at end of No Mercy at one point or another. You know which one.

A line we’ve heard Ellis say is that he loves horses. This makes us wonder if he’s the anti-Francis, dialogue-wise.

Nick
A gambler, petty conman, and consummate picaresque in a purportedly expensive white suit. Nick hails from the Midwest, but he’s a vagabond by nature, moving from place to place without settling down. He’s the most cynical and bitter of the Survivors, and is still trying to figure out the best angle on the recent upturn in the brain-eating market. Over time, he begins to trust and value his new compatriots.

Nick is voiced by Hugh Dillon, an actor from "Flashpoint" on CBS. As mentioned earlier, he’s the most cynical and distant of the Survivors. One of the lines Nick can be heard saying is "You’re going to shoot the guy in the $10,000 suit? Come on!" This is likely an allusion to Arrested Development, where Gob has an obsession with the ever-varying price of his suits. There may be multiple unique variations of this line, each with a different price degree of emphasis. The prices we’ve heard so far are $2000, $3000, $6000, and $10000.

Campaigns

Left 4 Dead 2 will contain five campaigns. Statements from Valve indicate that each of the campaigns in Left 4 Dead 2 will be longer than those of the original. Unless green, the campaign and chapter names below are guesses. Four of the five campaigns are close to being finished.

2: Dark Carnival
GameTrailers TV, Dark Carnival (see art) was playable at PAX ‘09 in Seattle. After fleeing Savannah in the first campaign, Survivors hit a traffic jam and are forced to leave the highway. They reach a two-story motel, then make their way to the Whispering Oaks amusement park, where nefarious thrills await.

The first chapter begins on the highway and encompasses the motel and the path to the fairgrounds. Survivors begin right on the highway, where a huge traffic jam has thwarted their escape. They appear to have traveled in a police cruiser taken from a local sheriff’s department.

The second chapter, aptly titled "The Fairgrounds", begins in a small shed outside the main entrance. The early areas of the fairgrounds include concessions like hot dogs and other food stands. Later on, Survivors will make their way through a number of courtyards, and then slide down from the top of a giant slide.

Later, Survivors will encounter a carousel, where the second chapter’s crescendo occurs. Survivors must activate a switch that turns on the carousel and opens a gate on the far side of the carousel. They must then fight through the ocean of undead to turn off the merry-go-round and stop the onslaught. From there, Survivors must travel a short distance to a lover’s lane, where the saferoom awaits.

The remaining chapters have not been released, but Dark Carnival is likely a 5-chapter campaign. The outline of a ferris wheel suggests that one may be included. Chet has said that the crescendo has something to do with the electric guitars added very recently, so we believe that it may have something to do with a stage or other performance venue. In the final build, the fairgrounds will include playable parlour games (mini-games). For instance, Chet hints that there may be a shooting gallery that has an associated achievement.

3: Swamp Fever
The second campaign will be a nighttime mission that takes place in a "muddy bayou" somewhere between Savannah and New Orleans. A train wreck forces the Survivors to travel through a bayou—a patchwork of marshes and small rivers. Swamp Fever only has four chapters, but Valve has said that playtesting shows that it takes roughly the same amount of time as a full-sized campaign.

Recently, the campaign poster was released, revealing the tagline of the campaign, "The only cure is dying."

There is still some ambiguity about how the area is laid out, but it appears to be an intricate meshing of different terrains. Muddy marshland and lakes dominate the landscape, appearing almost everywhere. The mire lacks the vegetation found on solid ground, making it easier to spot some Infected, but some other Infected (namely, Mud Men) may be harder to spot. Moving through the waist-deep mud also slows Survivors to a walking pace.

To avoid the muddy lowland, Survivors can walk on raised banks or across rotting wooden boardwalks, but sections of the boardwalks can collapse, causing Survivors to fall into the murk. These damaged areas look different, and can be detected beforehand. The AI Director can control where these spots occur. Other visual cues can also help Survivors. Special rewards can be found by looking for landmarks. For instance, a pilot dangling from a tree by his parachute could mean that supplies can be found below.

There are other signs of human settlement. New Gamespy footage shows a shanty town raised on stilts above a deep marsh. This area includes a crescendo which begins by lowering a ramp. The walls of the shanty buildings can be broken, creating dangerous Smoker pulls. OXM had previously suggested that players might meet NPC survivors in this shanty town, but the gameplay videos and a new preview by IGN seem to discredit this notion.

Some new Comic-con footage of Swamp Fever shows even more extensive human settlements, with large boardwalks and covered bridges. The boardwalks are raised at least ten feet above the swamp.

Along the way, players will encounter a crashed plane. The right-side overwing exit door must be opened to pass it. Opening the door triggers a traditional crescendo event.

Issue 50 of the UK OXM states that there will be an alligator farm in the campaign, but no infected alligators will be present. Chet explains that the infection only affects warm-blooded creatures.

The finale, done in the style of the original, takes place at a giant plantation house, where Survivors await rescue by a fishing boat. The first floor balcony of the plantation house will feature a new kind of mounted gun that does not overheat, but has limited ammunition. We don’t know if this gun is distinct from the M2HB found near the end of The Parish.

The AI Director will have a big role in this area. Many paths will be randomized (or at least procedurally controlled) instead of being predetermined. Also, the area will have dynamic weather conditions controlled by the AI Director. Chet has mentioned in a number of interviews that the AID can suddenly create heavy rain conditions, limiting visibility, similar to the cornfields of BH5. Survivors will not be able to see each others’ outlines in the rain.