Link: Co-Optimus Entry

Please keep all discussion of Left 4 Dead 2 for the XBox 360 in this thread.

Anyone else extremely excited for this? I think ill miss the old characters, but new weapons and incendiary bullets! This version just seems so much more intense from what I've read about it. From what Ive read...
-The director will be able to change some parts of layout of the map
-The one example they used was a maze, it would be much harder if your doing good and it would be simple if your getting rocked.
-Alarms are going to be different now
- Instead of just camping in the corner and waiting out the storm, you have to get to another switch to turn off the alarm, otherwise the horde keeps spawning. (expert will be insanely hard)
-New zombies
- one example is the Hazmat zombie (a standard infected resistant to fire)
- the one special infected they mentioned was the Charger, it basically will wreck campers
- A wandering witch during daylight (did I mention you play during daylight)
-New weapons + melee weapons
- In the videos I saw a Spas12? for the auto shotty and duel usp40s? for pistols and a silenced Uzi
- Melee weapons - a frying pan lol and a fire axe (one hit kills)
- Incendiary bullets! (power up)
- 5 campaigns from the savannah to New Orleans

Other things Vavle mentioned was that there would be several new special zombies, and a New special game play mode. I got most of this from Ign if you're wondering. Anyone got anything else to add.

Another type of crecendo event that was mentioned by IGN was one that takes place in a parking lot full of alarmed cars. One stray bullet and the horde comes a runnin. The baseball bat and chainsaw seen in the E3 reveal trailer will also be usable.

I'm kind of interested in the story Valve says this game will have. Unlike Left 4 Dead, the campaigns in Left 4 Dead 2 are supposed to have some kind of story that connects them. Specifically, Savannah hasn't been hit by the infection yet. Maybe we'll get to see some of them turn.

Overall, more L4D can't be a bad thing.

Adding to what SecretAsianManz just posted, check out this from Joystiq's hands-on time concerning changing the crescendo events:

"Enter the first crescendo moment of "The Parish" in Left 4 Dead 2. The Survivors enter a courtyard of twisting alleyways of chain-link fence, with a tower in the center. An alarm sounds as the Survivors enter the courtyard, bringing the horde with it. The only problem (um, besides armageddon)? The switch to shut off the alarm is on top of a tower in the center of the courtyard. Thus, instead of defending a static location until rescue arrives, the Survivors have to battle through a gauntlet of Infected and make their way to the tower where they can shut off the alarm and stem the tide of living dead.

Valve will be creating many different kinds of crescendo moments for the game that change the play in different ways. For example, Faliszek mentioned that one takes place in a car impound lot. The catch: Every single car has an alarm. Faliszek said that Valve has actually managed to make it through without setting any off, but we get the feeling that won't happen very often."

I have mixed feelings about this game...

One the one hand: DUDE, IT'S THE SEQUEL TO LEFT 4 DEAD!!!!

On the other hand: Aw man, I guess we can expect there to be no additional content or support for the first Left 4 Dead. We can also expect servers to be dead zones for the first game when this one comes out.

Then again... If Valve goes and does what Gears of War 2 did, and re-releases the maps from the first game as downloadable content for the second game, that could be incredible!

This will be my #1 game of 2009, apart from Modern Warfare 2.

Here's a pic of all four Survivors:

http://forums.l4d-360.com/index.php?topic=415.0

And if you want to see some actual L4D2 gameplay videos, watch them here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/left4deadforum

Then again...again... If Valve releases a game with all the stuff from the first game plus tons of improvements...why did I pay over 60 bucks for the first game? And why should I trust them and buy a second game?

Actually, the IGN preview mentioned that Chet Faliszek said that Valve is still going to support the first one with future updates, such as four-vs-four matchmaking.

But that still doesn't make me feel like buying the next game...which is what Valve needs to do.

Why did you pay 60 bucks? Um because it's unanimously the co-op game of the year! (some publications even had it listed as all around game of the year). It's tremendous! It's easily one of the best co-op games ever made, and as a member of Co-optimus I would think that would be important to you.

I will concede that Valve did cut some corners content-wise, and they haven't exactly been anywhere near Epic games with their level of additional content support, but as a movie buff, let me put it in other terms: 15-minutes of the Godfather is still infinitely better than 2-hours of Gigli. L4D may be short on initial play-through content, but it's so tightly designed and re-playable that there is little reason to care.

I'm genuinely sorry you didn't get the same experience. I actually went out and bought it on the PC as well as the 360; it's that good.

I only paid about $40 thanks to a giftcard from my brother! Having owned it, played it for a while, ignored it for a few month, then sold it, I can say it was not the game for me. It was amazing as a co-op experience, that's true. It was a thrill ride and then some. That said, it didn't have the sticking power for me. Too linear and the same: start somewhere, try to get somewhere else. No real terrain difference except for just a few instances. A few guns but no real reason to use anything but the auto shotty or M16.

I'm thrilled people loved it and continued to play it. For me, I'll have to rent L4D2 (reminds me of R2D2!!) first. It's just a genre thing I guess, this one may not be my style.

It's not that I don't like the game, I'm keeping it. But Valve (and you're making me angry thinking about this again) doesn't shouldn't be undercutting the people that support the first game of this franchise by releasing a sequel so soon.

It will split the community, cause once that's out the L4D servers will reduce in number. The SDK for L4D isn't even out yet (as far as I know, it may have JUST been released).

Valve is considering adding the first game's elements to the second games. That means. I paid 60 bucks for an incomplete BETA game.

The game is good, but what happens when you buy a car from Ford, then they turn around and sell the same car to others with more features, better gas mileage, full tune-up, and free gas for 1 year.

Would you feel cheated for being there at the start?

I understand where you are coming from, and you make a good argument.

On the other hand, remember that you are talking to the guy who bought L4D twice so he could play on both 360 and PC. To your example above, I would say generally you are correct. I would feel cheated. But what if that car was so amazingly awesome as to make the purchase price worth owning it for only one year alone? It's hard to imagine that scenario with a car, but in video games where most bore me in less than 30 days, I got way more than my money's worth out of L4D.

Nope. You buy a product for what it IS, not for what it might be a year later. If you feel cheated, then you spent too much money to begin with.

That's why I don't have an issue with the used games racket. It's the same as a used car to me. I've only ever bought one vehicle brand-new, and I've regretted it...because they're just not worth it, ever.

You were given a free demo with Left 4 Dead in order to better decide if it was worth $60. For most people, it was. If Left 4 Dead 2 isn't worth $60 to you, then you haven't been cheated unless you're planning to hand over your money again.

Remember: those dollars can't jump out of your wallet on their own!

Ah, but if you belonged to a company called CarFly, which shipped you rental cars in the mail, then you'd not be out anything at all!! Seriously, I don't think I'll buy anything brand-new without renting it first again. I rented Sacred 2, liked it, and through GameFly bought it for $38 the second week it was out!! Score!

i've been considering going that route... do you get the original case when you buy it? and bonus content (like DLC codes that are included sometimes)?

i'm not so sure i'm going to buy this one. i guess i'll see if my brothers pick it up. i just can't see spending $60 on it after only a year.

I completely agree with that. I actually bought L4D from Gamefly. I wasn't really sure about the game at first because, well frankly zombies creep me out. But it turned out to be so much fun and not scary that I just bought it. Plus, between the discounts from Gamefly and free shipping, I feel like I got a deal.

When you buy a game, they send you a case and instuction book. I've haven't bought any game that comes with DLC codes or anything, so I'm not sure if they do that.

Right on. When a new game comes out, they pull the disc out and set the case and booklet aside. If you do the "keep it" option they ship you the case and booklet for free. It's all brand new! I haven't got any download codes but the only two games I've purchased thus far are Rock Band 2 and Sacred 2. I'll add more on this in another thread as I don't want to hijack this one.

I partial agree with JG on this, but on a broader scale, they're shooting themselves in the foot. The first game has enough moment to run for 2 years with DLC packs along the way and continued sales with minimal price drops. By releasing the sequel this fast, they're cutting all those DLC pack sales at least in half, and they likely won't release as many. The first game will also drop in price faster than it would otherwise. And it's likely to hurt the early sales numbers for the sequel, as I'm sure JG is not alone.

Then again, there are people who buy Madden every year.