1. Summary
2. Background
3. Hype

Left 4 Dead 2 comes from the same direction that Left 4 Dead does. It's both a satire and an homage to the zombie movies we all know and love. Some of those movies are classics from a long time ago, some of them are far more recent, but the end result is that they are all very good. There's also plenty of inspiration from other sources, including things such as phobias and common disaster scenarios, which makes Left 4 Dead 2 a tapestry of horror. The Left 4 Dead games are not all that scary, though, which makes it less about terror and more about understanding just what makes us tick.

Left 4 Dead 2 takes place in a (big surprise!) zombie apocalypse scenario. The first form of media to portray this was arguably the movies, thanks to the creation of George Romero's Night of the Living Dead. Chronicling a scenario where the recently dead rise from their graves as a result of a satellite crash, it went beyond simple zombie-killing to push forward a message of social equality, tolerance, and peace. This was later expanded into the "of the Dead" series, with the original Dawn of the Dead being the most popular, and possibly best, zombie movie to tackle such serious themes. This series paved the way for both serious movies, funny movies (Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland), and straight horror movies all within the confines of the zombie apocalypse.

The undead from Left 4 Dead 2, more accurately known as the Infected, are much like the zombies in 28 Days Later or Zombieland in that they are not actually zombies. Rather, they are humans infected with a virus that causes convulsions, spewing of bodily fluids, incredible rage, and a desire for human flesh. Since these zombies are not actually dead, then can sprint, leap, and do all sorts of other nasty things to you while you are fighting for your life. It also has the added effect that a shot that would kill a normal person, such as a shotgun blast to the chest, will kill an Infected as they are still technically human. In comparison, the traditional zombie requires a headshot in order to kill. The alternative to a headshot is to destroy the brain, such as caving in the skull with a hammer.

The sequel takes a much larger approach to the zombie-killing than the first game. This is represented by the classic melee zombie-killing tools. There's a fire axe and chainsaw, which are standard, but the game also includes other weapons that could be seen as homages to other classic games and movies. There's a cricket bat, much like Shaun of the Dead, and you can even use a guitar to even up the odds, which was one of the more humorous points of Dead Rising. Gordon Freeman's crowbar is also present, although suitably soaked in the blood of zombies. We are disappointed that they didn't have a spade like the ones they use in World War Z, but oh well.

Naturally, Left 4 Dead 2 also grabs relentlessly from Left 4 Dead. All of the humor is supposed to be intact, with new characters, new weapons, and new campaigns to slake the thirst of the average zombie hunter. You still make your way from safe room to safe room, engage in little mini-finales, and face off against a zombie horde at the very end of the campaign. Versus mode is still in, and will hopefully be much better balanced than the original's version. It appears to be just more of the same, which will definitely keep fans happy.