Going through quarantine by killing zombies (Left 4 Dead 2 review)

This time of the year has been really, really difficult for everyone. Because this time,
you don’t need to glance over your shoulder to look out for a killer. This one is invisible and
now that’s why we’re in quarantine in our own countries. And in addition, we have been
locked in our homes away from friends and colleagues. And it gets pretty lonely after weeks
into it. But companies such as Sony™ has made it a bit better by giving out free games for
PlayStation 4™ users [1] and Steam having special offers and discounts to new and old games as
well [2].
Personally, I have been a fan of Steam because of the option for online games. Especially at
this time, I need all the interaction I can get with my friends. Although, there is one game in
particular that is really helping me get over the sadness and heaviness this pandemic brings. Where
the game also involves one but is more hardcore and fun. Left 4 Dead 2.
A sequel to its equally great predecessor, Left 4 Dead, this one brings new characters, maps,
weapons and, of course, zombies. Left 4 Dead 2 was released a year later from the first one after the
success of receiving the title “No. 1 Co-op Game of the Year” in 2008 [3]. Now, the sequel may have
had a lot to live up to but I can say that it did that and more, if I do say so myself.
I recently got the game as gift from Steam about two weeks into quarantine. When my
friends and I decided that “If we should go through a pandemic, we should go through it in style”,
and I quote. And what I really liked about the game is that it’s not just a zombie, shoot-out game but
there are multiple campaigns that have hidden storylines. What Valve did was to give a certain
dynamic to Left 4 Dead 2, that even after more than 10 years since the release, people still came
back and played. Giving it that certain edge of not just being a ‘zombie, shoot-out game’.
I got interested again when I saw a new gaming channel, called Peenoise Plays[4], have
recently uploaded videos to show their campaigns of the game with the occasional jab towards
their teammates. This has made me reminisce the time I would beg my dad to buy this game for me
on Steam back when it was released. Sadly, I was eight at that time and my dad pushes violence
away from me. Although I did play it when I reached my teens, and I was hooked by it like a ‘zombie
killing’ maniac. I still am today, hence this article.
Another thing I commend about this game is the ability to customize and a little zhush to the
same old campaigns. To customizing weapons, pain pills, adrenaline shots, bombs or even the
characters or zombies themselves and as well as maps made by users. The game just gives you a
reason to come back even if your all playing just for fun or really putting on a game face as you head
on hordes and hordes of zombies. It just gives an escape and platform for friends who have been
separated because of quarantine to play a game where you can cooperate and achieve the objective.
To go deeper into my interest in Left 4 Dead 2, it also gave a lot of specific details that made
the game seem real or even like a movie. It is indeed more than just a typical zombie apocalypse
survival video game, because of the great storyline. It took the players into an adventure. And it’s
their choice if they want to go the route of friendship or betrayal. Because of the game’s friendly fire
feature, a little traitorous intent is not far from the horizon. Moving on from that, it’s just that for
me, the players can really get into the fantasy of just being awesome zombie killers. Well, that’s for
me at least. But still, the players that still play this game is proof to that. They also feel the way I feel
when I get to slice some zombies with a katana or machete. The feeling of being a ‘bad-ass’. And it’s
nice to feel that way especially with your friends.
I highly recommend this game for friends to play. Whether it’s to finish a campaign—made
up of 2-4 players with different difficulties—or Versus mode—where some can have the chance to
be special zombies and some of them fighting said zombies. And extremely recommended for this
time of quarantine. If you miss your friends, you could show how much you do by either healing
them with your own health kit or hitting them with it. Or straight up shoot them when you feel the
urge to just because you really, really miss them that much. And there is also an option of playing
online, where you can meet other people to play the game with. And try out the custom maps that
other talented users made for a new experience.
So, to sum this all up, I just think Left 4 Dead 2 is wickedly awesome. Despite being made on
an earlier year, with still developing technology for better graphics, the dynamic and storyline it
took the players into is extraordinary. It is certainly one heck of a game that I really recommend to
try it if they haven’t, and to those who have to play it again. They can do a speedrun or look for
easter eggs you might have missed after your first playthrough. It may end up being something
funny that the developers sneaked into the game only for you and your friends to discover it. And I
really appreciate Valve, for knowing how to take a bunch of friends onto a journey full of guns,
health kits, pipe bombs and boomers.

Sources
[1] https://bgr.com/2020/04/14/sony-play-at-home-free-ps4-games/
[2] https://store.steampowered.com/
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead_(series)
[4] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7TrbfuqtaqJyvji22UZIYw