Details on Left 4 Dead 2 Emerge

The arising controversy aside, Left 4 Dead 2 is shaping up to be bigger and better than its predecessor, if only incrementally so. Since the game is coming out this coming year, quite a bit of information is already floating around about the game, including some live gameplay footage.

So far, the notable new features of the game include:

- Melee Weapons: Instead of being limited to just swinging your weapon around to push hordes of infected away from you, you can now use actual improvised melee weapons to chop, bash, and bludgeon your way through the hordes. Melee weapons revealed so far include an axe, a baseball bat, and a frying pan. Judging by the video, using these weapons will be pretty bloodily satisfying. Aside from the melee weapons, there will be some new guns as well.

- Upgraded AI Director: One of the big features in the first Left 4 Dead was the behind-the-scenes “director” who controlled the flow of events in the game. It would populate the game with the infected in a “dramatically appropriate” way, providing moments of intensity followed by lulls in the action. The director for L4D2 does all that and then some, including blocking and opening certain paths in the game world, and rewarding players for exploring out-of-the-way areas.

- New Infected: So far, only the “Charger” who barrels into the survivors, knocking them over and stunning them briefly. Valve plans to release details on two new types of infected later on. They’ve also changed the way the Witch works, making her a more serious threat the the players.

- New Setting and Characters: As much as Zoey, Bill, Francis and Louis have become icons for the game, Valve decided to bring in a new cast for the game. There’s the school football coach, Coach, a reporter named Rochelle, a good ol’ boy mechanic, Ellis, and a conman named Nick. The game will take place in the deep south, as the survivors fight their way to New Orleans.

Stay tuned for more details as they are revealed, and look for the game for PC and Xbox 360 this coming November.

Related posts:

1. Left 4 Dead 2 Details and Live Demonstration Gameplay Video
2. Left 4 Dead 2 Demo Release Date & Details
3. Left 4 Dead 2 ‘Passing’ DLC Details & Screenshots
4. Guess Who’s Back? Valve Brings Back Bill, Francis, Zoey & Louis to Left 4 Dead 2
5. Left 4 Dead 2 New Multiplayer Mode Revealed