Gamespy Swamp Fever Preview

[DigiQ8]

GameSpy has the first hands-on with the new Left 4 Dead 2 Swamp Fever campaign. Swamp Fever is the only campaign in L4D2 that starts out in the night, and also features new level-specific infected, they're called the Mud Men, "they are zombies who run on all fours incredibly quickly, making them hard to detect".

It sounds like such a small thing, but the addition of a level-specific common infected, referred to as "common-uncommons" internally, completely alters the way a level like Swamp or Parish plays. In Swamp the level-specific zombies are mud men: zombies who run on all fours incredibly quickly, making them hard to detect, and especially so when they're in a couple feet of water. This resulted in our team having to be hyper-vigilant when wandering through the bayou, watching the water the way that Han Solo and company did when facing the Dianoga in the Death Star trash compactor. During the not-so-quiet moments, like when we were trying to protect a teammate who'd been covered in Boomer bile, these little zombies could come out of nowhere, providing ample distraction for other infected to close the gaps on our defensive positions. The Parish campaign also featured a level-specific zombie in the form of biohazard suit infected, whose invulnerability to fire created some tough situations when we were relying on molotovs to provide safety.

Don't miss the full preview, head to Gamespy to read more and watch the new gameplay footage.

 

[BlueWolf72]

I am ready to play today. Remember if you are gonna buy join my community

 

[Shem]

I liked the gameplay videos, although they were all rather short.

I noticed in one of them that the pills icon had changed to a needle icon, so they added another new feature to Left 4 Dead 2. This was probably seen before, but I just noticed it now.

Edit: Thanks for the info, Lobster.

 

[Asknoone]

I like what I see, and I am considerably more impressed with the game than I was when it was first unveiled. The move to the open bayou is quite a clever decision--the footage showcases potential for gameplay that will not climax, or indeed unfold, in a similar manner each time, which was a key flaw of the original game. The Parish finale - the much toted 'gauntlet gameplay' - gains appeal after each successive read.

From my perspective, it's fair to say Valve is moving toward their usual structure of game design. L4D was shallow and simplistic, and arguably the weakest Valve game to date, but this would appear to have the depth it sorely lacked - that casual, surface accessibility, yet deep, involving gameplay more pronounced and prevalent in TF2 and the Half-life series. Ironically, and somewhat worryingly, they are breaking their ideology to accomplish it. Casual melee inclusions, increase of 'hand-held' content, fast release--certainly subversive of the 'Valve way'.

 

[Born]

On the "Shanty" video, at 0:48, you can hear and see the new Special Infected - The Spitter - spit his apparently deadly cloud of spores. It appears bright green then becomes a deep red when it settles into the water.

 

[MJ12]

Nice map, but I am still not captivated.

And the black man sticks out like a sore thumb. I hope they change his design, or at least his shirt.

 

[Lobster]

The needle that takes up the pill slot is adrenaline, it lets you melee constantly and run through the horde without being snared for a short period of time. It would be nice to see a few more items like this, to make those slots a real equipment choice..

 

[Reflex]

L4D2 = L4D1 With new maps?

Honestly I don't see anything different.

 

[lefty]

^I'll just ignore that...

So is it a 360 exclusive? I read that somewhere and was saddened.

 

[DigiQ8]

^I'll just ignore that...

So is it a 360 exclusive? I read that somewhere and was saddened.

PC & Xbox 360

 

[lefty]

sweet. I've never played L4D (computer died about when it came out) but hopefully I'll get to play L4D2.

 

[PimpinPenguin]

^I'll just ignore that...

So is it a 360 exclusive? I read that somewhere and was saddened.

360 and PC exclusive like the first one.

 

[Warped]

I wonder if the guys at Valve ever sleep or **** their wives...cuz if they aren't I sure as hell will :naughty:

 

[hool10]

Game looks very, very good! My whole reason boycotting the game is that I feel it should be called Left 4 Dead: New Orleans and have a $20 price tag. I'm kind of scared though there might be other "expansions" but if so I'll pay for them like the HL2 episode's. They just have to support them after release. They also have to get L4D to a playable state and add content to it. Game looks great though.

 

[Hunter-Killer]

All looks like it’s coming along nicely. I'd be interested to see them integrate the "gauntlet" idea into the original. There are a few areas in L4D where it would work perfectly for example 2nd chapter of Blood Harvest (I think) where you have to open the alarmed door. Instead of people hugging walls and waiting for the horde to stop coming it should be a forced run sequence.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

Game looks very, very good! My whole reason boycotting the game is that I feel it should be called Left 4 Dead: New Orleans and have a $20 price tag. I'm kind of scared though there might be other "expansions" but if so I'll pay for them like the HL2 episode's. They just have to support them after release. They also have to get L4D to a playable state and add content to it. Game looks great though.

Because lord knows, L4D is totally unplayable in its current state.
I'm sure Valve are intently working on fulfilling all your demands. You know, with them being so desperate for your $50 and all.

 

[hool10]

Because lord knows, L4D is totally unplayable in its current state.
I'm sure Valve are intently working on fulfilling all your demands. You know, with them being so desperate for your $50 and all.

You go try and play a game with us and see what happens.

1. Searching for server never ends so Glenn has to cancel it and leave the server, then come back. New lobby leader begins the search again in hope that it finds a server.
2. Server is found but only 1 or 3 people have a tolerable amount of lag.
3. Server coding has been hacked to bits in an attempt to put server mods in that instead of loading the next stage, it reloads the start again.

I think Valve should be desperate and work hard to keep their fans as well for that $50.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

1. Start lobby

2. Launch game

3. Play game

Works for me.

 

[PriNcE oF SpAcE]

god I hope they change the horde attack music, it's so ****ing awful.