Game Review: Left 4 Dead 2 - Brilliant Sequel!

Boston Herald

"LEFT 4 DEAD 2"

Valve for the Xbox 360 and PC.

Rated M for mature.

Grade: A

"ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE"

Konami for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network. Rated M for mature.

Grade: D

I get it, America: You love zombies. You love them like grandparents. It's the same deal as monkeys and toddlers; they sort of look and act like real people, but totally aren't. That uneasy union of humanity and inhumanity both amuses and horrifies.

I understand the fascination, but I don't share it. Zombies are as played out as vampires. We need greater diversity in our fictional bugaboos. It's almost 2010; won't somebody think about the Frankensteins?

I didn't give a free pass to "Left 4 Dead," last year's zombie- filled co-op first person shooter. It demanded one nonetheless. "Left 4 Dead" was perfectly designed to force four players to fully cooperate with one another, and that would've made it fun even if you replaced the zombies with Smurfs or prairie missionaries.

It's shocking how substantially "Left 4 Dead 2" improves upon its predecessor. This isn't a slight upgrade, but a thorough reworking that never loses the spirit of the original. It refines the essence of "Left 4 Dead" while expanding its range of options and the depth of its story. It's like some crazy magical genius somehow made chocolate, beer and pizza even better.

The basics remain the same: You and three friends, strangers or bots try to survive a world drowning in an endless sea of brain- starved zombies. Like the original, "L4D2" excels in execution, combining pitch-perfect FPS controls with unobtrusive storytelling, a fantastic sense of humor, and laser-focused character development. "Left 4 Dead 2" replaces the original survivors with four immediately recognizable character types, fleshing them out into fully realized characters with a minimum of fuss. There are no interminable cut-scenes, just an incessant stream of hilarious, well- written dialogue. With the new Deep South setting, melee weapons, five full campaigns, a variety of new modes, and three new special zombies, "Left 4 Dead 2" offers far more content than the original, all of it great.

Thankfully "Zombie Apocalypse" is around to prove my zombie hypothesis. Like the zombie fad in general, this dual-joystick shooter (a la "Geometry Wars" or '80s classic "Robotron") is tired and uninspired. There's no compelling reason to play this instead of "Geometry Wars" or "Left 4 Dead." It lifts liberally from "Left 4 Dead's" playbook, with four broadly defined survivors, various guns and incessant stabs at humor. It tries hard, but lacks wit and heart. You could call it shameless; I'll just call it embarrassing.

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