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Nothing says home like the smell of rotting zombie corpes in the morning! And in Left 4 Dead 2, the new video game from Valve, you are given plenty to remind you of home. Set at roughly the same time as the original – just after an outbreak turns most of the population into various zombie mutants – players assume the role of four new “Survivors,” each with their own personality and new dialog. Delving through the southeastern region of the US – from Savannah, Georgia through the bayou country, and climaxing in New Orleans’ French Quarter, you are lead on a wild ride against the dreaded and almost unlimited mutated hordes.

When Valve announced this sequel, barely 1 year after the first version, the gaming world was thrown into an uproar. Online petitions circulated the internet, threatening to boycott Valve’s latest efforts. Many gamers felt that L4D2 would be nothing more than a glorified expansion pack carrying a full game price tag. Not offering any downloadable content and following so close on the heels of the first game, Left 4 Dead 2 was nearly left for dead, itself. But, on the contrary, Valve has produced a truly awesome game. Featuring several multiplayer options including up to 8 player online and offline (via system link) play, including Campaign, Versus, and Survival. One of the most exciting aspects of the the game is the new Scavenge Mode. One team, as survivors, are tasked with finding a limited number of hidden fuel canisters to power their generators. Another team of players are the infected masses, trying to stop them. With so many different modes to experiment with, Left 4 Dead 2 is slowly winning back it’s lost fans.

It seems that we are seeing a game design trend within many of the major game developers, and Valve is no different. Just like it’s predecessor, Left 4 Dead 2 encourages teamwork to survive, rather than the typical one-man headlong charge. Against insurmountable odds, it is nearly impossible to survive without assistance from either ally AI or from another player. For far too long, in my opinion, shooter games have been designed so that those with quick reflexes and an accurate trigger finger could simply charge straight through the enemy lines like a hot knife through butter. But trying that with Left 4 Dead 2 will, quite possibly, leave you scratching your head wondering what happened. And it is precisely that element that makes this game worth the hype.

Utilizing advanced technology known as AI Director, Left 4 Dead 2 offers a truly unique style of gameplay. By customizing the number and placement of enemies based on the performance of the player, a slightly different game play is experienced each time you play a campaign. In fact, the AI Director also customizes the graphic effects and music played based upon performance, giving you an novel experience each time you play. Plus adding a whole stock of melee weapons including axes, chainsaws, frying pans and baseball bats give you the ability to get up close and personal with your new-found zombie “friends”. Over all, Left 4 Dead 2 surpasses my expectations – while it doesn’t exactly feel like a new game, it definitely goes way beyond being a simple expansion pack. Well worth a try, even if you get it used or as a rental.

Available on: Xbox 360, PC