So,Left 4 Dead 2is coming out, and people aren’t happy. This is to be expected, since gamers tend to be entitled, spoiled, and miserable with anything and everything. Arguably the best co-op shooter in years gets a sequel, and people complain. That’s the games industry for you.
Having wandered around the E3 showfloor and played the game myself, I’ve heard a number of complaints about the game. About how Valve is selling out, how the originalLeft 4 Deadwon’t get supported, and how it’s simply too soon for a sequel. These people really should STFUAJPG. Seriously.
Read on as we discuss the BAAAAW’ing overLeft 4 Dead 2.
I think it’s incredibly ironic that Valve, the company famed for taking ten years to complete a sequel, is now being criticized forfinallygetting a sequel out in a timely fashion. Valve has taken so much shit over the years for its lengthy development time, especially overLeft 4 Deaditself, and when it decides to throw something up quick, the community backlash is evenworse.
Valve, of all companies, has earned the right to milk at leastonefranchise, at leastonce. The studio has taken years upon years to develop some of the best games in the world, and if it wants to try and shorten its development cycle and see if it can provide the same quality, I see no reason why we should try and discourage them. Do you seriously not want moreLeft 4 Dead?
Okay, peopledowant moreLeft 4 Dead, but they don’t want a sequel. Instead, they complain that they aren’t being given more shit for the original game. Well, you shouldn’t be buying games with theexpectationthat you’re going to have a load of free shit dumped on you from the outset. People knew what they were getting on the disc/file when they purchased the game. They were never told they’d be drowning in DLC after the fact. Valve never promised that, and is under no obligation to provide it. Oh wait, you say Valve did it for its other games? That’s because Valve was spoiling you, son!
If it helps you, though, I heard a Valve rep on the show floor saying thatLeft 4 Deadwouldstillget support, despite the sequel’s release. This brings me to the other point: If you loveLeft 4 Deadso much, by all means keep playing it and just pretendLeft 4 Dead 2doesn’t exist. We all know what Valve games are like — servers will still be full of originalL4Dplayers long after the sequel’s release, so you can live in Mr. Softee’s Imaginary World of Happy for the rest of your natural days, unaffected by theevilsequel.
Another complaint, and one that I can quasi-understand, is that it’ll just be more of the same. I playedLeft 4 Dead 2this week, and you know what? I agree. There is a new Special Infected in the Charger, and you get special melee weapons, but it’s pretty much the same game as before. I’m also bummed that, at the time of writing, there are no alternate character models for the Hunter, Smoker and Boomer.
However, while I agree the game is more of the same, I must add that I don’t care at all. The very fact that thisLeft 4 Deadis set during the daytime is enough to justify its existence, as far as I’m concerned. Zombies are naturally scarier during the day, and the New Orleans settings look distinctly beautiful, in a post-apocalyptic way. Yes,Left 4 Dead 2plays just likeLeft 4 Dead, but I couldn’t give a shit. It’s a great game, with a sexy new coat of paint, and I will swallow that shit with a massive silver spoon. Plus, the Horde member in a Hazmat suit is hoofin’ brilliant.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand the concern. It’s surprisingly quick, especially for Valve, and with Electronic Arts casting an increasingly strong shadow over the studio, it’s not hard to imagine Valve falling into the Activision trap of releasing endless sequels and spin-offs for the co-op zombie shooter. However, we are not yet at that point, and I believe it’s probably wise to save up the bitching and whining until we arrive at such a stage.
Valve has the makings of a killer franchise on its hands, and I believe it deserves the chance to “sell out” at least a little bit, for once. If you had a hot property likeLeft 4 Deadand you knew that people would lap it up, would you not want to make more, and do so while things are still hot? Of course you would. Many of you still lap up every singleZeldagame, despite them following the same format, and most of you lose your shit over re-released games likeMarvel vs. Capcom. Don’t pretend you won’t lapthisup either.
Most of the people complainingwillbe playing this and loving it when it’s released. I’d put down some money on that wager, but I’m saving up forLeft 4 Dead 2.
