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This isn’t my review as I’ve not finished it yet. Not far off mind you but I’m digesting this like a large meal, reclined on my couch and at my own pace.

However… what I did want to talk about is the idiotic moaning about the difficulty of the boss fights if you go for a stealth build. You’ll have seen it by now, the tears flowing on this subject are fast and salty.

Let us clear a few things up.

1. I’m using stealth. All my points went in non-combat, stealth/hacking related areas.
2. The bosses go down faster than a hooker with a blank cheque as long as you THINK about it.

First boss fight. Pants, that dudes arm is a cannon, I don’t have many weapons and all my points are in non-combat augs.

Wait, I do have a brain and the ability to think my way around a problem so.. what I’ll do is first toss this EMP grenade at the walking cannon guy. OK, that fried him. Now how about stacking a couple of these explosive looking barrels at his feet and blowing them up while he is dazed. Yeah, he didn’t like that and the EMP grenade has worn off. OK, so I’ll hide behind this pillar and place two frag mines either side so the boss can’t get close. OK, looks like the boss just walked over one. Wait? What? It’s over? I thought these boss fights were supposed to be tough according to reviewers?

Took no time at all, nothing stressful about it, and I didn’t need a single point in any augmentations to use my smegging brain!

Second boss fight. Let’s see, EMP grenade worked well last time, lets try that. Hmm, not so good this time. OK, you like charging at me? So I’ll put my back to the wall and place frag mines in front and to the sides of me. Charge that! Oh you did.. OK, have 3 rockets in the face from the rocket launcher I saved all the way through this level. Ahh, you died did you? Didn’t take long.

Well, I guess I had a rocket launcher, what did I expect. Reload, throw away rocket launcher and pick up heavy rifle from the room right before the boss, available to all players no matter of build.

Same tactic, back to wall, frag mines down… dumbass ran into one again and is standing around inviting me to drill her with bullets. Naturally I aim to please and just as fast, the second boss is down.

If you are one of those people moaning about the difficulty of the bosses on Deus Ex, I suggest growing a pair… or spending 30 seconds thinking of a way around the situation that does not involve moaning all over the internet about the hike in difficulty when in reality, the boss fights are the easiest part of the game.

Playing through the third campaign (Swamp Fever) on L4D2 last night with two other friends on Normal difficulty and all is going well… till the plantation house finale.

Starts off well. Ends with two tanks, at the same time, in the same crowded corridor, delivering swift merciless death to our team.

Next attempt. Get to the house OK again. Prime the area with gas cans this time and stock up on Boomer Bile to slow the inevitable Tank down. Tank comes and we down him. Before his pink behind can even hit the floor, yet another Tank spawns and this time a Jockey helps him ruin our attempt.

Third attempt. Much smoother. We actually hold out till the rescue arrives. Suddenly two Tanks show up again and proceed to do a tap number on our spines.

One party member leaves due to time issues and we slog on. Next attempt, we last till rescue then a really badly timed Tank/Special Infected spawn combo makes short work of us thanks partially to bad AI controlling the remaining two team mates. Next attempt we swallow our pride and take a vote to drop to Easy and complete it first try. This sticks in my throat like un-buttered crackers.

It’s ironic really. I had a post almost ready to publish about gaming losing some of the challenge  simply to attract a wider audience. How difficulty levels have been toned down and games for children now hold your hand a lot more than games in the 80′s when as a result of game design we had no saves, no continues, and in some cases only one life. When almost everything on the map could and would kill you (see Dizzy franchise). Based on last nights experience I’m not sure I can publish it now without some editing!

L4D2 (to paraphrase a favourite movie of mine) will “cook up a story and drop the four of you in a meatgrinder!”

How you get out is based on teamwork, luck, and largely how sadistic the AI Director is feeling at that point. Its a challenge that has been sorely missing from most modern games. I don’t see CoD’s endless spawn mechanic the same way. I can beat that mechanic simply by pushing forward past the spawn point cutting the event short. It might be hard to make it past that point, but once past it, the game will not decide to hammer you flat for doing so.

L4D2 will punish you. And the better you get, the more the AI Director will punish you. That is its raison d’être. Its single purpose is to destroy groups, and it does so with exceeding efficiency.

..and I love it!