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 shit 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!
