Left 4 Dead 2

Wow! In totally unplanned fashion, I have beaten this game exactly one year after beating its predecessor. (Granted, both beatings were Halloween-inspired.) Actually, you can more or less get my opinions on this game by clicking that link and finding out my opinions on its predecessor. But for those of you can't be bothered to do so, here's my two cents: I did not care much for Left 4 Dead 2. The series in general just doesn't seem to be my cup of tea. I get that the teamwork aspect is unique and all, but it can be just as frustrating as it is cool. In Halo, for instance, you can cooperate on a mission but for the most part each man is still responsible for his own survival. Here, you are 100% at the mercy of others to save you from common enemies that pounce upon you or constrict you. No matter how good your teammates are or what their intention is, it's just annoying to have to wait around for them to save their own asses before they can save yours. When teamwork is limited to, "you shoot the guys on the left, I'll take the ones on the right," I have fun; even if my teammate can't kill said guys, I can just help him out when I'm done with mine, or vice versa. But leave the pack in this game and you're toast. Instead, the teamwork comes down to, "holy shit get this thing off my back it is killing me holy shit." There is no, "Wow, sweet shot!" There is only, "What are you doing? Get over here!" I just don't like it. That's my own subjective opinion. But here's a totally objective criticism: as an FPS, Left 4 Dead 2 kind of sucks. There are just too many flaws. Shoddy controls make it such that your most effective combat option half the time is to clumsily swing around a baseball bat or crowbar. And although there are cool melee weapons in this game like a katana and a chainsaw, I don't remember anyone clamoring for a first-person beat-em-up. Yet there seems to be a complete deemphasis on precision when it comes to firearms. Shooting machine guns from the hip is so universally frowned upon in most shooters, but here its almost preferable to using slower range-based weapons. I mean, I did get off a few headshots now and again on zombies off in the distance, but the game randomly generates hordes of enemies that just come right up and maul you. And really, what good is a scope at that point? There's absolutely no story to speak of at all; that's fine - this is a zombie game, after all - but it still leaves you wholly unfulfilled after the final level ends. I just don't like this game too much. From a neutral point of view, I can see what all the fuss is about, but at the end of the day I'd rather be playing multiplayer Halo for the fiftieth time. Perhaps Sween will have some positive things to say in his upcoming review.