I actually really like the layout of the map for competitive play. There are a variety of viable infected setups littered throughout the map. The finale, specifically, is a welcomed change as the survivors are forced to exit their camping location to reactivate the event after the generator loses power (about halfway through the finale). The length of the scenario (two maps) is perfect; rounding in at about 30-45 minutes. This is a significant improvement over the 1hr15 - 1hr45min length of the other scenarios. If you've ever scrimmed L4D, you'd know that by about the 3rd or 4th map, teams are just begging for the match to be over.

However, I agree with you that the sheer number of items that spawn throughout Crash Course is insane and needs to be severely dumbed down. In one game this evening, we counted 3 molotovs in one room, 2 more in the adjacent closet, and 2 pipes in the room directly across the alleyway. In another game, the running joke was that it was almost impossible for the survivors to lose because "50 medkits spawn throughout the level".

I chalk many of these issues up to Valve's stance on quality assurance (they don't have a dedicated QA team), where in the first couple months following a game's release they basically use their playerbase as unpaid beta testers.

Sadly, this latest update feels like L4D's death rattle. Updates have been few and far between (and ill-received). I don't expect many, if any, more significant updates to come for L4D1 by way of Valve. We may see a few more mildly-popular user-created mods, but I'm sure Valve's focus has shifted to L4D2 (which from a competitive gaming standpoint is DEAD IN THE WATER with the release of Modern Warfare 2 on the horizon). I know that within my circle of L4D friends, we've been seriously discussing skipping Left4Dead2, and I can imagine that this is the talk of many of L4D1's competitive teams.

Of course, this is just what I've noticed playing the PC version. If you want the XBOX360 perspective, you'll have to look elsewhere.

But after playing MANY of the fanbase campaign maps, I still felt a little cheated.

While the level layout isn't tight like the previous ones, I didn't get that feeling of "officialness" that is normally lacking in fanbase maps.

Every where you turn it was warehouse after warehouse. I've dappled in the level editor and to be honest, placing boxes and shelves are the easiest thing to do. My comment about it taking 1 person about a month to make is not unreasonable. It could make about 1/20th of a level from Crash Course in about 2 hours, and I'm slow at it!

As for people begging for it to be over by the end of the 3rd map... eh... true. But if they're going to shorten it to two levels, they should have put more time in detail. (I'm a sucker for aesthetics!) Also, they should’ve released 2 separate campaigns if they were going to only make one 2 levels. Maybe this is another reason why I feel somewhat cheated.

Lastly, another comment mentioned bringing in the original voice talent, which was nice... but the script writers must have been on vacation! Some of those comments were retarded! Like Francis' comments at the beginning of the level. "I've got a great idea... [blah blah blah] ...which means we go that way." The [blah blah blah] part was were it was kinda funny, but rather dumb.

Oh well... I'm going to back to L4Dmods.com and L4Dmapdb.com for more satisfying campaigns. (check em out! They're some awesome ones!)

I don't believe that there is a demo anymore. I know that there was one about a month before the game's release, however I don't believe that it can be downloaded off of Steam anymore.

I can say this though, you need a pretty decent graphics card to play it. If you don't, any random horde of zombies will cause your framerate to plummet.

http://cyri.systemrequireme...

checks everything on your system to see how well you can run it instead of a yes or no answer.

there is no demo.

Regardless of what Valve officially said they didn’t need to do a sequel that fast, things could have easily been added to the original overtime and the sad thing is the characters and atmosphere of the original was better than the sequel. I mean we went from the dark, grim city streets to the sunny south where we are hitting massive menacing tanks with frying pans.

I honestly believe Valve killed it because it was a Turtle Rock game at its core and Valve wanted it to be known as an Valve only IP moving forward

They even brought back the original survivors just to kill one of them off (even though in the original they were heading North to Canada)

Lol L4D2 came out in 2009, and you are saying it should have been a 2020s type live service game. It's just a great game, it doesn't need battle passes and skins.

This attitude is why devs are afraid to make any multiplayer game that isn't a live service.

Some of these low paid video game “news” writers weren’t born before 2007.

1998 - the best year in gaming! Metal gear solid, crash bandicoot 3, medievil, half life, ocarina of time, thief, tenchu, resident evil 2, Spyro, tomb raider 3, oddworld abes exodus, banjo kazooie.

It was a different breed of a gaming era. You’ll never understand what it was like back then. The aura of gaming, it was different!

It still amazes me we got over 7 rockstar games ps2/ps3 but 3 for the ps3/ps4/ps5

Dragon age 1-3 and mass effect 1-3 in 7ish years what a generation.

Yeah, people wouldn't be constantly outraged if there weren't games that people found enraging. The whole SBI discourse shit wouldn't be a thing if all games were inoffensive. A game like Starfield can make a guy froth at his mouth, so there will always be room for a list like this.

Normally, I'd be inclined to agree with you, but there are massive caveats.
TV shows like Venture Bros, Ren and Stimpy, and Aqua Team wouldn't/couldn't be made today. Hell, Ren and Stimpy was a *children's* show, same thing with Rocko's Modern Life.

It's not for some arbitrary reason, either. It's branding and IP alignment. Companies are far more risk-averse than they were when I was kid in the 90's. Of course, you have companies coming out of the woodwork to hell spur on similar content, but remember: Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon and some incredibly provocative material.

And for movies? it's pretty obvious. American Pie/Wedding Crashers/Eurotrip among many other "raunch coms" have fallen out of style, and are absolutely outside what the modern day film industry is willing to stand by.
Ace Ventura 1 and 2, Dumb and Dumber, Freddy Got Fingered, Rat Race, Harold and Kumar, and Van Wilder follow suit.

Remember: I am not explicitly talking about films put onto streamers. I am talking wide-releases in actual theaters. Same thing goes for games: Carmageddon, Duke Nukem, Manhunt, Six Days In Fallujah (with their original concept), Hatred, and so on and so forth. Of course, I'd be inclined to mention most tactical shooters like Rainbow Six and Joint Ops as well, due to cultural sensitivity regarding *who* you are shooting and why.

And not all of it is bad (obviously). Tastes change, and perspectives change to fit the demographic.
I should add that I'm a lefty, living in L.A. Working in film.

Yeah but if you consider manhunt which was basically a snuff film could you seriously make that game with high than PS2 era graphics.

The UK is the biggest junk country pandering to that nonsense as well, with laws against free speech and expression to match. It got so bad even Rowan Atkinson made a video on free speech about it.

Now the UK raises the age rating on harmless films like Mary Poppins, it's just a load of pansy weak ass nonsense.

Are these snowflakes in the room with us now?

This is more faux outrage designed to get hits. The consequences are unfortunately creating hysteria amongst those willing to buy into it and blame "them" or "the left" or "liberals" meanwhile the left are kicking off about genocide, actual real world abhorrent acts. Nobody is campaigning to censor this shit.

Would love a new fat princess game 🤟

Games literally about sexual assault, mass genocide, bombing civilians, and school shooting. None of which is satirical.