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Left 4 Dead & Left 4 Dead 2 are two zombie games that are made by VALVe

VALVe logo

VALVe Logo

Left 4 Dead[]

Left-4-dead-logo

logo for left 4 dead

Left 4 Dead (abbreviated L4D) is a singleplayer and multiplayer cooperative survival horror FPS game developed by Valve Corporation. The game was built using Source engine and is available on PC and Xbox 360. During early development, its working title was "Terror Strike." The game puts four human playable or AI-controlled Survivors of an apocalyptic pandemic against hordes of the Infected. Regular Infected are controlled by the game AI, while human players can control up to four mutated Special Infected with special abilities in Versus mode. The goal of Left 4 Dead for the Survivors is to help each other make it through a level to safety. Infected players must cooperate to stop them.

The basic gameplay never changes from map to map, so players will learn their way around fairly quickly. The Director keeps things from getting monotonous, however, by throwing in different challenges in every level. No two playthroughs are exactly alike.

Left 4 Dead 2[]

Left-4-dead-2-logo

left 4 dead 2 logo

Left 4 Dead 2 is a single-player and multiplayer co-operative survival horror FPS game developed by Valve Corporation. It is the sequel to Left 4 Dead, it was first announced June 1st 2009 by Valve Corporation at Microsoft's E3 2009 press conference. As of January 24, 2010, Metacritic gave Left 4 Dead 2 a metascore of 89 out of 100. The Left 4 Dead 2 multiplayer demo was released on October 28th, for those who pre-ordered. It was then made available to the public on November 3rd. The sequel picks up one week after the events of the first game (four weeks after the first infection) where The Infection has spread to the southern United States. Left 4 Dead 2 introduces three new Special Infected, new weapons, melee weapons, new items, upgraded Infected, the Uncommon Common Infected, five new campaigns, and two new game modes: Scavenge Mode and Realism Mode. Realism Versus and Mutations were later released with the The Passing DLC, a new campaign which chronologically fits in as the second campaign out of six. The four Survivors the players control are Nick, Ellis, Rochelle, and Coach.

Survivors[]

The Survivors are people in the world who either have not yet contracted the Infection (by virtue of natural immunity) or are carriers of the disease but who display none of its symptoms―and who may thus falsely believe themselves to be immune. The term, however, is commonly used to refer to the eight playable characters from the Left 4 Dead game series. Although the playable characters are immune, a comment by Bill suggests that they could become an Infected at any point. In addition, The Sacrifice comic presents the hypothesis that the Survivors are carriers of the Infection―and as such are a positive danger to any uninfected humans they encounter.

Left 4 Dead[]

Bill[]

Bill

Bill

Aged in his late fifties or early sixties, Bill is the oldest of all the Survivors. He is a Vietnam veteran who fought in the U.S. Army 1st Special Forces Group and his combat skills have helped to keep him alive. He wears an olive green military beret, a matching jacket with a stained white shirt underneath, dark gray-brown pants, and jungle boots. In official media, he is usually seen wielding the Assault Rifle―a weapon he prefers in-game and which complements his backstory. He and Francis appear to have a prickly relationship, often spewing insults or jokes at one another, but this may in fact be friendlier than what they let on. He always has a lit cigarette in his mouth. It is revealed in The Passing that Bill was killed prior to the bridge being raised during The Sacrifice, enabling the safety of the other Left 4 Dead Survivors. His body can be seen next to the generator in the final level of The Passing at The Port, alongside his signature Assault Rifle, which can be taken and used by the player. The events of his death are told in The Sacrifice comic. During the time of his life, Bill was the unofficial team leader, although his relationship with Francis was never easy whilst, towards the end and as revealed in The Sacrifice comic, that shared with Zoey was placed under considerable strain.

Francis[]

Francis

Francis

Francis is a tough biker with tattoos covering his arms and neck. His tattoos identify him as a member of "Hell's Legion," a name possibly inspired by the real-world Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club. Since his character model was changed during development, it has been speculated that Francis' new face was modeled after the head developer of the game, Mike Booth. The Valve connection is strengthened by the fact that Francis has the Lambda symbol from the Half-Life series cut into his hair. He wears a black leather vest over a white tank top, fingerless gloves, black jeans and boots. Valve commentary reveals that he is an impressive 6 feet 5 inches tall. Francis has a self-centered personality that seems to resent aspects of Bill's leadership whilst treating Louis with an openly dismissive attitude at times. During development, his character was to have a love interest in Zoey, but this was dropped after play-testing and his relationship with her is now warm―if not neutrally platonic. In official media, he is usually seen wielding either the Pump Shotgun or the Auto Shotgun, and in-game, prefers those types of weapons.

Louis[]

Louis

Louis

Louis' original concept was an assistant manager at a local retail electronics chain store. His design was later changed, and he was made a Junior Systems Analyst in his company's IT department. His clothing resembles that of a typical business man, but seems to emulate Shaun from Shaun of the Dead, who wore a red tie and white shirt, and was an assistant manager at a local retail electronics chain store. He keeps the sleeves rolled up and the tie loose, and also wears a black watch on his left wrist. In official media, he is usually seen wielding a Submachine Gun or dual Pistols. In-game, Louis prefers the Submachine Gun and Assault Rifle. At some point prior to The Passing in The Sacrifice comic, Louis was injured. According to The Sacrifice comic, his leg was slashed by a Witch when he incautiously entered a sailboat occupied by Witches. This recent injury renders him almost immobile and because of this he uses a Heavy Machine Gun at the Port. Louis' character is upbeat and positive at all times towards his fellow Survivors―almost to an exaggerated degree. Bill seems to regard him with wry tolerance, Francis with open mocking indifference whilst Zoey is the only one to treat him with genuine warmth―as she does with all her comrades.

Zoey[]

Zoey

Zoey

Zoey was in her first year of college prior to the outbreak which makes her at least 18 years old―or slightly older depending on her college entry age. Her backstory reveals that she was ostensibly studying movie making on a scholarship, her parents were divorced and that she had a somewhat closer relationship to and more shared interests with her father―a city police officer. She wears a reddish-pink track jacket, blue jeans, Converse shoes and keeps her hair tied up in a ponytail. Her original design was based on Alesia Glidewell who previously worked with Valve on Portal as a model for the character Chell. However, when the character designs were updated later in development, Zoey was made to resemble actress/model Sonja Kinski instead. In official media, she is usually seen wielding dual Pistols. In-game, Zoey shows preference for the Hunting Rifle. Zoey's character is that of a warm-hearted young woman with a marked dash of tom-boy toughness. But as someone dies, she is very emotional. She is closest to Bill, who reciprocates with a protective father-daughter stance, but also reaches out to include (and thereby help bond) the other two Survivors into a comradely team. Initially, she is more of a follower, but during the events depicted in The Sacrifice comic and The Passing campaign, in the wake and shock of Bill's death, it is apparent that she has grown up fast and is taking on a leadership role in the group.

Left 4 Dead 2[]

Coach[]

Coach

Coach

Coach is a Physical Education teacher at the local high school in the town of Savannah―his home town. A prospective professional defensive linesman, a career-ending knee injury suffered at college led Coach to take up teaching as an alternative pathway into a possible pro-coaching football career. He wears a polo shirt in the yellow and purple colors of his high school employer, fingerless gloves, beige slacks and gray sneakers. He is the oldest of the Left 4 Dead 2 group and serves in an unofficial capacity as its leader. He is a religious man, stopping the survivors for a group prayer before entering Liberty Mall, and shows his weak point to be his stomach - always ready to stop when a food joint is nearby. In-game, he shows preference for Tier 1 and Tier 2 shotguns, while in official media the Chainsaw appears to be his signature weapon.

Ellis[]

Ellis

Ellis

Ellis is a mechanic hailing from Savannah, similar to Coach. He wears a yellow T-shirt with a logo, a white and blue cap, with a truck towing logo (that is also seen in the car alarm section in The Parish), a half-removed one-piece work suit, and black work boots. Ellis appears to have a lack of comprehension of the seriousness of his current situation and retains a somewhat goofy personality in comparison to the other Survivors. Ellis also has a love interest in Zoey when he first meets her in The Passing. In-game, Ellis has preference for the Sniper and Hunting Rifle, while in official media, the Grenade Launcher appears to be his signature weapon.

Nick[]

Nick

Nick

In initial development, Nick was an ex-prisoner who escaped in the wake of the Infection and celebrated his newfound freedom by stealing a white suit from a high end retailer. He later developed into a shady con man and gambler drifting from city to city who bemoans his bad luck in happening to be passing through Savannah (and not Las Vegas) when the current crisis hit. He wears an expensive white suit with a blue button-down shirt, several gold rings and brown leather shoes. Nick holds negative and pessimistic views towards both the situation he has fallen into and the three strangers he is forced to join up with. Over time, despite his hard-boiled attitude towards his fellow Survivors, he softens and mellows as he increasingly learns to trust them. In-game, Nick shows preference over Submachine Gun and Assault Rifle variant weaponry.

Rochelle[]

Rochelle

Rochelle

Rochelle is a minor associate producer for a news station with a high reputation, though her job had more to do with moving cables and coffee duties. She was in Savannah producing a segment about the evacuation center when the area became overrun with the Infected. She wears a pink T-shirt with a Depeche Mode logo, silver hoop earrings, blue jeans, a thin studded belt around her waist, two silver bracelets on her left arm and knee-high brown boots. Rochelle has the most realistic grasp of the situation and is very caring towards her fellow Survivors. Rochelle and Francis show romantic interest in each other when they meet in the campaign The Passing. In-game, Rochelle has preferences similar to Nick; she prefers Submachine Gun and Assault Rifle variants.

Infected[]

The Infected are Left 4 Dead's take on the classic movie and pop-fiction zombie. But rather than being undead, they are living humans who have been Infected by the Green Flu virus, causing massively increased aggression and loss of many higher brain functions such as speech and self-preservation. Unlike cinematic zombies, those present in the Left 4 Dead series attack human victims but do not attempt to eat them.

Playable:[]

The 7 playable infected can be played in:

  • Versus
  • Realism Versus
  • Scavange
  • Some Mutations

They are:

The Boomer[]

Boomer

boomer attacking in L4D2

The Boomer is a Special Infected that vomits a special bile at Survivors, which temporarily blinds them and draws Common Infected to them. At a distance the Boomer isn't much of a threat; his large size and low health make him an easy target against any weapon at mid or long range. However, if within range he can vomit on Survivors, attracting the Horde. When he dies, he explodes, covering any Survivors who are close enough with bile, blinding them and causing them to stumble backwards. The Boomer is notorious on the Expert difficulty for being able to snipe Survivors. Boomers can be anticipated because of the near-constant gurgling they make. In Left 4 Dead 2, there is also a female Boomer, although the gender has no effect on gameplay.

The Hunter[]

The Hunter is a Special Infected that is not as mutated on the outside. The Hunter is extremely fast and agile, capable of quickly scaling walls. Additionally, he can pounce and pin down Survivors, clawing at their abdomen

Hunter

The Hunter in L4D

until either the victim is dead or the Hunter has been knocked off or killed by another Survivor. They are not the most physically robust Infected, having relatively low health, and thus it doesn't take very much to kill them.

When the Hunter crouches down in preparation to pounce, it growls, giving it away to any nearby Survivors. However, whilst standing, it makes no noise. The Hunter is the only Special Infected that can remain absolutely silent. In Left 4 Dead 2, they can be killed with a melee weapon while in the state of pouncing by aiming upwards and hitting, although this is fairly difficult, as timing is vital and it's easier to kill them from a distance with a high-powered primary weapon.

The Smoker[]

Smoker

The Smoker in L4D2

The Smoker is an ambush class that can strangle Survivors with its long tongue, similar to Half-Life's Barnacle. The help of another Survivor is required to escape from a Smoker's hold (though if quick enough it is possible, though difficult, to kill a Smoker who has already grabbed you, earning an achievement). As the name implies, Smokers emit smoke when killed to impair Survivors' vision. A Smoker also will frequently cough, letting the Survivors know when he is in the area. The Smoker can drag players that he has captured with his tongue towards himself, though he remains stationary and cannot move. The Smoker is also momentarily paralyzed for a few seconds after having his tongue removed from his captive by another Survivor. In Left 4 Dead 2, the Smoker has six tongues, but this has no effect on gameplay.

The Tank[]

The Tank is the biggest and strongest of the Infected and is reasonably fast, only slowing if hit with large amounts of automatic weapons fire or when lit on fire (Versus in Left 4 Dead only and any mode aside Versus on Left 4 Dead 2). He is the only player-controllable "Boss Infected." If any Survivors at 40% or above health (including health gained from Pain pills or the Adrenaline Shot) are running away from the Tank, it will not be able to catch them, as they can run slightly faster (unless the Tank in question is an AI Tank in Left 4 Dead). The

Tank

The Tank in L4D

Tank has incredible strength and resistance―his punch can send Survivors flying, rendering them temporarily defenseless, and in Expert mode, instantly incapacitate them. The blow can send Survivors off high hazards to their deaths. He is also capable of throwing chunks of concrete that he rips out of the ground to momentarily stun Survivors and dealing the same damage as a punch from a Tank. It can also punch large objects in the direction of Survivors with enough force to incapacitate them instantly. Nevertheless, the Tank will die within 30 to 45 seconds if set on fire (varying with the difficulty), except in Versus. When controlled by a player, the Tank has a "Control Meter"; unless the player is able to locate the Survivors and hit one of them, the Control Meter of the Tank will slowly lessen, and once it runs out, the player will lose control of the Tank to another randomly assigned player. When idle, the sound that a Tank makes is heavy breathing. The Survivors are alerted of an approaching Tank by dramatic music, furious roars and, when he is dangerously close, the screen will start to shake.

The Charger[]

The Charger is a Special Infected that appears in Left 4 Dead 2. The Charger's main attack is charging forward and plowing into the Survivors. On a successful charge, he will grab and carry a single Survivor while knocking down the others. Once the Charger has hit a wall or other surface, or after he has run a certain distance, he will begin slamming his captive into the ground until an ally frees them. If he misses and hits a wall, he will stumble, leaving him open to attack. The Charger can be detected by the Survivors by the warped growling noise he makes. He will announce his charge with a loud bellow. The Charger appears to have a rocky or calloused

Charger

The Charger

surface on his larger right arm, which may be what he uses to inflict most of his force when charging, while his other arm appears to have no bones or muscle. Because of his hulking size, the Charger cannot be shoved off with melee, and must be killed in order to release his victim. If a Survivor has explosive rounds, they will dislodge the Charger from the Survivor and stumble him. Any Survivor that has been knocked out of the way during his charge will fly a considerable distance and slowly stand back up, making the Charger a deadly foe in cramped hallways or near high passageways. He is also the strongest and most durable of the Special Infected (excluding the Tank and the Witch); additionally, his melee attacks are very strong and can easily incapacitate a weakened Survivor.

The Jockey[]

The Jockey is a Special Infected that appears in Left 4 Dead 2. He is a small Infected that attacks Survivors by clinging to them from behind and literally riding the Survivor while attacking them. He can shift his weight around

Jockey

The Jockey

and cause the Survivor to stumble in his desired direction, giving this Special Infected a type of control over the Survivor. Survivors who are being ridden by the Jockey can attempt to "resist" the Jockey, which will allow other

players a chance to catch up and knock the Jockey off. Jockeys can ride Survivors into dangerous situations, such as into natural hazards, Witches, or other Infected; a Jockey can also pull a Survivor off of a ledge, causing them to become incapacitated, or riding them to their death if they are not resisting. The Jockey seems to have a spinal disease, similar to kyphosis, giving him a hunched appearance. He also has a maniacal laugh and is constantly twitching, giving him a sort of hyperactive nature.

The Spitter[]

The Spitter is a new Special Infected in Left 4 Dead 2. She possesses the ability to spit a green ball of acid from long distances, which, upon hitting the ground, will expand into a large puddle and damage any Survivors who make contact with it. After spitting, however, the Spitter is temporarily paralyzed for a second, giving the Survivors a chance to kill her. The longer the Survivor stands in it, the more damage the Survivor takes from the

Spitter

The Spitter

goo. This ability allows the Spitter to aid other Special Infected; for instance, if a Hunter pounces a Survivor, a Spitter can spit upon that Survivor, causing even more damage. However, in spite of such a useful ability, the Spitter is very weak in terms of health, so taking out a Spitter will be an easy task. Upon death, the Spitter leaves a similar, smaller kind of puddle that has the same effect on the Survivors. She is one of the most powerful Infected if Survivors are caught standing in her spit, and are too distracted to move quickly due to other Infected or a lack of awareness at damage being dealt. On Scavange mode or any finale requiring Gas cans, when Gas cans are dropped, the Spitter's goo will ignite the Gas cans if left in the goo long enough.

Un-Playable[]

The Witch[]

The Witch generally only appears a few times per campaign, and is passive unless provoked by flashlights, gunfire, or Survivors in close proximity. She is the second "Boss Infected." Pistol fire does not provoke her easily, but it will do only a small amount of damage. She is very powerful, capable of incapacitating, and even killing Survivors with one hit. When the Director spawns a Witch, the faint chord of the Witch music will play, allowing veterans of the game to quickly prepare for the "obstacle." The Witch cries loudly, which Survivors will mention they hear, warn you to turn off your flashlight, and dramatic music will play. While the Witch can be killed, it is best to avoid startling her unless absolutely necessary. The most common means of her being startled is by staying near her too long or bumping into her. The flashlight will quicken her agitation rate, as she stands up

Witch

The Regular Witch

faster with a flashlight shone near (or on) her. If you attack her, or if someone else startles it, it will say "[Survivor's name] startled the Witch". If a Special Infected like the Jockey or Charger gets too close to the Witch and a person was targeted and hit her, it will say, "You startled the Witch! Best not to disturb her next time." The Witch is very rarely found in small rooms and normally stays off the main route, but has been found in front of safe rooms (or even inside the safe room), doorways, and in the middle of streets. Once a Witch has killed a Survivor, she will retreat out the area and completely disappear. However, in some strange cases, the Witch has been known to kill the closest Survivor to her. This does not usually happen, and when it does, the Witch runs off as normal after killing the Survivor. Also, if a survivor blocks the Witch from attacking the Survivor who startled her, she will attack the Survivor blocking her and either incapacitate the blocking player and run away or incapacitate both the blocking player and the player who startled her. If the Witch is lit on fire (Molotov, Incendiary ammo, Gas can) while she is chasing a Survivor, she will immediately start chasing after whoever burned her. Even if she is retreating, if she is lit on fire, she will go after that Survivor even though she either killed another Survivor or one locked themselves in a safe room.

The Wandering Witch[]

Witchwander

The Wandering Witch

The Wandering Witch appears in Left 4 Dead 2. She is seen only in the daylight hours, aimlessly wandering around and sobbing loudly with its head in its hands. It's constant movement makes The Wandering Witch harder to avoid, but it is also far more introverted and reacts only to direct attacks or physical contact. One can even damage it slightly without startling it. Unlike the sitting Witches, she does not seem to be alerted more readily by flashlights. The Wandering Witch remains as vulnerable as ever to cr0wning from a shotgun, and its more placid nature makes her much easier to cr0wn.

In Left 4 Dead 2's Hard Rain campaign, a large number of Wandering Witches have infested an abandoned sugar mill, which the Survivors must traverse to obtain fuel for their rescue boat. An achievement, Sob Story, is earned for navigating the sugar mill without startling any of them.

She has on occasions been observed to peacefully follow the Survivors without any provocation, although they may just be walking along its programmed path.

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