Game Curmudgeons

Big news day today!

First off, Valve has announced Left 4 Dead 2 (trailer here). Looks like we’re headed into the Bayou, and there’s some significant changes and additions to this one over the last one, particularly in terms of the AI director’s options, and getting up close and personal with zombies.

“A large part of how Left 4 Dead became 2008′s top-selling new IP on Xbox 360 and the PC was the custom-tailored gameplay made possible by the AI Director,” said Gabe Newell, president and co-founder of Valve. “With the knowledge gained from creating the original, new technology, and a passionate team, L4D2 will set a new benchmark for cooperative action games.”

Set for release on November 17, the title adds melee combat to enable deeper co-operative gameplay, with items such as a chainsaw, frying pan, axe, baseball bat, and more.

Introducing the AI Director 2.0, L4D’s dynamic gameplay is taken to the next level by giving the Director the ability to procedurally change weather effects, world objects, and pathways in addition to tailoring the enemy population, effects, and sounds to match the players’ performance. The result is a unique game session custom fitted to provide a satisfying and uniquely challenging experience each time the game is played.

Featuring new Survivors, boss zombies, weapons, and items, Left 4 Dead 2 offers a much larger game than the original with more co-operative campaigns, more Versus campaigns, and maps for Survival mode available at launch.

Admittedly, it seems like it’s a little soon for a sequel, but there’s apparently a LOT of new hotness going on here. Players are starting in Savannah, Georgia, and moving toward New Orleans French Quarter for the big finish (yes, some sense of continuity between the missions this time). The new AI director is going to do quite a bit more as well. Level layout adjustments, world object placement, weather, lighting, all under control now. Let’s hope it doesn’t go rogue and decide to change between day and night a few times a session.

And now, MELEE WEAPONS. The current list is axe, chainsaw, bat, and frying pan, with no word of how they’ll fit into the inventory system. My money is on them replacing the pistols if you pick them up.

So, that’s what we know about L4D2 right now. And the E3 trailer is available here.

Next up, Monkey Island returns! Telltale games is now taking on an episodic series, a la Sam and Max, StrongBad, and Wallace and Grommit. As long as they keep the same high standards, this should be wonderfully true to form for the series. Lots of funny, tricky but not overly complicated puzzles, and of course, pirates. Maybe singing ones. We’ll see what Tales of Monkey Island has in store, starting July 7. For now, trailer!

Beyond that, LucasArts is working on The Secret of Monkey Island:Special Edition, a high definition remake of the original, coming to Xbox Live Arcade and PC. Full voiceovers, a remastered musical score, and apparently a rather in depth hint system. Players can switch between new HD graphics and originals on the fly, for those who want the original SCUMMy experience, though apparently there IS a new intereface. Does that mean less arbitrary clicks on objects to work out strange combinations? We’ll see!

This entry was posted on Monday, June 1st, 2009 at 2:59 pm and is filed under Commentary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.