Pads & Panels

Title: “The Passing” Add-On for     Left 4 Dead 2

Platform: 360 (PC)

Publisher: Valve

Developer: Valve

Review by: Dan Braun

“The Passing” brings with it a nice tie to the original Left 4 Dead, along with some new weapons and game variants that will be a warm welcome to Left 4 Dead 2‘s multiplayer fan base. Chronologically, the episode takes place in the middle of L4D2’s campaign, some time after the events depicted in the first game. It opens with the new survivors chatting with the old about a potential escape plan, and progresses though a rather extensive level that ends with both groups participating in a climactic shoot-out/gasoline grab. The new level is well-paced, expansive and highly-detailed. It includes a new golf club and gun, along with the new multiplayer game types via “Mutations.”  Mutations change weekly, and include specialty game types in which items and settings are tweaked, such as unlimited ammo for chainsaws in one game type, or another in which health items do not spawn. These little changes should extend the life of the multiplayer significantly, and certainly seem popular with the online community. (more…)

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#9 – Left 4 Dead 2 (360, PC)

Publisher: Valve – Developer: Valve

Our Review

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Despite weak complaints that the game is only an expansion of last year’s original, Left 4 Dead 2 clearly stands as one of the year’s best games. It significantly expanded upon multiplayer mode, and additional special infected and arsenal upgrades provide for a deeper and more entertaining experience than ever before. Scavenge mode alone will provide gamers with hours of online value without having to dedicate large chunks of time to the single playthroughs of the campaign. On the other side, campaign scoring has been refined, and games are much more intense due to the variables presented by the upgraded AI director and more detailed and expansive levels. Teamwork for the survivors is more important than ever, as the new infected are excruciatingly difficult to handle when wielded by adept teams, and playing as special infected becomes more of a pleasure because of the new additions. Graphically, the game looks great, and frame rates hold up well, even when the hordes get overwhelming. The sound and overall art direction also deserve commendation, as they really complete the game and make it feel as desperate and tense as the zombie apocalypse should be. Although this is the game everybody expected last year, L4D2 is a multiplayer masterpiece, and deserves its spot in our Top 10. –Dan

And the winner for “Best Peripheral” is… (more…)

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Title: Left 4 Dead 2

Platform: 360 (Also PC)

ESRB Rating: M

Publisher: Valve Corporation

Developer: Valve Corporation

Rating:

Review by: Dan Braun

Last year, Valve unleashed its own vision of an undead invasion on the gaming community. The frenetic shooter, Left 4 Dead was welcomed as a bastion of cooperative multiplayer, and received a just amount of praise, despite issues regarding the depth of its campaign and its limited multiplayer maps.

Exactly one year later, its sequel has arrived, and although many gamers anticipated this would only serve as a simple expansion of the original, it is safe to say that Left 4 Dead 2 stands far and away as the superior title, and it is well worth the (full) price of admission to the zombie apocalypse. Undoubtedly, this is the game that should have come out last year, but its release is no less welcome for fans of the original or anyone else looking for an outstanding multiplayer experience. (more…)

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From Comic-Con Part 10 – Microsoft Media Reception

By Bill Jones

Microsoft held a media reception and party July 23, providing Pads & Panels a chance to not only have a few free drinks and finger food, but more importantly get another go with Left 4 Dead 2, this time with a new section of “The Parish,” as well as Halo: ODST and South Park Let’s Go Tower Defense Play! The cast of The Guild was even on hand, treating party-goers to their renditions of the Fab Four’s tunes in Rock Band: Beatles. I even had a chance to play a few minutes of ODST with Vincent Caso, who plays Bladezz on The Guild. He was called away after only a few minutes, but I was totally kicking his ass. (more…)

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From Comic-Con Part 1 – EA Showcase

By Bill Jones

Pads & Panels 2009 Comic-Con coverage started at Twin/Onyx, a San Diego club, with the EA Showcase. We were greeted with G.I. Joe figures, food and drinks. Sarah didn’t have to walk far, immediately finding MySims Agents, a casual/children’s title she’s been anxiously awaiting to play. I immediately headed downstairs, where Brütal Legend, Dead Space: Extraction and Left 4 Dead 2 were all playable. (more…)

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E3 has come and gone. John and Bill offer their impressions on this year’s biggest gaming event.

John’s Ponderings

So this year’s E3 has come and gone with quite a few nice surprises mixed in with the usual expectations which, for the most part, have exceeded my expectations. It is hard to argue with the claim that Microsoft ran away with the most buzz surrounding its next fiscal year, and Nintendo recognized their hardcore gamer mistreatment and addressed it in a big way. Sony, for me, left an underwhelming sense of “That’s it?” from a show that really needed to boost their presence. (more…)

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While Chris Park continues his journey around the Los Angeles Convention Center, and John and I prepare some commentary on the event and news thus far, the companies are inundating the inbox with their latest announcements and the press conferences go on. So in the interest of simplicity and being concise, we’ve compiled the news we’ve received directly from the sources, be it by email, press conferences or publisher websites, and tried to organize it in a digestible format for our readers in a series of posts. First up, Microsoft’s announcements, as well as some of the big games on the way announced through the company’s conference…

Microsoft’s press conference opened with a montage of Rock Band: Beatles, which is to include support for three harmonized vocalists, as well as its own instrument kit. It is set to release Sept. 9 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison made appearances. Abbey Road was announced as a downloadable ablum. “All You Need is Love” is to be an exlusive DLC song to 360, with proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders. (more…)

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