In case you haven't heard, a new patch went live this week for Valve's critically acclaimed FPS/Puzzle/Platformer/Cake Simulator. While everyone loves an update, it seemed strange to many that Portal would receive an update. What was even more unusual was the notes for the patch that simply stated "changed radio transmission frequency to comply with federal and state spectrum management regulations." This patch added radios on every level that when picked up and carried to a specific spot in the map would transmit a special coded message. These messages seemed to range from everything from program code to morse code.
Then yesterday, another patch went live. This time, the note simply reads ""Added valuable asset retrieval." Another cryptic patch note led more curious players to start playing the game again to see what was added. Apparently, this latest patch added a new ending to the game, which you can see below.
**Of course this contains spoilers. It's the ending of a game. Don't be thick.**
With this new ending, that is strangely less ambiguous while being even more mysterious, has led many people to speculate that there will be a Portal announcement from Valve at the Game Developers Conference next week in San Fransisco. Another rumor also swirling about the interwubs is that Valve might be announcing a Steam Application for Mac. This could be a possibility since Valve is currently in beta for a totally revamped Steam program for the PC. It might be possible we will see a Mac version going live the same time the PC version gets the large upgrade.
I for one just wish we would get some Half-Life 2: Episode 3 news...
So, I recently got a new computer for Christmas. I have been itching to get some games that would actually flex it's muscle some. I finally broke down and bought the Valve Complete Pack off of Steam. Included with that package is the amazing Left 4 Dead.
I will tell you, I am not usually a fan of anything that substitutes a number for a word, but I have to make an exception. This game is fried gold. The basic idea is that you are a member of a group of four (get it? Left four dead) survivors that are trying to make it to someplace you think is safe. In one mission it's a hospital, another is a boat dock and so on. Each level is broken into multiple acts that are broken up by save points known as "Safe Houses." Once at a safe house, you restock, patch up wounds and then make on your merry way again.
The weapons are pretty standard zombie movie and First person shooter stock. You get shotguns, machine guns, hand guns and rifles. Each has their own strengths and get an upgrade during the course of the level. You also get explosive devices such as pipe bombs and molotov cocktails to use, but be careful because you can only carry one such device and they are kind of rare. One neat little thing in the game is your ability to use items lying about in much the same way. For example, if you find a can of gasoline you can throw it into a crowd of zombies and then shoot it to cover them in fire.
The zombies themselves are more along the line of the modern "28 Days Later" variety. They are not always the slow shambling horde that will stumble towards you. These zombies will swarm you and cover the ground quickly, making the threat of being overwhelmed a true threat in any place that is open enough for not entry ways to be covered.
Add to that, there are special zombies. Each one has a special ability that will ruin your day. One has a tongue that will pull you away from the group, another will cover you in vomit that will attract all zombies in the area to you and even one that is pretty much a Zombie Hulk.
What story there is, is standard zombie faire, to the point that it's almost satirical if not for the grim and grisly events that happen in it. The game is very serious, but never to the point that it becomes melodrama. The characters in the game are also quick to make a joke.
One such example is when your characters pass a wall spray painted "God is Dead" one of the characters will shout "OH NO! THE ZOMBIES KILLED GOD!!!" The one liners aren't fast and furious, but when they show up I always find myself at least chuckling. Overall though, there is no real story to speak of and one isn't honestly needed. You are one of four people that are trying to survive. That's really all you need to know.
The game's most important part though is the group dynamic. You can play single player with the surprisingly good AI or play through each campaign with friends (or strangers) online. There is also a very fun versus mode that pits two teams of 4 against each other as survivors and special zombies.
Overall, this is a great game and I can't recommend it enough to FPS and zombie fans. Check it out on the PC or on Xbox 360. And check out this video to see what you're missing out on...
Click on the video to go to youtube and to see the higher quality video
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