tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876906265497042129.post5916758288644033971..comments2023-08-18T01:39:29.927+10:00Comments on SLRC - Subterranean Loner Rendered Comatose: Tough Love: Left 4 CriticismBen Abrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04146790136740709664noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876906265497042129.post-5771507060180838022009-11-25T03:08:20.187+11:002009-11-25T03:08:20.187+11:00You didn't find the new campaigns memorable? B...You didn't find the new campaigns memorable? Ben, whither thine heart? Aside from Dead Centre being a bit rote, I found the new campaigns to all feel unique and memorable. Hard Rain especially, but I found things I liked a lot in each of them.<br /><br />I did find the decision space to be a lot noisier, but I think it's a good thing. I didn't get the number of new guns at first, but I've come to like them more now.<br /><br />There seem to be fewer ammo piles, especially in the harder difficulties. In <i>L4D</i>, the three better guns and an ammo pile were almost always together. I've run out of ammo a lot more in <i>L4D2</i> and had to opt for changing guns, instead of simply holding out knowing an ammo pile would be appearing soon. I end up cycling through more guns (instead of always going with the assault rifle, my <i>L4D</i> standby), which lets me understand the various advantages better and ultimately, makes the decisions I have to make more interesting.Nels Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06484436433023780229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876906265497042129.post-18957837806242137532009-11-24T16:25:17.626+11:002009-11-24T16:25:17.626+11:00My general feeling about this game was that it did...My general feeling about this game was that it didn't feel as friendly to the player as the original. Starting in the hotel and being spoilt for choice with all the rooms to walk through was slightly overwhelming, as was the case with weapon choice. It didn't dawn on me that the unfriendly part of this game was that the game lacked the now expected "teaching" methods of Valve. I think I coped a bit better because I was willing to be a bit more gung ho with all the new items, learning by doing without to much worry. Possibly it was just because I had forgotten that Valve would normally hold my hand a bit more. <br /><br />I think the characters in this series will never overly memorable and will often boil down to who each individual relates to. This is because the Left 4 Dead series will always be about the emergent stories of cooperation (or lack of) between players rather than the narrative of the diegetic world. It is an interesting dilemma since it would be impossible to do away with the narrative completely regardless of its relative importance. It makes me wonder about the possibilities of a character creation process, allowing for each player to construct their stories with characters they would presumably be more invested in. Saying that I felt that Ellis does become strongly differentiated over the course of the game as he is the only one who goes on about Savannah and his life before the apocalypse, often only to be shushed by the others.<br /><br />As with the original this is a game that increases rewards the more you spend time with it, and not in a "too afraid you'll look away" Modern Warfare fashion. It leaves mechanics open enough to allow for player breathing room, hopefully providing a richer "endgame" of sorts.<br /><br />(Apologies for using your post as a springboard for some unrelated ideas btw)Gerard Delaneyhttp://www.binary-swan.comnoreply@blogger.com