Left 4 Dead seemed like a near perfect game to me, and the fact that I love it so damn much makes the comparatively sudden arrival of its sequel an extremely hard sell. Until recently I'd have been hard pressed to name specific ways in which I'd want to change the first game. I suppose if there were a gun held to my head I'd be able to rattle off a few requests, and maybe, after an extended torture session, I'd eventually manage to make out a list that'd resemble the changes that have gone into Left 4 Dead 2. Thankfully no such violence has been necessary. L4D2 delivers multiple improvements over its predecessor, and I get to keep all my fingers and toes.
There's nothing quite like a good old fashioned zombie apocalypse to force a disparate band of strangers to work together for their common survival, and between that premise and some really clever design, Left 4 Dead succeeded in coaxing that big bag of trash we call the internet into cooperating without it ever feeling forced. It wasn't without its occasional flaws, however. A short list of weapons and frequently available ammo piles meant we'd tend to pick out a favorite weapon and stick to it. Survivors that knew enough to bunch close together had a much greater chance at survival, and their infected antagonists would have a hard time breaking up the formation. Worse, choke points like long hallways became reliable safe havens for any well-coordinated team. It didn't offer too unfair an advantage, but it did tend to make things predictable.