Left 4 Dead 2

1UP

L4D2 delivers multiple improvements over its predecessor, and I get to keep all my fingers and toes.

GameShark

Left 4 Dead 2 is the Empire Strikes Back of zombie games. The momentum has clearly swung in favor of the bad guys. But also much like Empire, this is clearly the best of the bunch and is a required purchase for fans of the genre.

Gaming Nexus

Left 4 Dead 2 took a great first-person shooter experience and added fresh new gameplay modes, loads of murdering and surviving accessories from melee weapons to adrenaline shots, all of which continues to satiate my desires for an FPS game that I can happily and easily spend a copious amount of hours on.

GamingTrend

Left 4 Dead 2 improves on most everything from the first one, while adding enough new levels, Infected types, weapons, and items to give a new experience.

Games Master UK

A masterclass in co-op, level design, first-person shooting mechanics, and even scripting. [Christmas 2009, p.62]

GamerNode

A triumph over the first in every way, Left 4 Dead 2 is not to be missed (or boycotted) if you loved the first one.

Gaming Target

This well-crafted sequel takes everything from the original game, adds in some new features and additional variety, and refines the whole package into the new must-play cooperative title.

Official Xbox Magazine

An undisputable improvement over its predecessor in every way, and it steals its own crown as best co-op game on the Xbox. It's chainsaw-twirlingly good. [Holiday 2009, p.64]

Game Informer

The newest chapter in the undead uprising now oozes with even more of the proven developer’s trademark personality and polish. If you are among those who think the sequel is coming too soon, prepare to eat your words like so many brains. Left 4 Dead 2 is everything a sequel should be: perfected, expanded, and an absolute riot.

Strategy Informer

Whichever you prefer, playing versus with friends or cooperatively against the improved Director, there is almost no fault to Left 4 Dead 2.

Destructoid

The original premise has proven more versatile than I ever would have imagined, and the new modes, new Infected, new Campaigns and new items make it feel like a completely different experience. What's more, the Southern setting has made the game even scarier, with the redneck look of the Infected creating a more unnerving bestiary of creatures to contend with. Ultimately, this game is bigger, better and more crazy than the last, and if you loved the first game, you really do need to pick it up.

AceGamez

Left 4 Dead 2 is a near perfect slice of gaming heaven, set in gaming hell.

GameFocus

If you’re a fan of the original, there’s absolutely no reason not to get L4D2. It’s got more of everything that made the first game such a blast to play, and actually manages to make the experience remarkably better.

Planet Xbox 360

By no means is L4D2 a reinvention of the series, but with so many welcome additions, it feels close to being the perfection of it.

Game Over Online

L4D2 may be more of the same, but in a thoroughly pleasing sense.

Gamervision

With five campaigns, more enemies, better weapons, and plenty of challenges, you will probably still be playing this game well into 2010. There are a few issues, but these are easy to overlook when the gameplay is so fun and satisfying. Once again, Valve has made the zombie apocalypse one of the best experiences of the year.

Worth Playing

In spite of its few faults, Left 4 Dead 2 is a very worthwhile sequel, and any fears you may have about this game merely being an overpriced expansion will melt away as soon as you start playing.

Talk Xbox

It is by far one of the most satisfying cooperative experiences out there at the moment and completely overshadows its predecessor.

Gamer 2.0

Those of you who had doubts about this being just another glorified expansion need to stop yelling at Valve and give Left 4 Dead 2 a try, as it is incomparably better than the first game by a large margin.

Cheat Code Central

With more modes, weapons, health items, special infected - you name it! - L4D2 feels like a massive upgrade from the original L4D.

TeamXbox

The first one innovated; this one polishes.

Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

A masterpiece of co-op gaming that's endlessly replayable and genuinely scary. [Jan 2010, p.76]

GameZone

This is my favorite multiplayer game of all time. If I had another child I would name it Ellis whether it was a boy or girl.

Telegraph

Valve has created a more robust version of its predecessor by offering a ton of new content while not losing sight of everything that made Left 4 Dead a sure-fire hit last year. The zombie apocalypse has never looked more appealing.

MS Xbox World

The co-operative and multiplayer experience of Left 4 Dead 2 is much like that of the original, but with some intriguing new modes of play.

VideoGamer

A top-quality shooter with oodles of style.

Gamer.nl

Tired of zombies in games? Left 4 Dead 2 makes the done-to-death genre come to life once more! Compared to the original, this sequel is better in every way. The weapons, settings, multiplayer: everything in Left 4 Dead 2 is near-perfect. There’s still no room for single players though, the game is all about working together. But that’s exactly what makes the game so incredible.

DarkZero

This is Valve trying to better L4D1 in every way, succeeding but never really breaking away from what did work first time, taking creative risks and really pushing the series forward. In any case play it, love it, it’s one of the best multiplayer games I’ve ever played.

Eurogamer Portugal

This Left 4 Dead 2 is pure cooperative joy.

X360 Magazine UK

Zombie perfection. [Issue#53, p.86]

Totally360

Overall this is another incredibly polished game by Valve. I know there were a lot of people worried because of how quickly this sequel came out, however, Valve seems to have hit a home run with this one.

HellBored

In short, this is a frantic thrill-ride, as fast paced as anything you are likely to endure. Even for those that were not fans of the original, I’d suggest giving this a try. For those that loved the first, this game is a must-have, polished and refined in every way, infinitely re-playable and guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.

InsideGamer.nl

Left 4 Dead 2 manages to recapture the strong points of the first game while improving on them too. If the real zombie apocalypse is going to be as fun as this one, you have nothing to worry about.

Eurogamer

Whereas once we treated Left 4 Dead as a stopgap between Half-Lifes, this is no longer a weird little side project with modest expectations, and Valve is confident enough to play around with it, safe in the knowledge that you can trust your players. Left 4 Dead proved it. And whereas that game had a personality, this one is overflowing with it.

IGN

it remains one of the most distinctive co-operative titles out there, and allows for some of the most nerve-searing team-based multiplayer gaming on the market.

GamePro

Incredible cooperative and competitive multiplayer is brilliantly designed around the new maps, modes and enemies.

GameSpy

When it was first announced, I thought Left 4 Dead 2 was nothing more than a glorified expansion. After having spent hours with it -- and many more to come -- I appreciate the sequel's major and subtle differences.

Games Radar (in-house)

More maps, more enemies, more weapons, more glorious spectacle than the original, and that’s just the co-op. Fresh versus modes and intense violence make this the apocalypse to beat.

Edge Magazine

If L4D2 is sometimes over-complicated by its glut of small innovations, then it also substantially rewards the player with its few large ideas: confusion gives way to depth and dynamism, grander thrills and starker dramas. We’re still interested in the fate of the original game’s heroes, but this sequel affirms that the way ahead is due south.

Official Xbox Magazine UK

And that's L4D2 all over: in every game, the world ends a slightly different way. You'll find a different route to take, you'll hear another dud story from Ellis, you'll try a different weapon combination, or a different tactic in the finale.

Cynamite

The co-op works better than ever, the atmosphere is dense and the scale is more massive than expected.

GameDaily

Although the game's a brain splattering good time, we still don't understand why Valve refuses to allow users to aim down the sights of a weapon, instead of always shooting from the hip. It gets the job done most of the time, but we feel everyone's accuracy would improve if they could line up their shots.

GameSpot

With exciting new content across the board and plenty of it, Left 4 Dead 2 outdoes its predecessor and makes the zombie apocalypse an absolute blast.

WonderwallWeb

With so many improvements over the original this is well worth a trip to the shops. Be warned it is a lot harder than before.

Eurogamer Italy

Unpredictable, funny and extremely enjoyable with friends, Left 4 Dead 2 overtake pretty well the previous title. Easily one of the best multiplayer games out there at the moment.

Kikizo

In the Left 4 Dead series, the perennially over-performing Valve has put together yet another classic franchise, and while the absence of fundamental overhaul obliges me to be sparing in my praise of the sequel, it should serve you long after Modern Warfare 2’s charms have faded.

Vandal Online

Left 4 Dead 2 takes the best from the first game and improves it. Despite the few technical advances, Valve has make the most of its time these months and has improved, when possible, every aspect of the original game.

RealGamer

The bottom line is fun - with a friend or 3 in tow, L4D2 is an absolute blast.

Hardcore Gamer Magazine

Despite the new changes and how much they add to and improve the overall gameplay, it still feels like the same fun zombie killing game at its core.

Thunderbolt

Left 4 Dead 2 is an insanely fun co-op and competitive online experience, and that’s a great similarity to have with the original.

Console Monster

If you are a fan of the original (and who’s not?) then you will find much enjoyment in the sequel, and whilst many of the game's previous concerns still haven’t been squashed you can only hope that Valve fixes and adds to the game over the coming month... and hope not to see that announcement for Left 4 Dead 3 in November 2010.

Extreme Gamer

L4D2 is fun. If you are like me and you love zombie films then this game will entertain you for weeks.

MondoXbox

Left 4 Dead 2 is strongly suggested to everyone who prefers to play cooperatively with friends, sharing an adventure of horror and fear rather than fighting in the usual multiplayer FPS's: to complete the five different campaigns you'll have to act tactically and in strict collaboration with the other players.

Multiplayer.it

Left 4 Dead 2 misses the sense of wonder of the first chapter but still has a lot of new content, a more compelling competitive experience and some great campaigns. It's a full game, not a data disk, and It worth all the money It costs.

GameTrailers

Though not an astounding improvement over the original, Left 4 Dead 2 successfully rekindles that magical zombie-hunting feeling with great new content, and a cool competitive multiplayer mode to boot. It may take some convincing to draw you to its cause, but cooperative team-based shooting is rarely more fun, or hectic, than this.

Xbox360Achievements

More modes, more scary zombie madness, a totally different feel to how you romp through the campaign and so much more. Yes, it’s all very familiar, but you won’t regret paying the cash for what is the best co-operative multiplayer experience around.

XboxAddict

This is a finely tuned re-installment of the game and one that includes the trademark visuals, sound, game play and tradition that Valve has steeped within it's most favored franchises.

ZTGameDomain

This is a polished, more feature-filled version of the original game that adds enough new to make it worthy of purchase by fans of the series. Melee weapons, new modes and new zombie types make this a must have for those that adored the original game.

SpazioGames

Five new campaigns, two multiplayer modes and many new features are big deal for everyone who loved the first Left 4 Dead. It's still the best cooperative experience you can find out there, so be a good boy and get yourself into some good ol' zombie creaming. On the other hand, whoever didn't get involved with the first one won't have any reason to get this sequel.

XGN

It's easy to see that Valve took the concept of Left 4 Dead to a higher level. Everything looks better and there are more enemies. The sound in the game is just as good as the first part, and the graphics are even better. Still, there are some things which could have been better, but despite that it's a great game to have in your collection.

NZGamer

I am going to have to point out that the guts of the action is really quite basic: see zombie, kill zombie. But this game was always meant to be more of the "see zombie, make pithy remark to friend via Xbox live, kill zombie" type.

Gamer Limit

While Left 4 Dead 2 is a fantastic game that delivers an incredible experience, many of the new features just feel like additional content that could have made the original even better.

AtomicGamer

Left 4 Dead 2 contains everything that made the first game great and so much more.

Everyeye.it

Despite some technical issues, L4D2 is a great sequel. Same gameplay formula with a new setting and many entertaining game modes.

Meristation

Left 4 Dead 2 its the best multi co-op game for Xbox 360. More weapons, more enemies, more blood. And better gameplay than the original in this great sequel.

GamingExcellence

Sure, L4D2 features new weapons, new game modes and new infected, but in the end, these are all pretty minor additions. What makes L4D2 a great game is what made the original so popular: exhilarating co-operative action with three buddies… and zombies.

Gamers' Temple

If you're one of the people who it does appeal to, get ready for a great ride and months of online play. These zombies don't quit, and you probably won't be able to either.

My Gamer

It is true; L4D2 plays out very similarly to the original smash hit. But the fast paced four player co-op is quite entertaining and the new material is enough to experience this sequel even if you have played the hell out of the first game.

Gaming Age

L4D2 isn't going to change your mind if you thought it was just okay or didn't care for it. On the other hand if you and a handful of friends enjoyed joining up to defeat the land of the dead and surviving the thought of being a smorgasbord for the flesh eaters, then you will have nothing short of a blast with L4D2.

Digital Chumps

I think Valve and EA have stepped the game up in the sequel. I really believe they fully understand the value of players going online and playing the game with and against each other.

3DJuegos

Left 4 Dead 2 is again one of the most intense, visceral and violent co-op shooters of this holiday season, but to be honest we were expecting some more additions. The game improves in every area its former game, but this is not enough to justify just 12 months of gap between the first and second iterations.

Giant Bomb

There is simply far more content by volume in this package than in the original. The core of Left 4 Dead may have lost some of its newness in the last 12 months, but the wealth of additions in this sequel ought to keep you blasting zombies and munching on brains for a good long while.

D+PAD Magazine

Building on what came before it technically and thematically, Left 4 Dead 2 proves itself a thrilling multiplayer experience fans would be foolish to pass up. The sequel may have arrived just a year after the first but the wealth of content and overall refinement means you wouldn’t know to play it.

games(TM)

If you do already own and have played to death (excuse the pun) the original Left 4 Dead, the feeling that you've just purchased the same product again doesn't take very long to start tugging at your coat-tails. [Christmas 2009, p.110]

NTSC-uk

Left 4 Dead 2 is a superb multiplayer game providing a great level of variety and replay value.

Game Revolution

Left 4 Dead 2 may have lost some of that new zombie smell, but its cooperative play is still among the best.