Poll: Left 4 Dead 1: Vastly Superior to L4D2

[Cid Silverwing]

Left 4 Dead was the starting point of the franchise. Hectic, runny-gunny-splatty-action and full of vomit (in the Boomer sense).

Left 4 Dead 2 is everything L4D was and more, polished to a better shine.

 

[Jast]

I think that Left 4 Dead 2 is so much better than the first one but I do like both of them. Recently though I felt like doing something a bit different so I started playing the first one again. Let me tell you every time I joined an online game (With people that actually talked) every time someone would just go on these long rants about how they hated the second one so much. I'm not kidding when I said every time. It just got so old that I defaulted back to the second game just so I wouldn't have to listen to the same conversation in every game I played.

 

[Emz]

Nothing beats the finale to Dark Carnival or The Parish in my eyes.

I'd say the levels were more charismatic in L4D2 however I preferred the characters of L4D1. Rochelle's screams when she is low on health make my ears bleed.

 

[slipknot4]

I think that the games are on the same level, but now that I've read your post I have to say the left 4 de... wait! Katana?!
Left 4 Dead 2 Wins.

 

[MrSalamandra]

I don't think the atmosphere is really any better, just because the sky's dark doesn't make it scary for me, especially because it's not really that dark, you can still see just fine outside of tunnels/sewers in both games.

The point about no "movie moments" is completely irrelevant. It's going to be random, but they're just as common in L4D2 as in L4D1.

With the characters I don't think it's greatly impactful. The only character who I don't find greatly interesting is Rochelle, all the 7 others are good. Ellis is better than any other character, with his crazy stories and general insanity.

I never noticed more or less bugs in L4D2 than in L4D1.

I largely like the new infected. If you think the charger is similar to the hunter, you've never been in a tunnel or corridor or just been in a line or bunched up with other people. Charging 4 people then having someone spit on them in Versus is a vastly different mechanic than having 1 person get pounced, having someone spit on them, the hunter getting instantly killed and 1 person taking minor damage rather than 4 people taking quite major damage. The spitter is my favorite infected of all, even if it is a bit reliant upon other special infected doing something. I find the jockey fine in campaign, although only useful in Realism Versus, not regular Versus.

As for little touches, I've noticed neither being better than the other.

So essentially I find them the same, just L4D2 having more special infected, much more variety with weapons and better graphics. The only legitimate complaint I think is that it's a bit similar to L4D1 for a sequel, although Valve's support is very good with having a new campaign and mutations (for PC anyway, given that it's free).

 

[MarsKitagawa]

I like the first one for every reason mentioned above (especially the whole "being punished for being a team player" the chargers and spitters do... and Zoey being in the first one...), but it seems no one wants to mention the fatigue thrown into the second... yeah, it makes it a bit more realistic... except that I'm out of shape and even I can swing my arms around more than three times without getting tired. So, really... to me the fatigue is a bit ridiculous with how quickly the adrenaline-filled apocalypse survivors get tired, and I'd rather stick to the other side of ridiculous where the adrenaline-filled apocalypse survivors can keep fighting for their lives forever.

(and yes, it's in the survival mode in the first... but I tend to play for the campaign mode where you can actually win the game, not the sit-around-and-see-how-quickly-you-die mode.)

But that's just me.

 

[Blackjack 222]

L4D-Atmosphere and characters
L4D2- new toys to murder zombies with, and Eilis(i can relate were like 2 southern peas in a southern pod)

 

[Martster]

I love both L4D and L4D2, I still play both regularly too

I don't see myself going for a L4D3 any time soon though, just keep me happy with DLC please

 

[PurpleSky]

A thousand times yes!

 

[Gethsemani_v1legacy]

I thought a little about this, and I think the difference between the game is really in the mood. The first game tried to invoke the feeling of classical survival horror movies with its' dark and gloomy surroundings and the general feeling of isolation and being the last people alived who are also moving around after everything has gone down. In a sense, Left 4 Dead attempts to be a John Romero zombie movie.

The second game can best be summed up with Ellis remark about what he is going to do in the intro movie: "Kill all sons of bitches". Left 4 Dead 2 seems to be aiming towards creating more of an Army of Darkness/Zombie Splatter feeling. The survivors are in a tough spot, sure, but they aren't going to be mopping about it and fearing for their lives. Nah, they will be taking down as many of them zombies as they possibly can and look cool while doing it. This is why you see the massive numbers of failed CETA-containments and dead bodies in L4D2. Others have failed before you, but they aren't as awesome as the survivors that are making their way through now.

Personally, I like the mood of the second game better. But it all comes down to personal preference. As far as game mechanics go, the second wins hands down if only because it manages to remove the "cheap" tactics in the first game (Shiva-stacking and corner hugging) and puts some variety into the crescendo events besides standing still and shooting a lot.

 

[velcrokidneyz]

everyone always says that the characters from l4d1 are more developed and interesting, i just dont see it, they dont talk muhc, and i kinda like the humor in l4d2. it makes some of the more tense moments like the whole campaign of hard rain more bearable

 

[Jumpingbean3]

Personally I thought the L4D1 characters were rather lacking. True they were instantly recognisable but most of them were pretty one dimensional. While Nick never mentioned his work as a con artist he at least made up for it with his sarcastic personality.

 

[Ickorus]

If they added the new content of L4D2 (Infected and weapons alone would do) the original game would be the best but as it stands all the new mechanics and such in the second game put that one above the first as much as I want to say the first game is the best.

 

[Virus49]

I agree totally with the thread maker. L4D2 is like the england football (soccer to you guys in the US) team. On paper its the best. But in practice it just isnt great.

L4D1 was just more fun. Characters and level design made that game for me. The only things which werent nearly as good in the second game.

When bill died I was very... very sad