Left 4 Dead: Survivor Mode and Update Details
Survival Mode, Lighthouse Map, Versus Maps, Melee Fatigue, and More
Apr 22, 2009
On April 21, 2009, Valve released the free Survivor DLC for popular zombie shooter Left 4 Dead on Xbox 360 and PC. At long last Versus mode enthusiasts can pick from all four campaigns: No Mercy, Death Toll, Dead Air, and Blood Harvest.
The Survivor DLC adds a new survivor mode, in which players must survive for as long as possible against endless infected hordes. An update released at the same time as the DLC which alters various gameplay aspects, such as survivor and tank melee, and other minor changes.
L4D Survivor Mode
As opposed to the lengthy co-op campaign and versus modes, the Survivor mode is meant for quick-play sessions. Essentially a 'crescendo' or 'panic event' that doesn't end, the survivors must fight for as long as they can hold out--aiming for a high score on the online leaderboards.
And speaking of which, the survivor mode as a high-score competition is already broken. Numerous maps with exploitable bugs allow players to reach unreasonably high scores (several hours in length). On the new Lighthouse map, for instance, players can deliberately get themselves stuck at a particular point in the map, making it virtually impossible for infected to reach them.
Aside from the bugs and exploits, which should only require minor tweaks to fix, the survivor mode offers a completely new game mode, and is a welcome addition to Left 4 Dead. The mode features 16 maps; all but one are modified from the campaign levels. The new level built specifically for the survivor mode, a lighthouse stage named Last Stand, features the most intense zombie rushes yet in L4D.
All this mode needs is a quick patch to fix exploits from certain maps, and the survivor mode will serve as an excellent new co-op mode with competitive online leaderboard scores.
L4D Death Toll and Dead Air in Versus Mode
Previously only available for single-player and co-op campaign play, Death Toll and Dead Air are now available in Versus Mode.
Death Toll features suburban areas mixed with some Blood Harvest-like woods, topped off with the occasional underground setting like tunnels and sewage systems. The finale takes place in a house near a large body of water, where survivors must fend off the horde and numerous tanks before the rescue boat arrives. As one of the more intense finales in the campaign mode, the Versus mode should offer even more thrilling suspense.
Unfortunately, the suburban areas feature many small buildings mysteriously blocked off by invisible walls, severely limiting the infected team's playground on certain maps. But a minor annoyance to an otherwise fun versus campaign.
As for Dead Air, survivors must find their way to the airport and escape by plane. This campaign features numerous open areas on top of large buildings, making it a smoker-tongue and hunter-pounce paradise.
Despite some quirks, the "new" campaigns for Versus mode should add significantly to the game's fun factor and longevity.
L4D Update Changes - Melee Fatigue, Multi-hit Tank punches, Versus Infected Changes, and Bug Fixes
Perhaps the most significant change which will require many players to alter their strategies is the addition of "melee fatigue." Prior to the update, survivors theoretically didn't even need to fire their guns, as constant melee attacks proved sufficient enough at stopping infected mobs in their tracks.
Now, survivors can melee about 4 times before they must, in a sense, "reload" the melee attack. After four strikes, the fifth creates a small timer (displayed in the center of the screen) in which the player must wait before melee striking again. Continuing to strike will make the fatigue last longer, until it's capped at about 2 seconds. Melee stamina will automatically recharge when the player stops melee striking.
Before the new melee update, horde attacks (from Boomer bile and crescendo events) were considered a non-issue. But with the addition of melee fatigue, players must reevaluate the threat caused by infected hordes. Take note: the melee fatigue only applies to Versus and Survivor modes.
Other update changes include:
- Added melee fatigue (as explained above)
- A single Tank melee swipe can now hit multiple targets
- The Tank's melee can no longer strike through walls
- Reduced pounce/shredding damage caused by a hunter on fire
- The Smoker can now tongue-snare survivors through common infected
- The winning team now plays as the survivors first
- Fixed some bugs in the score calculation
- Fixed other misc bugs
Most of the updates serve as a boost to the infected side. As a result, the Versus mode should be more challenging and more rewarding than ever.
Left 4 Dead: Survivor Mode and Update Details - Conclusion
Even though the new survivor mode contains numerous map exploits, and the Death Toll and Dead Air campaigns feature some oddly-placed invisible walls for infected, the survivor DLC as a whole offers more value and fun to the Left 4 Dead package.
Despite the flaws, it's difficult to complain about free DLC that offers more value on top of an already intense multiplayer experience. Now, hopefully Valve will get cracking on new campaigns, new weapons, new infected, etc. If Valve continues supporting Left 4 Dead, zombie enthusiasts will eagerly blast infected away for a good, long time.
Note: For new players, the Left 4 Dead Game of the Year edition features the survival pack already on the disc, bypassing the 100 or so meg of required harddrive space.
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