trivard676Valve has recently released its first set of DLC for the horror-shooter Left 4 Dead 2 this past week. The Passing is currently available for the Xbox 360 and PC, at 560MSP and free, respectively. The DLC has been highly anticipated due to its introduction of the original survivors into the second game. But is it worth it?
Well, not only does The Passing deliver some nice cameos from L4D, it also delivers a whole slew of fun gameplay. A new set of achievements to strive for, several new online play modes, new enemies and several new online play modes. The recent update has also brought with it an in-game blog, which shows up in the main menu of L4D2. Here is where you hear of the new play mode, Mutations–a set of multiplayer rules designed to spice up online co-op and versus. For instance…Survivor Realism. Let the games begin!
The Passing campaign takes place between Dead Centre and the Dark Carnival. The survivors have just made their way out of the mall in Jimmy Gibb’s stock car (sweet) and have hit a road block along the path. There are some nice folks who would be happy to lower the bridge for them, but you know how ‘tasks’ go in L4D.
Some of the new weapons really tear the Infected to shreds.
In terms of gameplay, The Passing is pretty much exactly the same as the rest of the game. You didn’t expect any different, did you? However in some respects, The Passing is a little on the easy side, with lots of powerful weapons scattered about. But with lots of weapons come lots of enemies–there may be lots of weapons, but don’t expect this to be a cakewalk–some of it just doesn’t compare to the rest of the game. The difficulty is definiely amped for the final chapter–a nice little game of scavenge.
There’s not a whole lot more that can be said about The Passing without revealing too much about it. If you were looking for some grandios introduction of the characters of one game to the other, you’ll be left 4 wanting. The game does however leave a nice little hint that we will be seeing more of this kind of cross-over in the future, which is definitely something to look forward to. Valve is set to release similar DLC for the original L4D sometime in the near future, so keep reading RoH for info on that when it becomes available.
A suitcase full of pistols and money!! Play the song on the jukebox for a fun achievement.
Valve offers up 10 new achievements to strive for as well (either as Live achievements or Steam achievements). These will automatically show up on the Achievements list once you download the DLC. Steam users have the game automatically updated, and the achievements will appear automatically.
In conclusion, if you loved L4D2 and are looking for a little bang for your buck, The Passing is definitely something to download. It offers some damned good fun, and is every bit worth the 560MS points it costs on Xbox live–and it’s free for Steam, so what do you have to lose?
You’ll Like:
- Looks and plays the same as L4D2
- Increased difficulty level
- Adds to the storyline of the Survivors
- New achievements, weapons
You’ll Hate:
- Not very long
- Original survivors only appear as a cameo
- Enemies can be overwhelming
Overall Rating: 9/10
–jeeves86
