I like Left 4 Dead a lot. Like, a lot a lot. The whole franchise has become a strange obsession of mine, giving me yet another reason to visit the homes of my Xbox boasting buddies (aside from the typical food piracy). Few things beat mowing down hordes of flesh-eating zombies with an assault rifle after a long day of… wait, what do I do again?*
But nevermind that. We’ve only got about five more months before Valve announces Left 4 Dead 3 (and only about ten before they release it).** While Left 4 Dead 2 is wonderful in a million and one ways that more than tickle my fancy, I still have some suggestions that could essentially make for that hallowed “perfect game” all the kids are begging for.
Perfect game maker machine GOOOOOOO!!!
While the Left 4 Dead franchise always made plenty good with mass amounts of zombies, I want more. How cool would it be to play a stage where you fight through a literal sea of the infected (*coughboatstagecough*)? Or how about a New Year’s-themed stage in Time’s Square where zombies, confetti, and pointy hats run rampant as you bound from scaffold to scaffold to avoid drowning in an ocean of biting and ew.
I’m just sayin’, give me just one stage that’s brimming with the bastards. I’m sure Valve could think of something.
That thing’s just stupid. It grunts and groans as it head-humps you into a festering cluster of zombie bullshit. Plus it looks like a chihuahua.
Not only is it ridiculously annoying, but playing as one in multiplayer is damn near insulting. Replace it with something cool, and we’re in business. Something with a gun, perhaps? Hmmm…
Bring in all the peeps from old games and make them playable online. I know it’s a ridiculous notion, but it would add a lot of back-story and plot development to a game very lacking in that department (sort of like that L4D2 DLC I’m eagerly anticipating). Hell, you could even introduce characters related to other characters from past games. One might argue the ambiguous nature of Left 4 Dead is part of what makes it so great—and to that I agree. Still, my curiosity is killing me.
On a completely unrelated note: where the fuck did the Witch come from, and why is she so damn powerful? Agh! So mysterious.
Another idea is to offer a main campaign that introduces us to the new zombie hunters and lets us play as the classic L4D Survivors in modes like “Survival” and “Scavenge”.
Actually, I have an even better idea than that: custom characters. Who wouldn’t want to see a poorly-imagined rendition of yours truly fight the horde.*** It would make the game more intimate.
It’s a real bitch playing L4D single player. Yes, I know it’s designed for multiplayer, and there’s no denying that the game’s far more enjoyable with a pal. But some of us lack that luxury, and when you’re surrounded by claws and ultraviolence, it’s nice knowing you can fall back on your NPC friends.
I’ve already watched one NPC watch another NPC DIE right in front of me (I didn’t help just to see if it would—it didn’t). I once saw another hold a health pack in its defense, unable to switch to its weapon, until the horde ripped it to shreds. An option to command other NPCs is something the franchise desperately needs. Make use of that Xbox headset I stole from my neighbor’s kid and let me shout for help when I need it—this way I actually get it.
Want to increase the replay value of L4D3 exponentially?
Introducing the Zombiometer(TM)—a counter that keeps track of a player’s “zombie miles”. Each zombie you kill adds to your score, this way you can see how many you’ve killed total, how many special infected you’ve slain, or even how many of the beasts you’ve gunned down in your last campaign.
User profiles keeping track of this information is essential. Think of it like Halo or Call of Duty where the game assigns you a player profile and a rank representing your performance. This brings me to my next point:
Let me level up. So very many games include this most basic RPG element, and it’s a wonder why it’s yet to be exercised in Left 4 Dead. As I play, I should be rewarded—and thus—inspired to kill as many zombies as possible. While run-of-the-mill survival is fun and all, I need more incentive. As gamers grow, the games they play need to grow with them. This is just the next logical step for the franchise.
Ideally, this could work to match the player’s style of gameplay. Use a lot of melee weapons? You’ll notice you hit faster and harder as you grow. Find yourself taking lots of hits? Benefit from the damage by getting a higher defense stat or more health. Like using the sniper rifle? Increase your aim at the next level. The possibilities never end.
Of course, if I don’t get to level up, at least give me some perks to playing as any given character. It’s already damn near impossible to complete a stage if one or more of your characters drops, so adding special abilities just makes sense. One character could have extra melee strength and the ability to unblock blocked passageways using brute force. Another could be super fast and hold a lockpick. One could serve as a medic, healing others faster and replenishing more health when using health packs.
Using this system would make the gameplay infinitely more interesting than it already is, opening the door to alternate paths and deepening the need to work together in order to survive.
If I fall off a ledge during a zombie apocalypse (or any apocalypse for that matter), I’m sure as hell not waiting for some asshole to pull me up. No way.
If you have the strength to kill a group of five or six rabid men with a cricket bat in a single swing, you have the strength to pull your own body weight up from the side of a handrail.
That’s something I’ve never understood about the franchise. Yeah, I get that you’re supporting the notion of team dependency, but that’s taking it a bit too far. I’m a big boy; I can climb my own ledges, thank you.
*Okay, so the zombies technically never “eat flesh” in Left 4 Dead, per se. But who cares, ya bastard?
**Not a rumor, but a joke.
***Not in any part due to the developers, but my own limitations when it comes to making things look like me.
Not perfect enough for ya? Tell us how you’d make Left 4 Dead 3 in the comments section below.
Some great ideas here, particulary the Times Square at New Year one! While these are all great improvements to a great series… not that we need another L4D game *just* yet, I’ve barely had time to enjoy the sequel!
Nice Ideas man! i apologise now for my english, im italian, so…
I love L4D2 and 1 too and im fucking sure a probably L4D3 will be mine at dayone.
I Completely agree with u in everything especially for Exp Thing, More Carachters and zombies,Zombiemeter(TM),and fuck, do something for the singleplayer.
iD like to see in L4D3 :
More Special Infected
More Melee Weapons and Guns (boomerang,boulas,knives to launch)
Maybe Is Funny To Have Levels To Unlock And Not Start The Game With The Possibility To Choose Yet The Final Level
Interagite With Things (push things for make the way free, search in zombie’s Dresses,Help a Partner with a rope, and fuck yeah, have to drive some cars or motorbike whatever to go in the next level idk)
Custom Carachter
More Interaction with other carachters
Map
Fix That Fucking Glitches and Bug!!!
Ok We Have An Infection, WHY???? Maybe Try To Explain Us Something About What Happened To That City
More Blood And Violence
Civillians (to save or interact to idk)
More Music
A Boat Level
Less Time To ReEnter In a Match In Versus or Scavenge
Nothing more jump in to my mind so i post those things
i think we should be BLE TO CREATE OUR OWN CHARACTER AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE A ZOMBIE OR A HUMAN BETTER GUNS BETTER HUGE ZOMBIEZ
i think there should be more zombies 5 more special infected be able to create ur own character and at least optimize ur gun or somethin!!!!bugz 100% pice of shit fix it up…
I Think that it would be cool if there was a nice story mode dlc, but with a lot of the aspects of the normal game. The main complaint i here from people who don’t like the game, is that there is no story. Well, perhaps we could make a story mode resident-evil type hybrid of the game. Have one survivor try to progress with the story by himself and make obviously needed changes to the game-play mechanics. Like, if a special infected nabs you, and in this mode you wouldn’t have teammates, make there be a way for the survivor to escape only for this game mode. I think that left 4 dead would be accepted by a much wider audience if they did this.
great ideas man. i think we should b able 2 create our whole team and there should b a new team and the older teams. mayb 4 player mode on 1 xbox cuz i cant afford live. like atleast 5 new special infected. and like u said get rid of the effin jockey! its just fuckin annoying! unlockables(levels,starting weapons,characters, items, etc.) and special perks like fast speed, able to take less damage, able to do more damage.alot more then 5 campaigns, 10-30 campaigns cuz i go through all the campaigns in like a day. customizable weapon options like army of 2(bayanets, silencers, scopes, etc.) a bigger story like how the infected mutated and where did the infection come from. a singleplayer(and multiplayer) storymode wher u can search places for food, water, weapons, and useful items. the storymode should also hav survivors like regular citizens and some of the main characters. and a new mode wher there duznt hav to be actual players as the survivors like a team of super special infected like really smart infected not like carrying guns smart but like they get super affective abilities and can carry melee weapons and they hav 2 go out and find survivors and kill them and eat them to heal themselves…..thats pretty much all i can think of…
Couple things i think they should add.
-Have a disguised witch.
Make her so that she looks like any other
normal zombie, but still with the cry.
I think it would make the game more interesting.
-Make night/day an option.
-unlockables (guns, campaigns etc)
-Maybe a customizable campaign???
-Involve someway a character or two from
the FIRST game!
(i only like ellis in the second)
Just a couple of ideas.
something off topic. but,
one thing that i dont understand.
As far as i’ve heard
L4D2 takes place a week before L4D.
That’s a nice little kinda twist to everything
but there’s one thing that doesnt make sense…
if that were to per say happen,
why would have only the SI of the boomer, hunter,
and smoker only made it across to the first game.
why wouldn’t/didn’t the spitter/jockey/charger
make it over???? i don’t know.
but i agree.
deff make the intro to L4D3 an explanation
of how it came to be!
OH! one more thing.
they say that they got bit so they’re infected
or whatever, so why not when one of your teamates
dies, they turn into one of the SI’s or somethihng.
I think I would personally like Left 4 Dead 3 turn into somewhat like Resident Evil 5….Where theres the T-virus…and you go through actual missions to save the non-infected.
That Time Square thing sounds amazing!
I think I would love some more Forest Levels, and ,like he said, boat levels.
Those would really kick up the game!
I never really heard of witches scratching the hell out of you, I’ve more imagined the killing with powers ;D xD
The level up thing would be great!
I would like to be able to play with 3 of my friends on one xbox 360, though I don’t mind playing online…I would just like to play with more of my family, and not send them to a friends house. x’D
I would love it if they added driving vehicles, and running over zombies ^w^ Sounds like a great Idea to meee
Haha, but I kinda feel sorry for these people in the game, they never get to eat or go to the bathroom. Dx Sucks for them x’3
haha..Great Ideas peopleee!!!!! ^^
There are some really great ideas in here, especially Times Square! I would like to see a campaign that takes place in Vegas…so many opportunities for some “uncommon” infected…showgirl zombies, hooker zombies (maybe? lol), pit bosses, dealers…you get the idea. I thought that would be pretty cool. Maybe even a campaign in Europe……