Zombicidal

Minimum Requirements

• Operation System: Windows 7 / Vista / XP
• CPU: Pentium 4 3.0GHz
• RAM: Windows XP – 1 GB RAM / Windows Vista – 2GB
• Graphics Card: ATI x800/nVidia 6600 or better; DirectX 9 compatible card w/ 128MB memory; Shader model 2.0
• Hard Drive Space: 7.5 GB of free space
• Sound Device: DirectX 9c compatible sound card

Recommended System Specs

• Operation System: Windows 7 / Vista / XP
• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.6 GHz or better
• RAM: Windows XP – 1 GB RAM / Windows Vista – 2GB
• Graphics Card: ATI X1600/nVidia 7600 or better; DirectX 9 compatible card w/ Shader model 3.0
• Hard Drive Space: 7.5 GB of free space
• Sound Device: DirectX 9c compatible sound card

A high school defensive coordinator and health teacher with dreams of coaching professional football. During college, Coach was a skilled defensive lineman and intended to go pro until he had a career-ending knee injury. He’s from the Savannah, GA area, and is used to dealing with (living) kids and parents. When the zombocalypse broke out, he lamented allowing himself to fall out of shape.

Coach wears a short-sleeved polymer sports polo adorned with the letters “FHS”, most likely the abbreviated name of his school. Originally, it was yellow and blue, but new gameplay footage shows him wearing purple and gold. He also wears khakis, white wristbands, a chrome whistle, a black belt, black shoes, and black weight-lifting gloves. Coach is overweight, and his rotund model sometimes clips weapon stocks.

When asked about whether or not the character is based on the “Survivor” contestant, Chet had this to say: “[He's] not based on the world’s biggest douchebag. We made that design choice.”

Coach’s booming voice is brought to you by Chad Coleman, who plays Denise “Cutty” Wise from the TV series “The Wire”. His mildly scornful personality and patronizing voice lines seem to be a reflection of the paternal nature of his job, his interest in sports, and his religious leanings. Two examples of his friendly fire warning lines are “Shoot me again, and you’re gonna be meetin’ your maker, right here” and “There’s gonna be some Biblical shit happenin’ to you if you do that again.” After a car alarm has been triggered, he may say “Game on, ladies!”

A tough-as-nails northerner from Cleveland. After graduating from Cleveland State with a degree in communications, Rochelle pursued a career as an on-air news personality, but only managed to find work as an associate producer/intern. Two months later, after an outbreak hit Atlanta, Rochelle got her big break and was sent to the evacuation center in Savannah to produce her first big segment. If only she’d known that her biggest break would be out to kill her.

Rochelle wears a thin brown over-the-shirt belt and tight blue jeans. In the E3 demo and the teaser trailer, she wore a plain orange shirt, which differed from the rose-colored shirt she wears in the poster art. Later, her top changed to a rose-colored shirt with a Depeche Mode graphic. In Comic-Con footage, her hairstyle changed to a short ponytail, and there may have been subtle changes to her facial geometry.

Rochelle is voiced by Rochelle Aytes, an actress whose repertoire includes “White Chicks” and “Madea’s Family Reunion”. She appears to be strong-willed and can be somewhat indignant. For instance, one of her friendly fire warnings is “Oh, sweet Jesus, you SHOT ME!” However, she also has a sweeter side. When resuscitating teammates, she may say “Aww baby, can’t have you down there. Let me help you on your feet.”

A smart, fun-loving, beer-loving, goofiness-loving mechanic with Southern flare. After finishing high school in his hometown of Savannah, he spurned thoughts of college, choosing instead to pursue his passion of working on cars. Ellis’ youthful exuberance and carefree nature allow him to remain upbeat even in the direst of situations.

Since PAX ‘09, Ellis has worn a yellow graphic T-shirt (with the words “Bull Shifters”) above a dark gray-colored pair of work pants and work boots. The pants have an odd ruffle in the back, which may indicate that they are overalls or a jumpsuit that has been gathered around his waist. Ellis also wears a matching gray-and-white baseball cap with webbing in back and a cartoonish picture of a tow truck on the front. Originally, Ellis wore a gray-and-white work shirt with “J.B.’s Auto Service” printed on the back. Comic-Con footage indicates that he has a tattoo on his right arm and holds a single pistol with one hand instead of both.

Ellis’ voice actor is Eric Ladin from “Generation Kill”, who voices the role with a moderate Southern accent. Ellis is the most helpful and good-natured of the group, and even his most aggressive lines only reach the point of humorous indignation. For instance, two of his friendly fire warnings are “Come on, that’s not funny anymore!” and “I’m not a zombie, man. Shoot the zombies.” At the end of The Parish, Ellis utters the line every player has yelled into the mic at end of No Mercy at one point or another. You know which one.

A gambler, petty conman, and consummate picaresque in a purportedly expensive white suit. Nick hails from the Midwest, but he’s a vagabond by nature, moving from place to place without settling down. He’s the most cynical and bitter of the Survivors, and is still trying to figure out the best angle on the recent upturn in the brain-eating market. Over time, he begins to trust and value his new compatriots.

Nick is voiced by Hugh Dillon, an actor from “Flashpoint” on CBS. As mentioned earlier, he’s the most cynical and distant of the Survivors. For instance, when healing others with a first aid kit, he sometimes says “Now, don’t waste this by getting pounced or something.”

One of the lines Nick can be heard saying is “You’re going to shoot the guy in the $10,000 suit? Come on!” This is likely an allusion to Arrested Development, where Gob has an obsession with the ever-varying price of his suits. There may be multiple unique variations of this line, each with a different price and degree of emphasis. The prices we’ve heard so far are $2000, $3000, $6000, and $10000.

Prices Aren’t The Only
Things Getting Slashed.

Escape by: Plymouth Superbird

Chapters

The Hotel
The Streets
The Mall
Atrium Finale

Main Title Soundtrack

This is the only campaign that lacks significant gameplay footage; as such, we know the least about it. We do know that it occurs during the daylight, begins on the roof of a hotel featured in one of the trailers, and that it takes place in Savannah, Georgia. The campaign has four chapters (like Swamp Fever). It’s the first campaign, chronologically. Based on the map filenames, the chapter names are The Hotel, The Streets, The Mall, and Atrium Finale.

We believe that the Hazmat UCI have been moved from The Parish to Dead Center, based on a CEDA station in one of the chapters. Note the hazmat UCI near the bottom middle of the picture.

Starting from the rooftop of the hotel, the Survivors must make their way to the ground floor and through the streets.

Along the way, they will encounter various stores, like a toy shop. We’re unclear about how crescendos work in the early chapters, as there’s some talk of “optional crescendos”. Screenshots indicate that one crescendo involves the crazed owner of Whitaker’s Gun Shop. In order to gain access, Survivors must go to a nearby Save 4 Less convenience store. Entering the store activates an alarm (and thus the crescendo). Then, Survivors must carry a box of cola to give to the store owner before he will open the door to the shop. Once inside, Survivors have access to Tier 2 weapons and ammo.

Eventually, the Survivors reach the Liberty Mall. A mall map (see large version) shows that they must make their way from one entrance to the atrium/food court.

The finale, which is similar to Scavenge Mode, takes place in this food court. Survivors must refuel a blue Plymouth Superbird with white racing stripes and the number 22 imprinted on it. The car was once owned by Jimmy Gibbs, Jr, a four-time “Super Cup” champion. Gibbs is popular in Savannah, and his manly mug appears on many billboards.

The Superbird serves as the escape vehicle, and 13 cans of gas must be collected before the Survivors can make a glorious escape (SPOILER!). The Superbird also appears at the beginning of Dark Carnival, parked on the freeway.

Somewhere, there will be lots of fire. Descriptive, I know.

You must be this tall…TO DIE!

Escape by: Rock ‘n Roll

Chapters

The Highway
The Fairgrounds
The Coaster
The Barns
Concert Finale

After being announced on GameTrailers TV, Dark Carnival was playable at PAX ‘09 in Seattle. After fleeing Savannah in the first campaign, Survivors hit a traffic jam and are forced to leave the highway. They reach a two-story motel, then make their way to the Whispering Oaks amusement park, where nefarious thrills await. Show media. ▼

Main Title Soundtrack

Chapter 1: The Highway

The first chapter begins on the freeway and encompasses the motel and the path to the fairgrounds. Survivors begin right on the highway, where a huge traffic jam has thwarted their escape. According to recent videos, the Survivors traveled here in a Plymouth Superbird they borrowed from a Savannah mall. When Dark Carnival was first released, this vehicle was a sheriff’s department cruiser.

Chapter 2: The Fairgrounds

This chapter begins in a small shed outside the main entrance. The early areas of the fairgrounds include concessions like hot dogs and other food stands. Later on, Survivors will make their way through a number of courtyards, and then slide down from the top of a giant slide.

Other Chapters

Later, Survivors will encounter a carousel, where the second chapter’s crescendo occurs. Survivors must activate a switch that turns on the carousel and opens a gate on the far side of the carousel. They must then fight through the ocean of undead to turn off the merry-go-round and stop the onslaught. From there, Survivors must travel a short distance to a lover’s lane, where the saferoom awaits.

In the final build, the fairgrounds will include playable parlour games (mini-games). Based on the recently released achievements, we believe that these mini-games will involve out-running and out-muscling Whispering Oak’s mascot, Moustachio, and rescuing something named “Gnome Chomsky” (a play on the name of the renowned MIT linguist).

Chapter 5: Concert Finale

The finale will take place at a large concert stadium at (or near) the amusement park, where the rock band “Midnight Riders” had been planning a concert. The Survivors must use the fireworks, lights, and speakers to signal a nearby helicopter. Apparently, stepping up to the microphone will amplify whatever the Survivors say.

The only cure is dying.

Escape by: River Boat (Langniappe)

Chapters

Plank Country
The Swamp
The Shanty Town
Plantation Finale

The third campaign will be a nighttime mission that takes place in a “muddy bayou” somewhere between Savannah and New Orleans. A train wreck forces the Survivors to travel through a bayou—a patchwork of marshes and small rivers. Swamp Fever only has four chapters, but Valve has said that playtesting shows that it takes roughly the same amount of time as a full-sized campaign. The first chapter will be the first starting chapter with a crescendo.

The terrain varies between solid ground and wet marshland with human settlements intertwixed amidst the natural scenery. Muddy swamps dominate the landscape, appearing almost everywhere. The mire is less vegetated, making it easier to spot some Infected, but some other Infected (namely, Mud Men) may be harder to spot. Moving through the mud also slows Survivors and Infected slightly.

The AI Director will have a big role in this campaign. Many paths will be randomized (or at least procedurally controlled) instead of being predetermined. Also, the area will have dynamic weather conditions controlled by the AI Director. Chet has mentioned in a number of interviews that the AID can suddenly create heavy rain conditions, limiting visibility, similar to the cornfields of BH5. Survivors will not be able to see each others’ outlines in the rain. See media. ▼

Main Title Soundtrack

Chapter 1: Plank Country

The starting chapter begins in a small shack near a gas station. A banner on the fence clearly indicates that those who lived here wanted no government intervention. After passing the gas station, the Survivors move towards a river, passing cabins and commercial buildings.

After they reach the shore, they see a cable foot ferry waiting on the other side of the deep river. Activating the winch begins the crescendo event. Survivors must survive in the area nearby while waiting. The shore is particularly dangerous, because the bank is tantamount to a cliff. Survivors can dangle from the dock as though from a building or be knocked straight into the depths to their deaths. After activating the crescendo, no rescue is possible until Survivors cross to the hero closet on the opposite shore.

After crossing the river, Survivors walk across a raised complex of boardwalks and covered bridges. The boardwalks are raised at least ten feet above the swamp. Rotten sections in the boardwalk can collapse, causing Survivors to fall into the murk. These boards over these parts look separated and can be detected beforehand. The AI Director can control where these spots occur.

Other Chapters

The Gamespy and IGN footage show a shanty town raised on stilts above a deep marsh. This area includes a crescendo which begins by lowering a ramp. The walls of the shanty buildings can be broken, creating dangerous Smoker pulls. OXM had previously suggested that players might meet NPC survivors in this shanty town, but the gameplay videos and a new preview by IGN seem to discredit this notion.

Another area features groves of trees on damp ground mixed with some deeper swampland. In these areas, special rewards can be found by looking for landmarks. For instance, a pilot dangling from a tree by his parachute could mean that supplies can be found below.

Elsewhere, players will encounter a crashed plane. The right-side overwing exit door must be opened to pass it. Opening the door triggers a traditional crescendo event.

Issue 50 of the UK OXM states that there will be an alligator farm in the campaign, but no infected alligators will be present. Chet explains that the infection only affects warm-blooded creatures.

The finale, done in the style of the original, takes place at a giant plantation house, where Survivors await rescue by a river boat, the Lagniappe, piloted by an old Cajun man named Virgil. The first floor balcony of the plantation house will feature a M2HB similar to the one found near the end of The Parish.

Come Hell and High Water.

Escape by: River Boat (Lagniappe)

Chapters

The Mill Town
The Sugar Mill
The Sugar Mill (?)
The Mill Town (?)
Mill Town Finale (?)

This campaign, along with Dead Center, was one of the last to be released. Hard Rain, which occurs between the events of Swamp Fever and The Parish, takes place in the small town of Ducatel on the Mississippi River. The Lagniappe from the end of Swamp Fever has run low on fuel, and the Survivors must go inland to find more before they can continue with their journey to New Orleans. See media. ▼

Like Swamp Fever, this campaign should have procedural weather effects controlled by the AI Director. As Survivors make their way inland, the amount of rain they encounter is related to how well they are doing as a team. When Survivors are doing poorly, the rain may be a mere annoyance, but when Survivors are excelling, the downpour can be torrential. At certain points, the AID can trigger a series of hordes whose appearance coincides with a nasty flash rainstorm, testing the Survivors’ ability to cohere amidst the stormy chaos.

Main Title Soundtrack

Chapter 1: The Mill Town

The campaign starts when the Survivors arrive on the fishing boat. The captain plans to anchor offshore until they give him a signal to return. Unfortunately, they had planned to signal the boat with flares in their gun bag, but none of the Survivors remembered to bring the bag, which also explains their lack of Tier 2 weapons at the beginning of the level. Although they landed near a local gas station, they fail to find any gas in the town, forcing them to move further inland. The Survivors make their way through and encounter a construction site, which contains a number of construction workers, another kind of UCI.

Chapter 2: The Sugar Mill

The Survivors make their way through the compound of the Ducatel Sugar Co, which includes the industrial complex visible in many of the early gameplay videos. Navigating the sugar mill is particularly precarious because the smell of the sugar has attracted Witches from the surrounding countryside; it isn’t uncommon to see more than a few Witches in this chapter. To make matters worse, since it’s daytime, the Witches are mobile.

At the end of this chapter, the Survivors must move through a field of sugar canes that rivals the field in Blood Harvest V. This field is much thicker, and the only visible landmark is a sign at the other end. Numerous Witches may be wandering in the field, and because of the density of the canes, they may not be visible until Survivors are right in smooching range.

Chapters 3 and 4

In an unprecedented move for L4D, Valve has designed this level to be played twice: the Survivors spend the first half getting to the inland gas station, but after finding the gas, they have to trek back toward the riverside through the same terrain. However, during the journey, the rain picked up signficantly. On the way back, the torrential rain has flooded various areas, making travel difficult. Survivors must choose whether to stick to the ground or use precarious rooftops and catwalks to make their thoroughfare back to the boat.

New! 11/2 In case you’re wondering, the Survivors pack the gas cans they find on their backs, so it’s not necessary to juggle the cans or any shenanigans like that.

Chapter 5: Mill Town Finale

In Hard Rain’s finale, Survivors must signal Virgil and the Lagniappe and wait for rescue, an ordeal similar to the one at the end of Death Toll. Since they cannot use their flares, the Survivors have to turn on the large neon sign of the local Burger Tank fast food joint, which, of course, unleashes hell amidst the high water.

The options for survival here are limited. Survivors can wait on the dilapidated, hole-ridden rooftop, which leaves them quite open to Special Infected attacks that could isolate them on the flooded ground below, or holing up in small rooms in the restaurant, which allows the Survivors easier access to ammunition but increases the risk of being trapped by Spitters.

This time it all goes south.

Escape by: CH-53E Super Stallion

Chapters

The Waterfront
The Park
The Cemetery
The French Quarter
Bridge Finale

The final campaign in the main story sequence. Set in New Orleans, LA, it features daytime gameplay and a primarily urban setting. The goal of the map is to battle through various parts of the city to reach a military outpost. Gameplay footage reveals building-to-building fighting amongst narrow streets and other urban locations. See videos. ▼

Main Title Soundtrack

Chapter 1: The Waterfront

This is a relatively short first chapter. It begins on a private dock attached to “Jules’ Fresh Crawfish” on the north bank of the Mississippi River, where the Survivors have been dropped off by the Virgil from Swamp Fever and Hard Rain. In the picture at left (high-res), you can see the Survivors the beginning of the level. In the background, you may notice debris in the water and a bridge in the distance. This bridge may be based on the Crescent City Connection on I-910. More on this later.

After leaving the dock, the Survivors move into a mixed commercial/residential area with narrow streets. Survivors can traverse the main road either by staying to the left on the road or by moving through the second-story rooms. After passing the overturned trailer blocking most of the road, the Survivors turn right, passing a street-level open-air restaurant where supplies may be found.

Survivors move into the back alley and then through a kitchen and out onto a narrow version of Decatur Street. This is where the first car alarm is located. Down the street from the alarm, a beige house serves as the first safe room.

Chapter 2: The Park

Honestly, we’re not sure what this will be called. It consists of two major parts: Jackson Square and a CEDA muster site to the northwest. The Survivors leave the safe room right next to Jackson Square and travel along Decatur Street. This area is clearly inspired by the real location. See what we mean. ▼

View Larger Map
The staircase looks very similar in these two images, but the staircase in L4D2 would be on the opposite side of Decatur from the staircase seen in Google StreetView. The park in L4D2 is also much larger and more densely vegetated than Jackson Square. As you move past Jackson Square, the in-game map is not very realistic. Upon leaving the northwest boundary of Jackson Square, Chartres Street and the St. Louis Cathedral are definitely not there. There are also no raised freeways or large bus depots within or near the French Quarter (that we’ve been able to find).

After climbing the stairs, Survivors can go through the middle, traversing a garden maze, go left towards a gazebo, or go right to reach a public bathroom. All roads lead out to a pedestrian road to the northwest. Off to the right side of the road, there’s a narrow alley that leads to a CEDA muster area. Under the shadow of a decrepit freeway, corpse-laden rubble litters the paths created by temporary barricades long since abandoned.

The first crescendo takes place in the CEDA containment area ahead. The Survivors must enter the trailer seen at left. After all Survivors have entered, the back door closes automatically. Once they leave the front door, the crescendo begins. In this “rolling crescendo”, Survivors must run to a security tower in the middle of a maze of chain-link fence. They must first run along the outside, then around a few more corners before they can run towards the ladder at the far end of the tower. Once on the tower, Survivors may turn off the alarm at a control panel. The alarm must be turned off to stop hordes from spawning and to open the doors to the bus station.

A few buses are still parked in the depot. After passing them and turning right, the safe room is located in a utility room on the far side of the depot.

Chapter 3: The Cemetery

At 1:13 of the Six Minute Video, the Survivors enter a cemetery. Note the elevated mausoleums, which are common in New Orleans because of its high water table. An obelisk stands in the distance, possibly as a beacon placed near the exit. We don’t believe that any of the cemeteries near the French Quarter (namely St. Louis Cemeteries 1-3) have an obelisk of this height, but please correct us if we’re wrong.

In a number of interviews, Chet has said that the AID 2.0 will be able to control the layout of the cemetery, placing mausoleums (and perhaps other obstacles) to vary the difficulty of the area.

In the gameplay footage, the textures in this area look rather bland, but in the released screenshot, they look slightly more polished.

Chapter 5: Bridge Finale

In the finale of The Parish, called the “gauntlet”, Survivors must rush across a two-level bridge fraught with peril. The bridge is being bombed by F-18 Hornets, and the Survivors must contact the military to let them cross before it is destroyed. If the maze of cars and blind spots along the freeway bridge wasn’t enough, the guard rails are very low and sometimes non-existent, and large holes from the bombing pock the deck.

The bridge is featured from 0:46-1:07 of the 6-minute video and in the CVG finale videos. The bridge itself is a four-lane, double-decker truss bridge with a vertical lift-style movable span in the middle. This span can be raised and lowered to allow boats to pass. Looking at the teaser trailer, you can see the two levels of the bridge and how they are disjointed at the lift tower. Based on information from PC Gamer, it appears that the vertical span must be lowered into place to allow the Survivors to cross.

An exhaustive walkthrough is superfluous, but you can find sequential screen captures in the gallery below. The finale begins in a safe room. A ladder is visible leading from downstairs, so we can guess that the fourth chapter’s ending safe room is a service entrance somewhere below the bridge’s lower deck. Survivors contact the military using a radio found on a nearby body and then cross the bridge. The pathways in the bridge are variable because the AID can control where bombs are dropped to control the availability and danger of paths. The military also bombs paths behind Survivors, so there is no going back. Once the Survivors cross the bridge, they enter a military staging area and make their way to a helipad, where a helicopter is waiting. The chopper is probably a CH-53E Super Stallion.

Show screenshots ▼

As mentioned above, this bridge is probably based on the CCC (aka “Greater New Orleans Bridge”) on I-910. It’s in roughly the right location, but the bridges are different—the CCC is a pair of single-level cantilever bridges instead of a single bi-level vertical lift bridge.

Chet mentioned that the finale occurs in the French Quarter, but he probably used the term to loosely refer to the portion of New Orleans near the French Quarter instead of the actual traditional French Quarter boundary. Also, “gauntlet” refers specifically to this finale, and not to the new kinds of crescendo events. At 3:28 in the second developer walkthrough Chet clarifies this.

Unknown Chapters

We’ve covered the first two chapters and some of the finale. What about the other three? The 6-minute video mentioned above includes gameplay from other chapters, but the footage is fragmented and definitely not chronological, so we can’t be sure which chapters are included.

The first segment of the clip shows the beginning safe room of the fourth chapter, most likely. It doesn’t match the first safe room (on Decatur) or the second, which has a close wall on the left side and cement walls/floors. It also isn’t the same as the finale’s safe room.

Starting at 0:18, the video is taken outside the open-air restaurant in the first chapter. The footage at 1:08 is also from the first chapter, taken right outside the bus depot.

The Impound Lot

The next segment, starting at 2:35, includes a short segment on a fenced street. Immediately after this, the Survivors enter the sewer through a manhole. After leaving the sewer, the Survivors enter a car impound lot where almost every car has an active alarm. We’re not sure whether or not this is meant to be a true crescendo, but it can quickly turn into one with even a single errant shot. The impound lot is located under a raised, bifurcated expressway.

The Float

The next segment shows the crescendo immediately preceding a safe room. Footage of this event is split between 3:31-3:49 and 4:53-5:47. The safe room is located in an unfinished second-floor room. To reach the second floor from the ground, the Survivors must push the float into place, forming a temporary bridge between a nearby rooftop and the safe room.

To reach this roof, it appears the must climb an external staircase and cross a balcony with flaky railings. This reminds us of a hybrid of Death Toll 2’s lock and No Mercy 3’s lift.

The float scene is oddly interrupted at 3:50-4:53 by a restaurant and the outside area immediately following it. This is another example of the lack of chronological consistency in this video, and it’s hard to tell where this restaurant might occur relative to other scenes.

The fire axe is the most extensively covered melee weapon so far. It’s a short red axe often used by firefighters. Survivors primarily swing it in a horizontal cutting motion, but they will occasionally also swing it vertically. This downwards slice can one-hit some Special Infected. The axe will be able to crown a Witch if used properly.

The axe has a cleaving (AOE) effect that can be quite devastating. It appears that all Common Infected caught in the effective arc are killed, at least on Normal and Easy difficulties. It also deals location damage, meaning that it can affect specific subset areas of the body, much like how Level 2 weapons can shear off extremities. The axe can deal friendly fire damage, but the limitations of this are not clear.

New! 11/2 The axe deals 70 damage and can both sever limbs and decapitate. It has a cooldown of 1.0 seconds. It should be noted that the axe is the only melee weapon that Valve has confirmed will crown Witches, but there seems to be no real distinction in the VPK files between it, the machete, and the katana, meaning these three weapons may all be able to crown them.

The axe model changes over time. It may be picked up new, but then it starts getting scraped. Blood appears on the blade and handle. The axe can be found in various places in the environment.

The cast-iron pan’s most notable feature is the KAPWANG sound it makes when used. Its normal attack animation is a right-top to left-bottom cross-body swing. Like the axe, the cast iron pan also has a cleaving attack and a one-hit kill against Special Infected, which is animated as an uppercut swing, but this does not crown Witches.

New! 11/2 The frying pan’s scripts indicate it does 70 damage, which may only come into play against hardened targets like Tanks. It has a special damage flag that allows it to knock back Infected. The pan attack has a cooldown of 0.75 seconds.

The pan can be found in The Docks chapter on a range in a commercial kitchen. It also becomes bloody after it has killed a number of Infected.

We first saw the chainsaw in the E3 teaser trailer, but it was only in late September that it was added to the playable demo, and was first seen at the Tokyo Game Show. The chainsaw is primarily chrome and black, with a bit of wood finish. It appears to be able to slice through Infected very easily, though it has a limited amount of fuel. We don’t know how the fuel expenditure is calculated or if the chainsaw can be held out at attack position for an extended time.

You may find a short video of the chainsaw here (or hereYouTube), but it seems the French are as good at filming gameplay as they are at not surrendering.

In the E3 trailer, the chainsaw had a yellow body and distinctly carried the logo of Saxton Hale’s world-famous Mann Co.

Until Dark Carnival debuted at PAX ‘09, there had been no gameplay footage of the baseball bat. The wooden bat, which has been seen sitting on tables in the amusement park, often kills by smashing heads clean off of zombies’ bodies.

The bat has been offered as a pre-order special item, available during the beta, but players who do not pre-order will be able to unlock the bat the first time they play with a pre-order player.

The cricket bat was announced by IGN in early July, making it the fifth known melee weapon. It was considered to be a hoax by some, but the bat, which appears to be partially painted yellow, can be seen in use in a recent Swamp Fever video. Some mistakenly believe the cricket bats seen in these videos to be boat oars, but Chet has confirmed that they are bats.

L4D2 will include katanas, which were among the weapons most commonly requested by fans. The sword is wielded by Survivors raised above the right shoulder, and its standard animation is a horizontal slash that can sometimes cause bodily division.

New! 11/2 The katana does 70 damage (based on its scripts) and is flagged to cut off body parts (and decapitate, of course). It has a recast delay (cooldown) of 0.8 seconds.

You must have big rats if you need Chet Faliszek’s steel.

First seen at PAX ‘09, this melee weapon is a rounded solid-body, double-cutaway, twin-humbucker electric guitar with a red finish, perhaps with a rosewood fretboard. It is usually wielded by the neck and swung like an axe. Chet has said that guitars will be very appropriate for the finale of Dark Carnival, which we believe will occur in a concert stadium near the amusement park.

New! 11/2 The electric guitar deals 70 damage per swing, with a cooldown of 1.0 seconds. It is unique in that it is the only weapon that has the ability to decapitate while also being flagged to knock back Infected—at least, as far as we know. We don’t have the VPK data on the baseball bat or cricket bat yet.

Pete Townshend, eat your heart out!

Gordon’s looking for that. New! 11/2 It deals 50 damage with a 0.8-second cooldown, and can sever body parts.

The machete, which has been seen in gameplay videos and in the pre-release demo, is a slashing weapon that appears most similar to the katana. Thanks to 1337_noob and LTR_2 for the video!

New! 11/2 The machete deals 50 damage per swing with a cooldown of 0.8 seconds, and is flagged to decapitate and sever body parts.

The police baton is a bludgeoning weapon with a very low swing arc. The security guard UCI often drop these when killed. We don’t know if the tonfa will be available in any campaigns except The Parish.

New! 11/2 The tonfa is unique in that it is flagged for both knocking back Infected and severing their limbs. It deals 50 damage per swing with a cooldown of 0.75 seconds.

Instead of the Uzi, the new game features a sound-suppressed MAC-10. The suppressor is only aesthetic. It has a magazine size of 50 and a maximum reserve of 650 rounds. The MAC-10’s bullets deal 25 damage per shot (25% more than the Uzi), but its spread (precision) is 25% worse and its recoil is 11% larger. It fires at the same rate as the Uzi (~1000 RPM) and has the same reload time. Like the Uzi, it has only single-body penetration.

The real MAC-10 has an appearance similar to the Uzi due to its stamped metal manufacturing process. Survivors hold the MAC-10 with both hands.

The Uzi will appear once again in Left 4 Dead 2. It may be mixed with newer Tier 1 weapons when found. See our Firearms section for more details.

Valve will be adding the FN SCAR assault rifle, a Belgian-manufactured rifle currently being tested by the U.S. military in limited quantities. The distinctive ridges visible on the front of the rifle are Picatinny rails, which are standardized brackets used for mounting accessories like scopes, lights, and handles.

The SCAR-L fires in three-round bursts; each bullet does 44 damage (a 33% increase from the M16). It has the highest precision of the assault rifles. Its rate of fire is actually the fastest of all the rifles (0.07 S/R), but since the gun perpetually operates in 3-round burst mode, the interburst interval makes it fire at ~480 RPM (30% slower than the M16’s 700 RPM). The SCAR has a slow 3.35-second reload cycle (compared to 2.5 for the M16). It has a magazine size of 60 with 360 in reserve.

An inscription on the left side of the receiver says “MK 17 MOD 3″, though we’re not quite sure this is accurate. The inscription also says “5.56mm” (see high-res), but the MK 17 (SCAR-H) is a 7.62mm rifle. A “MOD 3″ version may not exist. This weapon is most likely a MK 16 (SCAR-L) 5.56mm rifle with a Std barrel, since this would be the closest equivalent to an M16A2. The rifle has a flashlight on the left side, attached by black zip ties. The flashlight’s cable extends to the right side of the rifle. Recently, Valve updated the gun’s animations so that the charging handle moves with every shot, but this is actually inaccurate, since the SCAR does not have a reciprocating charging handle.

Different assault rifles have appeared in concept art. In the PC Gamer August edition, Coach and Nick are shown carrying AK-74s in their character profiles. In the poster art for The Parish and various images on magazines, Ellis and Rochelle are carrying what appear to be M4 carbines with ACOG scopes.

The indomitable AKM rifle (the modern version of the AK-47) first made its appearance in Swamp Fever previews. It appears in the demo in various places.

The AKM’s damage is 58, the highest of the assault rifles. However, it fires the slowest (around 450 RPM) and has the worst recoil and precision (almost half that of the M16). It has a magazine size of 40 with 360 in reserve, and reloads in 2.5 seconds.

The reload cycle is the same length as the M16’s, but the AKM’s reload animation is different from all other rifles. Instead of raising the rifle to the right and catching and replacing the magazine with his left hand, a Survivor will turn the rifle counterclockwise, then reach up with his right hand and unload the magazine. This may be due to the spring-hinge locking mechanism on the AKM, which is positioned near the back of the magazine slot.

The classic Left 4 Dead 1 assault rifle reprises its role. See our Firearms section for more details.

There is a new semi-automatic, scoped rifle, the HK41SG1. Like the Ruger Mini-14, it has infinite range and penetration and can kill Common Infected with a single shot anywhere. The sight picture of the telescopic scope also appears to be the same, as well.

The HK41 is very similar in other ways to the Mini-14. It has the same (90) damage per shot and the same firing rate, but has a 30-round clip with 180 in reserve, considerably better than the Mini-14’s 15-round clip.

While it’s only speculative at the moment, this new rifle appears to have more forgiving in terms of aiming. For instance, melee attacks from Infected do not disturb the crosshairs as much. In this screenshot, you can see the maximum displacement of the crosshairs while the Survivor is being hit.

*We believe that this is closest to the 5.56mm HK41SG1 with a modified stock, but it could be another CETME-based H&K rifle with iron sights an SG-style stock (e.g. the G3SG/1). There is no model inscription on the receiver, so it is impossible to tell what model it is intended to be, but a close inspection of the in-game model shows that the fire mode selector switch only has safety and singe-shot modes, like the HK41. The very similar G3SG/1 has three modes: safety, single-shot, and automatic.

Whatever the case may be, it cannot be a true H&K SG rifle (which do not have ironsights), and it most likely has a custom stock.

The Mini-14 appears once again, but it has been demoted from Tier 2 status. See our Firearms section for more details.

The iconic SPAS-12 automatic shotgun will be flinging lead into zombies near you this winter. The weapon is easy to identify when sitting idle. When reloading the shotgun, one can see the left side of the receiver, which includes the inscriptions “PEACH-12″, “TACTICAL”, and “Made in USA”, along with some serial numbers.

The SPAS-12 has a different sound from the M4, but the two guns are relatively similar. The SPAS appears to reload at the same speed, and it is slightly more accurate. The two guns have almost the same damage, but the pellets are arranged differently. The SPAS fires nine 28-damage pellets, while the M4 fires eleven 23-damage pellets. They both have the same reload time.

Our beloved autoshotty from Left 4 Dead 1 also appears, and is relatively similar to its new counterpart. See our Firearms section for more details.

This new shotgun, named the “Chrome Shotgun” in-game, has a white or matte metal finish, railed barrel, bead sight, and a black stock. It appears to be based on a Remington 870 Marine shotgun modified with a railed barrel and rear ironsights.

The two Tier 1 shotguns are very similar, with almost the same damage per second. The Chrome Shotgun fires 8 31-damage pellets, while the original pump shotty sprays 10 pellets at 25 damage each (slightly higher). The Chrome Shotgun’s accuracy is higher, however. Both shotguns have a magazine of 8 shells with 56 in reserve.

The finish appears to be somewhat faded, indicating wear on the weapon or perhaps that the shotgun has a third-party finish. “Police Tactical 12″ is inscribed on the side. The shotgun has a hardmounted flashlight on the left side of the weapon. It can be found lying by itself or with groups of weapons.

Both the Chrome Shotgun and the older pump-action shotgun are based on versions of the same real-life weapon, the Remington 870. See our Firearms section for more details.

The single-shot, breech-loading M79 grenade launcher has caused quite a stir after being mentioned in a Shacknews article.

The grenade launcher must be reloaded after every shot; it has a 30-round reserve. While its capacity is low, the explosion can kill multiple zombies, though it doesn’t appear to be as powerful as the pipe bomb.

The M79 reloads differently than all other weapons, since the shells must be loaded into the breech (the back of the barrel). Because of its small size, it is fully visible when bashing.

So far, we’ve only seen the grenade launcher at random spawn points through the map, not at full-scale ammo caches.

In Left 4 Dead 2, there are at least two different kinds of sidearms: the SIG Sauer P220 (specifically, the two-tone P220 Match) and a Glock, probably either a 17 or 21. The P220 appears to always be held in the right hand, while the Glock 17 is held in the left hand after a second pistol is picked up. Both pistols can be held akimbo.

Both pistols do 36 damage, the same as the 1911s from L4D. The pistols appear to be more accurate during incapacitation than in the original game, both when being struck and not.

It should be noted that many two-tone SIG Sauer pistols are similar to the in-game pistol. The most distinguishing feature is the very long rear iron sight, which is only found on the P220 Match variant. The SIG Sauer has a “SBG-9″ tactical light/laser attached to it, but we’re not sure that this is directly modeled from any particular real accessory.

The PC Gamer feature article mentions a “9mm handgun” paired with the Glock, but we can’t be sure if this is accurate. The P220 Match is only chambered for .45 ACP, though some other P220 variants are chambered for 9×19mm. Note that the M1911 pistols in L4D1 are .45-caliber.

For the discerning gentleman who requires more compensation than .45 ACP allows, Left 4 Dead 2 will provide an alternative: the iconic Desert Eagle .50-caliber gas-operated pistol.

The Desert Eagle will replace the conventional pistols when picked up. It has a magazine size of 8 rounds and cannot be dual-wielded. It can, however, be fitted with a laser sight.

Compared to the conventional sidearms, the Desert Eagle is monstrously powerful, dealing 80 damage per shot. However, its rate of fire is about half that of the sidearms.

The CVG videos of the finale include a glimpse of a new type of fixed emplacement with a single-barrel, high-caliber “heavy machine gun”. Only the barrel of the gun is visible, but it appears to be long and thin, possibly matching the .50-caliber Browning M2HB machine gun. Another possibility is the .30-06 M1919 Browning.

The machine gun is mounted on the back of what appears to be a 5-ton truck, maybe a M939. The truck can be found on the upper level of the bridge, past a slanted, fallen section and a Humvee. A tooltip suggests using the weapon when Survivors pass it.

While it has the same purpose as the minigun, the new heavy machine gun appears to be much more accurate, with a tighter spread (but lower rate of fire). In OXM, they say the gun is powerful enough to cut zombies in half. An IGN article mentions that the heavy machine gun will have limited ammunition.

This new type of throwable item was originally rumored based on the released achievement list. The bomb, which is now available in the pre-release demo, contains samples of Boomer bile collected by CEDA scientists. The label on the container reads “‘Boomer’ Excrete”. It can be found in various places, and it appears, based on the achievements, that it may be dropped by hazmat UCI when they are killed. The bomb takes up the throwable slot and is represented by a biohazard symbol.

The bomb is used much like a Molotov. When it hits Special Infected, it bathes them in a healthy dose of Boomer bile, attracting hordes of Common Infected that then inundate and attack that Special Infected. This makes the bomb very effective against Tanks, who are slowed significantly by the bewildered swarm of zombies. The “Septic Tank” achievement can be earned by doing this.

The bomb also startles Witches, though the horde may be too slow to make them an effective target.

The Charger is a sort of half-Tank. While not quite as hulking as a Tank, he has an enlarged torso and right arm and an abnormally shaped head. His left arm is shriveled and hangs oddly off the side of his hunched back. He wears a pair of overalls that have slightly burst due to his malformations. In October, Valve gave him a slightly modified skin.

Described as a “one-armed ram on Crystal Meth”, extreme speed is the Charger’s main strength. He is designed to defeat camping tactics by rushing Survivors who have packed themselves into a tight group. After preparing his charging attack (much like a Hunter prepares a pounce), he can rush Survivors like a bull, picking up the first person he encounters and using him as a shield as he bowls over any remaining Survivors who are in his path. He then slams him against the ground repeatedly, disabling him and dealing significant damage.

He appears to be able to scale walls very quickly, though his pathing is still buggy.

The Charger has 600 HP, but based on gameplay footage, he may be able to absorb up to 1500 HP from the front (on Normal), possibly due to location-specific damage mitigation (armor). He is immune to bashing, but can be killed in one shot by melee weapons. While his charge can hit multiple Survivors, his slamming attack does not appear to have any AOE or cleaving effects. The Charger is primarily designed to disperse Survivors and defeat camping tactics, and as such, he’s weaker against Survivors who are spread out. He also has trouble turning (and possibly stopping), and it may be possible to dodge him or trick him into falling off a precipice.

Both the Charger’s slam and knock-back deal damage. Based on one video, the slam seems to do incrementally more damage with each successive hit. On Normal mode, the initial slam does 10 damage, but then the second one does 15 damage. The knockback seems to do between 5 and 10 damage in Normal, probably 8. The Charger’s melee slash (secondary attack) does 10 damage.

The Charger’s sounds have changed from a low, two-part bellow to a sustained roar. Early accounts claimed that he had few obvious warning signs, enabling him to surprise the group from its flanks. The Charger can spawn multiple times per chapter, and can spawn at the same time as a Tank. He is already playable in Versus, and will be added to the standard lineup. It’s not clear how often he will spawn, but so far, it does not appear that multiple Chargers can spawn simultaneously.

The second new Special Infected released by Valve is the aptly named Spitter, who makes the Witch look like Keira Knightley. The main purpose of the Spitter is to force Survivors to move out of tight spaces or to take damage when they are unable to move. She lobs a small orb of green acid (which also leaves a trail behind it) that splatters into a violently effervescent green puddle. The puddle spreads in a manner similar to fire from a Molotov. Within this area, Survivors take significant damage over time. The acid lasts about 8 seconds; it appears that the damage dealt per second increases towards the end of this period.

New! 11/7 The Spitter has 100 HP. When the Spitter dies, she leaves a puddle of acid underfoot. This acid also lasts about 8 seconds.

Currently, it seems her attack cycle timing is similar to the Smoker’s. There are differing reports about what happens when her spit hits a Survivor before touching the ground. Some claim that it does damage on impact, while some footage indicates that contact with the spit glob does no damage.

The aesthetics (or lack thereof) of the Spitter and her attack have changed multiple times throughout development. As of PAX ‘09 (September), the Spitter looks as ugly as ever. In Dark Carnival, she will apparently wear a pink thong. Her mouth drips a constant stream of green acid, which is especially evident when she is moving. (See a big picture, if you dare.)

Originally, the Spitter was much thinner and lobbed a non-trailing glob of green acid that would spread into a yellow surface mist which would soon turn red. Later, the Spitter’s attack took the form of a red ray of light, and upon hitting the ground, the surface mist also emitted a tall cloud of orange smoke.

This is quite possibly the most sadistic Special Infected to date. The role of the Jockey is to create mayhem and wreak undying havoc on stragglers by jumping onto Survivors’ backs, grabbing their faces, and steering them around, much like its namesake. This allows the Jockey to steer them into Witches, back towards the start, over cliffs, into women’s bathrooms, and so on.

The Jockey leaps around, much like a frog. Once it encounters a Survivor, it jumps on his back and starts to steer him. Survivors who are disabled are unable to attack. They have very slight control, but the Jockey will have the lion’s share of control over movement. Other Survivors can knock him off with a bash or by shooting him. We don’t know if Survivors take friendly fire damage while disabled. Once a Survivor is incapacitated, the Jockey automatically jumps off, but may continue clawing the Survivor.

The Jockey has 350 HP and a “telltale snicker” that announces his presence. This GameTrailers video has good footage of him in action.

Scavenge is the new game mode that will ship with Left 4 Dead 2, and is designed to sate those who think Versus is too slow; those who want their carnage fast and dirty. In Scavenge, a competitive game mode, Survivors must collect sixteen gas cans that are scattered about the level. These gas cans are used to fill up an objective in the middle of the level—in the Motel map, Survivors must fill a generator; in the mall map, they must fill the Plymouth Sunbird escape vehicle. The Infected team’s goal is, of course, to make their lives an epic maelstrom of perilous, blood-curdling horror.

Each full match of Scavenge includes three rounds. Within each round, each team plays both sides once. The Survivors in each sub-round begin in a safe area, which contains various supplies. After 45 seconds (or after someone leaves the area), the sub-round begins. Gas cans, which are identified with a white outline, must be carried to the objective. If they fall on the ground, they are vulnerable to gunfire and Spitter goo. If a gas can is destroyed, it will respawn. Once Survivors reach the objective, they may pour in the gas, but the action takes time to complete and will be interrupted if the Survivor is hit by an Infected.

New! 11/7 In Scavenge Mode, the Special Infected team seems to have a spawn timer of 20 seconds.

Each time the central objective is filled, the Survivor team gains one point and twenty seconds of time. The sub-round ends when time runs out or the Survivors are wiped out. We don’t know if there are any other end conditions, but we believe that the objective can only be filled 16 times per sub-round, limiting the maximum game time. If time runs out while a Survivor is still holding a gas can, the sub-round enters overtime, which ends as soon as no Survivors are holding gas cans.

At the end of the three rounds, the team with the most total points wins. In the event of a tie, the team that fueled the fastest wins. In the event the times are tied, both teams win 100 internets.

At launch, six maps will be available; each is a modified map from one of the campaigns. In Motel (Dark Carnival), Survivors must fill a generator in the middle. In the map from Dead Center, they have to fill up a Plymouth Superbird. Details about other maps have not yet been revealed.

There has already been some concern about the balance of the new game mode. Some have commented that because the central objective is so important, it’s far too easy to camp the Survivors. Also, dropped fuel cans are vulnerable to gunfire and Spitter goo, making the Spitter extremely powerful. We don’t know if Valve will address these concerns.

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This mode, which Chet says is aimed at extremely hardcore players who find Expert too easy, can be selected on the lobby screen. It is a distinct gameplay mode from Campaign Mode (though it uses the same maps), and can be combined with any difficulty level.

The main difference between Realism Mode and Campaign Mode is that many of the crutches used to make gameplay more streamlined have been removed. For instance, most haloshave been removed. This makes precise communication much more important, since Survivors can get separated very easily when they can no longer rely on halos to find their comrades. Halos have also been removed from Special Infected when they pounce or drag Survivors.

Halos have also been largely removed from items, making careful exploration more important. The halos only appear when Survivors are within a couple feet of an item.

Damage has also been modified for Realism Mode. Bullets that hit Infected bodies are much less effective, making headshots a necessity. We don’t know the exact extent of the changes in damage, however. Based on gameplay, Survival mode may also cause Witches to kill Survivors instantly (instead of incapacitating them on easier difficulties), but otherwise, Realism Mode doesn’t appear to alter the health mechanics of each difficulty level.

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