Kinetik, Healy, Zeus, et al, get ready!
"Why can't we play Versus mode on Death Toll and Dead Air?" That was our only whiny complaint when we reviewed the zombie apocalypse game Left 4 Dead in our Holiday 2008 issue - and it's finally being addressed with this spring's free DLC (free downloadable content) collection, Left 4 Dead: Survival Pack. But don't think Valve did a simple "dump in extra zombies, save level as Versus" quick fix. "Both [campaigns] have been heavily modified based on feedback we received from players on No Mercy and Blood Harvest." says Valve's Chet Faliszek. (The original campaigns should have a few exploits removed by the time you read this.) Faliszek warns that the Town area from Death Toll - after the church battle, with the mounted machinegun near the news van and abandoned theatre - "is one of the most chaotic Versus maps in the game. The mix of indoor and outdoor spaces makes every entrance and exit a battle."
But while that completes what arguably should have been part of the original release, the big DLC perk is the titular Survival mode. Think Gears of War 2 Horde mode, but replace the Locust with zombies and convenient waves with relentless time checkpoints. "You start on an empty map; when you're ready, you activate the Survival mode, and then wave after wave of Infected attack until there's no one left standing." explains Faliszek. "The waves are a mix of common infected and different mixes of Boss Infected. You might get four Hunters or three Smokers and a Boomer, or even multiple Tanks." Survival cribs 15 choice environments from the four standard campaigns, and introduces and all-new 16th stage; a coastal lighthouse. "With nowhere else to go, our four survivors have retreated to a lighthouse on a point for their final stand." explains Faliszek. Pick your defensive point - be it the top of the lighthouse or the storage room below.
And while some new music and a few new survivor quips will be woven into Survival mode, expect to hear "Pills here!" about 2 million more times.
![[Snip]](./images/smilies/violent-smiley-007.gif "sniper")
That lighthouse stage sounds intriguing. Something ...to die for.
