Rock, Paper, Shotgun

Oooh, interestinkosity. Let’s go with Destructoid breaking the story. Those who have played Left 4 Dead’s Dark Carnival level (i.e. Everyone but me, as I’ve been Modern Warfare-ing, a week behind the zeitgeist) will have been enamored with its stage-based conclusion. Well, the band who owns the stage in question – The Midnight Riders – have a website. And apparently – from the mouth of hive-mind out-brain Phill Cameron – there’s an achievement for completing all six campaigns. But there’s only five shipped with the game. Is there maths to be done? If so, do the maths. Since there’s no footage currently available of whatever this is – and, Crikey, can you imagine the cry from the forums if it’s paid-for-DLC – here’s the video to Smart Dressed Man by ZZ Top…
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There’s been some confusion regarding the UK digital release of Left 4 Dead 2. It seems that those Brits who pre-ordered the game found it unlocked at 5am Tuesday (Valve time) as expected. However, anyone who’s bought it from Steam since has discovered it won’t unlock for them until Friday. Which seemed strange, since the game was announced for a worldwide digital release, the retail dates separate. We contacted Valve to find out why this happening, and it seems to be about the UK being at the back of the queue for retail copies.

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Having had a chance to sit down with L4D2 on PC for a couple of days, playing all five campaigns, the new Realism and Scavenge modes, and a good chunk of Versus, I think it’s about time I told you wot I think.

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You’ll be seeing it all for yourself soon enough, but here’s a selection of some favourite moments during my review. Click on each pic for full size.

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John B noticed this little quote-span-into-article over at C&VG where Chet opines that the British are “notorious non-talkers” in online games. Basically, while Americans yabber constantly, the Brits take a more taciturn approach. This will, apparently, cause some major problems when playing L4D2’s realism mode. Talk or die. TALK OR DIE. What do you make of it. Is this true? Or is it that Americans think that because Brits just don’t like speaking to you. And understandably. Give us our tea, you bastards. You don’t even drink the stuff.

The Big K has news that the major digital download services are boycotting troubled enormo-shooter Modern Warfare 2 because of the inclusion of Valve’s Steamworks. Apparently Direct2Drive were first out with the news, saying they had “told publishers that they’d stop selling games bundled in such a manner until Valve “decoupled its retail marketplace” from Steam’s other services.”

GamersGate and Impulse will also be boycotting the title for the same reason. The implications of this aren’t clear. Does it play into Valve’s hands and given them an even larger grip on the market? Or is this the bell tolling for Steam’s retail service as a part of Valve’s gaming community?

In case you hadn’t spotted, the Left 4 Dead 2 demo is now open to all, whether you’ve pre-ordered the game or not. Which you could well argue is the point of a demo. It’s the first two levels of one campaign, so while not offering a big finish, will give you a taste for the new special infected, the melee weapons, and of course what it’s like to play L4D in the sunshine. They say to go to the official site for more details, but I can’t find any there. So instead open Steam. (Oh, and in exceedingly stupid news, if you pre-ordered L4D2 you will now also have a new hat in TF2. I feel like I’m writing news about a Barbie game.)

I’m dragged out of the joy of having a pet which I’ve trained to summon other pets in Torchlight by the B who informs me there’s been a stealth Halloween Team Fortress 2 update. Which is a fairly urgent thing to post anyway, made more so by news of a two-hour sale of TF2 for 2.49 (either dollars, euros or pounds). I stress, for two hours, which ends at 2pm PST. So imagine Valve returning from lunch to press a big red bargain-destroying button. Really, while I suspect most RPSites will have it already, at that price you may consider buying ‘em for friends for Christmas or something. Oh – the Halloween patch. Includes seasonal achievements, a new map and explosive pumpkins. No, really.

Oh yes. If you’re really in the mood for rushing, the first 10,319 people to go here get a free hat. Rush.

But it ain’t nothing without a postcard. This is quite the thing. It seems some people sent off the Spy vs Sniper coupon from a while back. They received Saxton Hale postcards in the mail. There appear to be five in existence, at least so far. A couple are in this thread. Three more are on this chap’s Flickr account. Also, for your convienience, here’s three smaller-resolution versions of the latter three below…
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The Left 4 Dead 2 demo is go. If you pre-loaded it on Steam, it should have unlocked now. (If it isn’t showing up for you, quit out of Steam and restart.) If not, get downloading. And then let us know what you think below.