New Left 4 Dead 2 DLC Shuffles Slowly Into View
The Zombie Co-op shooter with Left 4 Dead 2 is going to be getting a new set of downloadable content in the near future, and developers Valve have revealed that they will be working closely with their internet community on this release. In fact, the DLC is going to be spearheaded by a new community campaign that is in the works entitled Cold Stream. The map has been created by modder Matthew Lourdelet, and Valve were so impressed by it that they want the finished product to be a part of the new downloadable pack.
Whilst previous DLC packs have been focused on progressing the main storyline, or taking a look back at past events, this edition is focusing more on adding more playability to the title. “The very first step in creating a new DLC is deciding on the larger goals and constraints for the DLC,” wrote Valve. “The Sacrifice and the Passing were story heavy, so we want to see what the other end of the spectrum looks like. For this DLC we start with wanting to experiment by releasing a map pack that wasn’t about story. It would just be new campaigns for Left 4 Dead 2.”
So no new audio is being recorded or story written, old assets will simply be re-used in new situations. But in the same fashion that the No Mercy campaign from Left 4 Dead 1 was included with previous DLC, this instalment will bring the three remaining L4D1 campaigns to the second title, along with the new Cold Stream map.
The map will be put together for testing and community beta feedback is being actively encourgaed in order to produce the best experience possible. “As we receive feedback and test data we will also share some data we collect on player experience and show how we put that data to use… While the beta will only be available for PC and Mac users, we appreciate feedback and ideas from the entire community. This is an experiment for us, so please let us know what you think and what you would like to see in the DLC.”
The new DLC is planned for release sometime after Portal 2 – which is due out on April 22nd in Europe. The DLC will launch on the Mac, PC and Xbox 360.
Robin Parker
If I'm not playing on a good Adventure Game - still longing for the long-past Golden Age of the genre, when Lucasarts and Sierra ruled supreme - you might find me searching for a local arcade, in the hopes that it still houses titles such as Sunset Riders or WindJammers.
