For weeks, we complained to our friends that while Left 4 Dead rocks, we need additional missions. Thankfully, Valve answered with Left 4 Dead 2, a sequel that not only includes additional campaigns, but also new environments and characters. We recently plowed through hundreds of zombies alongside three other players and yes, the game's just as sweet as its award-winning predecessor.

It's OK to bleed from the eyes once and a while.

First off, Valve didn't mess with its successful formula. You still team up with computer/human-controlled gamers and slaughter hordes of flesh eating monsters, except instead of wandering through a Philadelphia inspired city, you blast zombies through the deep south. The game actually starts in Savannah, Georgia, in a town that just got hit by the infection. From there, you'll take a tour through various cities including New Orleans. Yes, the zombie apocalypse hit Mardi Gras.

A new game also means new characters. This time around, you'll control Ellis, Rochelle, Coach and Nick. In addition, you'll kill the undead using new weapons like the frying pan, fire axe and the sub machine gun. If you loved the first game's weapons, don't freak out. You can still shotgun zombies and take them out with dual pistols.

During our mission, we left the safe house and followed our buddies through a hedge maze. In typical Left 4 Dead fashion, swarms of enemies burst from every nook and cranny. Smokers snagged folks with their long tongues, while Hunters leapt across the screen and incapacitated someone, prompting a save from a nearby teammate. We even made the mistake of angering a Witch and lived to tell about it. Nothing, however, prepared us for the Charger. As its name implies, this hulking brute charges the party and can knock everyone over with a single hit. If that happens, the fiend will grab the nearest player and repeatedly slam him or her into the ground; once we recovered, it took a group effort to take it down while avoiding the other zombies nearby.

At this point, much of the game remains a mystery, but we thoroughly enjoyed this sneak peak. Bottom line, more campaigns make us happy, and with a few extra months before Left 4 Dead 2 ships, Valve has plenty of time to make it every bit as sweet as its predecessor. Expect more brain munching details in the near future.

Related Links

Left 4 Dead 2 Xbox 360 Game Guide