Quick first impressions:
Yesterday I played for roughly 5 hours working my way through Dead Center (1st leg of the campaign), Dark Carnival (2nd) and half way through (Swamp Fever).
The overall level designs are more interesting and thematic this time around. It feels more like a pandemic has taken place with quickly abandonded medical tents and evacuation centers sprinkled about. There is a real sense of urgency left behind by the previous survivors whos wake you follow in.
My initial impression of Dead Center--which takes place partially in a mall--is that it's a bit of a missed opportunity. Yes, it's good and solid fun, but there is a part of me that was really looking forward to seeing what Valve was going to do with an exciting setting like this after playing Dead Rising. I think Valve missed the opportunity to really start L4D2 with a HUGE bang here. Again, it's not bad--it's really fun--just not amazing.
Thankfully--and expectantly--Dark Carnival is extremely entertaining and over the top in so many ways. At one point the survivors spend a fair amount of time working their way through the Tunnel of Love and it's cleary brilliantly made on many levels--both asthetically and strategically.
I only got through 1/3 of Swamp Fever but I can say, for me, that it's a nice variation in the campaign. So far the pacing in the game has been fantastic!
Insofar as the events, they now consist of more than the typical "Quickly buckle down in a corner and shoot!" tactics from the first game. In one particular event you come across a man who's holed himself up in a panic room who will only assist you if you run across the street and get him some Pepsi. It's humorous, yes, but it immediately introduces a variation to the group's strategy where someone must run with the Pepsi in hand--unable to fire a weapon--while the others must fend off the infected. It's nothing monumental (it can be accomplished in 5 minutes), but it's a welcome addition to the normal campaign offering some variation in the campaigns run.
The final crescendo events are fantastic! I'll not spoil a thing and just say that they're deffintely crafted with more character and charm than the first games--and I adore the first game.
The Versus mode is probably the most different in comparison to the first game since the introduction of the new special infected has changes attack strategies completely. I have had several cool moments but my first Jockey expereince was the most memorable so far.
I joined these 3 guys at the beginning of Dark Carnival that obviously knew each other as they were joking around a bunch, and it was our turn to play the infected. There is one particular section where the survivors can cross a catwalk (without railings) to get to a roof and they began to cross it--I spawned as the Jockey (the zombie that jumps on a survivors back and gains partial control of him for roughly 5 seconds) behind a car and quickly ran up behind the last survivor in line. I quickly jumped on his back and forced him to run off the catwalk falling into a swarm of zombies below.
This did a few things: One - it separated him from the comfort and support of his companions as it took a few seconds for them to realize what had happened, two - it forced him to take some damage from the fall, and three - it lead him into a group of willing attackers. It was glorious because as soon as this happened the 3 guys I was playing with all went in for their attacks and we ended up stopping the other team right then and there.
Also, I have to say that it was odd not spawning as the Hunter ever other time in VS mode. I think I played the Hunter around 3 or 4 times in an hours worth of play time--crazy!
Oh, and there are now female Boomers.
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