Left 4 Dead 2 DLC – Cold Stream
With its little-known story line and never ending zombie hordes, first person shooter Left 4 Dead 2 is easily one of my favorite games for the Xbox 360. Released in November of 2009, L4D2 has had two DLC maps; The Passing (2009) and The Sacrifice (2010). But when a brand new map was released on August 3rd, 2012, it had some people asking if it is too late. Almost three years after the original game was released, Cold Stream has become the third and latest DLC for L4D2. The DLC includes the remaining L4D maps ported over to L4D2 (Death Toll, Dead Air, Blood Harvest, and Crash Course), all for seven bucks.
Of course the single new map won’t quench the thirst of fans looking for a Left 4 Dead 3, but the release couldn’t come at a better time in my opinion. Yes, three years from the original launch (two years since the last DLC) is arguably too long a time, but with a current big name video game drought, it could bring people to dust off their game and enjoy the timeless wonder that is L4D2. We all know this is the calm before the video game storm, with Borderlands 2, Assassin’s Creed 3, Black Ops 2 and Halo 4 coming out later this year, but a single map is perfect to hold over the hardcore gamer long enough before they have to empty their wallet.
Cold Stream lacks 360 achievements, which may be frustrating for hunters. But its absence of a story line and focus on bigger zombie hordes will bring gamers back to the days of the first Left 4 Dead. Instead of strategic moves like in most of the maps in L4D2, Cold Stream is a “keep your finger on the trigger and run” campaign. The third chapter (Memorial Bridge) and the Cut-Throat Creek finale closely resembles the bridge finale of The Parish, with the chaos run to the end. Cold Stream also features more Spitters than in any map I have ever played, so be ready to jump out of “goo”.
Although it isn’t my favorite campaign, Cold Stream is certainly worth the 560MSP. And as long as you aren’t expecting a story line like The Sacrifice, you should enjoy the seemingly endless zombie horde.
About the Author
Dave Mandaglio Dave is a college senior at Fitchburg State and an avid gamer. With a love for local and glocal music, Dave is co-creator and host of WXPL’s The Local Flavor. Born and raised on the Jersey shore, Dave proves there is more to The Garden State than bad smells and Snooki.
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Just got this last night, It’s awesome to finally have all of L4D1 in L4D2, but holy hell Cold Stream is disappointment. What a confusing map.
The fact that Scott finds it confusing makes me even more excited. I know every one of the stock maps like the back of my hand so the more tricky it is to navigate, the better.
Also thank god for not having another shitty generator finale. Seriously, that stuff is broken.
It’s still fun, but I find it confusing in a “Wow, they really didn’t plan this out” way. There are large sections of “general trees” that lack character. There’s a part where the path you need to take involves climbing over a truck that we eventually accidentally stumbled across, and there’s a Tank fight that plays out the exact same way, every time. It’s just lacking Valve’s usual subtle guiding care. It’s not awful, but it’s easily the worst campaign they’ve ever officially released, in my opinion.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m ecstatic at this DLC because of all the content. It’s a ton of content for fairly cheap. I’m just disappointed in the Cold Stream campaign itself.