The Mod Squad - Top Five Left 4 Dead Campaigns and Maps
By Nick Winter - Thu Oct 8, 2009 4:40pm
Has the Australian Classification Board’s decision to ban the uncut version of Left 4 Dead 2 left you confused and angry? Are you wondering how you’ll now satisfy that most basic of all human desires: the need to slaughter hordes of zombies?
Even worse, are you concerned that, without the likes of L4D2, you might start playing less-gruesome games? Educational games like Brain Training? Or, god forbid, fitness games like Wii Yoga? Well, zombie-killing fan, don’t despair. There is a solution.
Ever since Valve released its L4D development code back in May, diligent L4D fans have been messing around with the game’s mechanics and coming up with original content. And while some of this DLC remains fairly uninspiring, particularly the mods, there are some standout new maps and campaigns out there. What follows are our picks of the top five downloadable maps for L4D. So reload that shotgun and turn on your flash light. There are still plenty of zombies out there to kill.
Update - Echo is one of our smarter readers. He suggested we put all five campaigns/maps into one downloadable file. So we did - click here for all of these awesome add-ons. Thanks Echo!
5. Helm’s Deep – Survival
Helm’s Deep is a gigantic survival map set inside a medieval castle. The map is based on a fortress from The Lord of the Rings, and is so authentic that it would make both Peter Jackson and JRR Tolkien proud (assuming, of course, that the former liked to play video games, and the latter were alive). Some of the map’s features include: an armoury, a bell tower, two separate fortified walls, and a moat. Of course, such historical realism is entirely unnecessary, because as soon as you blow the horn near the front gate, the castle becomes filled with hordes of blood-thirsty zombies. This transforms what could have been a Tolkien masterpiece into something straight out of Evil Dead: Army of Darkness.
The map is probably too big for the purposes of Left 4 Dead (it was originally designed for Age of Chivalry), but there is still a lot of fun to be had. It also sets a record for having more gun turrets, explosives, and Molotov cocktails than any other map out there, meaning you can set off some ridiculously extravagant explosions.
Download Helm’s Deep here.
4. Dam it! – Campaign
“Dam It!” is probably the most impressive outdoor map yet to be created for Left 4 Dead. The single-map campaign begins in an overgrown forest, and from here, players make their way to the base of a gigantic dam.
What sets this map apart from other maps is its diversity. The wide-open areas at the base of the dam provide a startling contrast to the confined rooms inside. The use of lighting is also quite innovative, making the forest feel truly eerie; the dam structure imposing. The difficulty setting is also spot-on, and the final battle, on top of the dam, provides an amazing backdrop to one particularly intense zombie onslaught. Just don’t admire the view too much.
Download Dam It! here.
3. Resident Evil: RCPD – Campaign
The Left 4 Dead modding community sure loves to honour old-school horror games. The most impressive of these projects, at least in scale, is an attempted recreation of the original Silent Hill, complete with annoying fog and even more irritating puzzles. Almost every version of the Resident Evil series has also had a work over, including RE3, RE4 and RE: Outbreak. But the pick of these old-school replicas is Resident Evil: RCPD. This impressive single-map campaign is a complete recreation of the Racoon City Police Department found in Resident Evil 2. Those who are familiar with the original Playstation game from 1998 will find this map full of familiar sights and frightening memories (including an exact replica of the terrifying interrogation room where you first encounter a “Licker”).
The creators of this map have even included a few of Resident Evil 2’s original puzzles. Thankfully, however, it’s not a perfect recreation, and the map doesn’t emulate RE2’s abysmal load times.
Download Resident Evil: RCPD here.
2. Death Aboard – Campaign
Death Aboard is probably the most downloaded user-created content for L4D, and with good reason. It’s a high quality, five-map campaign, that sees players move through a prison, an abandoned freighter, and then finally to a dark, foreboding island.
All of the included maps are large in size, and feature spacious playing areas. The sniper rifle is a good inventory choice for most of these levels, as you’ll normally have plenty of time before a horde hits you.
The standout map in this collection is the fourth, titled “ship”. Taking inspiration from Call of Duty 4, the inside of the ship is slanted at a sharp angle, meaning you’ll probably get sea-sick if you spend too much time inside. The final level, taking place on the island, is also the best conclusion to a campaign out there. But, as a whole, there is still one other campaign that beats it...
Download Death Aboard here.
1.Night Terror – Campaign
This is the most original and creative campaign available; a true L4D masterpiece. It features five diverse levels, and is a joy to play all the way through.
The pick of the maps is the second, titled “Haunts”. Players find themselves inside a cooky Haunted Masion, and not only have to deal with the usual rush of zombies, they also have a “ghost host”, who guides them on their journey.
This is one of the few maps that aspires to create something new in the L4D universe. Instead of the usual streetscapes, forests, and sewers that fill up most L4D content, “Haunts” puts the survivors in an original world, inhabited by floating furniture and creepy poltergeists. The use of kitsch 1970’s wallpaper, and strange Halloween theme songs, also add to the spooky theme.
The other four maps of this campaign are also highly enjoyable. “JungleRuins” has players move through ancient Aztec structures, while the finale, “Wake”, is based on the original Evil Dead film. So, what are you waiting for? Stop reading, pick up a pipe bomb, and download this campaign now!
Download Night Terror here.
Even worse, are you concerned that, without the likes of L4D2, you might start playing less-gruesome games? Educational games like Brain Training? Or, god forbid, fitness games like Wii Yoga? Well, zombie-killing fan, don’t despair. There is a solution.
Ever since Valve released its L4D development code back in May, diligent L4D fans have been messing around with the game’s mechanics and coming up with original content. And while some of this DLC remains fairly uninspiring, particularly the mods, there are some standout new maps and campaigns out there. What follows are our picks of the top five downloadable maps for L4D. So reload that shotgun and turn on your flash light. There are still plenty of zombies out there to kill.
Update - Echo is one of our smarter readers. He suggested we put all five campaigns/maps into one downloadable file. So we did - click here for all of these awesome add-ons. Thanks Echo!
) |
Helm’s Deep is a gigantic survival map set inside a medieval castle. The map is based on a fortress from The Lord of the Rings, and is so authentic that it would make both Peter Jackson and JRR Tolkien proud (assuming, of course, that the former liked to play video games, and the latter were alive). Some of the map’s features include: an armoury, a bell tower, two separate fortified walls, and a moat. Of course, such historical realism is entirely unnecessary, because as soon as you blow the horn near the front gate, the castle becomes filled with hordes of blood-thirsty zombies. This transforms what could have been a Tolkien masterpiece into something straight out of Evil Dead: Army of Darkness.
The map is probably too big for the purposes of Left 4 Dead (it was originally designed for Age of Chivalry), but there is still a lot of fun to be had. It also sets a record for having more gun turrets, explosives, and Molotov cocktails than any other map out there, meaning you can set off some ridiculously extravagant explosions.
Download Helm’s Deep here.
) |
“Dam It!” is probably the most impressive outdoor map yet to be created for Left 4 Dead. The single-map campaign begins in an overgrown forest, and from here, players make their way to the base of a gigantic dam.
What sets this map apart from other maps is its diversity. The wide-open areas at the base of the dam provide a startling contrast to the confined rooms inside. The use of lighting is also quite innovative, making the forest feel truly eerie; the dam structure imposing. The difficulty setting is also spot-on, and the final battle, on top of the dam, provides an amazing backdrop to one particularly intense zombie onslaught. Just don’t admire the view too much.
Download Dam It! here.
) |
The Left 4 Dead modding community sure loves to honour old-school horror games. The most impressive of these projects, at least in scale, is an attempted recreation of the original Silent Hill, complete with annoying fog and even more irritating puzzles. Almost every version of the Resident Evil series has also had a work over, including RE3, RE4 and RE: Outbreak. But the pick of these old-school replicas is Resident Evil: RCPD. This impressive single-map campaign is a complete recreation of the Racoon City Police Department found in Resident Evil 2. Those who are familiar with the original Playstation game from 1998 will find this map full of familiar sights and frightening memories (including an exact replica of the terrifying interrogation room where you first encounter a “Licker”).
The creators of this map have even included a few of Resident Evil 2’s original puzzles. Thankfully, however, it’s not a perfect recreation, and the map doesn’t emulate RE2’s abysmal load times.
Download Resident Evil: RCPD here.
) |
Death Aboard is probably the most downloaded user-created content for L4D, and with good reason. It’s a high quality, five-map campaign, that sees players move through a prison, an abandoned freighter, and then finally to a dark, foreboding island.
All of the included maps are large in size, and feature spacious playing areas. The sniper rifle is a good inventory choice for most of these levels, as you’ll normally have plenty of time before a horde hits you.
The standout map in this collection is the fourth, titled “ship”. Taking inspiration from Call of Duty 4, the inside of the ship is slanted at a sharp angle, meaning you’ll probably get sea-sick if you spend too much time inside. The final level, taking place on the island, is also the best conclusion to a campaign out there. But, as a whole, there is still one other campaign that beats it...
Download Death Aboard here.
) |
This is the most original and creative campaign available; a true L4D masterpiece. It features five diverse levels, and is a joy to play all the way through.
The pick of the maps is the second, titled “Haunts”. Players find themselves inside a cooky Haunted Masion, and not only have to deal with the usual rush of zombies, they also have a “ghost host”, who guides them on their journey.
This is one of the few maps that aspires to create something new in the L4D universe. Instead of the usual streetscapes, forests, and sewers that fill up most L4D content, “Haunts” puts the survivors in an original world, inhabited by floating furniture and creepy poltergeists. The use of kitsch 1970’s wallpaper, and strange Halloween theme songs, also add to the spooky theme.
The other four maps of this campaign are also highly enjoyable. “JungleRuins” has players move through ancient Aztec structures, while the finale, “Wake”, is based on the original Evil Dead film. So, what are you waiting for? Stop reading, pick up a pipe bomb, and download this campaign now!
Download Night Terror here.
Who loves ya? No, seriously, who’s your daddy? If you answered games.on.net, good for you – you probably realised that yes, to coincide with this story we’ve got servers running for all these wicked maps and campaigns. Stop reading, and start blasting zombie brain all over the pavement. You’re welcome.
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