Only played the core game, so this review reflects that.
There are strong systems in place here, but I feel like they're in competition with one another. The core is a lot of the same goodness from L4D2, but we've now moved away from the pure arcade-y approach with the deck-builder system. I think you could build a strong multiplayer FPS on that basis; I'm not sure L4D2 makes for the correct template for that approach. For my more casually-minded Sunday night group, this was definitely not what they were looking for.
But it's not bad. Giving the characters unique abilities is a fun addition that adds much to the experience on its own. There are some great set pieces - "Bar Room Blitz" finally tops the Midnight Riders concert from L4D2 as my favorite finale, and I love how all of the "Remnants" campaign is paced. I like a lot of the functions of the Ridden, gross and unrelenting as they are on even the easiest difficulty. There's a lot of good parts here, even if they don't fully gel together.
There are strong systems in place here, but I feel like they're in competition with one another. The core is a lot of the same goodness from L4D2, but we've now moved away from the pure arcade-y approach with the deck-builder system. I think you could build a strong multiplayer FPS on that basis; I'm not sure L4D2 makes for the correct template for that approach. For my more casually-minded Sunday night group, this was definitely not what they were looking for.
But it's not bad. Giving the characters unique abilities is a fun addition that adds much to the experience on its own. There are some great set pieces - "Bar Room Blitz" finally tops the Midnight Riders concert from L4D2 as my favorite finale, and I love how all of the "Remnants" campaign is paced. I like a lot of the functions of the Ridden, gross and unrelenting as they are on even the easiest difficulty. There's a lot of good parts here, even if they don't fully gel together.
Reviewed on May 29, 2023