At this point, it’s almost impossible to write anything new about Left 4 Dead, Valve’s upcoming cooperative zombie shooter. After all, the game’s concept is pretty simple. You and three other heavily-armed players must battle your way out of a Los Angeles swarming with fast zombies. It’s easily one of our most anticipated games of the year, and we have a lot of fun every time we play it. So the big news this E3 was the redesign of all four main protagonists in the game.

The level that Valve had playable was the same one that we’ve seen before. It’s near the start of the game, as the four survivors are on a roof as a news helicopter hovers nearby, instructing them to make their way to a hospital rooftop where he can rescue them. What’s new this time is that the new character models were in the game. Zoey, the teenage girl looks older and a bit taller now. Bill the Vietnam vet is also a bit taller and younger looking. Louis, the retail store manager, looks a bit thinner and has a different outfit. And Francis, the biker, also looks a bit younger.

Valve’s Chet Faliszek (known in the industry as just Chet) explained that the redesigns came from response from play testers having trouble telling their fellow players apart in the fray, which is pretty important since you might otherwise shoot them. The new models are supposed to be easier to recognize and identify. Chet also told us that one of the advantages of using your flashlight is that not only can you see in the dark, but that zombies don’t use flashlights. The downside, of course, is that the light from the flashlight might alert zombies to your presence.

What will also alert zombies to your presence is making a lot of noise. When battling amongst parked cars, it will behoove you to avoid hitting them. Doing so might cause the car alarm to go off, and that will make the zombies swarm. Also, Chet warned that zombies can now bust through certain walls, so if you think you’re safe, think again. He also told us of a new pipe bomb that was recently added to the game. This one makes a noise that attracts zombies to it. Just toss it, watch the zombies swarm to it, and then watch the fireworks. So that’s about it. We just have to wait till November 4 for the game to finally ship.

Source: E3