Thwack! Left 4 Dead 2 survivors play a bit of cricket

by David Hinkle { Jul 7th 2009 at 5:00PM }

Click image for a closer view of the zombie bashing

There's a cricket bat in Left 4 Dead 2, and after pondering how such an instrument could find its way to the southern United States (we certainly don't make them here, and every American knows that we don't allow people with them to enter the country), we've come up with a few theories:

Someone smuggled the bat and full set of gear (notice how the zombie is dressed to play?) into the country, akin to how Snake Plissken was smuggled into Manhattan in Escape from New York
Zombies really like sports
The United States was chosen as a neutral place to hold a competition between two rival teams in cricket, and the zombie infestation happened during the game
A wizard did it
It's an homage to Shaun of the Dead
Valve just felt like it

We asked some folks at Valve about it, but they wouldn't divulge any info. What do you guys think?

[Via IGN]

Tags: cricket, l4d2, left-4-dead-2, valve, valve-software

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

mazza_man @ Jul 7th 2009 5:05PM

I really hope LFD2 doesn't become melee orientated. If I wanted to play Dead Rising I'd play Dead Rising.

The Baron @ Jul 7th 2009 9:30PM

It seemed to be that the melee weapons would be competitive with the guns - e.g. you can choose the different advantages of the guns, or something very effective against big mobs at close range.

If they were discouraging the use of guns in the game, they wouldn't have added the new gory bullet hole effects.

Girugamuk (Moptimus Slimed) @ Jul 7th 2009 5:04PM

I think they're trying to imply that the Wikkit Gate will bring the fall of humanity

DBuck_Eye @ Jul 7th 2009 5:10PM

Do you think anyone is going to get that reference, awesome though it may be?

CyberKnight @ Jul 7th 2009 5:21PM

Got it, and up-voted. If I could, I'd up-vote you 42 times. ;)

MediocrePanda @ Jul 7th 2009 5:22PM

I sure got this Quintessential reference. (har har pun)

Jakka (DSG Defence Force!) @ Jul 7th 2009 5:23PM

It's been so long since I've read it...but I still caught the ref.

SPAMMING +`1'S FOR MAXIMUM EFFECT!

Jared @ Jul 7th 2009 7:41PM

There are almost massive groups of Indian people in the southern United States (especially Florida) who play Cricket every weekend. Drive around on a nice Sunday and you will see.

Parappa92 @ Jul 7th 2009 5:04PM

Sean of the dead is awesome, plus the ashes are coming up soon (a series of matches between england and australia for those who don't know)

Parappa92 @ Jul 7th 2009 5:05PM

cricket matches that is

Petebot330 @ Jul 7th 2009 5:25PM

*uncomprehending stare*

Parappa92 @ Jul 7th 2009 6:09PM

*comprehending blink*

ilovethewaggle @ Jul 7th 2009 5:04PM

Valve is run by a bunch of anti-Americans who felt that the an instrument of death from the american past time would be a betrayal of their anti-American status.

Einhanderkiller @ Jul 7th 2009 5:34PM

Bonk.

tenor77 @ Jul 7th 2009 5:49PM

Epic fail

tuope @ Jul 7th 2009 5:05PM

Cricket? Nobody understands cricket! You gotta know what a crumpet is to understand cricket!

Girugamuk (Moptimus Slimed) @ Jul 7th 2009 5:15PM

I'll show ya!

gib @ Jul 7th 2009 5:29PM

http://www.funnyfamilyguy.com/videos/Family_Guy_Videos/English_Pub

Jump to 0:20 and all your questions about cricket will be answered.

Shmil @ Jul 7th 2009 7:13PM

Gib's too young to understand

DAAAAAAAAAAMN!

Spartan @ Jul 7th 2009 5:05PM

Lol @ the Shaun of the Dead comment.

If they include vinyl records this game will be all sorts of awesome.
(but only the crap records)

Spartan @ Jul 7th 2009 5:13PM

p.s. i need a GOOD team to complete no mercy on expert.

You know, people who can work TOGETHER with COMMMUNICATION and stuff like that, and not run off and leave the rest of us for the helicopter and be the only one to survive after over 2 hours of getting slobbered on by tanks.

yes, i mean you inkenk...!

Anyways, you help me get achievements, and I'll help you.

Tag: "Istari Spartan"

RedSonRising @ Jul 7th 2009 5:17PM

Purple Rain?

No?

Sign of the Times?

Definitely not.

Batman Soundtrack?

Throw it.

gib @ Jul 7th 2009 5:17PM

"As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no 'I' in team, but there is an 'I' in pie. And there's an 'I' in meat pie. Meat is the anagram of team... I don't know what he's talking about."

Mad, Shaun of the Dead was good... Excuse me, I'm off to through in the DVD.

Courtney @ Jul 7th 2009 5:37PM

Check out a site like co-optimus.com, they specialize in covering (and providing a community for) co-op gaming. We've organized a bunch of get togethers to coordinate finishing campaigns on the hardest mode or tacking tough achievements.

Nap @ Jul 8th 2009 2:45AM

GT: NapoMarx

Add me

hodgekin @ Jul 7th 2009 5:07PM

Its a joke about The Ashes starting tomorrow. The ashes is a test series that is played every two years between Australia and England. Its a rivalry that started in the year 1882 when Australia beat England in a test match which marked the first time that a colony beat England.

Australia has been dominant in the past few decades and its basically saying that the English are going to kick some Australian ass. I doubt it has anything to do with gameplay.

Notice that they guy holding the bat has an English flag on his cap and the guy who he is whacking has an Australian cricket jersey on. Plus the helmet is used my cricketers.

Peace Fog @ Jul 7th 2009 5:14PM

Agreed the English cap and the Australian jersey totally give it away...

error2k2 @ Jul 7th 2009 7:53PM

It says in the IGN article as well, why are people saying it's a Shaun of Dead reference?

Shane @ Jul 8th 2009 2:32PM

Uh, I believe that is a Swedish flag. Not a British flag.

Shane @ Jul 8th 2009 2:38PM

Swedish...what the hell was I thinking. Obviously I wasn't thinking to actually look at Google Images. Comment withdrawn.

NitroMikeo @ Jul 7th 2009 5:09PM

Love how its the Aussie getting smacked.

NitroMikeo @ Jul 7th 2009 5:10PM

Also this is clearly just a jokey 'fake' image about the Ashes.

wack @ Jul 7th 2009 5:08PM

definitely a simon pegg reference, its fantastic. l4d3 needs to have characters from different countries. that way the player gets to choose whether to go the aid of the french or not

redrum.and.coke @ Jul 7th 2009 5:10PM

"You gotta know what a crumpet is to understand cricket".

Jason Lamb @ Jul 7th 2009 5:11PM

"It's an homage to Shaun of the Dead"

A Homage. A Homage!

WRYYYYYY @ Jul 7th 2009 5:22PM

No, it's AN homage. The H in homage is silent, so it's treated as though the word starts with a vowel.

simblor @ Jul 7th 2009 5:33PM

Actually, when using English, the word "homage" is pronounced with the H sound. Only girly shirtlifting frenchmen use the silent H pronounciation. Oui Oui?

WRYYYYYY @ Jul 7th 2009 9:00PM

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/homage
Checked the pronunciation, and we're both right.

devilsei @ Jul 7th 2009 5:15PM

Yeah, I'm pretty bloody sure its a Shaun of the Dead reference. If you remove the hat, the guy actually looks a wee bit like Simon Pegg.
Note I said wee bit...
Perhaps one of the "ammo upgrades" is for every shot in our current clip, instead of bullets, we throw vinyl records which one-shot all but the pudgiest of zombies. Just think how awesome it would look to save an ally being hung or dragged by a smoker's tongue, by severing it with a thrown record?