Left 4 Dead 2 DLC 'The Passing' to feature L4D1 cast

by Ludwig Kietzmann on Dec 14th 2009 3:00PM

Not content with unleashing a full-blown zombie apocalypse, Valve has come up with the second most socially awkward event imaginable: inviting characters from the original Left 4 Dead to hang out in the sequel's first DLC campaign. Bill, Louis, Zoey and Francis will meet with the stars of Left 4 Dead 2 in "The Passing," which Valve VP of marketing Doug Lombardi calls "the most important campaign in the Left 4 Dead story, as all the Survivors are being called together in one campaign." It's targeted for release in early 2010 on Xbox 360 and PC.

In addition to a co-op campaign (set in rural Georgia) and a new "co-operative challenge mode of play," The Passing will offer new content for Survival, Versus and Scavenge modes. Playing as the L4D2 cast, you can also expect to encounter a new melee weapon, firearm and "uncommon common" zombie.

We can't wait to meet up with last year's survivors again ... oh, assuming they really are still survivors.

Tags: dlc, fps, ld42, left-4-dead, left-4-dead-2, left-4-dead-2-the-passing, Microsoft, release-date, the-passing, valve, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (125)

I must admit a great way of enticing people to buy & play L4D2 that for w/e reason never bought L4D.

actually its a great way to remind people of how L4D2 feels like an expansion pack.

Wait, how so? This seems more like fan service for people who like the L4D 1 characters doesn't it?

"See we could have just used the same characters"

That's how so. Its kinda like in Shawn of the Dead, when the two groups of survivors run into each other.

I'm not saying L4D2 is terrible or even bad, but for 60 fucking dollars so close to the first game, it feels a bit like they are milking the popularity instead of pushing for a better experience.

and whatever, I know I take the 'risk' of sounding unpopular. Its a good game and there is a following, but its my opinion. If any ones gets butt-hurt over it, that too bad.

No, you've got a point. I think if I had paid more than 40, I would have been disappointed. As it stands, it's okay, but it doesn't have the same 'fun factor' the first does.

Also, no one can explain to me why this just couldn't have been DLC. They could have waited another year to make L4D2 a better game and just given L4D this expansion. So why not? In fact, Valve should have released a new HL episode by now.

I wish they would have saved the cross-character storyline (which I saw coming) for a little later.

I thought they would have made a Left 4 Dead 3. Then after releasing that either releasing a fourth game (or DLC) probably dubbed something like "12 Left 4 Dead", in which all 3 casts of 4 people would intertwine.

Valve would have 12 characters already made, profiled, skinned, detailed, etc. and could easily swing it into having something like 12-player co-op, which would align with the story and wouldn't seem gimmicky.

Those people exsist?

"Also, no one can explain to me why this just couldn't have been DLC."

Yes, somebody please, explain it to That Burning Sensation! Quickly, now!

I will not understand why people complain about stuff like this. But then again I was the smart one who got Left 4 Dead 2 on PC for 30$

Yeah, I'll probably pick up L4D2 for PC whenever it goes for $30 again. I played the demo & thoroughly enjoyed it...which is kinda strange considering that I don't really recall enjoying the L4D demo all that much. Maybe my gaming tastes have changed since then.

it is basically equivalent to DLC.

L4D had 4 campaigns

L4D2 has 5

L4D had 3 game mods (normal, vs, and survival)

L4D2 has 5 (normal, vs, survival, scavenge, realism)

L4D had (estimating) less then 10 different weapons

L4D2 has over 20 (estimating)

The point is that when you divide the content of L4D2 in to smaller (more reasonable) segments for DLC and cut down the price you probably would have paid more over time without realizing it. Assuming they did it campaign by campaign and charged 10 or 15 bucks.

I got it on Black Friday off amazon (thank you joystiq) so idk when it's going down again. still 50 is not to bad either.

I was gonna pick it up @ Gamestop on BF for $30, but I didn't have the extra cash since I was buying a laptop @ Best Buy for my wife.

It's valve though. I wouldn't be surprised if they lowered the price on steam around Christmas time. Or more likely right after Christmas.

*shrugs* imho, Scavenge mode alone makes it a sequel to me. Phenomenal.

I got to admit the girl on the right with left jacket looks Angelina Jolie.. Now that's cool. http://bit.ly/left-4-dead-hell-yeah

Didn't see that coming. Actually sounds like a fun idea.

[banned]

Any chance I get to play as Zoe or Bill, I'm good with.

AWESOME

This is actually enticing me to get L4D2, I really liked the original cast, much more than the L4D2 characters.

The L4D2 Characters have actually grown on me. They have a lot more personality than those in the original - which just seemed like robots with one liners to me. I love the little conversations they have in the sequel.

Still, totally stoked about this first DLC!

Everyone is cool except for the...what's her face. The chick of the group. No one likes her.

Ellis: My buddy Keith one time, he was gonna build a shack...

Coach: Now's not the time, Ellis.

Ellis: ...okay.

This surprises me. I find the cast of L4D2 far more interesting than the original cast. The comments made by both Coach & Ellis, imho, make it for me.

really? I actually wish I could mute Ellis, he's so goddamn annoying

FUCK YEAR!!!!!!!!

Which one by god, which ONE?!?

Is that like leap year, only with moar boning?

I would love to see 8-player co-op with both sets of survivors...how bad-ass would that be?

Only if you have have 4 boomers out at one time.

Really bad ass, son!

I've seen some 8-player co-op games. From what I've seen and been told, it sounds like a good idea, but the current campaigns just aren't built for it.