L4D2 - The Passing (For General Public)

* This entry is targeted for general public.


I have never been much of a fanboy in my life. A geek maybe, but only a closet one. I have never queue for nights for launch of iphones, Halo or Star Wars movies. I am the technological barbarian and a very lazy nerd.

But the past twenty four hours, I have partaken in a fanatic nerd-rage that is both exciting and embarrassing for folks my age.

Upon knowing the launch of the much anticipated 'The Passing' campaign for Left4Dead2, we camped out Sembawang Chambers LAN shop just to play the game.

24 hours post the update of The Passing around the globe, by now there must be gazillion reviews and blogs on the game. The reason I still want to squeeze in my two cents' worth is to remind myself in the future that I have never and will never be a Mr. Stepford. Despite marriage and work, I still have time for myself to engage in otherwise misunderstood frathood.

L4D2 is a first person shooter, cooperative game that can be played with both LAN and Internet domains. It is the sequel to Left4Dead which four survivors in a post-apocalyptic world have to fend themselves from zombies and special infected. It is a very violent game that depicts decapitations, disembowelment and genocide using chainsaws, M16, frying pans and sardonic dialogues. Blood fly and innards splashing all over the place that will shock parents into coma just like what Contra did in the Eighties.

Why don't I join regular people my age over beer in soccer pubs, or mahjong and other mature vices? I simply don't. I like to set people on fire over red bulls and pocky chocolate sticks and melee an endless surge of zombies while updating my Facebook. I like to curse, swear in joy, spin and throw my mouse in rage and laugh rabidly with my friends and brothers in front of glowing computer screens and seas of pubescent adolescents.

You just have to accept that the entire generation of Counterstrike gamers has now grown up and still decide to stick to their guns. The quick and easy access of modern Internet and media violence desensitization are just pushing the lot of us in numbers.

I am thrilled that The Passing was not disappointing and exceeded our expectations, which made the long wait worthwhile. I am looking forward to shorten the launch-and-play time of the next DLC (downloadable content) campaign of L4D that will explore the sacrifice of the playable character Bill and preparing for Blizzard's Diablo 3. Yes, I will be taking a week of sabbatical absence from work and housework for that.