Many horror gamers include Valve's Left 4 Dead titles among games that captured their hearts — with Left 4 Dead 2 as a prime example of co-op done right. In L4D2, players and a mixed group of AI and/or their friends play a ragtag team of four Survivors. As with the first game, these protagonists must to tear their way through zombies in search of a way out. L4D2 boasts replayability and sheer fun with each playthrough.
However, fans might feel surprised to know that Valve actually cut a lot of content in L4D2's final release. Aside from the usual minor details, some interesting aspects didn't manage to make the public release of Left 4 Dead 2.
10 The Escaped Prisoner Nick
Nick from L4D2 easily has the charisma to become one of the most lovable characters in the game, even though he's a natural pain in the neck. As a complainer with a knack for judging his teammates, he often makes it hard for them to trust him. And while Nick sports a nice suit that screams corporate, this wasn't always the case.
In fact, as per L4D2 commentary, the original plan for Nick was to originally be an escaped prisoner. He only sports the nice suit after stealing it someplace else. However, developers scrapped this idea in favor of Nick's current gambler-slash-con artist personality.
9 Rochelle's Wardrobe
Rochelle perhaps received the most clothing changes among all the Survivors in the development stages, as though going through an entire wardrobe before settling on her current design. For instance, she sports an orange shirt in the trailer. However, devs changed this to a red shirt before finally settling for the pink shirt in the final release.
It seems even Rochelle's hair received a couple of changes throughout development. Instead of dark brown, her hair is black in the final release. And instead of being a waist-low ponytail, Rochelle now sports a bun.
8 The Abominable Charger
Aside from the Tank, the Charger is easily one of the most threatening Special Infected that players can face. This hulking behemoth of a beast boasts a large physique with a massive arm (albeit having a cutesy, tiny other arm). At first, it can match the pace of the Survivor. However, when charging, the Charger builds up massive speed that can easily knock down Survivors when it hits.
However, the Charger shouldn't have settled for that basic charge animation. In fact, the Charger had multiple versions of these charge attacks over the course of development. Other iterations of the charge attack include an overhead strike that smashes the target onto the ground, or a trampling charge.
7 The Missing Leaker
It's expected for a sequel like L4D2 to feature upgrades and enhancements to their standard share of Common Infected, Uncommon Infected, and Special Infected. However, fans might be surprised to learn that some Special Infected that didn't even make the cut.
Such was the fate of the Leaker, a Special Infected that has the combined abilities of the Boomer and the Spitter. During development, the Leaker would be able to plant itself on the ground and become a stationary bomb. However, devs cut the Leaker in development as Survivors could just run away from its deployment zone. Interestingly, fans may be able to spawn Leakers in their own games, using mods and console commands.
6 The Mysterious Concept Arts
Perhaps adding to the mystery of cut Special Infected, one unnamed created only exists in art. In a concept art display from Valve artist Peter Konig, one of his illustrations included various concepts of Infected that never made it even to the beta stage.
One such Infected could release a colony of rats from his stomach. Others include something called Meat Wall (a cross between the Tank and the Boomer), and even a creature named simply Claws. Had these made it into the game, L4D2 would've had quite a unique mix of Special Infected for players to fight.
5 Enter The Hell Hog
The list of cut Infected still doesn't end there. The aforementioned concept art apparently included images of a zombified pig. This horrifying creature, which would have been called a Hell Hog, could have been the game's only animal-based Infected.
Of course, it makes sense for devs to have removed the Hell Hog from the original game. Releasing an Infected animal into the public could prompt theories and questions regarding to the existence of other zombified animals in L4D2's world.
4 No Ammo Pack
Apparently, an item called the Ammo Pack should have been in the final release of the game. This item fits inside the medkit slot, and uses a reskinned version of the med kit. The Ammo Pack functions much like the Explosive Ammo Pack and the Incendiary Ammo Pack. When deployed, it would help allies replenish their current ammo supply.
However, devs ultimately removed the Ammo Pack. It strayed from the design vision that the game has always had, which involved replacing their weapon loadout over time. If they had an Ammo Pack, players could have "main" weapons throughout the level.
3 The Riot Shield & Didgeridoo
Fans who want to whack the Infected up close might be frustrated to know that two melee weapons got axed (no pun intended) prior to the final release of the game. These included the Riot Shield and the Didgeridoo.
In the case of the latter, spawning the Didgeridoo will result in a low-polygon model with nonexistent textures. However, through cheats, spawning the Riot Shield will release it in its fully-modeled and fully-functioning form. These two weapons could have added an interesting perspective to the L4D2 universe, especially since Riot Shields make perfect sense as a defensive weapon. Likewise, if the Didgeridoo also retained its ability to make sound, it would've been a fun weapon as well.
2 More Dynamic Melee Fighting
On top of the Riot Shield and the Didgeridoo, it appears Valve also scrapped a lot of melee fighting components from the main game. For instance, players may actually have broken their weapons after extended use. This was courtesy of a melee weapon endurance mechanic that was removed over time.
Moreover, players would have been able to dual-wield melee weapons. However, devs removed this idea after several tests. Imagine how awesome it would be for a Survivor to use two Katanas, or whip out a Baseball Bat alongside the Riot Shield.
1 The Procedural Generation Idea
Early iterations of "The Park" within "The Parish" stage would have actually included a procedurally-generated maze. Sadly, the idea was scrapped after tests revealed the ensuing confusion and distraction this would cause for players. Despite the interesting idea, players often got lost in the area, so the idea had to be removed.
Thankfully, the devs still managed to salvage the idea, courtesy of "The Cemetery." In the final release, the game's AI Director can choose one of four navigation pathways and alternate layouts to form the full map of The Cemetery.