Editor’s note: This review was written by Michael Powers, a student at Full Sail University. Michael is an ex-Coast Guard (Coastie). He has been in the entertainment industry for several years and has worked for minimum wage jobs as well as owned his own businesses in computers to professional music entertainment.

Michael has attended several universities and other small business colleges before enrolling at Full Sail. His major studies were in computer science, vocal and music, business management, and massage therapy.

He is enrolled at Full Sail to learn everything he can about game design and development. Michael has played games all his life from Atari to Xbox 360. He believes his passions for music, technology and games should finally come together as one — to enable him to start doing something he loves and enjoys while sharing all his talents.

Do I smell brains, or have I just been turned into the undead? That’s right, Valve, the creator of Left 4 Dead, has made a sequel. Anticipating the release, I picked up my copy from Best Buy on the release date Sept. 17, 2009. In Left 4 Dead 2, Valve sets out once again to create the perfect heart-pounding, adrenaline-pumping, nonstop zombie-killing action, first-person shooter. Revamping the Source engine, Valve incorporates a new dynamic and enhanced engine. Offering players new experiences each time they play, Valve just might have another game of the year with this one.

Left 4 Dead 2 has a new set of civilians trying to survive a zombie apocalypse after an outbreak of disease that turns humans into man-devouring monsters. Four zany characters, Rochelle (a quirky African-American girl), Nick (a suave and ego-centric city man), Ellis (a half-witted redneck) and Coach (a down to Earth football coach), combat their way through five enormous maps. Along the way, these unique characters must guide their way through a fiery zombie-filled apartment building, a dark rundown carnival, a bayou swamp filled with Mudmen, an old saw mill during a treacherous downpour and, finally, the city streets of New Orleans. The player must traverse each level while being bombarded by hordes of zombies and special infected. If successful, players are rewarded with points and health bonuses for reaching each level end, called a safe room.

The masses of zombies wasn’t enough for Valve, so it created a Spitter that projects acid spit, Boomers both male and female that vomit blinding puke, Smokers that pull victims with a long tongue, pouncing Hunters, leaping Jockeys, charging Chargers, slashing Witches, and a massive Tank creature that pulverizes anything in its path. To fend off the undead, Valve has introduced a delicious range of weapons from molotov cocktails to grenade launchers. Players even have the ability to pick up melee weapons, such as a machete, chainsaw, baseball bats and even a golf club, among several other handy tools.

Players have the option to choose from a wide variety of game modes. In single-player mode, the player must complete the storyline and face the zombies alone or with up to three friends. Versus mode offers up to eight players to take turns as the survivors and the infected. Each team tries to stop the other before reaching the safe room and achieving the highest score. Scavenger mode also allows up to eight players to trade out survivor and infected sides; only this time, each team tries to collect as many gas cans as they can. The game offers several other variations of game modes with different rules and objectives. If you find you are too advanced for campaign co-op mode, try your hand at realism versus. Realism versus is one of the many unforgiving hardcore game modes available for highly skilled players.

I prefer online multiplayer versus mode to single-player campaign. When playing multiplayer, I am overwhelmed with frightening anticipation from every angle. Three other real-life players and I go head-to-head against four other online players in a race against one another to become the only survivors. My senses are heightened, and my adrenaline starts to flow throughout my body. The intense nonstop horde of zombies and special infected come out at me from all sides. I cannot begin to explain the joy I felt after my three comrades and I slam the door safely shut, making it to the next safe room. The graphics are smooth and very detailed. Valve also went to great lengths to make the game feel “scary” using shading, lighting and adding a grain effect. The soundtrack and other in-game audio sounds are very dramatic and even comical at times.

Fun comes oozing, gushing, splattering and smashing from every dismembered part of this action-packed game. Whether playing single player or multiplayer, Valve has thought of it all when making Left 4 Dead 2. The random placement of AI make the enemy zombies unpredictable and seem to have a mind of their own. Several add-on map packs have been released as well, including a level in which the new survivors meet the cast from the original Left 4 Dead.

Between several game modes, add-ons and random AI enemies Left 4 Dead 2 can be played over and over again and never experience the same gameplay twice. Valve even has several ways you can give feedback on the title, and they put out different new game modes based on player comments. Left 4 Dead 2 is a fun and exhilarating game that is a definite buy. You will be entertained, tested and pushed to your gaming limits. Let’s just hope you are not the next to be left for dead.