I loaded up Left 4 Dead 2 last night and played for a few hours with my buddy and my daughter. I've been anticipating this sequel, which came out today for the Xbox 360, for quite a while, because I have become very familiar with the original game, a favorite. Here are my initial impressions. (Unfortunately, a pending vacation precludes a thorough review.)

There are so many new

additions, it's tough to know where to begin. Besides an entire arsenal of guns, including a grenade launcher, players can arm themselves with close-quarters melee weapons, including an axe, a cricket bat and a chainsaw. (In case you haven't guessed by now, the game is rated Mature -- the video-game equivalent of an R-rated movie.) Coach and Rochelle (pictured, center) are the best among the new characters, with hick Ellis (left) and gambler Nick being rather bland. There are a wealth of new special infected characters, such as the Jockey (who rides you away from the action), the Charger (who has an oversized fist), a zombie in a Hazmat suit and the Spitter (who spews toxic waste). The Director, the game's AI engine, also supposedly ramps up the challenge by changing up the attacks and obstacles depending on your progress. The game is much more difficult than the previous entry, to be sure.

The only thing missing is atmosphere. The first game was much creepier, especially when it came to dealing with the witch. L4D2 seems to be all about the action, which is fine -- as long as human players are controlling all of the characters. I can't tell you the number of times the zombies killed my character while computer-controlled characters stood by with weapons at their sides.

I love the humor, though. At one point, the survivors come across a gun-store owner who has barricaded himself in his store and won't let them pass until they run across the way to retrieve a six-pack of Coke from a looted grocery store. We made it over there and my buddy Eric's character, Coach, picked up the drinks saying something to the effect of, "OK, I got the crazy man's Coke! Let's go!" We then faced a zombie horde with me clearing the way with firepower while Coach fended off stragglers by swinging the six-pack of Coke. It was the real thing.

I'm looking forward to playing more L4D2, but it will be a while because of the family schedule.