Editor’s take: The uncut international version of Valve’s award-winning first-person zombie shooter Left 4 Dead 2 is now available to gamers in Germany, well over a decade after the title first launched. If you somehow missed this one during its heyday, the multiplayer aspect alone makes it worth the money.
Left 4 Dead 2 is the 2009 sequel to Valve’s original Left 4 Dead, which arrived one year earlier. Both feature a variety of campaigns that afford a movie-like experience with a heavy emphasis on multiplayer / cooperative gameplay.
For release in Germany and a few other regions, Value had to censor much of the game’s violent content to appease the local ratings body. According to Engadget, the censored version removed all traces of blood from the game and prevented players from dismembering enemies or setting them on fire. Worse yet, when killing an infected, they simply disappeared.
Even the game’s box art had to be toned down.
Valve recently asked German authorities to re-evaluate Left 4 Dead 2. Surprisingly enough, regulators changed their tune and permitted Valve to release the uncut international version in the country. Those who already own the censored version can download free DLC to add gore back to the game.
Despite its age, Left 4 Dead 2 remains relevant. Back in September, Valve published a community-created update that added 26 new survival maps, a new campaign based on the lighthouse survival map and more.