CS-Nation

Covering the future of Counter-Strike
left 4 dead - preview
...The Bad, and the Ugly
Boomer, Hunter, Smoker, and Tank. No, these are not the names of characters from the Matrix, these are the names given to the Infected bosses that you'll get to either play as, or attempt to take down with your wits and a barrage of gun fire.

The Boomer lives up to his name sake. Weighing in at, what I assume to be a metric tonne, the Boomer is fat, deformed beast of an adversary. He's slow, he is a large target for the survivors, but he is not to be underestimated. His main attack consists primarily of vomiting on you, which will act as a beacon for the AI Infected. They will tend to ignore all over teammates and focus solely on attacking you, so you had best be prepared to find a spot to hunker down in until the effect wears off.

When the Boomer is killed, he doesn't go out with a whimper, but a bang. His gaseous body explodes, and all those caught in his fleshy blast zone will suffer considerable damage.

The Hunter is the fastest and most agile of the player controlled Infected bosses. He's able to camouflage himself against walls, only being detected when he moves or a Survivor somehow aims directly at the Hunter. The Hunter has the ability to dart from wall to wall, the ability to climb up buildings and tall structures, and isn't afraid to get a little up close and personal. His main attack involves him knocking your player around and to the ground while he slashes at you relentlessly. If you find yourself in this position, the only way to escape is to have a teammate kill the hunter.


Next up we have the Smoker. This baddie sports a tongue that would make Gene Simmons jealous. That's right, the Smoker's tongue is his primary weapon. It's able to wrap itself around your neck from considerable distances, or hang you like a noose should he get above you, the only chance you have to survive this attack is to shoot his tongue before you're strangled or pulled to your demise. While it's wrapped around your neck, the Smoker will slowly pull you towards him. You can move slightly left and right while this is happening, in hopes you'll be able to get a clear shot at the slimy appendage. Upon his death, the Smoker releases a thick cloud of smoke that will obscure your view. Not necessarily the best situation to be in when your eyes are your best tool.

The Tank is the fourth playable boss Infected at your disposal. With a look and an attitude that resembles "Mr. Hyde" from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the Tank is muscle upon muscle. This charming fellow has the ability to smash through walls, pick up cars and other objects to use them as deadly, thrown projectiles, and will just beat the ever loving crap out of the Survivors. It takes a lot of firepower to bring one of these guys down, and given how much he loves to get up close and personal with the Survivors, you had better keep your ears open for his unique sounds that signal he is near.


One more Infected is thrown into the mix, the Witch. Murmuring to herself as you tiptoe past, hoping not to cause a stir. Able to kill you in just one hit, you should make damn sure you don't fire your weapon at or near her, you do not shine a light on her, and you do not move faster than a walk by her. Trust me, if you don't do this, you're dead. What makes the Witch even more unique is the fact that out of all of the Infected bosses, she is the only one you cannot play as. She is entirely controlled by the AI.

Last, and most certainly not least, are the hoards of Infected themselves, the ones that are not the bosses, nor the Witch, but are entirely AI controlled. Spawns for the Infected will differ from previous play throughs thanks to the new system set up in the game to control the frequency and location of enemies. "The Director" that is in place for this title makes sure that the action never becomes too dull or becomes excessively frustrating, and will also take into consideration the difficulty level chosen. This new system dynamically creates Infected spawn points depending on how well the team is progressing.