A preview of the co-op zombie killing game “Left 4 Dead 2,” set in the South and rising in November on Xbox 360 and PC.

Left 4 Dead 2 is an upcoming sequel to Valve Corporation’s Left 4 Dead. It will build upon the cooperative first-person shooter gameplay of the original. It uses Valve’s proprietary Source engine. The game made its world premiere at E3 2009 with a trailer during the Microsoft press event, and will be released for Microsoft Windows PC and Xbox 360.

Like Left 4 Dead, the sequel will involve the aftermath of an apocalyptic pandemic that created a number of zombie-like human mutants, forcing the few survivors to fight their way through the hordes to extraction points, using safehouses along the way to rest and recover.

Left 4 Dead 2

Left 4 Dead 2 will be set in the Southern United States, starting in Savannah, Georgia and ending up in New Orleans, Louisiana. Four new survivors will be introduced, with their backstory provided in a similar way to the original through dialogue in the game. The survivors include Coach, a high-school football coach; Rochelle, a reporter for a local cable company; Ellis, a mechanic; and Nick, a gambler and conman.

Development for Left 4 Dead 2 started shortly after the release of the first game—following a short break—building off ideas from the development team to make the next game “bigger and better”. The game was given the code name “Carnation” to prevent revealing its details before its official announcement.

Left 4 Dead project lead Chet Faliszek stated that Left 4 Dead 2′s story will explore more of the world of the game, and that Valve has created a full story for the cause and effects of the infection pandemic, including terms that they have used for the AI Director.

Faliszek wanted to include a “no-nonsense” woman from a Department of Motor Vehicles, but this character did not make the cut. The developers solicited several bands to include them in the game; Depeche Mode responded eagerly, and allowed Valve to use their music and other imagery in the game, such as on the front from Rochelle’s shirt.

‘Left 4 Dead 2′ Specs

Developer(s) Valve Corporation

Publisher(s) Valve Corporation

Distributor(s) Steam (online)

Designer(s) Mike Booth

Writer(s) Chet Faliszek

Composer(s) Mike Morasky

Engine Source

Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360

Release date(s) November 17, 2009

Genre(s) First-person shooter, Survival horror

Mode(s) 4-player Cooperative multiplayer, 4-vs-4 multiplayer, Single-player

Media Download, DVD,