E3: Crackdown 2 and Left 4 Dead 2

By Tom Bramwell Published 1 June, 2009

360 exclusives. Plus new Epic game.

Microsoft just showed off Crackdown 2 and Left 4 Dead 2 at its E3 conference and said both were exclusive to Xbox 360.

Crackdown 2 is due out in 2010 from Ruffian Games, as rumoured, and seems to have a multiplayer focus according to Microsoft's announcement release. Left 4 Dead 2 is due out on 17th November this year, and Valve subsequently said it was coming to PC at the same time.

The game "adds melee combat to enable deeper co-operative gameplay, with items such as a chainsaw, frying pan, axe, baseball bat, and more".

The AI director has been updated to procedurally change weather effects, world objects and pathways in addition to the usual stuff. Expect new survivors, zombies, bosses and campaigns.

Ubisoft then showed off Splinter Cell: Conviction, with a lot of fancy CG footage and Sam Fisher smacking people around. It will be released "this fall exclusively on Xbox 360".

Prior to that, Epic unveiled an Xbox Live Arcade exclusive called Shadow Complex, developed by Chair Entertainment.

Shown off by Chair’s Donald Mustard and Epic’s Cliff Bleszinski at the Microsoft E3 conference, it’s a 2D side-scrolling action game with “exploration punctuated by moments of combat”, in which you play as a chap called Jason Fleming, collecting power-ups and upgrading your character. It's based on the world of Orson Scott Card's novel Empire.

Poor old Mustard’s microphone didn’t work initially, but Cliff Bleszinski distracted us with a t-shirt that had Bill Gates’ mug-shot on it.

Big Park then showed a new XBLA game called Joy Ride, which is due out this winter and uses Avatars. It’s a free download too, and lets you share racetracks. The announcement release suggests that you will be able to buy extras like new tracks, game modes and avatar items.

Check out our live coverage of the Microsoft conference for more, including Ellie's description of the on-stage Conviction demo.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (41) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Johnson #1 3 years ago

    Hell, yeah!

  • DB2k #2 3 years ago

    crackdown ftw

  • jeebthegreat #3 3 years ago

    sweeeeeet

  • ChthonicEcho #4 3 years ago

    I hope Left 4 Dead 2 is some sort of joke or a misinterpretation of what was said. Left 4 Dead has been horribly supported thus far, and already they are working on a sequel? An X360 exclusive, no less?

  • Rodigee #5 3 years ago

    No L4D2 for PC?

  • captainrentboy #6 3 years ago

    Crackdown 2!! Saaaaaay Whaaaaaaaat???
    I'm one happy bastard.

  • Widge #7 3 years ago

    From the feed:

    [Valve just press-release Left 4 Dead 2 and said it's on PC too - also on 17th November - Ed]

    so don't worry if you like using mice Mr Rodigee!
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/09 @ 19:31

  • hiddenranbir #8 3 years ago

    I can't believe L4D2 is coming. I thought L4D was supposed to have the lasting power of CS with more maps and other stuff coming along.


    Does this mean a TF3 is likely soon too?

    Where is HL Episode 3?

  • George-Roper #9 3 years ago

    "I hope Left 4 Dead 2 is some sort of joke or a misinterpretation of what was said. Left 4 Dead has been horribly supported thus far, and already they are working on a sequel? An X360 exclusive, no less?"

    Horribly supported? Didn't it just get an entirely new game mode (Survival) and a complete set of re-jigged maps to go with? For free??

    Explain how free content means its 'horribly supported' please.

  • bigshot316 #10 3 years ago

    Holy fuck this is the single most exciting thing that I have ever heard.

    I am damp.

  • JusticeMoses #11 3 years ago

    Does seem very strange to release a sequel to Left 4 Dead so soon. So my 40 pound game is redundant after a year? Surely they could just release the content as an add-on? Still, at least it sounds pretty cool.

  • coolbritannia #12 3 years ago

    Good times!

  • chris_ace #13 3 years ago

    Post deleted at 11:55:13 13-12-2011

  • Rash' #14 3 years ago

    Great show with these two. Both are great games... so I'm lead to believe. ;p

  • evild_edd #15 3 years ago

    L4D2 is undeniably awesome news.

    I missed out on Crackdown when it was released. Always intended to buy on the cheap but nevevr quite managed it. I know it has some big fans. Might skip it now and wait for the sequel.....

  • Uncle_Spanks #16 3 years ago

    Left 4 Dead 2?! Awesome!!!!!! Sold XD

  • ChthonicEcho #17 3 years ago

    Horribly supported? Didn't it just get an entirely new game mode (Survival) and a complete set of re-jigged maps to go with? For free??

    I take it you haven't played the game, then. The new game mode is extraordinarily dull; even self-mutilation is more entertaining than Survival. Don't even get me started on how effortless it was for Valve to create Survival mode. Even before its inception there was a mod that did pretty much the same thing and it was more sophisticated, what with barricades and things like that.

    The two Versus maps haven't been complete 're-jigged', either (what the fuck's 're-jigged'?). If you had actually played them, you would know what a horrid effort they put in. The maps are incredibly restricting for Special Infected - there are few legit 25 damage pounce spots, and you have to scout for nigh map-breaking spots to do that. The additional content they released is a joke. A free pile of shit is still a pile of shit.

  • andyc1980 #18 3 years ago

    crakdown 2 omg think i'd better go change my pants

  • OllyJ #19 3 years ago

    Awesome news about Crackdown 2!

  • EmiliasHorse #20 3 years ago

    Happy to see Crackdown 2 ...very happy.

  • paulf #21 3 years ago

    @evild_edd get crackdown - you can buy it for under a tenner now, the sequel has different devs so no telling how good it will be

  • George-Roper #22 3 years ago

    "I take it you haven't played the game, then. The new game mode is extraordinarily dull; even self-mutilation is more entertaining than Survival. Don't even get me started on how effortless it was for Valve to create Survival mode. Even before its inception there was a mod that did pretty much the same thing and it was more sophisticated, what with barricades and things like that.

    The two Versus maps haven't been complete 're-jigged', either (what the fuck's 're-jigged'?). If you had actually played them, you would know what a horrid effort they put in. The maps are incredibly restricting for Special Infected - there are few legit 25 damage pounce spots, and you have to scout for nigh map-breaking spots to do that. The additional content they released is a joke. A free pile of shit is still a pile of shit    "

    LOL!

    /shakes head

  • Jimbob89 #23 3 years ago

    It's a good day to be an xbox 360 owner!

  • TheComedian #24 3 years ago

    The Splinter Cell: Conviction footage sounds crap. Where's all the improvised combat stuff? Crowd mechanics? Perhaps I'm jumping the gun.

    Sounds like an awesome conference though.

  • kingkatt #25 3 years ago

    Crackdown 2 - fantastic news. I look forward to collecting all 600,000 orbs :o)

  • penhalion #26 3 years ago

    L4D2 is XBox and PC. This was shown at the end of the video for it. As for crackdown 2. It looks suprisingly good, given that it's being done by a different studio. Only worry is that it seems to have elements of Prototype mixed into it, which is just plain wierd.

  • Darren #27 3 years ago

    Crackdown 2 is focused on multiplayer? Pah, that's sucks IMO, I just wanted a better single player experience with a narrative and plenty of variety in the missions, both of which were solely lacking in the original promising but ultimately, for me, underwhelming original.

  • BraveArse #28 3 years ago

    Where's APB ... no mention of it at all?

    /cries

    /sees Crackdown 2 and cheers up a bit...

  • Ryuken #29 3 years ago

    They better keep updating L4D so the original characters get some more time. If not, shame on you Valve.

  • o_ci2007 #30 3 years ago

    I am going to stop wasting time here and go play l4d as much as I can.

  • hahayou #31 3 years ago

    L4D2 Woooo! Rarely is a game so great yet with so many major things that need fixing, so this is awesome news. Obviously an expansion would be better than a sequel, but I'll take it...

  • SnakePlissken09 #32 3 years ago

    So is this a DLC pack for Crackdown I'm not paying for the same game again with a few crappy add-on's, I loved the first one but releasing the same game with a few extras stuck in it is just a rip-off lets leave this sort of thing for the movie industry.

  • kinky_mong #33 3 years ago

    " So my 40 pound game is redundant after a year?"

    Considering with most games your £40 is redundant after a month once you complete them I would be happy that Left 4 Dead has lasted you a year for your £40.

    I love Left 4 Dead and the announcement of the sequel right after the news of Crackdown 2 makes me a happy man.

  • Collymilad #34 3 years ago

    LAWL

  • bodypopper #35 3 years ago

    As far as L4D2 goes this is Valve, people. So November 2009 probably equals autumn 2010 ;-)

  • Tweakmonkey #36 3 years ago

    I think I'll wait for Left 4 Dead 2: Episode II instead

  • muscleblade #37 3 years ago

    "Great show with these two. Both are great games... so I'm lead to believe. ;p"

    Nobody knows because nobody has played them yet :-)

    The originals are both masterpieces though.

  • slayaz #38 3 years ago

    my two fav games! W00t!

  • peteb #39 3 years ago

    So from the vid it looks like this is Crackdown + what, ZOMBIES?

    Oh awesome :D

  • Psyver #40 3 years ago

    Splinter Cell was simply amazing. Rarely am I shown a game that I had such high expectations for and was thoroughly blown away. You brought my fave franchise back Ubi. Thank you. Crackdown's got me kind of worried but if the news that Ruffian's made from former members of Real Time Worlds, I'll be fine. Dave Jones should have a hand in his baby's sequel if he can get some time away from A.P.B.

  • Madder-Max #41 3 years ago

    Crackdown 2 trailer : "The human race is infected"

    /Facepalms

    great another 'infected-human-zombie'game.

    Zombies, the new WWII. talkj about missing the facking point!