Left 4 Dead 2 is coming to game shelves everywhere and this die hard horror gamer is having a hard time opening his wallet to buy it. Despite packing some impressive new goodies it still lacks on the core elements. No story and no connection with gamers and it also begs the question... how is this a a new game?

Set for release on November 17, the title adds melee combat to enable deeper co-operative gameplay, with items such as a chainsaw, frying pan, axe, baseball bat, and more. Admittedly the addition of new melee weapons does add a new element to the game which makes it alot more fun.

Left 4 Dead 2 also introduces the AI Director 2.0, L4D's dynamic gameplay is taken to the next level by giving the Director the ability to procedurally change weather effects, world objects, and pathways in addition to tailoring the enemy population, effects, and sounds to match the players' performance.

The result is a unique game session custom fitted to provide a satisfying and uniquely challenging experience each time the game is played. Featuring new Survivors, boss zombies, weapons, and items, Left 4 Dead 2 offers a much larger game than the original with more co-operative campaigns, more Versus campaigns, and maps for Survival mode available at launch.

As unique as Left 4 Dead 2 is with its new weapons and NEW AI features it begs the question why this is not an addon for the original. What is so new and great that we need to go out and blow $50 on a brand new game versus paying $20 for an addon for the original game. Left 4 Dead 2 screams money grab and as much as I love zombie games its continued lack of story and focus on button mashing and zombie killing makes Left 4 Dead 2 just as dissapointing as the original for me. Do not get me wrong I love smashing zombies on an epic scale I just need something more to draw me in.... like a story.

Thank goodness we can all look forward to Dead Rising 2 to get our fix of unique story telling and insane zombie carnage. Left 4 Dead 2 is for multiplayer gamers that do not want a story, do not want to be drawn into the game and simply want to kill some zombies with their buddies. I give this game a 5 out of 10 for its obvious genius in its AI and the visual look and feel. I am horribly dissapointed that VALVE the geniuses behind Half Life 2 one of the greatest story driven games ever made can not see fit to take that kind of magic to the zombie genre. Instead...we get Left 4 Dead 2.