all games are not created equal

Both of these games are a lot of fun when playing online for totally different reasons.  It's cool to kill a bunch of zombies.  It's also cool to kill a bunch of people on the other team.  The one thing that makes L4D2 a big loser in my book is that there seems to be a thousand different ways to do something wrong.

Everything is going all nice and good and, whoops, a witch gets hit by one of your stray bullets.  We'll don't you feel stupid now.  Or how about accidentally getting trapped in a corner with a tank and you lose almost all your health.  Or maybe I'll use my medpack now but oh wait, I should have just died and let someone revive me.  Stupid me. Accidentally get stuck outside with the horde?  Ain't that a shame.

It can get pretty frustrating when there are a thousand ways to lose the game for your team. Everyone hates being the guy that screws it up for everyone else.  Like Chris Webber calling for a timeout and getting a technical because they were out.  Or Ty Law not defending the Colorado hail mary properly.  Sorry for the Michigan sports references, but I'm sure you know what I mean.  It feels like crap to be that guy and L4D2 makes sure that at least once a game, it can be you.

MW2.  You kill them.  They kill you.  You kill them some more.  Nice and simple and totally addicting.

Borderlands coop gameplay is simple, but for some reason, I just love playing it with friends.  L4D2 is fun too and also simple in its own way, but it's definitely not a relaxing game.

L4D2 requires a lot of focus to make sure you don't disturb a witch or set off a car alarm or are just generally aware of where your teammates are.  Borderlands plays more like an MMORPG, so you're questing most of the time and can semi relax while you play.  What that means is you can actually chat with your friends on a headset about whatever you like while you play.  It actually feels like you're playing a fun game with friends instead of some game where you and your friends dish out orders to one another.  It just isn't nearly as enjoyable.  When you're playing L4D2, your friend becomes just another player because of the way you have to play the game.

Kind of a weird comparison, but this really matters for me.  If I'm on a headset chatting with friends, it's kinda nice to be able to relax and talk to them about whatever you like instead of stressing out about the game.  I guess it's kinda like having a friendly conversation with a friend while disarming a bomb: it just isn't fun.

A lot of backlash arose when L4D was announced to be out about a year after the first one was released.  Did L4D2 really deserve to be it's own stand-alone title?  I say yes.

L4D2 really tickled me when it included a gameplay mechanic that I always thought would be awesome.  I'm talking about the dubbed "gauntlet mode" that occurs in some levels.
In L4D1, events usually consisted of hitting a button, finding a corner, and holding out until your door was opened.  Thankfully, L4D2 changes it up.  Some events required hitting a button and mad-dashing through horde to another button.  Others may include scavenging gas cans to fuel a car.

There's also new threats this time around.  Sure you have a couple new boss infected, but the surprise to me was the uncommon infected.  These are generally the normal horde, except they have special properties which vary between campaigns.  Construction workers can't hear pipebombs, riot officers are only vulnerable on their backside, etc.

The one disappointment is the L4D2 survivors.  Ellis is definitely my favorite, and Coach occasionally has some good lines, but Nick and Rochelle are incredibly forgetful and boring.  I honestly couldn't even remember Rochelle's name until I remembered Ellis speaking about her before.

I hate to say it, but I can't really think of a reason to go back to playing L4D1 now that I have L4D2.  It's really everything and then some.  Plus, I HAVE to mention how epic the Hard Rain campaign is on L4D2, especially the second half.  If you played it, then you know what I mean ;)