Left 4 Dead 2

We’ve been having a great time with the Left 4 Dead 2 demo since it went live for fans who pre-ordered the sequel last week. But it’s time to stop and smell the zombies. Every area has tons of details that are easy to miss when you’re busy bashing brains in with a frying pan. Now that the demo’s available for everyone on Xbox LIVE and Steam, we figured it’d be fun to collect some of the details and Easter eggs you may have missed while playing through this very sweet sample of Valve’s highly anticipated sequel.

Bienville Parish

The Left 4 Dead 2 demo takes place in Bienville Parish, which is located in the northwest of Louisiana. It’s most famous for being the place where Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were killed.

The real Bonnie and Clyde (left). Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty (right)

Above: A sign welcoming you to the Bienville Parish park

Gramercy Bridge

At the beginning of the demo, Coach suggests that you and your fellow survivors head for the bridge in the distance. By the time you reach the last safe house in the demo, you can clearly see a sign for the Veterans Memorial Bridge. There is a Veterans Memorial Bridge in Louisiana, which is also known as the Gramercy Bridge. But the real bridge crosses the Mississippi River far from Bienville Parish, in the southeastern section of Louisiana.

Above: Look to your left before entering the last safe house to see the Veterans Memorial Bridge

Above: Judging from the trailer, you’ll probably be on this bridge during an air strike

CEDA and FEMA

As you explore the demo, you’ll see official notices and warnings on the walls posted by the U.S. military and a government organization called the Civil Emergency and Defense Agency (CEDA). The horde of zombies roaming the streets speaks to the effectiveness of CEDA’s efforts. CEDA’s failure to contain the infection and protect the population seems to be a straightforward reference to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its response to the hurricane Katrina disaster in 2005.

Above: A CEDA trailer. Notice that Disease Emergency Assessment Dispatch spells out “D.E.A.D.”

Above: CEDA body bags line the street

Above: There are several reminders to stay in your group, which is good advice for any Left 4 Dead survivor

Above: An informative warning sign with deliciously dark humor

Graffiti

There’s lots of fascinating graffiti scrawled on the walls in safe houses in the Left 4 Dead 2 demo. Unfortunately, your party will probably boot you if you spend too much time reading them during an online session. These messages tell the tales of other survivors, giving you a glimpse of what life was like during the early days of the infection outbreak. Some of them are also hilarious. Here’s the graffiti you probably passed by without a second glance in the first safe house in the demo.

Above: A theory that some people are immune to the virus, but can still spread it to others

Above: Evidence that carriers were shipped off in large numbers

Above: It looks like previous visitors to this safe house were heading to the park where the army was evacuating uninfected civilians

Above: We’re glad to see that Left 4 Dead 2 kept the original game’s sense of humor

The Jukebox

Near the beginning of the Left 4 Dead 2 demo is a diner with a Jukebox. This isn’t much of an easter egg in itself. But if you click through the tracks, you’ll find a funny song called “re: Your Brains.” It’s an existential song about friendship, fate, and eating brains.

Above: Click the jukebox a few times to hear a hilarious song about zombies

Now take a closer look at the jukebox. Do you see that mysterious fifth track highlighted in blue in the lower-right corner of the menu? Keep on clicking, and “Still Alive” from Portal will begin playing. Be patient. You’ll need to keep clicking through the regular four songs on the jukebox to get the Portal song to play. It’s an especially fun Easter egg since the lead designer and project lead for Portal, Kim Swift, is a level designer for Left 4 Dead 2 too.

Now take a closer look at the jukebox. Do you see that mysterious fifth track highlighted in blue in the lower-right corner of the menu? Keep on clicking, and “Still Alive” from Portal will begin playing. Be patient. You’ll need to keep clicking through the regular four songs on the jukebox to get the Portal song to play. It’s an especially fun Easter egg since the lead designer and project lead for Portal, Kim Swift, is a level designer for Left 4 Dead 2 too.

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