The second Downloadable Content (DLC) pack for the critically acclaimed Left 4 Dead launched on Xbox LIVE this afternoon, adding an entirely new Campaign to the line-up. Crash Course is available at 560 Microsoft Points, quite a considerable sum when compared to the free Survival Pack released earlier this year, and as such, respectful to that generous offering as could be, the fans will no doubt be expecting a lot from this package.

            As a Campaign, Crash Course is undoubtedly built for Versus play. Each Chapter is slightly lengthier than those in the original four Campaigns, but Crash Course features only two. Supposedly tying the No Mercy and Death Toll Campaigns together, players find themselves moments after escaping the hospital with a crashed helicopter. New lines of dialogue from the original cast have been suggested as being added with the pack, but these won't be at all noticeable to those who haven't played the game recently; whether or not that's a good thing depends on your perspective. Ammo and one-shot explosives such as fuel cans and propane tanks are more common throughout, and the map runs through train yards, wooded areas, warehouses and truck stops in the blink of an eye. While the map is designed just as intricately as the originals, twisting and turning with confusing yet familiar routes and subtly leading the Survivors by the hand, those who have partaken in the Last Stand (added with the aforementioned Survival Pack) will find it difficult to shake the feeling that the length of Crash Course’s Campaign has been drawn-out simply to justify having a price-tag.

             An additional ten Achievements have been added, along with 250 GamerScore. The obvious inclusion for surviving the Campaign and killing a set number of Infected sit alongside a few enjoyable chases, and a number of new Versus Achievements; a new Achievement for each the Hunter, Smoker and Tank are met with a couple more team-orientated objectives.

            This swing towards Versus play evident in the construction of the map and the additional Achievements is apparent in other minor areas of refinement. The Infected’s on-screen furniture now displays team-mates health and recharge time for special attacks, along with their current type – allowing the recently eliminated to occasional guess the type they themselves will next respawn as and plan a strategy based upon the Survivors movements and actions. The Tank seems to have been made somewhat weaker and slower, but can throw vehicles at the Survivors for a large chunk of damage.

            Crash Course is a refreshing reminder of what made Left 4 Dead so appealing in the first place. Rated as one of the highest games released last year by Electronic Theatre, with our in-depth review stating that it was a game “delivered with precision”, Crash Course compliments the original disc-based release perfectly. However, regardless of its quality, there’s no getting around the fact that the DLC package is quite expensive compared to that which numerous other titles offer. For many, it will be a case of quantity over quality, but for the most ardent Left 4 Dead fans Crash Course is a must-have purchase.

Available approximately two months prior to the release of Left 4 Dead 2, whether Crash Course is one last lick-of-paint for the old before the new, or a the start of a brand new trend in offering new content for older software as Valve have promised – and as BioWare took the initiative with on Mass Effect – remains to be seen, but in offering Crash Course as an incentive to get hooked on Left 4 Dead again, the DLC couldn’t be more perfectly pitched.

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