Our Mutual Fiend

Title: Our Mutual Fiend
Link:  http://www.gamemaps.com/details/21168
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1692163391
http://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=1696901988

Author: Valve, SNW
Survivors: L4D2
Notes: The Steam version requires the player to subscribe to four parts on the Steam Workshop.

Our Mutual Fiend is a three-map campaign with Versus support that is essentially a port of the Half-Life 2: Episode 2 section of the same name. It starts the player off just outside White Forest (near where Dog attacks the alien ship) and takes the player through the rocket silo and back out to the top where the player has to hold out while waiting for a rescue chopper.

As far as straight ports, it probably works a bit better than the ports of Route Kanal and Water Hazard, but that's not saying much. There are plenty of references to Episode 2 but it definitely feels like the campaign was made because the maps were there, not because there was any idea behind making it work as a full-fledged campaign. As such, it's short and it really does feel short because, as the author noted, you're pretty much just going straight through. The plus side to this is you'll never really get lost (especially if you played Episode 2) and if you don't like it, it's over relatively quickly. The downside to this is that it's pretty lackluster and the huge download size isn't justifiable.

The maps still look good and it's not like the porter didn't not do the maps justice. It works about as well as the maps can. You have some mandatory elevators, and map 2 has a couple of holdout events. The maps still look fairly good for a Source game (they were made by Valve, after all). There were also a couple of good dialogue choices. Resource distribution is very liberal throughout the campaign, and you should never come up short with supplies. Ammo piles are where they need to be and if anything, you may find too many supplies (for instance we found three defibs in relatively close proximity).

The highlight in terms of gameplay is probably the close quarters combat of the second map, since the openness of the first map is fairly easy. However, for some reason smokers seem to really make life a pain in the cramped quarters of the second map. It also seems to fit the general run-down industrial setting of L4D2. The hordes are adequately intense and it's pretty fun fighting off special infected and a possible tank in the hallways of the silo.

Unfortunately it all kind of feels a little too easy, but that's the nature of the maps. The author acknowledges this and recommends players try out the campaign on Advanced or Expert, and I agree with that sentiment. The early section of the second map is probably the best part, but the sections in the tunnels and the holdout after the climb up the ladders is okay as well. Those definitely benefit from added damage from infected because otherwise they would feel too easy.

The real problem of the campaign is the third map though. It's nothing more than a boring holdout in a spot where you can easily cheese the AI. All you have to do is get to the top of the structure with the stairs and hang out on the railings. It actually feels deliberate considering how easy it is to reach and how obvious a spot it is. The only thing that can obviously get you is a smoker but if you take care of that, then there's no trouble. The issue is that this holdout lasts for way too long and is really un-fun to sit and wait through. Even if you do hold out by the turret on the opposite side of the helicopter, I can't imagine that being any more enjoyable. The location just doesn't lend itself to a good holdout. You're obviously not even really supposed to stay in that place very long in Episode 2, so it's pretty clear that it wasn't designed for such a holdout in mind. Regardless, once you do have to run to the rescue vehicle, it can be a bit unclear as to where to go. You're best off saving a bile jar for the end.

Difficulty: This campaign is fairly short and easy. The hardest part is the second map where combat is most intense, but even so, the player should consider starting off on Advanced to extend the gameplay a little. The plethora of resources also affords the player a lot of variety of weapons as well as the occasional bonuses fire and explosive ammo.

Final Verdict: There are worse places to port from Episode 2—I'm posting this before the inevitable port of that Strider map as a scavenge finale—but Our Mutual Fiend doesn't work as well as White Forest, the other Episode 2 port, and definitely not as well as City 17, the Episode 1 port. Its events are fine, and it doesn't really do anything wrong (the port is about as good as one could expect from those maps), but the main issue from which it suffers is that it's usually boring, especially the finale. It has some potential in spots of the first and second map (plus, another Versus map is always welcome) but otherwise it's generic and forgettable. The maps still look decent but it's not original and maps don't always translate well to other games. It's certainly not unique or different enough to warrant its large download size. As of right now, it's okay if you're looking for a new time-waster and you love Half-Life 2: Episode 2. Otherwise if you're ambivalent, there are better campaigns out there.

Rating: 3.13/5.