Xboxist

Meet the Survivors of Left 4 Dead 2

You've probably played the demo for Left 4 Dead 2, and been informally introduced to the plucky survivors from New Orleans. In between the action, muttered one-liners give us a sense of the individual motivations and pasts of the protagonists (but that's basically it in terms of story). While tantalizing, the short snippet of gameplay provided in The Parish doesn't give an adequate amount of backstory on each of the characters. If you are wondering what's up with their personalities, we have a more formal introduction to the crew below. Left 4 Dead 2 arrives in shops in America today (November 17th) and in Europe on November 19th.

Coach -- Firepower with a big heart

Age: 44
Hometown: Savannah, GA

Coach has a big heart, a healthy appetite, and an effective swing with a chainsaw. After a knee injury ended his career as a defensive lineman in college, Coach salvaged his Physical Education degree (barely) and landed a job teaching health at the local high school in his hometown of Savannah. And that's why we call him The Coach.

Working as a defensive coordinator for the freshmen team might not have been the best path to a pro coaching career; but it's come in pretty handy in guiding a group of Survivors to safety. Coach has watched his beloved hometown get ravaged by infected--now it's time to deliver his own brand of Southern hospitality.

Nick -- The Dark Horse

Age: 35
Hometown: Unknown

New Orleans has always played host to a coterie of people with shady pasts, and even a zombie infestation won't change that. After drifting from city to city, finding back-alley card games and trying to stay out of jail, Nick has learned two valuable lessons: Don't trust anyone, and look out for number one.

He'd come down to Savannah looking for some easy marks on the riverboat gambling cruise circuit. Instead he found a city about to be engulfed by infection. Now he finds himself forced together with three complete strangers in a fragile alliance that goes against every instinct he lives by. But he's going to have to learn to trust them if he wants to survive.

Ellis -- Good Old American Boy

Age: 23
Hometown: Savannah, GA

Some might label him a hick, but we can't think of a better companion to have along for a zombie infestation. Ellis is a mechanic with a love of life, a firm belief in his own immortality, and the ability to treat any setback as an opportunity to impress his friends. Born and raised in Savannah, Ellis divvies up his time working at the local garage, hanging out with his buddies, and dropping by for Sunday dinners with Mom--why'd anybody want to live anywhere else?

Then the zombies had to go and spoil it. Now Ellis is looking for new things to occupy his time, and finding plenty. It turns out the zombie apocalypse is one big dare, and there's no shortage of crazy stuff he can try to impress his new buddies.

Rochelle -- When life serves you lemons, take aim

Age: 29
Hometown: Cleveland, OH

After graduating from college in communication, Rochelle never thought her life would turn out like this. As a low-level associate producer for a big-name news station, Rochelle's job mostly consisted of lugging cables and fetching coffee. But when the outbreak hit and staff started calling in sick, Rochelle got her break: producing a segment from Savannah about the evacuation center located there. She was still setting up the cameras when her big story became a war zone.

But that doesn't mean she's letting go of her dream job yet. Surviving a zombie apocalypse is just something else she can use her wits and drive to produce the hell out of.