Left 4 Dead Hands-on Preview - Infected Side
HUNTER - AKA THE ZOMBIE MEXICAN JUMPING BEAN
Here's another boss that looks nothing like what I had expected. The Hunter is somewhere between the Smoker and Boomer in terms of recognizable appearances. Built like a normal Infected but cowled and stealthy, the Hunter looks more like a zombie dressed for infiltration than a predatory beast. This isn't a bad thing, but I was definitely expecting something different. To be honest, I could never get a good look at the Hunter, as he was either stealthed or leaping across the map too fast.
I know many people are excited about playing as the Hunter and I don't think you'll be disappointed. The Hunter is the only boss that can be played by two individuals at one time so you're likely to play the Hunter more than the other bosses. This turns out to be a good thing because you're going to need the practice. Of the four playable Infected, the Hunter is unquestionably the most challenging to learn; his primary attack (the pounce) is challenging to accurately land and beyond this, his unique abilities offer a tactical depth that goes well beyond the others.
The Hunter's greatest asset is stealth, speed, and overall map accessibility. In a game in which ambush is key, the Hunter wins hands down - he is the only Infected with the power of invisibility. To do this, the Hunter must stand against a wall for a few moments before fading from view. He is only invisible while he is immobile; moving or attacking drops the invisibility immediately. He is not entirely undetectable, however, as the Hunter frequently emits a low growl that can be heard by Survivors in the area. Fortunately, the Hunter has enough sense to stop this when the Survivors get too close.
Jumping with the Hunter is a lot of fun, and just a simple click of the right mouse button sends you rocketing through the air. Time things right, and you can wall jump from building to building, accessing areas with speed and fluidity unimaginable with the other Infected. I think that this will turn out to be the most interesting part of the Hunter and I look forward to seeing what kind of combinations the community will be able to put together - something similar to conc runs on a Team Fortress Classic map (pictured below).
The Hunter has two primary attacks using his jump ability, the pounce and the lunge. The lunge is pretty straight forward and easy to do. Simply launch yourself at a Survivor and you will rocket them back a good ways. This can be used to knock a player out of position, cause falling damage, or even cause a Survivor to fall to their death. Just be careful not to miss here, or you may be the one to fall.
