What’s Cut From Aussie Left 4 Dead 2, And How To Uncut It

Left 4 Dead 2 got refused classification in Australia. Valve appealed. And lost. So they’ve had to release a censored version. Let’s see how censored it really is and how easily you can uncensor it yourself.

The aptly-named The Australian Version Thread over on the Steam community forums has an excellent summary of what’s missing from the local, censored edition of the game. Highlights include:

* No Gore: When you shoot an Infected to you see a small splash of blood. You will not see any “gibs” at all.

* No Blood Spatter: You will not see blood spattering on the screen.

* No Dismemberment: You cannot shoot or melee any limbs, including the head, off an Infected.

* No Corpses: As soon as they’re dead, Infected bodies will disappear.

* No Burning: Infected will not catch fire from, for example, a molotov. They will, however, still die.

* No Riot Cop: The “riot cop” Uncommon Infected will not spawn at all. In fact, if just one player on the server is running the Australian edition, the “riot cop” will not spawn at all.

Check this comparison video to see for yourself.

However, some clever types have worked out how to get around the censorship – at least in the demo that is now available. And it just involves a tiny bit of editing to two files. Click the images below to enlarge and follow the instructions here.

Now, bear in mind, this has only been tested on the demo at this stage. It may not work on the full version of the game when it is released in just over a fortnight. You also have to run the demo directly from its .exe rather than via Steam, which may result in some issues. You have been warned!

[Special thanks to Gary P and Brendan B for their tip-offs!]