In this age of video-game savagery, it’s nice to see a game that is taking steps towards introducing the player to new, more pacifist ways of navigating the zombie-infested American South.

Left 4 Dead 2 follows the same premise as its predecessor: the player travels from point A to B while defending him- or herself, and three companions, from zombies. Admittedly, killing the vast majority of zombies encountered is still necessary, but several game-play improvements make the slaughter less essential in the second edition of this video game.

The first addition is Boomer Bile. The Boomer, one of eight specialized varieties of zombies, vomits a chemical onto the player that attracts every normal zombie within a certain radius.

This same compound can be found in containers scattered throughout the game. When thrown, the ooze draws every nearby ghoul into convenient rifle range.

However, a skilled player, while exercising restraint, should be able to throw the bile and then escape without a single shot. This method allows for zero violence to occur, leaving a significant number of zombies alive to test the nonviolent values of any survivors who follow.

Syringes of adrenaline imbue the player with enhanced speed and samurai-like reflexes, which are ideal for quickly distancing oneself from dangerous situations.

A third significant change to the game-play is the presence of melee weapons such as axes and bats. These arms are especially valuable in solving the dilemma of the Witch.

The Witch is a specialized zombie that typically sits in one spot. The Witch is weeping and she is oblivious to her surroundings. If roused, though, she is extremely fast, and nigh invincible until she has slain one of the players.

Many players agree that the Witch is the most human-like zombie in the game. She presumably sobs over the humans she has killed and the human life she has lost, yet she cannot control the virus that drives her towards rage. This pitiable state makes avoiding her a choice of kindness as well as necessity.

Thankfully, the Witch is not disturbed by the sound of gunfire. Still, using a machete, for example, to dispatch the zombies around her cancels the chance that she will be awoken by a stray bullet. Stealth is even more important in some parts of Left 4 Dead 2 where Witches walk around, or even travel in packs.

Rare indeed is the game that allows for players to experience rivers of gore, yet take spiritual solace from the monsters they choose to spare.

And in the undying words of George Fox, “That’s not a bottle of puke, is it?