

Ryan O'Koren is a student at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland. He is also a longtime modder of Half-Life games, making maps under the name "mrfanswa". And he's got something pretty cool in store for you. Cold Case is an incredibly ambitious mod for Left 4 Dead that O'Koren intends to complete in time for a Halloween release, celebrated with a big party in Baltimore.
In this mod, over the course of 36 (!) maps, the zombies will dynamically evolve. The players will be able to upgrade their abilities using a lite RPG system. It's got a storyline, complete with new voiceover recordings. There are also survival maps that balance digging in to take a defensive position and running for your life.
But this isn't just a mod. It's part of O'Koren's studies. From the mod's FAQ:After the release of Left 4 Dead I began gaining interest for an idea which I could not do in previous maps. An entire explorable island featuring such places as a jail, a military base, labs, a dense forest, and an abandoned facility deep within the woods. I decided to devote my sculpture degree to exploring more of the digital arts and I began creating what is now Cold Case. I quickly began development of a small campaign using SDK content, and parts of my old [Half-Life] map [Resident Evil Outbreak 2]. I submitted it to the largest scholarship my art department offered and won! The only stipulation was that at the end of the year I would need to hold an exhibition featuring this campaign, and numerous other sculptures I have been developing over the years.
By AngryJonny at 4:31 PM ON 10/02/09
Cool! If I were Valve, I'd hire Ryan now before someone else does.
By Jordan at 7:56 PM ON 10/02/09
That's fucking magnificent, dude. Cheers to you.
By bob at 8:27 PM ON 10/02/09
nice to see some actual decent work for this game....36 maps huh....hey valve bet you cant top that
By nadrewod at 8:28 PM ON 10/02/09
0_____0 Oh....my.....GOD! Someone who started working on a degree in SCULPTURES immediately turned around and made THIS?!?!?! I have to say, dude, you are freaking TALENTED!
By malkav11 at 8:31 PM ON 10/02/09
Now -this- sounds like it might have been worth shelling out $15 for Left 4 Dead a day or two back. Pity I didn't know about it.
By byaaahh at 8:31 PM ON 10/02/09
Sounds great! Congrats to you bro!
When will it be released? I saw the poster and it looks amazing!
By Chijts at 5:36 AM ON 10/03/09
Surely if these maps are well made he's practically got himself a job for life?
By Azrael at 4:28 PM ON 10/03/09
@malkav11
L4D is reason enough to shell out $15 for L4D.
I've been looking forward to this for a while now. I can't wait to see the finished product.
By Evil at 2:43 PM ON 10/04/09
This is the type of story we should see more often. Especially for those who say video games are a waste of time. It's a really cool concept, and it ties into education well. Kudos to this guy.
By malkav11 at 5:04 PM ON 10/05/09
Left 4 Dead isn't enough reason to spend money, much less $15.
malkav11:
Left 4 Dead isn't enough reason to spend money, much less $15....More »