Dilemma: Bioshock, Bioshock 2 or L4D2?

I've got some cash to spare and these three have caught my aye.

The metacritic review for Bioshock was outstanding, and it is cheaper but does not have GFW Live which I actually appreciate as it should be appreciated.

Bioshock to is more expensive and has a slightly lower score, but has GFW Live which I really like. (P.S. I am not a DRM extremists to I don't care about the admin right root key etc. issues!)

Left 4 Dead 2 sounds great fun, but I have the old one and it sounds just like a repeat with added chainsaws. I have DOW for men with chainsaws.

Can anyone suggest which one is worth having more or an even better game to get? I may end up indulging and getting both Bioshocks or BS 2 and L4D but I'd rather avoid that!

Here's something even better.

Haha god bless the muppets, eh? Seriously though, what would you suggest?

I'd go with L4D2, and the original Bioshock thrown in for good measure if you can afford it (I think it's like 10 bucks on Steam, or something). I love the original Bioshock, it's terrific, but have no intention of buying the second, based on everything I've read about it... Sounds too much like a hastily made sequel with not much new added. Not to mention it is supposedly very unstable for the time being. The recycling ideas part may hold true for L4D2 as well, to an extent, but at least there's more meat on the bones...new characters, a story arc, and so forth.

Bioshock is under £9 from Amazon, I think that might be winning. I've already ordered the Orange Box from Amazon, so I think I'll get Bioshock soon. Depending on how Bioshock turns out, I'll either go from L4D or BS2.

Left 4 Dead 2 is so much fun. I haven't played BS2, so I truly can't speak to its quality, but several of my colleagues in the gaming/game review section of the site I write for have been pretty sour over how short the game is.

Thanks, I didn't know BS2 had a short campaign and I didn't like the shortness of MW2, so I think I'll definitely go Bioshock and the Left 4 Dead 2. Thanks guys!

Bioshock 1 is certainly worth picking up at it's current price - I've seen it for less than a tenner in the UK. It's great fun and worth playing before BS2 if you do go for that at a later date.

I wonder what the ping times would be like when playing L4D2 between the USA and UK - we could get a W7F match going one day

Great idea! W7F steam group is a must have I reckon!

L4D2 is good... if you have friends to play it with. It's definitely not a single player game, and playing with strangers takes most of the fun out of it.

Ian, I've played on a few UK servers... pings usually 250 for me, 350 for my friends on your side if they play over here... 250 is really my limit, beyond that I can't stand the lag/detection delay.