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C5m5 bridge
Chapter 5
The Bridge (Left 4 Dead 2)
Campaign The Parish
The Parish Chapter Chronology
Chapter 4
The Quarter
Chapter 5
The Bridge (Left 4 Dead 2)
"Encountered? Boy, I am covered in zombie blood and puke and eyeballs and twenty other parts I don't even recognize. We are immune as SHIT!"
Coach
"You heard the man, let's get across the goddamn bridge."
Nick
For the actual in-game bridge, see Veterans Memorial Bridge.

"The Bridge" is the fifth and final chapter of the final campaign, "The Parish".

Strategy[]

Also see: Tactics

All campaign walkthroughs are done on Normal difficulty in single player, and are meant to give tips on what to do and generally point out things that might otherwise be missed.

There are, of course, a few key things to always remember:

  • Stop, look, and listen.
    • Being observant might alert you to something nasty ahead of time, like a Witch, Special Infected or Tank, and allow you to prepare yourself.
  • Teamwork.
    • This cannot be stressed enough. Left 4 Dead is supposed to be a cooperative game. Communicate with your teammates, if you're playing with others, or if you're by yourself with the AI, point out things they might otherwise miss. In all cases, watch out for each other and take care of each other. You are not going to survive the zombie apocalypse by yourself.
  • Be ready for anything.
  • Don't panic.

The military have been bombing everything that moves, but now there's finally a chance to catch up with them. All that stands between you and a lone helicopter is a bridge swarming with Infected. One final push.


Campaign[]

C5m5 bridge00001

The Bridge Exploding

Note: If you've started from previous chapter, there will be up to 10 health kits (4 on the first level, 4 on the second level and additional health kits if the team did poorly) waiting for you, in addition to a second set of weapons on the first level. Compared to other finale safe rooms, there is no ammo pile present inside.

After stocking up on supplies, leave the room and interact with the radio by the dead soldier. The dialogue can be skipped immediately by interacting with the controls to the side after using the radio. Wait for the barrier to drop down before advancing.

Caution: Throughout the bridge, be wary of Chargers, Jockeys and Boomers! They can cause Survivors to hang onto the ledges, weakening the strength of the Survivors. Chargers and Tanks are especially dangerous on the bridge, since they can also kill players instantly if they manage to get a Survivor off the bridge.

When the barrier drops, move forward immediately. The first set of Special Infected spawn from behind, while the Common Infected appear from the front. Dash your way towards the other end of the bridge. Stick to the sides of the bridge, since the middle will have large holes that discourage jumping.

The team will eventually find a crashed Humvee and a ramp leading to the top level. Go up the ramp, then backtrack to find an ambulance containing pain pills and/or adrenaline shots. Keep moving forward until you drop down to the bottom level. There will be a truck to the left with a corpse slumped onto some boxes, along with ammo and extra supplies.

Caution: As soon as you touch an invisible line from the back of the truck, The Tank's music will cue. It is extremely dangerous to fight the Tank in the middle of the bridge, as there are plenty of cars for it to punch. For balancing reasons, these cars will deal reduced damage. However, it is imperative to avoid getting hit by the cars, since players can get stuck and/or take extra damage to cause incapacitation.

As soon as the Tank spawns, either rush past it (if it hasn't visually appeared yet), or fall back to the second level and fight it. While the second level is much more dangerous due to the risk of being punched off the bridge, there is very little for the Tank to punch.

If the players rush past this Tank (or kill it), the Hordes start resuming. Cut your way through them to reach the other side of the bridge.

Upon reaching the last truck, the finale music cues. Unlike other finales where it signifies an endless wave of Tanks, these Tanks will not spawn until the previous one was killed. If the team rushed past the Tank on the bridge, no Tanks should spawn as the team makes their descent to the helicopter. Grab the pipe bombs from the Humvee if you don't have any throwables and launch it at the horde. While there are supplies at the truck, they aren't worth grabbing.

A Heavy Machine Gun is present in this area; however, it's best to ignore it as it provides little for the Survivors. Run towards the helicopter and enter it with any remaining teammates to finish the chapter.

Versus[]

The Survivors[]

  • Plan ahead. A good plan is better than just running and hoping for the best.
  • You need to keep moving as much as possible.
  • Newcomers should be on the lookout for gaps in the bridge. A few careless steps can send you off the edge.
  • It's good to stop for a few seconds every now and then to clear the path ahead; however, tell your teammates when you do this and resume movement as quickly as possible.
  • When the Tank comes, you can climb on the scaffolding on the left and right sides of the bridge to avoid being hit by cars. If the Tank follows, be sure to jump back onto the bridge carefully.

The Infected[]

Save

The bridge collapsing as the Survivors escape

See also: The Special Infected

Move just as much as the Survivors. There are various holes in the bridge and the sides are usually not protected by gates, so carrying Survivors off the edge will cause them to hang or fall to their death. This is their last hope. Crush it.

Overall Tips

  • Survivors that have been separated from their teammates are significantly more vulnerable to attack than Survivors that are in groups. Make an effort to attack Survivors that are far from their teammates, as you will be able to deal significant damage before they are saved and you are killed.
  • The Survivors all have outlines around them, showing their status and location. Green means they're healthy. Yellow means they're hurt. Red means they're low on health. Purple means they've been covered in Boomer bile. You can probably discern which to seek out first, if possible.
  • Think like a Survivor. When you play as one, when are the worst times that something could come at you? Exploit that knowledge.
  • Teamwork, as aforementioned. Has a Boomer gotten its bile all over the Survivors? Jump one of them or a clean one. They can't see their teammates' aura until they're clean...and by then it might be too late.
  • As much as teamwork is a strength for you and your enemies, a lack of it will be their downfall. If you can focus all of your energy on killing one of the Survivors, the rest will be that much easier to take down. Not only will they have one less gun, but they will have three Survivors to your three incapacitating Infected.


The Hunter: Try to pounce the last Survivor during moments of confusion (Tanks, Boomer Bile, etc.), as most Survivors will keep moving before they realize their teammate is in trouble. It's a good idea to claw weak Survivors who usually trail the pack until you incapacitate them, and then hide and then pounce the rescuer to add more damage to their team. Practice makes perfect, so if you can practice, the bridge holds few very good wall-jump positions, which leave Survivors wondering where you are going to come from.

The Jockey: You can do wonders on this stage, especially if the Survivors are scattered. If you can successfully ride one, you can take them backwards and/or cause them to hang on the side of the bridge. Be aware that this will most likely end in your demise, so have a buddy close at hand to take care of any rescuer, or your sacrifice will be in vain. You can also ride a bot off the bridge as bots do not resist the Jockey's influence, allowing you to disable them quick.

The Charger: When the opportunity arises, try to charge a Survivor off the bridge from the sides or one of the many holes in the middle of the bridges. If this isn't possible at the time being, try to grab the Survivor at the back and carry them back; this way, Survivors either need to go back and kill you, or leave their teammate to die. Chargers can take Survivors from Jockeys, which can confuse Survivors, as well as it can let the Jockey set a new ambush position. You can also follow up when a Jockey carries a Survivors off an edge by grabbing and carrying their rescuer to their death.

The Smoker: Try to grab the one that is behind. This can slow the whole Survivor team down. They will either run back to save him, buying your team more time, or run ahead, leaving him to die. Also remember that the many holes in the bridge can instantly incapacitate or kill a Survivor, so try to drag stragglers off whenever possible. Your tongue will break and you can hide. As with Jockeys, have a buddy close to grab any wannabe heroes.

The Boomer: Try to vomit on Survivors when possible. This will summon a horde that can slow down Survivors, especially those that are in the front and away from the other Survivors. This will leave one person fighting off the horde. Remember that when you explode, you can push players back. Take care when near captured Survivors or Tanks, but attempt to explode near Survivors who are close to holes or the sides of the bridge. The blindness has an added effect: it might cause the Survivor to mistakenly run into a hole, which is instant death.

The Spitter: You might not do so well this level as the Survivors are constantly moving; your spit is stationary once fired and there are usually multiple paths through the bridge. There are also no "good" hiding spots to take cover in. Attempt to do as much damage to the Survivors as you can, trying to get in places where they have to go, such as the ladder on the fuel truck after the Tank. Also, since most players won't cross goo even here, try to spit to split up the Survivors so your team can pick them off, or put the Survivors in immediate (and deadly) danger. Another way to slow Survivors is spitting at where they need to call the pilot, though there is not a great hiding spot to do this from. If you plan to do this, expect to die shortly after you spit.

The Tank: If the enemy team is not climbing on the scaffolds, you can easily bash them with cars. It's a great way to slow down Survivors and then rush up to them. For The Bridge, cars will not instantly incapacitate Survivors, instead doing a set amount of damage, so follow up attacks. Do realize that even though you are a feared team member of the Infected, the large number of cars and the distance you will spawn from the Survivors will mean more time to get to them. It is usually faster to punch cars out of the way than to bother jumping and hopping over them. Keep an eye on your frustration meter. Be aware that there are several propane tanks on the bridge, and if Survivors time it right, they can stumble you off into the water. It is also good to punch the Survivors off the bridge.

Survival[]

See also: Survival Mode

The military left the Survivors behind, and now the only army left is an army of Infected. Stranded on the Bridge, how long can they hold out?

Overall Tips

  • Teamwork is essential to long-term survival.
  • In this mode, most of the popular choke points, closets and easily defensible corners are removed. Even if you find one that has not been removed, it is not recommended that you fight from there as The Tank will quickly defeat you when he arrives.
  • You have an infinite amount of time to prepare. Use this to your advantage. Take as much time as you need to set up gas cans, propane tanks, oxygen tanks, and to find a good place to fight from.
  • When searching for a place to fight from, remember that you need a location that not only limits where the horde attacks from, but also gives you a fair chance against the Tank. You either need to be able to fall back and deal with the Tank easily, or have a good enough vantage point to kill him before he can get too close.
  • Ammunition is a problem. Unless you are being overrun with Infected or fighting a Tank, try to use your pistols as much as possible. Conserving ammunition should be a priority, as trying to get more during a horde attack can often be fatal. When you do head out for ammunition, remember to take at least one teammate with you.

The Helipad Strategy

The helipad is an open and wide area, so Tanks can be killed effectively with minimal damage taken. The water on one side acts as a barrier from behind, the only area from which you will be attacked is the front so you can easily focus fire on the hordes of Infected heading for you. Be wary, however, because Special Infected such as the Charger or the Jockey can carry you into the water, leaving you incapacitated on the edge. Equally, there's no room to flee or retreat due to the water. There are plenty of item stashes, including inside the helicopter itself where there are health kits and a defibrillator. The helipad is accessed by the two walkways at the front, which creates a useful choke point for funneling the Infected.


The Radio Strategy

As it's at the center point of the map, it has quick access to all the ammo piles and pill stashes around the area but is equally far away from every other stash including the helipad. The area itself has its own ammo pile which can be camped by and used when needed, so you're not short on bullets. There are many fences and walls in this area that can act as blockades, causing Infected to be thinned out and easily picked off, and the lower walls allow a quick escape from Spitter acid. Unfortunately, this area has a large problem because with the bridge looming over the area in front, Infected have a tendency to drop off and land all around, causing chaos and increased difficulty in controlling the horde.

The Bridge Strategy

Fighting from the high end of the bridge, like with the helipad, allows Survivors to funnel the Infected and mostly there won't be any Infected attacking from the sides. Special Infected, such as Smokers, can attack from behind however, leaving you vulnerable. There's an Assault Rifle and an Auto shotgun near the area for ammo. Staying near the Assault rifle and switching it if your weapon is empty, allows you to almost shot nonstop without reloading. Collecting gas cans and hoarding them from this position can be extremely useful for dealing with Tanks, throwing them down can set a Tank on fire long before he can reach the Survivors. The tents at the high end of the bridge allow an excellent vantage point for taking out Tanks with a grenade launcher or a sniper rifle for the Special Infected. Chargers are the main concern as they can bowl through the tightly knitted group and cause disturbance in the line. This area falls short with no health kits, a few pain pills and adrenaline shots. This makes it dangerous if you plan to get supplies from the radio below as you can easily get swarmed and overwhelmed. Just like the helicopter strategy, there is nowhere to retreat, making it hard to escape from an attack.

Bridge Video Guide

Left_4_Dead_2_Survival,_The_Parish's_Bridge_-_pt._1

Left 4 Dead 2 Survival, The Parish's Bridge - pt. 1

Achievements[]

Bridge over troubled slaughter
BRIDGE OVER TREBLED SLAUGHTER (30G)
Cross the bridge finale in less than three minutes.

Bridge burner
BRIDGE BURNER (20G)
Survive The Parish campaign.


Behind the Scenes[]

L4D2BridgeBombed1

The military bombing the bridge

Originally, "The Bridge" was created with no cars or anything other than the Infected in the way. Valve changed this later, as described in the Developer's Commentary for this chapter.

The bridge itself was going to be bombed by the military while the Survivors were crossing it. This was cut for unknown reasons, though still appears in the Zombie Survival Guide Trailer, with Rochelle speaking to the military through a hand-held radio, requesting the bombing stop. The jets that were meant to bomb the bridge can still be seen in-game, returning from the city and bombing the bridge only before and after the survivors' run.

Notes[]

  • There is a bug that can cause Special Infected (and rarely, hordes) to spawn before the gauntlet crescendo starts. To perform this bug, the player(s) must leave the safe room, while the top level of the safe room is empty. This is easily achievable by having one player leave the safe room, while the rest of them are on the lower level. If done right, Special Infected should start spawning after a set amount of time passes.
  • If any of the Infected are killed inside the helicopter, the bodies will clip through. This also happens to the Spitter's acid (and will not harm any of the Survivors).
  • Before you start the finale, a corpse holding the radio you use to contact the chopper is exactly the same one from the "Runway Finale" in "Dead Air".
  • If you activate the Lower the Bridge button and noclip to the helipad before the bridge lowers, once the bridge lowers completely, the game will crash.
  • A CEDA Trailer can be seen moments before you head to the chopper.
  • Each of the Survivors can communicate to the Soldiers at the radio. But, only one can actually talk to them. Also each survivor has their own unique script when they communicate with them.
    • If Coach or Rochelle speaks with the military first, upon interacting with the bridge controls, Nick will speak in their place.
    • This has been fixed as of September 2020 update so now Coach and Rochelle are also be able to speak upon interacting with bridge controls.
  • Jumping into the helicopter's rotor blades will incapacitate Survivors.
  • This finale is absurdly easy in Last Man on Earth Mutation, because the common infected does not spawn, and you are the only survivor in the game, and special infected rarely even reach you. While the Tank will always spawn, an adrenaline shot can outrun him.

The tall buildings in the background seem to stop burning in this chapter.

  • The helicopter sounds plays even if the player is very far away.
C5m5 bridge0000

The sign

Videos of early versions[]

References[]


Campaigns
Left 4 Dead Left 4 Dead 2
Achievement Mercy Killer No Mercy
The Apartments / The Subway / The Sewer / The Hospital / Rooftop Finale
Achievement Price Chopper Dead Center
The Hotel / The Streets / The Mall / The Atrium
Achievement Crash-proof Crash Course
The Alleys / The Truck Depot Finale
Achievement Torch Bearer The Passing
The Riverbank / The Underground / The Port
Achievement Toll Collector Death Toll
The Turnpike / The Drains / The Church / The Town / Boathouse Finale
Achievement Midnight Rider Dark Carnival
The Highway / The Fairgrounds / The Coaster / The Barns / The Concert
Achievement Dead Baron Dead Air
The Greenhouse / The Crane / The Construction Site / The Terminal / Runway Finale
Achievement Ragin' Cajun Swamp Fever
Plank Country / The Swamp / Shanty Town / The Plantation
Achievement Grim Reaper Blood Harvest
The Woods / The Tunnel / The Bridge / The Train Station / Farmhouse Finale
Achievement Weatherman Hard Rain
The Milltown / The Sugar Mill / Mill Escape / Return To Town / Town Escape
Achievement Supreme Sacrifice The Sacrifice
The Docks / The Barge / Port Finale
Achievement Bridge Burner The Parish
The Waterfront / The Park / The Cemetery / The Quarter / The Bridge
Non-Canon Campaigns
Achievement Last Stand The Last Stand
The Lighthouse
Achievement Stream Crosser Cold Stream
Alpine Creek / South Pine Stream / Memorial Bridge / Cut-throat Creek
L4D Random Map Cropped Dam It (unfinished)
Orchard / Campground / Dam
Achievement Still Standing The Last Stand
The Junkyard / Lighthouse Finale
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