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C1m4 atrium
Chapter 4
The Atrium
Campaign Dead Center
Dead Center Chapter Chronology
Chapter 3
The Mall
Chapter 4
The Atrium
"CEDA's not gonna save us. Any ideas?"
Nick
"Okay, So plan A is to find this car...Plan B is we stay in this mall and die."
Rochelle

The Atrium is the final chapter to the Dead Center campaign, serving as the campaign's finale. In gameplay terms, it is a derivative of Scavenge Mode requiring players to collect a set number of Gas Cans and refuel a stock car while under attack from Common and Special Infected―including Tanks. It is possible for Tanks not to even spawn, if you fuel the car fast enough.

Finding Liberty Mall completely overrun and abandoned by CEDA, Ellis comes up with the idea of escaping in Jimmy Gibbs Junior's Stock Car, which fortuitously had been put on public display in the mall just before the Infection hit Savannah. Unfortunately for safety reasons, the car's gas tank is empty, and this requires the Survivors to dash around the zombie-infested mall atrium retrieving a requisite number of Gas Cans and pour them into the car's gas tank before the car can be started and rammed out of the mall's front doors.

The chapter opens with the Survivors entering the mall atrium and instantly gaining the sickening realization that, yet again, CEDA failed, and they must fall back on their own wits and resources in order to escape. Ellis' stock car escape plan is quickly conceptualized as they descend to ground level in an elevator and put into effect immediately thereafter. Gas Cans are distributed singly and in pairs in three zones in the mall atrium: the ground floor, up the stairs to the stock car's right-rear, and up the stairs to the car's right front quarter.

An ammo pile and four health packs are in plain sight on the counters of a central atrium service kiosk.

Common Infected spawn as a series of mini-hordes seemingly triggered by players entering a map hot spot. As a general rule, these are not particularly daunting on account of their small group sizes and the long distances they must cover in order to attack players (for example, they are nowhere near as numerous as their counterparts in Dark Carnival's The Barns gauntlet crescendo event). In the normal scheme of things, Tanks appear periodically in this finale and follow the usual choreography of appearing after a momentary lull in Common Infected activity. Special Infected do make a sporadic appearance, but again these are somewhat underrepresented.

Strategy[]

The atrium inside the elevator

The Survivors in the elevator.

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 Atrium has a fast car. Survivors must fill it with gas cans. But, of course, the Infected won't let them do so.



Campaign[]

Grab a weapon and search the bathrooms for any potential supplies. Follow the short and simple path to the elevator. In unfortunate cases, a Witch may spawn in the vicinity and needs to be startled in order to progress. Once everyone is in the elevator, press the button to close it. A Shotgun-type weapon can be a useful weapon to carry and used later on.

Atrium going to the fuel

Searching for fuel.

It's time to get gas for the car! In single player mode, as well as in any single player Mutations, you only need to collect 8 gas cans. On all other modes, all 13 gas cans must be collected. Other than an individual can that is guaranteed to spawn directly in front of the elevator, cans spawn randomly in groups of two at six out of eight possible locations around the Atrium. One location is on the ground floor of the atrium, four are on the second floor, and three are on the top floor. All of the gas cans are illuminated with a white outline which will help players locate them. When carried, they turn yellow. If destroyed, the gas can will respawn in the spot that it was originally grabbed from.

You can bring a gas can from previous chapters if you found one. It will count towards the required cans but can occasionally glitch the game.

There are several methods to collecting gas cans:

  • Carry and use — Grab a gas can, and go back to the car and fill it up. A relatively simple method but is somewhat time consuming.
  • Juggling — Carry multiple gas cans at once. Try to ensure the gas cans are close to each other so you can pick them up quickly. When you grab a gas can, use the "fire" button; this will throw the gas can in front of you. Pick up another gas can nearby and repeat until you reach the car.
  • Stockpile — A variant of the juggling method, the team grabs all the gas cans and drops them off near the car. For the gas cans in the higher floors, throw them to the car. This is very effective, as the player won't have to run for long distances just for getting the gas. Instead, they can throw everything to the first floor, then

Players should be wary that on multiplayer modes with human-controlled Infected, Spitters can destroy gas cans with their spit if they have been picked up. As a result, stockpiling is not advised on those game modes.

The atrium the fuel on car

Putting oil in the car.

Most gas cans are located with other supplies, such as throwables, temporary health items and melee weapons. Try to take utilize them the best you can to stop the Infected from swarming you.

There are several "shortcuts" of the sort in the finale area which can be used to drastically speed up the time it takes to move around. Don't jump from one floor to another, as it will often result in incapitation or death.

With the stockpiling method, it is possible to get the needed gas cans before the Tank can spawn (which unlocks the achievement POLE POSITION) or reach the team. Finding an adrenaline shot in the area (or keeping it from the previous chapters) is extremely valuable, as it will speed up the amount of time it takes to expend a gas can. Bile Bombs are also comes very handy if one is actually aiming for the aformentioned achievement as it can delay Tank spawn (by not killing the Common Infected).

C1m4 atrium0007

Escaping the mall!

If you take too long to collect the gas cans, the Director will start sending out endless waves of hordes and Tanks. However, the team should already have the gas cans far before this will occur.

Once the car is filled, everyone should get on the podium, and watch the car rams out of the mall.

Versus[]

The Survivors[]

The Survivors can use nearly the same tactics as in campaign mode. The only major difference is that human-controlled Spitters may try to destroy gas cans dropped from higher floors.

Half and half

This method requires two players to cover each other at the car, while the other two go around collecting gas cans and throwing them down to the two players on the ground. One person can pour the gas while the other person covers them. This is risky when doing Scavenge or Versus, as a pair of Infected such as the Hunter, Jockey, Charger, or Smoker may ambush the two stationary Survivors before they get the chance to save the other.

All for one and one for all

This method has all Survivors travel together to collect gas. Two players will grab gas cans, while the other two take care of swarms. Once you collect a pair of cans, DO NOT throw them down! Walk down and pour them both in, then go collect two more. This is a good strategy for Versus or Scavenge games since it prevents the Spitter from igniting cans that have been tossed down.

Risky Procedures

This method has (like All for one and one for all) all four Survivors traveling together. However, instead of simply going downstairs and pouring each gas can in, the Survivors toss several gas cans down, fairly separated from one another, and once a few have accumulated (usually every can on a given floor) the Survivors go down and pour them into the car. This is exceptionally useful if the players know that they can defend themselves well.

The Infected[]

See also: The Special Infected

The Survivors may be immune to infection, but they're not immune to death; no one is. Work together and prove that no one can survive the rampant virus, one way or another.


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 Boomer: When playing as the Boomer, cause as much havoc as possible. Vomiting on those with gas cans could cause them to panic and drop their can. This could also lead to shooting the can. A popular strategy in this level is spawning and waiting either behind the car (or in the upper floor levels right behind it), waiting for Survivors to start pouring, and puking on them. If you happen to explode next to a dropped (yellow) can, your explosion will send the can flying away.

The Charger: DO NOT attempt to charge from a height, because you will fail. Attacking groups or loners, the Charger is always the best shot. There are a lot of straight hallways that the Survivors must travel through to get cans. Also, a Charger can break through the glass railings on the upper floors while he's charging. If he manages to charge a Survivor off these ledges, it can cause incapacitation or death. Charging a Survivor while he/she is pouring makes an easy target for a charge, seeing as they can't move for a few seconds while pouring. The Survivor also drops the can, and can potentially be very far from the rest of the Survivors.

At the top floor of the far staircase (by the car), a good Charger can pull off the Insta-kill. As long as at least two Survivors reach the base of the top floor section of the stairs you can charge one and send the other crashing to their death on the atrium floor below!

The Hunter: Aim for those with gas cans—they will drop them directly next to you, and any savior with a shotgun is sure to hit it. If a Smoker has somebody, pounce someone else, preferably the ensnared Survivor's rescuer. Also, if you stand on the fourth-story ledge, just above the car, and you wait until a Survivor tries to pour a gas can inside, they are helpless for a 25+ point pounce. Another spot for this devastating 25+ pounce is on the top floor to the right of the lift shaft when looking at the car. Crouch on the glass ledge and aim directly above the car enlined with the hight of the third-floor walkway opposite. If lined up correctly, you will be able to knock off 25 health from the unsuspecting Survivor. If you go to the third floor and go to the cans on the right of the staircase, a Hunter can hide in the hole above it. There is also a closed door in the hole that doesn't lead anywhere. Another spot for a 25 damage pounce is near the elevator the survivors must go to in order to have access to the first floor. Pounce on the top of the wooden support frame from the opposite direction of the elevator. Move forward a bit, and then look upwards and pounce. You will get on an invisible, see-through wall. Just go forward, wait for a survivor to pour gas into the car, and pounce.

The Jockey: Aim for Survivors on their own—these can be easily dragged into the many closets where hordes spawn. When attacking groups, aim for Spitter goo or attack in a pair, one Survivor will take massive damage. Try to get Survivors that are pouring cans into the car (they are usually by themselves), plus there is a chance they might panic and drop the can, which a Spitter can easily destroy.

There is a spot on the third floor, between the stairs from the ground floor and the pillar next to it, that does not have a railing and never has any glass. It is easy to steer a Survivor off this ledge, forcing them to hang from it until someone comes to help.

The Smoker: Go to a high vantage point in the atrium and cause plenty of damage. Remember, you need to be able to run away and recharge after an attack. Alert a Hunter to pounce your prey's rescuer and wait patiently. Smoking Survivors that are pouring is a great way to buy more time, separate the Survivors, and expose a can to be destroyed.

The Spitter: Spitters are very valuable in this level, as they can hide in the upper levels (specifically the 4th that only Infected can access) and constantly spit on the car or any other high-value target on the lower floors. Spitter goo can ignite dropped gas cans (the ones with orange highlights). This is an invaluable ability when Survivors are throwing down cans from upper levels, as this will greatly delay the time it takes them to recover more cans. There is a spot right above the car which can be used on Scavenge and Versus. Simply wait here and spit at those trying to fill the car; you do not need to aim much.

The Tank: Remember to use concrete for those pesky, fast Survivors. If on the second floor, whack your opponent over the edges. Be careful of the many fuel tanks that survivors may scatter about the place in case of fire, but this could be used to your advantage to delay the other team's progress. You are vulnerable when you are out on the ground in the open and especially when you are climbing, so ensure that you spend minimal amounts of time on ground floor.

Scavenge[]

L4d2 3

Ellis and Rochelle in the Mall atrium

In this level, you can use nearly the same tactics used in Campaign mode. Keep in mind that:

  • Unlike campaign mode, the amount, location, and types of supplies always stay the same. Gas cans are always in the same location, as well.
  • There are now 16 possible cans to collect. Three are on the first floor, seven are on the second floor, and six are on the third floor.
  • No Tanks spawn in Scavenge mode
  • All Survivors automatically start with a medkit and pills
  • There are three adrenaline shots on one of the kiosks in the safe area. These can prove to be valuable (as you run faster and can't be slowed down while carrying the cans), can revive teammates quicker, and can fuel the car quicker.
  • There are usually multiple items laying around the can locations (i.e. Pills, Molotovs, and even Tier 2 weapons)

Survival[]

See also: Survival Mode

The Survivors reach the Atrium, Ellis' plan is put into motion, but to their shock, there are no gas cans to be found. With an endless horde hot on their tail, how long will 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.

This map takes the Survival round. Players start off near the info booth where they would find health kits, weapons, ammo piles, etc. The info booth contains a Propane Tank, two gas cans, an Assault Rifle, Combat Rifle, Tactical Shotgun, Sniper Rifle, both ammo upgrades, fourth health kits, and two Bile Bombs. The closed booths contain the radio to start the horde, a grenade launcher, a Magnum, and throwable items such as the Molotov and Pipe Bomb.

As for general stationary tactics, there are 5 nice spots to hold:

Top Floor[]

Pros

Cons

  • Can be flanked several ways by the Infected (four "Infected" ladders)
  • The high elevation can kill a player if they are knocked away by a Charger, punched by a Tank or dragged by a Smoker.

Second Floor[]

Pros

  • Much closer to weapon area.
  • Ammo refill.
  • Same items as the above floor.
  • A defibrillator by the ammo.
  • A Propane Tank.

Cons

  • Falling from this floor leads to incapacitation.
  • Can only be accessed by the stairs on the elevator's side or by climbing all the way up to the third floor and jumping down.
  • Close to two Infected spawn points.

Starting Area[]

Pros

  • Large volumes of supplies nearby.
  • Some gas cans and a Propane Tank.

Cons

  • Very easy to get surrounded.
  • Tanks and Hordes cause problems.

Information Kiosk Roof[]

Pros

  • Very good vantage point, difficult for most infected to reach you.
  • Supplies very close by.

Cons

  • Smokers and Spitters are an obvious threat to your team.
  • Survivors that have fallen off will have difficulty getting back up with relentless hordes.
  • Unless the initiator is quick, s/he may not make it to the roof unscathed.
  • Bots cannot pathfind their way onto the roof.

Gas cans and Propane Tanks are all over the place; place them in a spot you want to stay in for a long amount of time. Each floor has throwable items such as the Molotov and Pipe Bomb, Pain Pills, Adrenaline, and ammo replenisher. The third (or second if you call your starting place ground), is close to the staircases. The second (or first), is not recommended because this is where Special Infected and the Tank usually like to spawn at.

Mini-hordes also seem to come; they don't come in massive amounts like their other Survival maps.

Running around in Circles

A very popular strategy for those who want to earn gold as fast as possible or a little easier.

Due to the Circle shape of The Atrium most people go to the Top floor break the Windows and run around circles through the Map until they get to the Top floor again

Pros

  • Easiest way to get gold
  • Supplies are very well scattered
  • Can outrun the Tank

Cons

  • Need to be close to the team
  • A favourite spot for smoker as they can smoke nearby survivors a sniper rifle is therefore recommended
  • High chance of special infected

Easter Eggs[]

  • The stock car and its driver are likely references to Dale Earnhardt Jr., a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver who drove the 88 car, and Richard Petty who drove a Dodge Daytona and a Plymouth Superbird in 1969-70, respectively, in NASCAR with the characteristically huge spoiler and blue paint. The game's driver gets his name from five-time NASCAR champion owner Joe Gibbs.
  • The Uncommon Infected is Jimmy Gibbs Jr. himself. He has 1000 health and will spawn only once and very rarely. He is immune to fire and covers the screen with motor oil like a Mudman with mud. The Survivors also have special lines when seeing his zombie.

Notes[]

Jimmy

Infected Jimmy Gibbs Jr.

  • If the console command "noclip" is used to get out of the mall when the stock car in the finale exits, players can see there are no Infected outside and there is no route available where the stock car can drive to.
  • This is the only finale in which the cinematic does not fully show the rescue vehicle whisking Survivors away from the Infected. While vehicles usually disappear from the final shot as the credits roll, this cinematic ends with a freeze-frame of the stock car as the Survivors jump it through the crowd, reminiscent of the 1980s TV show The Dukes of Hazzard.
    • On the PC version, the screen will sometimes go black during the final shot, depending on the performance of the user's computer.
  • Oddly, when stepping out of the elevator, the player is told "Rescue is Coming, Defend yourselves!" even though they are required to fill up the vehicle and create their own rescue.
    • Left 4 Dead did this as well, when the Survivors refuel the plane in Dead Air during the finale. The game similarly says "Rescue is Coming, Defend yourselves!" even though the plane is sitting right in front of the fuel tanker without fuel.
  • As with the previous chapter, the CEDA Worker Infected do not spawn in this chapter.
  • When it is driven, Jimmy Gibbs' stock car isn't actually solid; Infected that get "hit" by the car do not die.
  • Interestingly, while in the glass elevator, Ellis will explain his plan to escape the mall, which is to use Jimmy Gibbs Junior's stock car. Part of the plan is to "find the car" even though it is clearly visible from the elevator (as is the layout of the atrium). During a recent update to the PC version, this was changed to Ellis stating "Find a gas can!" instead.
  • Infected spawn if you fail to reach the main area of the lobby in time. Heading back to the safe room (the hallway) will spawn them depending on time and difficulty. Oddly enough, even though an "Incoming Attack!" is shown in the captions, Common Infected do not spawn, only Special Infected.
  • The rescue vehicle resembles the 1969 Dodge Charger with a rear spoiler.
  • If the player creates a lobby so that others may join them, but then play the game on their own, the game will expect them to retrieve 13 gas cans even on Easy. Playing the game in Single Player mode does not have this effect.
  • When playing online alone, although the car requires 13 gas cans, sometimes the game will think the player only needs eight. This causes the game to spawn Tanks and hordes as if they were escaping even though they would still need five more gas cans.
  • If a Witch spawns on this level, she will be sitting down, instead of wandering like in the rest of the campaign. She is most likely to be found right when the Survivors open the elevator.
  • Much of the level is reused in Survival and Scavenge, though the number and position of supplies differ.
  • If the "noclip" console command is used to get to the ground floor without using the elevator, the finale can be started by pressing the use key at the information counter.
    • The player can also do this without noclipping by simply activating the elevator, killing a teammate, and then revive them when they are floating up. It will act similar to the elevator on The Hotel where the Survivor will float and be revived above the elevator). This won't start the horde and they will have to start the finale by using the information counter (confirmed on both PC and Xbox 360).
  • As players turn the corner to the elevator after they leave the safe room, there is a plank of wood, a space, then a support frame. If they jump into this space correctly and move forward, the Survivor will scream and be instantly killed.[citation needed]
  • Jimmy Gibbs Jr.'s stock car cannot be punched by The Tank for balancing reasons.
  • There are no infected in the first floor before using the elevator, presumably because it would be easy to shoot them all in the third floor or waiting inside the elevator.
    ScreenshotDCGlitch

    All the survivors on the display after collecting all 13 gas cans.

  • There is a glitch where once the elevator doors open, the rescue music starts playing. This causes neverending tanks and hordes to spawn until all the survivors are dead. This effectively softlocks the game as there is no way to fix this, other than just restarting the entire campaign. The team getting wiped and restarting the chapter will result in the glitch happening again.
Campaigns
Left 4 Dead Left 4 Dead 2
L4d no mercy
No Mercy
The Apartments / The Subway / The Sewer / The Hospital / Rooftop Finale Price chopper
Dead Center
The Hotel / The Streets / The Mall / The Atrium
L4d achievement survive garage
Crash Course
The Alleys / The Truck Depot Finale Torch-Bearer
The Passing
The Riverbank / The Underground / The Port
L4d death toll
Death Toll
The Turnpike / The Drains / The Church / The Town / Boathouse Finale Midnight rider
Dark Carnival
The Highway / The Fairgrounds / The Coaster / The Barns / The Concert
L4d dead air
Dead Air
The Greenhouse / The Crane / The Construction Site / The Terminal / Runway Finale Ragin cajun
Swamp Fever
Plank Country / The Swamp / Shanty Town / The Plantation
L4d blood harvest
Blood Harvest
The Woods / The Tunnel / The Bridge / The Train Station / Farmhouse Finale Weatherman
Hard Rain
The Milltown / The Sugar Mill / Mill Escape / Return To Town / Town Escape
Supreme sacrifice
The Sacrifice
The Docks / The Barge / Port Finale Bridge burner
The Parish
The Waterfront / The Park / The Cemetery / The Quarter / The Bridge
Non-Canon
L4D last stand
The Last Stand
The Lighthouse Streamcrosser
Cold Stream
Alpine Creek / South Pine Stream / Memorial Bridge / Cut-throat Creek
L4d outbreak
Dam It
(unfinished)
Orchard / Campground / Dam Achievement Still Standing
The Last Stand
The Junkyard / Lighthouse Finale
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