Versus

Versus mode involves up to eight human players. A match begins with a play through a campaign stage, with one team playing as Survivors, and the others as randomly-determined Special Infected. Survivors must make their way to the Safe Room at the end of the stage without dying (as there are no Rescue Closets) while the Special Infected die countless times trying to stop them. The Survivors must use all of their wits (and game plans) to survive a more intelligent bunch of Special Infected, and should expect more ambushes and group attacks.

A group of Survivors repelling human-controlled Infected (shown from the Infected viewpoint) during a particularly violent Versus match.

The Infected players spawn as a randomly determined Special Infected and prowl after the Survivors, attempting to incapacitate, waylay, or (if they’re lucky) kill their human foes. At some point, one of the Infected spawns as a Tank, wreaking additional carnage. (This is a key time for the rest of the team to attack, too.) Witches also randomly appear, and should be used to help the Infected players secure additional wounding.

Once all of the Survivors have reached their Safe Room or have died, the stage is played again with the roles reversed.

Special Infected begin as “ghosts,” and can move up buildings, walls, poles, and other scenery that Survivors cannot reach. They must spawn in an area the Survivors can’t see, as indicated by an onscreen prompt.

As “ghosts” the players can pass through doors and aren’t seen by Survivors (but are seen by their Special Infected teammates).

When both sides have finished the stage, the game totals up scores based on the criteria that includes the average distance traveled (the closer to the Safe Room the Survivors made it, the more points are awarded), the number of Survivors that made it, which map is being played within a campaign (earlier maps being worth less than later maps), and the percentage of the finale that is completed. The higher scoring team is the winner.