5. The Parish
Left 4 Dead 2's the Parish takes us to the streets of New Orleans to do battle with zombies on the way to the safety of a military controlled helicopter. The stage will have you going in and out of many buildings, activating Mardi Gras floats, constantly being bombarded with bombs from fighter jets, quietly--or not--making your way through a car lot full of armed car alarms and navigating an always evolving above ground cemetery. Then, you reach the campaign's epic finale as you make a mad dash across a bridge towards freedom and the end of the game. The Parish is easily one of the best campaigns ever featured in the Left 4 Dead series and was a fitting conclusion to the game that has since left us wondering if it will be the chronologically last campaign in the Left 4 Dead franchise ever.
4. Dark Carnival
Left 4 Dead 2's best on-disc campaign has to be Dark Carnival. From the opening moments of Ellis crying over leaving the Jimmy Gibbs car and Coach's fond memories of visiting the park as a kid to the epic rock concert finale, Dark Carnival offers the most excitement of nearly any campaign in the series' history. The campaign features many great lines from both Ellis and Coach that helped make them two of the most popular characters in the game, and it featured other great moments such as the carnival games, merry go round run and roller coaster run. If it wasn't for the annoying endless waves of zombies at the end of the fourth stage, this could've very well been the best campaign ever.
3. Dead Air
Holy crap!!! That plane just crashed right in my face! Dead Air probably features the most memorable campaign finale for this reason alone, and then, you encounter the annoying pilot that needs fuel for his plane but won't allow you to come inside while it's filling up. Thanks a lot jerk! The rest of the campaign is fun as well, as you make your way through abandoned apartments down to the street level then back up through more apartments only to go back down and make your way to the local airport. Of course, the fourth stage is pretty incredible when you crash a van through a locked gate and alert a horde in the middle of the terminal, then your noob teammate walks through a metal detector moments after clearing out the massive horde just to start a new horde all over again. The campaign is a lot of fun and one of the best ever.
2. Cold Stream
Maybe it's just because this map is so fresh on my mind, but it really does seem like an instant classic to me. Running through a remote forest area to in search of a rescue helicopter that will take the four survivors to safety is a blast. Mudmen are back on this stage which gives you an idea of what Swamp Fever could've been if it didn't turn out so horribly bland. The campaign features many exciting moments that eventually culminate with a made dash through a helicopter wreckage and trees full of zombies to get to a different helicopter with a long ladder that must be climbed to safety. This simple task provides some of the most intense moments of the campaign as you hope you and your teammates can all get aboard without being snatched by a special infected at the last second. I'm not coming down to save you Nick!
1. No Mercy
No Mercy is likely the first campaign anyone played of Left 4 Dead. The first stage and a half of the campaign was featured in the game's demo, and it is also the chronologically first campaign of the game's storyline. The campaign features many memorable sections including blowing up the infamous gas station, getting lost in the confusing sewer system and making your way through the series' creepiest setting in Mercy Hospital. Of course, many people will remember the hospital's elevator as the most memorable part of the game thanks to some pretty funny or incredibly annoying glitches depending on your perspective. Then, the campaign's finale is memorable in its own right as you battled against hordes of zombies and at least two tanks before making a mad dash across the hospital roof to a rescue helicopter. Not only is this still one of the best designed campaigns in the series, but it is easily the most memorable for any hardcore Left 4 Dead fan.