In most L4D2 playthroughs, you'll head straight from one safe room to the next without really paying attention to the map itself. As such, there's oftentimes plenty of small details and hidden areas that you end up missing.

This is part 6 of a series of guides focusing on the many secrets in L4D2s maps. This guide relates to The Parish, and future guides will each relate to a different campaign.

Remember, most of the details will be story or lore related, and in many cases the exact story that's told is open to interpretation; there is often more than one answer that works or makes sense.

The door and windows of the Crayfish store have been boarded up with CEDA style plywood. This makes sense given the heavy military presence in the area, as they would've taken over the duties of barricading homes.


There are a few key details revealed by this sign

1) Its location suggests that the pier was used as a drop off point for other survivors. They may have been transported to the waterfront by boat and lined up in the area near the sign. Since Virgil drops the survivors off at this same spot and specifies that this is the furthest he goes, it's possible Virgil has dropped off other groups of survivors here in the last few days; he may have even been restricted by the military from travelling any further due to the risk of him spreading the flu into New Orleans.

2) Survivors were provided with filtration masks and colour coded wristbands. The masks are fairly self explanatory, as they help to reduce the risk of transmitting an airborne disease. The wristbands however could be one of several possibilities. They may have been used to distinguish between infected individuals, carriers, and untested survivors. They might also indicate the time that a survivor arrived at the waterfront, or their status as a civilian, doctor or military personnel.

3) "STAY IN YOUR GROUP" is emphasised. Not only can this be seen as a tip from the developers for players to stick together, but lore wise there would be several advantages for the military by mandating that survivors stay in groups. Any infected wouldn't be able to follow the instruction, making them stand out easily. Survivors could also look out for the other members in their group to identify any early signs of infection, making the military's job easier.

4) The US military symbol and reference to use of deadly force foreshadows the story elements later in the campaign where the military has been observed to be executing civilians to reduce the spread of the infection.


A half sunken paddle steamer can be spotted out in the water, having crashed into a pile of debris. It may have been used to transport large numbers of survivors to the waterfront. If this is the case, it might be an indicator of the military being strained for resources and having to make do with whatever they have on hand, such as the old paddle steamer. It could also simply be that the paddle steamer was naturally a good choice for evacuations due to its large size and ability to carry many survivors at once.


The bridge can be seen in the distance from the starting area, giving the players an indication as to how far they need to travel and hinting at the finale where they must run across the bridge.


Occasionally the military will fly past in jets and drop bombs on various structures in the area. These bombs aren't particularly strong, and seem to be intended to either destroy key infrastructure or to take out small groups of infected. They can also deal some damage to the survivors if they are near the point of impact.


The same sign from the starting area is seen again at the top of the ramp. There are also barricades here with barbed wire, which would've been useful for slowing down any infected trying to breach the area.


The military has made use of CEDAs body bags to store dead infected. It's likely that many of CEDAs other resources were also handed over to the military, such as bile jars and hazmat suits.


Additional confirmation that the military controls this area. This may be intended to make the players feel as if they're getting close to a proper rescue, only for the eventual revelation later in the campaign to hit harder as a result.


Similarly to Hard Rain, most of the newspapers are sold out due to the public being desperate for any knowledge about the outbreak. The only one remaining on the far right looks like it may have a picture of an infected person on it.


There are several venues near the waterfront that sell alcohol. This sign advertises $1 beers, which is slightly cheaper than the typical real world price of a beer at the time the game takes place.


These doors are boarded up, however the door on the left looks to be separated from its bottom hinge. This would most likely be due to someone on the outside attempting to break in, likely a common infected or maybe even a Hunter or Jockey due to the lower part being damaged.


Given that the entire top floor of this building is destroyed and on fire, it was likely hit by a bomb dropped from a passing jet. Although the survivors have yet to see any bombs be dropped at this stage, this building foreshadows the event.


The old painted signage on the buildings does an excellent job at indicating the age and history of the area. This sign is actually multiple different signs from different periods painted over each other. The most clearly written words are "B.C.ROTH DRAPERIES" and "JONES & SON HARDWARES". Hardwares obviously refers to tools and other hardware supplies, while draperies refers to window curtains. Underneath this sign the words "PORK & BEEF" can be made out, indicating the building once belonged to a butcher or person of similar profession.


It's a similar story for this sign, though the words are much harder to make out. It appears to reference an Outfit Distributor and Wholesaler, with the older sign underneath mentioning Bienville, the name of the area, as well as something priced at $0.50.


An older orange CEDA poster is visible on this wall, with a more hopeful message encouraging people to wash their hands. A more recent military poster has been stuck on top of it, which includes several lines recited by Coach during the intro cinematic.


This is where we get to see the first of many dead bodies throughout the campaign. As with bodies from previous campaigns, these piles lack any blood decals nearby, suggesting they died from the infection rather than weapons.


The distinct, French inspired architecture is prevalent throughout the campaign, becoming more common towards the French Quarter.


Another old sign, this time referencing an Electrical Wholesaler and Distributor.


This sign is easy to miss, and indicates to any civilians not to enter the waterfront.

These gates and poles have been broken off their hinges. The likely culprit is the crashed truck, though given the small space it's not clear how the truck might've crashed that forcefully or had its trailer tipped over. A Tank would be the prime suspect.


The Truck is also the cause for this balcony falling down, creating a ramp that the survivors can use to reach the second floor of the building.


As with other campaigns that take place near the water, there are plenty of seafood restaurants in the area. Signs advertising Crab and Crayfish can be seen on the waterfront.


This is an odd spot to have a broken railing. Its position relative to the ramp makes it seem as if a Charger has knocked it down mid charge.


It's the little details like the light filtering through the windows in this apartment that make L4D2s environments highly immersive and believable. Even if players don't realise it, a lot of work goes into making each level feel real and lived in.


The abundance of No Parking signs make sense when you consider how little street space there is. Private parking spots would be in high demand for any cars that needed a place to stop.


This is likely another one of CEDAs evacuation busses. It may have been used to transfer screened civilians away from the waterfront.


A bus stop for the PWN bus service. The choice of letters PWN here might be a reference to the common slang term used in gaming.


This vans lights are still on, indicating it was abandoned recently.


A pretty gruesome example of environmental storytelling. This dead body may have been the driver of the crashed car, who was thrown from his seat during the crash, or a civilian or infected that was standing nearby and happened to have been caught in the collision. Either way, he was scraped a long distance across the ground, so most of his face would likely be gone.


Another truck, with the back of the trailer not too far from the waterfront checkpoint. These trucks were probably used to transport CEDA supplies away from the checkpoint to other locations.


Po' Boys are a type of sandwich consisting of meat and French bread. Hurricanes are a type of cocktail made from rum, lemon juice and fruit syrup.


The Sandwich menu in the cafe has several seafood options, as well as Sausage and Wiener sandwiches. The spelling of "Weiner" on the menu is considered to be a misspelling.


Some of the cafe's chairs and tables are knocked over, hinting at a quick and panicked evacuation.


Infected can ambush from out of sight behind this wall, though it's not a very common spot as they will typically attack from further ahead.


A single weapon spawn, oftentimes a Magnum, can be found at the end of this street near the fence.


Most players default to using the arched passageway to progress through this area, but the back room in the cafe has 2 weapon spawns, letting you get a melee and a fresh T1 weapon. It's worth taking this route when you can, as it's also slightly faster.


A single blood splatter on the wall, with no dead bodies nearby.


What looks to be ordinary trash piles at first is actually red biohazard bags. These would contain highly infectious substances intended for incineration; instead they have been dumped behind a cafe. CEDA definitely wasn't doing their job right.


This fence has been knocked down. Given how clean the break is, it was probably knocked down by a group of survivors who were trying to evacuate.


A burning oil drum directly next to a fuse box. This is incredibly dangerous, but given the state of the world at the time it probably didn't matter all that much. This fire may have been lit by a group of survivors, but given it's the middle of the day it might've instead been an attempt by CEDA to dispose of the biohazard bags.


A very long blood splatter, possible left by someone who dragged themself across the floor.


This woman with a shotgun in the freezer is a possible culprit for the blood splatter, though there's no blood near her body to support this theory.


The sign outside the saferoom indicates that the survivors are taking shelter in a voodoo shop. Voodoo shops would typically sell items with magical or spiritual purposes.

This person was gravely wounded inside the saferoom and dragged a short distance before being covered by a blanket. Given that there are no other bodies nearby, nor any dead infected, they may have been in the process of turning into a zombie and were shot and killed by their fellow survivors.


From the graffiti in the saferoom, we know that the army at least made some attempt to rescue as many people as possible before they resorted to mass executions to stop the spread of the infection.


References to carriers, which should clue players in as to how the main cast of survivors are immune. This is also a likely explanation for the coloured wristbands and groups from earlier in the campaign.


It makes sense for public opinion towards carriers to be poor; between them posing a threat to non carriers, and some level of jealously towards those who are safe from the horrors of the infection, carriers would be easy targets for people to direct their anger and frustration towards.


These posters contain the other lines Coach recites in the intro. The advice given to the public has also changed from "Firearms are not permitted in saferooms" to "Arm yourselves", indicating the military's more direct and violent approach to combating the infected.


This accurately describes an alarming number of L4D2 players.


The door at the top of the staircase interacts with light differently, appearing to glow in the dark. Though likely unintentional, it might be because of the saferoom being inside a voodoo store.


It's possible to stand next to the railing on this staircase and sit near the top. This is particularly useful during the opening seconds of versus mode, since it gives you a good angle to cover the door but protects you from Chargers, Spitters and Hunters.


A burning building can be seen in the distance. It may have met a similar fate to the Vannah hotel, or it could've been a target for one of the military's bombing runs.


This car was wrapped around the pole after a crash. The pole is now at a very slight angle.


Many dead bodies are present near the saferoom, though the lack of blood decals indicates they died from the infection rather than combat.


There's an item spawn tucked away behind these portaloos. In this case, it's a Pipe Bomb, which would be a big help when it comes to clearing out the park.


These dead bodies do have blood decals. Given that they're close to a barricade, they were probably either lined up against it and executed, or they may have been zombies that climbed over and were shot before they landed on the ground.


Another item spawn, hidden near the generator. Exploring the map properly can be very rewarding.


A rather ominous sight, with a blood splatter over the posters that mention deadly force being used. Asking survivors to report their sick friends and family would've also put people at odds with one another and increased hostilities; how easy would it be to report someone you didn't like and have them killed? Or trying to hide someone you knew to be sick so they didn't meet the same fate?


Both the restrooms here are boarded up. They may have been used to store a large number of dead infected to keep them away from the survivors.


There are 3 paths through the park. The middle path is the fastest, but the side paths contain more useful items and have extra space to move around. Player choice elements like this help to make the map much more replayable, even if it is as simple as having a few hedges in the area.


This horse statue is made of copper, which has oxidised and turned green over time.


These patio chairs are rather out of place; they were probably left behind by survivors who had brought them from home so they had a place to sit.


Plenty of these posters are in the bathrooms. It's the perfect place for them given the taps inside and how easy it is for diseases to spread within them.


More evidence of CEDA being replaced by the military. Whilst in some campaigns, their presence was limited, here it's entirely absent.


With 2 guaranteed medkit spawns, this tent was likely a makeshift first aid area before it was largely dismantled and abandoned.


A survivor camp, with sleeping bags set up near a fire and weapons on display. The military may not have permitted civilians to carry weapons, so these are more likely from a group that arrived at a later point.


Evidence of the bridges being bombed, with a truck having fallen through the hole. Its engine is still burning.


Another survivor camp further up the hill. Given that there are no lethal weapons, it could have been made by those waiting for a military evacuation.


All the suitcases and belongings have been piled up out of the way, indicating there was no intent to move them during the evacuations or let people carry them. Saving space on the helicopters would've been crucial for getting as many people out as possible.


These dead bodies tell a much clearer story when looked at backwards. At first, there are dozens of executed civilians near the entrance to the checkpoint. This would've been the main crowd of people lined up waiting to be evacuated...


Further away, there are isolated bodies with single wounds on their backs and blood splatters nearby. These were people who tried to run, but weren't quite fast enough...


Finally there are several bodies near the exit. The narrow entrance would've restricted the amount of people who could get through the gap, meaning some couldn't get through in time.

It's not clear why these bodies are here, nor why they're covered. They might've been military personnel, or civilians who died before the execution order were given, or perhaps even members of an earlier survivor group.


All of these would be clear signs of an infected person, making the militarys job a bit easier to carry out and justify.


Given that CEDA never arrived in this area, these posters were likely put inside the trailer at an earlier date before the military appropriated it and moved it to the checkpoint, applying their own posters on top.


In case players miss the voicelines and game instructor hints warning them of the alarm, there is also a poster near the door.


The survivors goal is made obvious thanks to a well designed fence, with the chain fence being used in just the right spot rather than a wooden fence.


This sign, as well as all the others of this style, have physics properties and will move when hit.


Many bodies in CEDA bodybags, likely transported by the military Humvees.


These two workers in Hazmat suits look to have been shot, possibly by a panicked group of survivors who ran through the checkpoint in an attempt to escape the military.


An advertisement for dairy products, easily missed during the panic event.


The scaffolding is supported by bags of cement, very indicative of limited supplies and time pressure.


It would make sense to have a sniper positioned at the top of the scaffolding. It gives a wide overview of the area and it relatively protected from civilians and the infected.


Suitcases have once again been piled up out of the way, showing no intent to move them out of the area.


All of these bodybags have a biohazard symbol on them. They may contain the bodies of civilians who were executed after they were found to be infected.


The back room, which is almost always ignored, contains very little. The only noteworthy things are another pile of suitcases and a very bloodstained trolley that may have been used to move dead bodies.


The vending machines in the bus depot are unsurprisingly broken, with the contents having been looted.


Yet another pile of suitcases can be seen through this gap, giving some sense of scale as to how many people were evacuated.


Some CEDA posters warning of potential prosecution, unlike the military posters which threaten death for breaking the quarantine rules.


Only one of the 4 buses managed to leave the depot. It was likely overrun before the other 3 could evacuate.


This back building has a sign for a bodyshop, likely the garage right next door.


A car can be seen behind this fence, either having driven off the bridge or been punched off by a Tank.

More dead bodies can be found inside the saferoom, seemingly executed civilians due to how close they're standing to each other and the nearby blood decals. There is also no grafiti in this saferoom, unsurprisingly.


With limited resources, it would make sense for the military to focus on securing a single, smaller area as opposed to trying to protect the entire city. Unfortunately for those living beyond the safe zone, they were likely left on their own to die.


Photography of this area is prohibited, likely to prevent evidence of the executions from getting out.


Civilians were explicitly told that they would be killed if they tried to leave the quarantine area, which is probably what contributed to the unconventional escape route followed by the survivors.


A burning trash pile. Since it includes tyres, it was more likely used for warmth rather than cooking or other activities. As awful as the situation may have been, being stuck in a quarantine zone may have brought the locals together and encouraged them to help each other survive. Making an outdoor fire to keep warm would be one example of that.


This poster has the exact Tow Truck symbol seen on Ellis's cap, as well as the same shade of blue around it. Given that it's for a car scrap removal service, it could very well be an advertisement for the Auto Shop he works at. The scrap cars could be used for spare parts to repair other vehicles.


There's plenty of detail in these posters:

Heinous Cousin might be an in universe band or other similar group.

The Weight Loss poster reads
"LOSE WEIGHT NOW!!!"
"NO CALORIE COUNTING"
"NEVER FEEL HUNGRY"
"AMAZING RESULTS FAST"
"OVERSEEN BY ACTUAL MD"
"LOSE UNWANTED INCHES AROUND YOUR WAIST"
"EAT EVERYTHING YOU WANT"
With so many benefits, it's shocking that only a single ticket was taken...

The rental poster reads
"Apartment for rent"
"$800"
"2 bedroom 1 bath"
"Newly renovated"
"Wood floors"
"New-ish appliances"
"Covered parking"
"Call Nick"
"5553145 After 6PM"
Though it has Nicks name on it, this is probably just a coincidence.

The cat poster reads
"Lost Cat"
"Grey cat (Tabby)"
""Auggie""
"Very friend"
"-ly if found"
"call 5556199"
"Reward $$"
Given the handwriting and spelling, it seems likely that it was written by a child.


There's a covered dead body behind the counter in the corner store. From the weapons nearby, they may have been a member of a survivor group.


This second story house has some good environmental storytelling inside...


There are plenty of dead bodies inside, with heaps of blood. A fight definitely took place here...


Further down the hall we find a woman leaned against the bathroom wall, with some supplies at her feet and a large pool of blood under her. She was likely the one fighting off the zombies in the house, and had to resort to suicide after being wounded.


The house also has many moving boxes in it. The woman in the bathroom might've been the owner who had just moved in.


Strangely, the edge of the map is obvious here, even just through the gaps in the fence.


This car crash was probably caused by 2 people attempting to evacuate at the same time. The white van would've been exiting from the metal shelter, hence the sheet metal being thrown to the side, and the yellow car would've been exiting from the dirt parking space.


These bodies could've been residents of the nearby boarded up house. Considering there is blood on the porch, they may have even been shot dead.


The metal bars on several windows throughout the campaign have been partly ripped off, as if someone was trying to break inside.


Something was definitely killed inside this trailer, though it's not clear whether it was an infected or human. Since the blood starts near the bed, it might've been someone who began to turn in their sleep, forcing their partner to kill them.


The broken house has a massive space in the roof for the infected to attack from. The stairway to access it has been boarded up, and the damage is likely as a result of the military's bombs.


A crashed truck is blocking the road, but the survivors could probably very easily just jump over it to get past.


From the shape of the blood decal, this person could've been killed by a melee weapon of some sort, as it spreads over a wide area but is quite narrow. Since they're covered with a blanket, it might be another instance of a survivor being forced to kill their infected friend.


The furniture in this room is in disarray, but since no blood is in the vicinity there likely wasn't any combat taking place here.


The graffiti here covers a plan to escape the quarantine zone, and concerns about retaliation from the military. Evacuating at night could mean that, much like the L4D1 survivors, these survivors were aware that the infected are less active at night.


These bodies have been dragged down the hallway and stored in the bedroom. The number of bodies suggests it might've been an attacking horde that had to be dealt with.


A single blood decal is in the bathroom, at a perfect head height for anyone standing in the tub.


This is commonly thought of as a one way drop, but it's very much possible to get back up onto the trailer and jump across.


The sheer level of damage done to these houses might be evidence of the military using fire bombs to wipe out large sections of the neighbourhood. However, it could also be a result of the downed helicopter or a fire from the chimney getting out of control. It may also simply be an arson attack by a chaotic survivor, which the presence of a gas can could suggest.


Once again, the edge of the map is very easy to see. A tree also appears to be floating due to the ground being missing.

More out of bounds oddities, this time a house foundation with no walls and a lack of ground beyond that.


It would be too much of a coincidence for this helicopter to crash so close to the fence, so the fence must've been installed at a later point. Since the helicopter is still burning, it might not have crashed that long ago, meaning the military was still functioning in the area very recently.


Some survivors constructed a makeshift barricade, and seemingly opened fire on a horde that tried to break it down.


Blankets and blood decals is a likely indicator of infected survivors being killed to avoid them turning.


Another group of infected who were killed attempting to break through a barricade.


The position of this chair sets up the idea that an armed guard sat behind this small barricade to watch the entrance to the house, giving them a convenient way of dealing with any infected funnelling in.


This fence is partly damaged and sits at an angle. It might've been an escape route for some survivors, or the infected could've broken it if a large number of them climbed over at once.


This graffiti suggests that a number of civilians in the area may have been carriers, who thought they weren't sick due to their lack of symptoms. It also indicates CEDA may have been present very early on for a very brief time.


This person may have died in their sleep on the couch, and were left there for lack of any better options. The number of covered bodies in the area makes it seem like any remaining survivors killed off their infected friends and family members, covered the dead in blankets, and then evacuated together to escape the military.


There are a lot of clues in this room to set up a good story, though it can be interpreted in multiple ways.

The common, darker theory is that a survivor held out in this room and sniped anything that moved outside, infected or human, marking their kills on the wall. The empty water jug nearby would indicate someone staying in the room for quite some time, as would the small selection of weapons that would be enough to arm a single person. It's unclear what the piles of clothes would be from, unless you considered what the killer may have done with the bodies of those they shot.

Another, not so dark theory is that this room was simply used for sleeping in by the survivors who were using the building as a shelter. The bed is in a safe spot, so people may have slept in shifts and changed out of their old clothes before leaving them in the room. The weapons might simply belong to whoever last slept in the bed, and the kill tally may indicate common and special infected as opposed to infected and humans.


Another bloody scene outside, with these infected probably responsible for the hole in the wall.


This spot is often missed, but supplies can spawn on top of the trailer, including laser sights.


Though most are too high to reach, all the big trees around the map can technically be climbed. This one can be jumped to from the trailer.


Leaving a small gap at the top of this barricade might have been an intentional choice. The infected could still climb over, but would be slowed down as they tried to fit through the gap, making them easy targets.


Escaping underground would make more sense, as you could easily avoid the bombing runs and the majority of the infected.


The fall is high enough to trigger a bone cracking sound, but no damage is actually dealt. The only real downside to this is that it cuts of Ellis's story.


Plenty of dead infected are present in the sewer, following a straight path directly from the entrance to the ladder. This can be somewhat helpful for navigating the sewer, but it's rarely necessary. Lore wise, this was probably a horde that chased the survivors as they were evacuating.


Directly behind the sewer exit, an ammo upgrade can usually be found. This is very helpful for fighting through the car yard as upgraded ammo does not trigger alarms.


This sign could be taken as a minor extra warning to the survivors not to make any noise, IE: not to trigger any alarms.


There are a couple of advertisements nearby for car auctions. The cars in the yard might've been ones available for purchase, which would explain the large number in one small area.


Another advertisement for what may be Ellis's auto shop.


The gates being wide open could indicate that a car from the yard was stolen and used by another survivor to escape. It might also just be a previous group who opened the gate during their evacuations.


Though the army does blow up this bridge, the bomb also happens to land on some infected. This might be a coincidence, or potentially a sign that they were targeting the infected rather than key infrastructure.


A corpse crushed and ripped apart under the wheel of an ambulance; as gory as it is ironic.


The fence layout in the cemetery changes between runs. Certain areas might be completely blocked off, or an easy path through might open up. Whilst a longer path might seem like a disadvantage at first, it often leads the survivors past extra supplies, giving the team a small boost for the next chapter.


Some of the graves are cracked open and a few can be entered. It's a decent spot for a single person to hold out due to how much protection it offers, but it makes you highly vulnerable to Spitters.


This van normally contains medical item spawns, but is often skipped, especially if the exit closer to the saferoom is used.


Plenty of dead infected are present near the cemetery exit, with even more just outside the saferoom. The virus would've spread further and faster as survivors, particularly carriers, evacuated, resulting in larger numbers of infected to deal with.

Medical supplies can also spawn in this back corner, but again this spot is often skipped due to it being somewhat hidden.

The survivors have taken extra precautions in this saferoom and blocked off both entryways to prevent any infected from getting in.


The graffiti here is very indicative of the worsening attitude towards carriers, with seemingly many other survivors viewing them as no better than the other infected.


Here we see more evidence of the mass executions of infected civilians, as well as potentially the execution of carriers. We also see that the infected civilians were being kept in a compound, likely as a means of separating and monitoring them.


This building has been targeted by a bombing run. Considering it's just an ordinary apartment and not any sort of key infrastructure, the bomb was probably intended for a crowd of nearby infected.


This building gets hit as the survivors approach it. It seems like the plane was aiming for the nearby bridge but missed.


There are sometimes supplies in this building to the right of the drop off point, but most players instead choose to keep progressing forward.


Somebody was using this car to escape, and managed to take out a small crowd of infected in the process, crushing them under the tires.


There are plenty of small signs of damage in the area, such as chipped plaster or certain elements like the lights on the houses hanging down slightly.


Behind the buildings on the main street, a fairly large but unused area can be found. This would've made a nice alternate route for the survivors, but was probably closed off due to how close the parade float event is; the event can't be skipped, so the side route would need to rejoin with the main path, and it's not a particularly long path so it may not have felt like it was worth including.


Though Tanks are normally prime suspects for damaged vehicles, in this case it was obviously the result of a crash. Evacuations are chaotic and accidents would be likely, especially with the blue car driving the wrong way down a one way street.


There are a lot of dead infected in the Jazz Club, making it a hotspot for combat. Being a popular, well known building would've made it an easy holdout location for the locals.


Some survivors might've been trying to make molotovs with these chemicals and the alcohol behind the bar.


Again, more evidence of combat and chaos can be found in the dining area. The amount of infected here is close to 2 hordes worth. This might mean the fighting occurred earlier on during the outbreak when more infected were present, rather than at a later point after most people had either evacuated or died, and the number of infected began to drop.


The piano can be interacted with to play music.


A vending machine has been tipped over to block access into the Jazz Club. Since it's been done from the outside, it was possibly an attempt to trap the infected in rather than keep them out.


If a teammate is incapacitated inside the Jazz Club when you've already dropped down into the parking space, you can climb up the van to get over the fence and enter from the club from the front. Though it's a bit of a long route, it's well worth it if you can save your teammate.


At this point, Ellis might say that he doesn't know which way to go. However, there is only one possible way forward, with the other being blocked. It might've originally been an alternate route, before being closed off at a later stage in development. Between this and the areas behind the buildings on the main street, it seems like the chapter was originally intended to be much more open, with many different paths to take.


It's a bit of an odd place to put a saferoom direction arrow; there's no way for the survivors to get over to the other side without first moving the parade float, but it seems unlikely that the previous groups of survivors would've removed the float to make the balcony inaccessible.


Though you can't normally get in there (at least, not before the float has already arrived), it is theoretically possible to ride in the back of the parade float as it moves.


It's also very possible to 'ride' the tractor as it moves. The common infected will have to climb up to get you, so it's a surprisingly protected spot compared to the more exposed roof.


Attempting to crush yourself between the tractor and barricade will push you out of the way.


It's possible, and not very difficult, to jump onto the float before it arrives, letting you skip the last moments of the event.


These windows are boarded up from the inside. Most CEDA barricades are contructed on the outside of buildings, so these windows were likely fortified by residents who were following the instruction to barricade their homes.


Again, there are more instances of large areas that might've once been alternative paths to the end.


We know from previous campaigns that CEDA had to work with limited supplies, and was forced to make barricades with whatever was on hand. Since these barricades are made of all the same material, and have barbed wire on top, they would've been built by the military.


A Speakeasy is a type of illegal bar, meant to sell alcohol without attracting attention. Since having a sign is a pretty good way of not doing this, it more likely belongs to an ordinary bar with a Speakeasy theme.


Though it is an extremely niche tactic, you can open both of these doors to completely block off the hallway.


This wardrobe has been blocked off from the outside with a dresser. This might've been done to trap someones infected family member inside as a means of isolating and protecting them. It could also have been done by an infected parent, trapping their child inside before they turned and risked harming their child.

This couch has somehow been flipped completely upside down. It's unclear why, as it's not being used as a barricade.


Jumping to this balcony before dropping down gives you a chance to rescue any teammates who might get pinned upstairs.


Though it's somewhat difficult to make out from the back, this gate says "Moto Moto" on it.


In the intro cinematic, this building was seen as a saferoom. Early versions of the Parish might've had the survivors fight their way to the bridge before running across, while also giving them plenty of supplies in the saferoom beforehand (as seen in the cinematic with the gun locker). This may have been changed to reduce the size of the final chapter and prevent it from being an overly lengthy and extended combat sequence.


The placement of this sign is a bit odd. It seems to refer to a manhole cover, but the nearest one is further down the street, far enough away that anyone near it wouldn't see the sign.


Another very odd sign placement; there are no manhole covers anywhere near it.

Unlike the other saferooms, the Bridge saferoom contains no ammo piles. Whilst this is slightly offset by the extra weapon spawns, it's still an unusual decision. However, this might be because of the potential original saferoom prior to the bridge; it would've contained an ammo pile, making any extra piles on the bridge pointless.


The finale is usually started immediately, but if you wait and listen to the voices on the radio before interacting with it you'll hear the soldiers spotting the survivors on the bridge and trying to determine whether they're zombies or humans. They'll then say to consider the survivors as hostile and that all friendlies are accounted for on the helicopter, which is taking off in 15 minutes. Interacting with the radio afterwards will give a different response from the survivors, telling the army not to evacuate yet as the survivors are still on the bridge. The army will then cancel the bombing run, prompting more unique dialogue from the survivors.


In versus mode, the infected can spawn above the bridge before the finale has started. If they're quick, there's normally enough time to attack the survivors and respawn before they reach the first usual ambush spot.


A barrier drops down to provide access to the main road on the bridge, but the same doesn't happen for the higher up road. Although this is because there isn't a barrier present, probably because the developers saw no reason to add one, lore wise it might be because the barrier is similarly damaged to the main one.


A makeshift shelter has been constructed by hanging a tarp between these 2 busses. It was probably made by the groups of civilians being evacuated across the bridge, possibly because the other side was blocked off and they got trapped on the bridge overnight.


There are plenty of busses on the bridge, showing that it was a main evacuation route. Whilst there are also a number of busses present near other evacuation points, there are more here than anywhere else.


The top road is significantly more damaged than the main road, which makes sense as the main road wouldn't be very exposed until the top road was mostly destroyed. Since the finale ends with the army destroying the entire bridge at once, these earlier bombing runs were likely just to take out groups of infected rather than destroy the bridge.


All the civilian vehicles are travelling away from the city, towards the evacuation point. All the military and response vehicles are travelling towards the city instead, on the top road.


Doubling back after the ramp onto the top road leads you to an ambulance that's full of healing supplies. It can be a big help for the upcoming Tank fight.


Fighting a Tank in an area like this would normally be very dangerous, but the survivors are given 2 advantages to make things more fair. Punched cars deal less damage than normal, knocking the survivors down briefly rather than incapacitating them. The scaffolding also offers some protection, preventing the survivors from being knocked off the bridge so long as they stay near it. It's no coincidence that it only appears in this specific section of the bridge.


The ladder on the back of this truck is the easiest way to progress after the Tank fight. However, if you really need to, you can climb on the side of the bridge and jump on top of the bus to the right. Though it's difficult, it can save you from getting cornered.


The helicopter can be seen from the bridge, with the rotor completely stationary. Real world military helicopters normally take a few minutes at least to be ready for takeoff, but the helicopter here might be on standby to avoid attracting the attention of the infected until the survivors were nearby.


When getting closer, the helicopter can be seen to startup, supporting the previous theory.


Some guns and healing supplies can be found in the back of the truck to the left of the road towards the helicopter. Whilst they're normally not needed, it can still help in a pinch.


The item spawns on this truck, including 2 guaranteed pipe bomb spawns, are oftentimes crucial for ensuring everyone is able to make it off the bridge safely. As they're right near the escape route, it's easy to throw one if your team is lagging behind.


Although this gun could be useful for covering the other survivors, its position is incredibly dangerous, as a Tank will often spawn behind you and target you immediately.


If you can't safely reach the ladder, you can continue forwards and drop off the bridge further ahead, though it's considerably harder to reach the helicopter from there.


Some wooden boats can be found near the helicopter. These may have been used by other survivors to cross the river after the bridge was closed off.


Right before the bridge is bombed, it becomes non solid, causing any infected still on it to fall into the water below and die.