Back 4 Blood, published by Warner Bros. Games and developed by Turtle Rock Studios, the famed developer behind the Left 4 Dead franchise and Evolve, is a 4-player co-op zombie shooter very much in the same vein as the aforementioned Left 4 Dead. The comparisons to Left 4 Dead don’t just stop at the 4 in the name or the hordes of zombies that attack you. I was able to spend a good chunk of time playing the Back 4 Blood beta over this past weekend and can hopefully answer the main question on any potential customer’s mind: is this spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead worth considering?
The Left 4 Dead franchise has not seen a new release since Left 4 Dead 2 in 2009 and since then, fans of the franchise and its heart racing co-op gameplay haven’t had many alternatives to try out. Sure, the zombies modes in other larger games like Call of Duty scratch that itch a bit, but for diehard fans, only a sequel from the same studio would suffice. Back 4 Blood seems to be Turtle Rock’s offering to relieve these fans of their hunger. The game drops you into what is essentially a playable main menu, as you walk around the main base, talking to NPCs to open shops, start missions, etc. There are 8 customizable characters available and each offer both unique gameplay, in their starting weapon of choice and perks as well as their individual personalities. There were a few that weren’t available during the beta but the ones that were present were great. I especially enjoyed playing Holly, bashing zombies in with her bat.
One thing that Back 4 Blood does to separate itself from its predecessor is the addition of PVP. 4v4 player vs player-controlled zombie gameplay joins Back 4 Blood’s content offering alongside the co-op campaign. The PVP has gotten mixed to good reactions based on the limited research I’ve done, but personally, I’m not really a fan. I just think asymmetric PVP is bound for imbalance and playing as the humans are of course not going to be as fun as playing as the zombies with their crazy abilities. Time will tell though, if PVP in Back 4 Blood turns out to be a gimmick or a compelling reason to keep playing. Turtle Rock Studios did make Evolve and look how that turned out.
The last major innovation that Turtle Rock is adding is the card system. This system adds in a rogue-lite deck manager, where you can choose from a pre-set deck or create your own before every playthrough. I did actually really like this addition, as it made each playthrough unique and also encouraged me to try and survive as long as possible and to keep playing. However, my main concern is the acquisition of new decks and cards. There is a very present danger of these cards being monetized in a very scummy way, whether it be lootboxes or overpriced microtransactions. I hope that unlocking cards and decks are all done via gameplay at the full release and that cosmetics (like the pre-order bonuses) are the only microtransactions Back 4 Blood will have.
Back 4 Blood’s beta is promising and despite not jumping on the Left 4 Dead/4 player co-op zombie shooter trend earlier, I still really enjoyed it. Turtle Rock Studios is clearly aiming to innovate a formula that they themselves popularized and I think they are doing a good job of it. Whether these innovations and additions, like PVP and the deck system, turn out to be great or filler content remains to be seen. However, given that an open beta is coming out this weekend, I think it’s worth a try.
The open beta is now live until August 16/Noon PST. You can join it here: https://back4blood.com/en-us/beta
For more information on Back 4 Blood visit here: https://back4blood.com/en-us
Related: BACK 4 BLOOD New Trailer Details PC Features
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My name is Matt Tran and I have been playing video games since I could remember holding a controller. I've always been a hardcore gamer growing up, from the hectic MW2 and Halo 3 lobbies, my many journeys through several Halo clans and my current exploits with my Destiny 2 clan. I love shooters and RPGs and overanalyzing every component of every game I've played, from weapon stats to ideal perks. When I have time to play other games, I currently play Genshin Impact and Star Wars Squadrons.
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