It’s just around the corner for everyone, but I’ve played a few 20 hours to Back 4 Blood and I dare say that few games have given me so many unforgettable moments. I’ve been playing for many years, but few titles have kept me as close to the screen as this one. I can count many times in those hours where a teammate managed to defeat a boss where there wasn’t one and revive the entire team when all seemed lost.
This is precisely why I already have the feeling while I’m writing that I don’t want to write an analysis, but simply grab the controller or keyboard again and play Back 4 Blood again with my colleagues. As you know, the new thing from Turtle Rock Studios is a spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead, which even keeps its basic concept, but adds a lot of its own ideas and really good gameplay. The latter is extremely important in a zombie game, as there is of course a devilishly large amount of undead scum to defeat, the infected (why are more and more zombie universes giving them proper names?).
Just because the studio got the mechanics and movement right makes it a pleasure to beat zombies to death (or their second death) with axes, set them on fire with Molotov cocktails, and thoroughly pierce them with all sorts of firearms. Killing the already dead is always satisfactory, although B4B doesn’t focus as much on the innards as the genre does, the combat is much more varied, with different types of enemies and missions to be carried out amid so much death. But before you can kill anyone, you need to familiarize yourself with the “turntable” or the central world of the game.
Here you can do things like choosing which character you want to play as, what the character should look like, fiddling with their weapons, and most importantly, creating decks of cards. In fact, unlike Left 4 Dead, B4B has a progression system that improves your chances of winning as you level up. You will need a good amount of high quality cards as the stages have an important “roguelike” touch that brings new challenges each time, so you never know exactly what you are up against. The challenges can range from simple things, like keeping the whole team alive, to much tougher opponents that make every encounter especially tough. It is good and important to play your cards well, never better said, to face these additional challenges, whether by granting the team more healing options, larger magazines, or increased attacks.
The ability to buy new cards adds excitement and variety throughout the game. Fun to discuss with the group to see what the best options are for everyone. I know some have criticized this system, but honestly I can’t imagine Back 4 Blood without it. It’s nice to have something that holds all parts of the game together and manages to give a reward after every game.
The scenarios are admirably large (some take up to two hours to complete) and varied, so that all together are like a well-connected little big adventure. Along the way you will find several shelters where you can relax, buy gear, weapons, ammunition and more before opening the door to move forward. Thanks to the card system, the scenarios are never the same and the strategy you used last time may not be the best next time.
Unfortunately the system is not yet perfect and the challenges are a bit one-sided. In the beginning, you may have a practically impossible mission, while the next one can be so simple it even gets boring. You need to check this out because while this is not a serious problem, the games are usually better as the challenge progresses without going from zero to hundred, or worse, hundred to zero. In addition, the fact that the eight characters also have unique traits helps to maintain interest in the game as it leaves plenty of room for experimentation to generate synergies.
Additionally, Turtle Rock Studios used the concept of the game in very creative ways to trigger the experience. The construction of barricades, the camouflage … It has pieces that keep the freshness of the concept and with very good mind. In fact, I have to mention a certain section with a jukebox that is sure to become something iconic, something classic in a few years’ time. There are also other aspects such as bosses, which unfortunately are not particularly memorable, although they are not bad either.
I played the Xbox Series X version for this review and also the PC version during beta, and I think the Studio Back 4 Blood looks really good no matter where you play. The graphic effects are very solid, The world is clean, but believable, and is very clever at using separators for areas that are not satisfied with being invisible walls. Also, be aware of the variety of environments, which is always good for a multiplayer that is meant to be played over and over again. As for the sound, it’s pretty powerful too, with numerous effects of explosions, meat, grunts and a more than remarkable use of surround sound.
But unfortunately not everything is up to date. B4B is clearly a multiplayer title, but Turtle Rock insisted that it could be played alone. And they don’t lie, but it’s not funny. You cannot use the deck system by leveling up cards or anything like that, you cannot even save your stats or unlock achievements / trophies. Almost worse is the fact that AI-controlled companions are incredibly stupidTo speak of artificial intelligence is, of course, an understatement. Be prepared to be disturbed when playing alone. Fortunately, the studio has promised to fix this entire facet of the game.
It doesn’t really matter to me as Back 4 Blood is a multiplayer game designed to be enjoyed in company, although you need to take all of these into account if you especially want to play solo. Even more so if you want to test your greatest difficulties, because you will really need real companions.
Generally I think Back 4 Blood is a worthy heir to Left 4 Dead. It has everything that made the previous model so great, combined with more modern mechanics and concepts, and excellent production values. Every round you play will be filled with unforgettable moments that you and your friends will remember and that will make you laugh (you can ask our UK editor how he gets on with the birds in the game). It is bursting with excitement. But as I said, not everything is perfect, and I hope Turtle Rock Studios will review the difficulty level irregularities and fix the issues with single player.
On the other hand, if you want to have fun with good friends, it will cost you to find something better today, and that is when starting Xbox Game Pass it just improves the suggestion.
.jpg?width=1200&height=630&fit=crop&enable=upscale&auto=webp)
