The Left 4 Dead series is still loved by games around the world, thanks to its incredible cooperative shooting action that is still unmatched today. Although the series was left to die, the studio behind the two classic games is back with a new title called Back 4 Blood, a cooperative first-person shooter that is preparing to be a more than worthy successor.
Last weekend, developer Turtle Rock Studios released a closed Blood Alpha 4 back that gave some lucky players a taste of the experience that will arrive on PC and consoles next year. And what a wonderful taste.
The Back 4 Blood test allowed players to play the first act of the game, offering a sample not only of the gameplay, but also of the story, as the gameplay between the Cleaners provided the first details. An outbreak of parasites has killed most of the human population or turned them into infected monstrosities called Ridden. Cleaners have to get rid of them and save the world. Or die trying, at least.
From the beginning of the game, it is clear how Turtle Rock Studios had no intention of hiding the influences of Left 4 Dead. After choosing your scavenger, which comes with unique abilities and characteristics that make it more effective with certain types of weapons and in certain situations, you will start in a safe house where you can buy additional items for your character, such as grenades and healing items. , before the chaos starts. And when that happens, there will be no rest until the next safe house: the Cavalcados are relentless in their attack and it is incredibly easy to be cornered and overwhelmed if you are not careful.
Even though the game is still in alpha, it is quite mechanically sound. Moving around is very smooth and shooting feels heavy and satisfying. Cavados are also divided into several different types, ranging from their regular undead to Hocker, who can locate any character, the Snitch, who alerts the horde to their presence, and Bruiser, a giant and powerful Cavado who can deal a lot of damage with a single attack. Also included in the closed alpha was Ogre, an extremely powerful boss who appears at specific points on the map. The level design is varied and very solid, allowing players to create effective strategies that take the environment into account
As any Left 4 Dead fan can see, Back 4 Blood is incredibly familiar in its fundamentals. Looking more deeply, however, the game has some mechanics that set it apart from its illustrious inspiration. Among them is the mechanics of the cards.
Back 4 Blood allows players to build a deck of cards that grants a variety of bonuses to the player and the entire team. At the beginning of each run, you will be able to choose not only the top card, but some additional cards selected at random from the deck. Ridden will also be able to do the same, so each race will end up being different, as you will have to deal not only with different types of Ridden, but also with any other bonuses they have obtained through the card system. The card system, together with the Game Director system, the same presented in the Left 4 Dead games that dynamically changes the pace and difficulty of the game, adds a roguelike element that can be a real game changer. The cards found in the closed alpha were varied enough, strengthening certain combat styles in relation to others, so it will be very interesting to see how the system will be implemented in the final version and how it will influence the experience.
In its current state, Back 4 Blood has all the characteristics of a great cooperative first-person shooter and a worthy successor to the Left 4 Dead series. How much the new mechanics will improve the family formula is yet to be seen, but even if things continue as they are, it’s safe to say that Left 4 Dead really came back to life. And not like a stupid zombie.
The game will be released on June 22, 2021 for Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC.