Back 4 Blood review: A bloody good co-op experience

Our Verdict

Back four Blood is Left 4 Dead in everything just name. Delivering tense co-op zombie-shooting activity, it'south the true spiritual successor to Turtle Stone's classic franchise.

For

Tight, responsive shooting mechanics
Engaging cooperative gameplay
Randomized enemies and items

Confronting

Tin can become repetitive
Solo campaign
Lack of co-op progression

Tom'due south Guide Verdict

Back four Blood is Left 4 Dead in everything but proper noun. Delivering tense co-op zombie-shooting action, information technology's the true spiritual successor to Turtle Rock's classic franchise.

Pros

+
Tight, responsive shooting mechanics
+
Engaging cooperative gameplay
+
Randomized enemies and items

Cons

-
Tin become repetitive
-
Solo campaign
-
Lack of co-op progression

Dorsum 4 Claret: Specs

Platforms: PC (reviewed), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Serial X/S
Price: $lx
Release Date: Oct 12, 2021
Genre: Co-op Shooter

We've seen a horde of zombie games released over the years, but Turtle Rock Studios' Left four Dead titles are all the same considered the summit of the sub-genre. The storied franchise has at present risen from the grave with a spiritual successor from Turtle Rock: Dorsum four Blood.

Using Left iv Dead as its foundation, Dorsum 4 Blood contains all the classic zombie-slaying action of its predecessors. It besides has plenty modern gameplay sensibilities to continue information technology lively and fresh. This first-person shooter won't conjure the aforementioned level of fanaticism its forebears did, nor does information technology need to. It fulfills its main mission of delivering a thrilling co-op experience. Left 4 Dead veterans and newcomers alike will discover a lot to similar in Back 4 Claret.

Back 4 Blood review: Story

Back 4 Blood takes place in a postal service-apocalyptic earth overrun by zombies, or Ridden, as the game calls them. A recent upsurge in zombie action forces the human survivors to create small four-person squads called Cleaners to deal with the problem. Every bit a Cleaner, information technology'south your job to not only drive back the zombie hordes merely to investigate the reason for the surge of undead.

The narrative serves every bit a vehicle for getting you to various setpieces to mow down waves of zombies. If you're looking for a deep, compelling tale, yous won't find one here. Thankfully, the game makes up for its narrative shortcomings by delivering tight, responsive gameplay and thrilling action sequences.

Back 4 Claret review: Gameplay

Similar Left 4 Dead, Dorsum 4 Claret features levels with ever-changing zombie waves, items, and mission objectives. The Dynamic Game Manager, equally the organisation is called, does an admirable job of mixing things up so levels don't get besides repetitive. Fifty-fifty if you replay the aforementioned level a dozen times, yous'll experience different scenarios and challenges. That doesn't entirely prevent Dorsum 4 Blood from sometimes feeling like an endless shooting gallery, simply the diverseness alleviates the monotony of constantly shooting undead.

Back 4 Blood - Aiming down sights — (Image credit: Turtle Rock Studios)

Nigh zombies are of the George A. Romero diversity, only faster. The handguns, assault rifles, shotguns, and sniper rifles in your arsenal make short work of these catechism fodder enemies. Mutated zombies like the lumbering Tallboys or girthy Reekers require more than firepower to bring down. In that location are even gargantuan kaiju-sized zombies to fence with. Thanks to the Dynamic Game Director, you'll never quite know what horrors look y'all.

Reaching a rubber room is your main goal within each level but it'due south never that cutting and dry out. You'll about ever have to perform secondary tasks like rescuing survivors, boarding up safe houses, or carrying items to specified areas.

Some levels have memorable cinematic setpieces. One instance involves cranking a bar's jukebox to lure zombies while survivors brand their escape. The blaring music and chaos of a bar shootout make for one heck of a scene. Scenarios like this happen throughout the entirety of the campaign and are almost always a highlight.

Back 4 Blood - Howitzer — (Image credit: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)

The card system is the biggest deviation from the Left 4 Expressionless formula. You're given a deck of cards from the outset and gain more equally you play. You get to select one of three cards earlier inbound a new level, and selected cards are added to your card collection. Cards give you permanent buffs like extra health, ammo capacity, and stamina.

You lot're complimentary to make unlike decks for different game modes. For instance, you'll want a deck with plenty of wellness and stamina buffs when running solo. When playing with a team, information technology's best to build decks to accommodate specific roles (healer, tank, ammo supplier, etc). You tin can accept up to 15 cards in a deck, so information technology's good to mix things upwards and find decks that fit your preferred playstyle.

Back 4 Blood - Card system — (Paradigm credit: Turtle Stone Studios)

On the contrary terminate, we accept Corruption cards. These add parameters such as increased Ridden horde invasions and tougher mutated zombies. The most interesting Corruption Cards add environmental modifiers similar fog. Not beingness able to encounter more v anxiety in front end of y'all considerably enhances the game's ever-nowadays tension. Corruption Cards are another way Back four Blood keeps players engaged.

Back 4 Claret is a co-op shooter at its core. The game pairs y'all with other players when yous select campaign mode. You can besides jump into others' games via the quickplay selection. Thanks to the crossplay feature, yous can pair up with anyone whether they're on PlayStation, Xbox, or PC.

Teaming up with trusted friends is the optimal way to play. Coordination, particularly on higher difficulties, is crucial for survival. Completing missions in any of the co-op modes earns you lot cards and supply points. With supply points y'all can unlock supply lines, which in turn give you access to meliorate cards.

Back 4 Blood - Horde — (Image credit: Turtle Rock Studios)

A solo campaign mode exists, though it's disappointing that none of the cards you lot collect carry over to the co-op modes. You also won't gain supply points in the solo campaign. Unless you loathe the idea of playing with homo beings, I suggest avoiding solo campaign mode.

Co-op is a blast merely information technology'due south not without its issues. If yous want to play through the entire campaign and then you lot'll have to always play with the person who originally started the run. That ways if you decide to switch things up and become party leader, y'all'll have to start the entrada from the beginning. We hope this specific issue gets resolved in a future patch. Having to constantly replay the outset levels whenever at that place'due south a new team leader gets grating quick.

Swarm mode is Back 4 Claret's sole competitive way. Here, teams alternate between playing as Cleaners and Ridden. If it wasn't for the ever-shrinking map that forces opponents into a confined expanse, this mode would be a straight-upward deathmatch. Some may enjoy playing as the Ridden, only the novelty doesn't final long.

Back four Claret review: Visuals and sound

Dorsum four Blood'south visuals are rather generic, even on my Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti build. Environments and the zombies populating them come to life convincingly but neglect to impress graphically. At that place isn't much to say most the game's visuals other than that they're serviceable.

Audio design, still, does a phenomenal job of immersing you in the world. Even if you can't see them, you'll always hear zombies from a distance or from subconscious nearby corners. The sound pattern likewise aids gameplay. Zombies constantly make noise, fifty-fifty when they're trying to sneak up on you lot. Hearing hushed groans or scrapping anxiety at your rear lets y'all know to set up for an attack. I suggest playing with a headset — it will assist y'all survive longer.

Back 4 Claret review: Verdict

Back iv Claret is what Left 4 Expressionless would have evolved into had the franchise continued into the modern mean solar day. The card system pairs nicely with the classic shooting mechanics and also adds a great deal of customization. Though co-op progression needs work, playing with others is every bit as exciting equally information technology was in Left 4 Dead. You tin can criticize Back four Blood for being unoriginal, but it's a bloody good game regardless.

If you desire to relive the celebrity days of Left 4 Dead or but want a solid co-op shooter to play with friends, Back 4 Blood is worth checking out. We wait forwards to what the franchise holds in shop for the futurity.

Tony is a calculating author at Tom'due south Guide covering laptops, tablets, Windows, and iOS. During his off-hours, Tony enjoys reading comic books, playing video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending also much time on Twitter. His non-nerdy pursuits involve attention Hard Rock/Heavy Metal concerts and going to NYC confined with friends and colleagues. His work has appeared in publications such as Laptop Magazine, PC Mag, and diverse independent gaming sites.