General Gaming Back 4 Blood - Information Thread, update: Turtle Rock announces end of content delivery

[skillzdadirecta]

2 hours ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

@skillzdadirecta @ManUtdRedDevils That's quite the..."coincidental", unintentional technical glitch, Turtle Rock.

 

Warner Bros says Back 4 Blood racial slur was “unintentional”

ARSTECHNICA.COM

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Two distinct growls "playing simultaneously... sound like that word."

 

 

I'm not buying it... or this game so whatever 

[XxEvil AshxX]

Trying to play the open beta on Xbox but every time I try to open the system menu, the chat box keeps popping up. I literally can't get rid of the chat box to invert my Y axis. 

 

EDIT: nevermind.. i just typed aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa and pressed start. I sent a text message to literally no one but at least it let me get to my options.

[DarkStar189]

Played the open beta for about 2 hours. Meh. Glad I didn't jump to preorder it. Found it kind of boring/unsatisfying. 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

 

 

You won't need a high-end PC to run Back 4 Blood | PC Gamer

WWW.PCGAMER.COM

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Back 4 Blood's recommended spec includes a GTX 970 and a Core i5 CPU.

 

Minimum:

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• CPU: Intel i5-6600 (3.3 GHz) or AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (3.4 GHz)
• RAM: 8GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 570
• Storage: 40GB HDD
• DirectX12
•  

Recommended:

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• CPU: Intel Core i5-8400 (2.8 GHz) or AMD Ryzen 7 1800X (3.6 GHz)
• RAM: 12GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 590
• Storage: 40GB SDD
• DirectX12

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

How Back 4 Blood Is Leading The Horde

WWW.GAMEINFORMER.COM

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Nearly 13 years after taking the cooperative shooter genre by storm with Left 4 Dead, Turtle Rock Studios is looking to reclaim the throne with Back 4 Blood.

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Back 4 Blood streamers will have to turn off licensed music to avoid copyright strikes | PC Gamer

WWW.PCGAMER.COM

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Turtle Rock issued a warning about the risks of the in-game jukebox today.

 

Quote

 

Heads up, Back 4 Blood players: in a game filled with monsters, the deadliest of all of them might be the game's jukebox filled with licensed music.

 

If you're planning on streaming the game after it goes fully live on October 12 (it's available now to anyone who preordered), you'll want to steer clear of the interactive jukebox, or turn your music off when you play with it. Otherwise, you could end up eating an unexpected copyright strike.

 

The warning came from Alissa Barry, influencer and communications manager at Turtle Rock Studios. "If you’re streaming or planning #Back4Blood VOD content, this is important," she tweeted. "The jukebox has licensed music that will play when used. We do not own the streaming rights for the songs that play so be sure to turn your music off when interacting with the jukebox."

 

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Game Information

Game Title: Back 4 Blood

Platforms:

• PC (Oct 12, 2021)
• Xbox One (Oct 12, 2021)
• PlayStation 5 (Oct 12, 2021)
• Xbox Series X/S (Oct 12, 2021)
• PlayStation 4 (Oct 12, 2021)
  

Developer: Turtle Rock Studios

Publisher: Warner Bros. Games
    
Review Aggregator: 

OpenCritic - 78 average - 76% recommended

Critic Reviews

Gamepur - 9 / 10

Overall, Back 4 Blood is a great game with glaring flaws that bring it down a little. Maybe as time goes on Turtle Rock can address the issues and elevate this to a perfect game for me. I am so happy to have a Left 4 Dead successor that feels current for this gaming landscape and is genuinely a blast to play.

God is a Geek - 9 / 10

Thanks to the AI Director, incredible atmosphere and great pacing, Back 4 Blood is a triumphant return for Turtle Rock.

Inverse - 9 / 10

Back 4 Blood' has the best water-cooler moments of any game released in 2021.

TheGamer - 4.5 / 5 stars

If you played Left 4 Dead, you’ll feel right at home. Back 4 Blood is a more mature and more bad-ass version of L4D, elevating every mechanic from the former series and making it better while adding in new features that makes playing far more rewarding. I can’t wait for my friends from the former Friday night L4D group to get their hands on Back 4 Blood when it launches next week on Game Pass. We’ve already made plans to play together, meaning a large Little Caesars pizza is in my future.

PC Gamer - 88 / 100

Back 4 Blood is an exceptional FPS that sets a new standard for co-op zombie murderfests.

33bits - Spanish - 85 / 100

Enduring the comparison with the veteran Left4Dead saga is no small feat. And Back 4 Blood not only supports it, but at times it feels superior to Valve games -also developed by the people of Turtle Rock, eye-. Its large number of levels, the different characters, its card system -both for its own abilities and for modifiers in the game- or its gunplay make this game a great cooperative. Against it, some policies of the publisher, the impossibility of maps created by users or its Versus mode, here called Cloud. Still an essential game if you like cooperative titles and if you are a Left4Dead lover.

But Why Tho? - 8.5 / 10

Back 4 Blood is a wonderful call-back to the games that have come before it. And even though it’s not a direct sequel to Left 4 Dead 2, it brings back the most important elements of the series. But it shouldn’t be seen as only a spiritual successor because it adds so many new features that make it an extremely satisfying modern-day FPS. While a few elements impede the gameplay, they can be easily overlooked when you have a great team to play with.

DVS Gaming - 8.5 / 10

Overall the game is a great experience providing excellent game modes and strong performance. The card system added a unique element to the genre, and the gameplay was very well designed. Back 4 Blood is a perfect successor for Left 4 Dead with old ideas mixed with new innovation.

IGN - 8.5 / 10

If you're an old Left 4 Dead player, Back 4 Blood will bring back memories of the long play hours you've spent with this fun series, its spirit hovering around Back 4 Blood with new additions to the card system that offers greater diversity, and will add fun and longer life to the game, with full Arabic support in the MENA region.

SECTOR.sk - Slovak - 8.5 / 10

Is it new Left 4 Dead or not? Are There some new improvements? Is it worth to play? Yes, Yes and Yes!

Stevivor - 8.5 / 10

Back 4 Blood doesn’t just imitate the Left 4 Dead formula like these titles, it elevates it past its predecessor. Perhaps it’s the nostalgia for the 12 year old title, or maybe just poor memory, that fuels our rose-tinted retrospection and distaste for something new. Regardless, Back 4 Blood takes the concept to the next level and builds in layers of cool ideas and just plain fun gameplay.

Worth Playing - 8.5 / 10

Back 4 Blood is a fun blend of the classic Left 4 Dead template with a reasonable inclusion of modern traits. The basic zombie shooting brings forth just as many memorable and chaotic moments as the developer's original series, and the game absolutely sings in multiplayer, but the solo experience remains engaging for those who only get along with bots. The modern touches add some depth that doesn't detract from what makes this kind of game so fun in the first place. The steps to increase replayability accomplish that without feeling forced. Despite a few minor issues here and there, Back 4 Blood is a solid debut, and those who wanted some progress in the genre are going to find it in buckets here.

Bazimag - Persian - 8.2 / 10

Back 4 Blood is one the best multiplayer titles of these past of couple of years and this is definitely something you want to experience with your friends as it not only gets better with how good your cooperation skills are with your teammates, it is also the kind of online game that doesn't get made as much as it used to around a decade ago.

Generación Xbox - Spanish - 8.2 / 10

Back 4 Blood is the successor to Left 4 Dead, adding new enemies and an excellent card system with power-ups and new challenges.

IGN Italy - Italian - 8.2 / 10

Back 4 Blood continues the tradition of PvE shooters started by Turtle Rock Studios with Left 4 Dead, but offering a better gameplay dinamics and a fun campaign to play online with three other players.

MondoXbox - Italian - 8.2 / 10

Turtle Rock Studios managed to successfully resurrect the original Left 4 Dead games formula, improving it with modern shooter mechanics, very fun gunplay and a lot of variety thanks to the new card system. It's not a very innovative game and it's got some technical and balancing issues, but it can be damn fun and addictive.

Areajugones - Spanish - 8 / 10

‎The creators of Left 4 Dead return with Back 4 Blood, a cooperative experience in which to pass over hundreds, thousands of zombies with their hearts in a fist. But this is not just about killing; Back 4 Blood also has a truly interesting strategic component that is nourished, above all, by its customizable system of card advantages.‎

Atomix - Spanish - 80 / 100

Back 4 Blood lacks the personality and charisma of the Left 4 Dead franchise, but at the same time, it also introduces some quality of life changes that make this game blast to play with friends. However, playing alone feels unrewarding because of the lack of progression.

Attack of the Fanboy - 4 / 5 stars

It's safe to say that we're probably not going to be getting a Left 4 Dead 3 in our lifetimes, but Back 4 Blood is going to be as close as we'll get in the time being. The game preserves mostly everything that made the two Left 4 Dead games so great while integrating it into the modern gaming sphere.

Checkpoint Gaming - 8 / 10

Whether it’s your first time shooting zombies or you’re a Left 4 Dead veteran, Back 4 Blood is frantic action that you’ll love.

EGM - 8 / 10

Back 4 Blood certainly improves upon the gameplay formula of Turtle Rock's earlier Left 4 Dead, with a deeper feature set that allows for greater strategy and customization while fending off Hordes of the undead. But the world of the game and its characters lack the charm of its spiritual forebear, and a few curious design choices keep it just shy of greatness.

Everyeye.it - Italian - 8 / 10

Back 4 Blood is certainly not a perfect title, but overall the proposal of the Californian team is effective and well thought out. It goes without saying that to fully enjoy it you will necessarily have to find companions at the height, but we can assure you that the game is worth the candle.

Game Informer - 8 / 10

Back 4 Blood shines when playing with others and has enough systems, spooks, and FPS fun to make players want to come back for more

Game Revolution - 8 / 10

The biggest question about this game is whether the player base will stay strong or not. Left 4 Dead still gets a steady stream over a decade later, but it’s still up in the air whether Back 4 Blood will inspire the same loyalty. Fortunately, it’s on Xbox Game Pass for console and PC, so there’s little to no risk in giving it a try.

Gaming Nexus - 8 / 10

Back 4 Blood is a worthy successor to the Left 4 Dead franchise. It maintains the fundamentals of what made the original so addictive and satisfying while adding its own little flair with the rogue-like deck building system. What holds Back 4 Blood from getting a better score is its high price tag and lack of solo play progression.

GamingBolt - 8 / 10

Back 4 Blood wastes no time trying to divert your attention from its obvious influences, but it doesn’t need to when it nearly lives up to the expectations its spiritual predecessors set so high.

GotGame - 8 / 10

In the end, I really enjoy playing Back 4 Blood’s campaigns. They’re just different enough from the Left 4 Dead formula and it offers a pretty satisfying challenge. The Swarm and solo modes could be a bit more rewarding, so hopefully Turtle Rock Studios addresses these soon. Overall, if you’re looking for a new co-op experience with some friends, you’ll likely have a good time with Back 4 Blood.

Guardian - 4 / 5 stars

Despite a messy start, this spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead becomes more challenging and characterful the longer you spend with it

Hobby Consolas - Spanish - 80 / 100

We're back to the old cooperative mode of busting zombies like there is no tomorrow with Back 4 Blood, the heir to Left 4 Dead that keeps the essence of the franchise alive and incorporates new mechanics, but with lessons to be learned in the field of PvP.

IGN - 8 / 10

Back 4 Blood doesn't nail all the twists it attempts, but a creative card-based progression system, fantastic campaign, and lighthearted tone make it a fun spin on a familiar genre.

IGN Spain - Spanish - 8 / 10

Back 4 Blood manages to live up to its predecessors, offering an improved, deeper, funnier and more addictive experience.

Impulsegamer - 4 / 5

Back 4 Blood is not just a new coat of paint. It tries new ideas to shake up its legendary formula, mashing together their learning to create a cohesive, insanely fun co-op experience.

Infinite Start - 8 / 10

Back 4 Blood is a fantastic entry in this genre that is held back by a couple of bold choices. Builds are a lot of fun until it becomes overly robotic and anything short of a really bad modifier puts you on a set loop. It also benefits from strong mechanics that make even the lowest difficulty feel unrelenting, along with rewarding team players. As much as I applaud Back 4 Blood for catering to a specific hardcore player base, it is a choice that will alienate certain players. I suggest asking yourself if you’re looking for a game to grind heavily or if a moderate challenge on a lower difficulty is enough. If you answered yes to either or just love the genre, odds are you’ll love this too. However, if you’re not looking for a massive team-based shooter, this is one experience that will leave you frustrated and disappointed.

JVL - French - 16 / 20

Back 4 Blood is indeed the Left 4 Dead 3 that we were all waiting for, even if it would be clearly reductive to limit ourselves to this simple comparison as the Turtle Rock studio has made great efforts to expand and modernize a recipe of which he is still the father. The result is a tasty soft in cooperation, jubilant and surprisingly demanding as soon as you increase the difficulty. Its build card system, the complete arsenal and the many small tools next to it, offer a lot of depth to the gameplay.

Metro GameCentral - 8 / 10

While it never forges its own identity, or escapes the shadow of Left 4 Dead, Back 4 Blood provides a great cover act, that captures all of the original series' magic.

PCGamesN - 8 / 10

It can feel unbalanced and unfairly punishing at times, but when all of its systems click into place Back 4 Blood is a ton of fun.

PPE.pl - Polish - 8 / 10

Playing Back 4 Blood, I felt that the developers did not disappoint by providing gameplay that not only resembles Left 4 Dead, but at the same time the team took care of new and well-thought-out systems. Not in every aspect we can talk about "great success", but I know that I will often return to B4B servers.

PlayStation Universe - 8 / 10

Back 4 Blood stands as a new standard in co-op shooters. With vibrant, intricate level design, solid gunplay, and intense moments brought on by a variety of dizzying enemy types balanced through a deep card system, it stands as a great achievement. The difficulty wall is annoying and other in game choices feel odd, to say the least, but that doesn't stop you from having an absolute blast, especially playing with friends.

Pure Xbox - 8 / 10

Is Back 4 Blood the Left 4 Dead 3 we've been waiting for? Yes! It's a worthy spiritual successor to Valve's classic zombie-slaying series of multiplayer games, and offers a well-designed Campaign mode with some impressive new features such as its strategic Card system. The difficulty perhaps needs balancing a little more, and the lack of meaningful progression when playing Solo Campaign needs addressing sharpish, but otherwise we've had a blast with Back 4 Blood so far, and we look forward to many more Campaign runs in the weeks, months and years to come.

Push Square - 8 / 10

Having spent a lot of time with Back 4 Blood, we think it's well worth your time and, crucially, your money. It's just a lot of fun blowing Ridden heads off or smashing them with a baseball bat like a watermelon in an anime beach episode. It doesn't really deliver a compelling experience solo – the bots are just a touch too stupid for that – but Back 4 Blood ought to become a multiplayer fixture for the rest of the generation to come. Unless they bring out Back 4 Blood 2 in, like, a year.

Rectify Gaming - 8 / 10

Tons of replay value and great challenge make Back 4 Blood a fantastic co-op experience that shouldn’t be missed.

Saving Content - 4 / 5 stars

There’s simply more to do and see with Back 4 Blood. It recaptures the magic of Left 4 Dead with near-infinite replayability at greater depths. The lengthy roster and varied personalities of the cleaners are entertaining. The deck building system allows you to create a devastating hand, and the weapon modding lets you grow with the increasing challenge. As you progress through the game, the AI director keeps you on the edge as you barely survive each encounter. Turtle Rock does it again, Back 4 Blood feels like an evolution on the coop zombie shooter we haven’t seen in over a decade.

Skewed & Reviewed - 4 / 5 stars

Back 4 Blood is a great evolution of the genre.

Spaziogames - Italian - 8 / 10

Back 4 Blood is more than Left 4 Dead 3 with another name. It presents a strategic use of cards and a well developed progression system that guarantees a lot of fun and replayability.

The Games Machine - Italian - 8 / 10

Back 4 Blood isn't perfect and doesn't revolutionize zombie-themed co-op FPS, but it effectively demonstrates that, thirteen years later, the right ideas can revitalize superb but dusty gameplay.

The Loadout - 8 / 10

Back 4 Blood truly is the Left 4 Dead 2 sequel you’ve been waiting for. While it might be more difficult than the average zombie co-op, its unpredictable gameplay will have you coming back time and time again.

The Outerhaven Productions - 4 / 5 stars

Back 4 Blood is a good game, it improves on the Left 4 Dead formula in a way that is challenging and creative. However, the move to forcing people to advance the overall game by going online, being forced to work with randoms in a very badly connected cross-platform multiplayer games where without a solid communication base, resulting in Back 4 Blood being an experience in frustration rather than a very enjoyable game. If Turtle Rock allows for private games where you can do under 4 players with bots instead, then maybe this game can truly be something that is a must-own. But at the moment Back 4 Blood is only worth playing if you have a premade group of friends.

TrueAchievements - 8 / 10

Back 4 Blood is the co-op survival shooter that we’ve been waiting for since Left 4 Dead took the world by storm. The introduction of Corruption Cards really helps the game stand out, while offering players varied gameplay that doesn’t feel stale at any point. The current issues surrounding solo play are certainly a turn-off, but not enough for me to not recommend playing it, especially if you have a group of friends ready to go. With a little TLC, Back 4 Blood has every ingredient necessary to flourish, and perhaps even dethrone its predecessors… maybe.

TrustedReviews - 4 / 5 stars

Back 4 Blood is an excellent co-op zombie shooter, with a card-based perk system and wonderfully satisfying gunplay building upon the fantastic foundations of the Left 4 Dead series. But if you’re planning on playing solo you may want to stay clear, with a design clearly optimised for multiplayer.

Twinfinite - 4 / 5

In spite of its shortcomings, though, Back 4 Blood is already starting to feel like it could very well become my go-to zombie shooter whenever I just want to have a fun, social experience with friends. Despite how saturated the zombie game market has become, Back 4 Blood cuts through all the noise and delivers a solid co-op shooter that oozes charm and prioritizes fun with friends over everything else.

VG247 - 4 / 5 stars

Back 4 Blood takes an old-school approach where it makes sense, and modernises where it doesn’t. It’s heartening to be engaged by a game purely for its gameplay and variety, and not to pad out a progress bar somewhere.

Wccftech - 8 / 10

Back 4 Blood isn't Left 4 Dead, and it doesn't even try to be it, doing away with the classics' straightforward campaign in favor of a more modern experience that rewards progression and offers plenty of replayability. The excellent map and mission design, the huge variety of builds made possible by the card system, and satisfying gameplay make the game by Turtle Rock Studios the one to get for those who have a team of friends ready to take on hordes of undead, but those who are looking to play the game solo would do better to look elsewhere, as Back 4 Blood doesn't offer much for those not too keen on teamwork.

Windows Central - 4 / 5 stars

Despite a few shortcomings, Back 4 Blood is nevertheless an excellent and fresh take on the beloved Left 4 Dead formula.

Xbox Achievements - 80 / 100

A blistering return to zombie-slaying nirvana, Back 4 Blood is an excellent spiritual follow-up to Left 4 Dead that ticks almost all of the right boxes, except for the one labelled 'solo progression' – if you're planning on playing offline on your own, you might want to steer clear for now. Otherwise, jump right in.

COGconnected - 79 / 100

Back 4 Blood is one that I’ll be playing for a long time to come. Turtle Rock Studios has committed to improving the game, both through new content and patches. And I trust that they’ll right most of the wrongs with their latest zombie-slaying simulator. It may feel light on content, and you’ll need a team of people if you want to make any actual progress, but hop on board now, and you still be pleasantly surprised at just how fun Back 4 Blood can be.

Easy Allies - 7.5 / 10

Back 4 Blood isn't as memorable as its predecessors, but there's a firm foundation to get the party started.

GameGrin - 7.5 / 10

Back 4 Blood has built on the great foundations that Left 4 Dead laid over a decade ago. The gameplay is brilliant, there's also that little bit more to keep the challenge fresh and to keep zombie killing fun.

GamingTrend - 75 / 100

You'll find a lot of fun in Back 4 Blood. Turtle Rock Studios managed to take something that was old and give it enough of a touch-up to make sure we recognized it but played with it differently. It's fun to hop on with your friends and blast away the zombies and compete to potentially take out the Cleaners, but you have to get past the first half of the game to get to the best parts. It doesn't help that the story gives you nothing to cling to, but once you get past those parts, the tension and excitement kick in. But sadly, playing solo hardly gives you anything like what you get playing online and with friends.

PC Invasion - 7.5 / 10

Back 4 Blood is another great multiplayer zombie game, but some serious balance issues force it to stumble out of the gate.

Paste Magazine - 7.5 / 10

But for what it is, Back 4 Blood proves that what made Left 4 Dead good is still a lot of fun, even if this new iteration doesn't make use of every innovative convention to spring up since the series' original release. And there's something to be said for aging gracefully and not shoehorning in everything at once. As the old plastic surgery adage goes, sometimes it's best not to remake but maintain.

XboxEra - 7.2 / 10

It's a no-brainer to at least check out as it's on Game Pass, but poor controls on console serve as a great detriment to what otherwise can be a really fun time.

3DNews - Russian - 7 / 10

As a cooperative shooter, Back 4 Blood is not bad. But as it is, bland maps, awkward progression and controversial design decisions make it a game for only a couple of evenings.

Explosion Network - 7 / 10

There are plenty of reasons why Back 4 Blood could be around for years as Turtle Rock adds additional content to the game, but I hope they start by tweaking what's here. The difficulty, for this type of game, feels wrong. Back 4 Blood is meant to be fun with friends, and although I'm all for the challenge and reliance on communication with your teammates, the higher difficulties are sadistic.

FingerGuns - 7 / 10

If you have a squad of like-minded buddies ready to lose many an evening to slaying some zombie infested hordes, Back 4 Blood will provide you plenty to satisfy that urge. It doesn’t quite capture the greatness of its forebears and it stumbles over itself with its erratic difficulty curve and repetitive nature, but Back 4 Blood has immensely satisfying, if simplistic, gameplay mechanic. This is a veteran, war-torn survivor who’s maybe danced this bloody dance once too many times, but it knows damn well how to deliver that co-op fun.

Game Rant - 3.5 / 5 stars

Back 4 Blood still comes out as the best Left 4 Dead-inspired game in recent memory, taking the core design and innovating on it just enough to keep everything fresh and fun. Where Back 4 Blood gets things right, it does them really well, but where it doesn’t is often quite obvious.

GameSpot - 7 / 10

Back 4 Blood recaptures the spirit of Left 4 Dead while introducing some engaging modern trappings.

GamesRadar+ - 3.5 / 5 stars

Back 4 Blood is brilliant, co-op fun, with an interesting card system, but it's marred by terrible bots, awkward solo campaign choices, and a lackluster PvP mode.

Hardcore Gamer - 3.5 / 5

Back 4 Blood manages to recapture much of the magic Turtle Rock Studios crafted more than a decade ago.

Screen Rant - 3.5 / 5 stars

Turtle Rock's Back 4 Blood is tough as nails and has some minor annoyances, but it's a refreshingly complete and competent multiplayer experience.

Zoomg - Persian - 7 / 10

Overall, Back 4 Blood is a good experience of a survival-driven shooter game and zombie killing.

CGMagazine - 6.5 / 10

A tedious, time-consuming playing card mechanic, frustrating bug crashes and a repetitive, near-endless onslaught of Ridden enemies led by an uninspired AI Director, collectively drags this spiritual sequel to Left 4 Dead down from the heights it could have reached.

NoobFeed - 65 / 100

Back 4 Blood isn't a repeat of Turtle Rock Studios' Evolve but doesn't live up to the expectations many were hoping for.

Press Start - 6.5 / 10

It's hard to fault the moment-to-moment gameplay of Back 4 Blood when all of its pistons are working in tandem and you're running with a good crew. Though the effort to contemporise and grow beyond its roots is commendable, just about every other aspect of the game feels like a misfire. The campaign isn't fun and, more offensively, it pays no regard to solo players.

GameSpew - 6 / 10

I’ll reiterate: Back 4 Blood isn’t a bad game. But it could have been so much better. Its difficulty needs balancing, as does the amount of enemies thrown at you at any one time. Ultimately, most levels simply have too much going on to be enjoyable – and each Act would have benefitted from being substantially shorter. Get a competent group of friends together and you might have some fun, but chances are zombie fatigue is going to set in long before you reach the end of the campaign.

Shacknews - 6 / 10

Likewise, if you are burning to play a Left 4 Dead-style game but you only have a newer console, Back 4 Blood should fit the bill, though there are several more interesting options out there if you look. At the end of the day, this is an inferior version of Left 4 Dead 2 that lacks the style, charm, gore, and engaging characters it tries to reproduce. That said, there is a decent foundation here and there are worse ways you could spend a weekend with some buddies.

VGC - 3 / 5 stars

It seems backhanded to say that a game is only worth playing if you can find people to distract you from the actual game, but if your group wants something mindless to wind down after an intense night on Warzone or Rainbow Six: Siege, Back 4 Blood is ideal.

GameSkinny - 5 / 10 stars

Back 4 Blood comes after a decade of L4D-likes and from the studio that made the timeless original, but it fails to capture the same magic even as well as some prior imitators.

ACG - Wait for Sale

Video Review - Quote not available

Console Creatures - Recommended

While being as close to Left 4 Dead 3 as possible, Back 4 Blood differentiates itself with a card system and new zombies that make for a game you'll keep coming back to.

Destructoid - Unscored

It’s just like going to a friend’s house to play some Left 4 Dead, and Back 4 Blood at least nails that aspect. We’re still putting together our full thoughts on it, but honestly, if you’ve got three friends and matching Game Pass subs, there’s really no reason to not give Back 4 Blood a try. It is a pretty solid social zombie-shooting game that will fill at least a few weekends this year.

Polygon - Unscored

Left 4 Dead is a beautiful relic, something I and many others spent hundreds of hours playing in high school and college. But with games like Warhammer: Vermintide 2 and even Aliens: Fireteam Elite branching out and taking more of a class-based approach, I was sure Back 4 Blood’s more classic bone structure would crumble under the pressure. But Back 4 Blood is more like that makeshift, armor-clad Hummer you see in every zombie show and movie: The bones of what it once was are easy to see, but it’s been reinforced to survive in a new environment.

Skill Up - Unscored

Video Review - Quote not available

Vamers - Recommended

Back 4 Blood has clearly been designed as a multiplayer first title, and this is where it excels. From the rather basic narrative, through to the exceptional level design and progression systems, Back 4 Blood inspires extreme nostalgia while adding enough to carve its own path in the gaming zeitgeist. In this sense, the card and deck-building systems work very well (despite an odd caveat or two) to provide a wonderful level of team based strategy whilst keeping the repetitive gameplay fresh. Alas, the wonky AI and barebones narrative leaves a lot to be desired for solo players. When coupled with friends, however, it provides one of the most entertaining and insanely enjoyable multiplayer experiences currently available, and acts as a worthy successor to Left 4 Dead.

[Brian]

Will play this Day 1 on Game Pass

[AshsToAshs]

I love that this is on Game Pass for PC. 

[TheLeon]

I’ve played a few levels single player. It feels a lot like Left 4 Dead at first, but I just hit the point where it throws a bunch of unlocks and progression systems at you. Seems good. Makes me wish I was a more social gamer. 

[Brian]

Social media is strange af

[ShreddieMercury]

Played this for several hours and though I wouldn't call it straight up terrible, it's pretty close.  It's Left 4 Dead, except much slower, with dumber infected/director AI, bizarrely boring levels, and seemingly every negative GAAS element you could think of jammed into every crevice of the game.  And the shooting lacks anywhere near the same punch.

 

What makes L4D such a transcendent game is its simplicity.  No ADS, no unlocks or phony progression, no cosmetics, limited weapons and equipment.  I still consider it one of the most fun and most replayable games of all time.  B4B so far seems like a flat, inert, and joyless retread without any of the spark.  It's a bummer.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

4 minutes ago, ShreddieMercuryRising said:

Played this for several hours and though I wouldn't call it straight up terrible, it's pretty close.  It's Left 4 Dead, except much slower, with dumber infected/director AI, bizarrely boring levels, and seemingly every negative GAAS element you could think of jammed into every crevice of the game.  And the shooting lacks anywhere near the same punch.

 

What makes L4D such a transcendent game is its simplicity.  No ADS, no unlocks or phony progression, no cosmetics, limited weapons and equipment.  I still consider it one of the most fun and most replayable games of all time.  B4B so far seems like a flat, inert, and joyless retread without any of the spark.  It's a bummer.

 

It really does appear to be quite a polarizing game: those who are enjoying claim it as the true evolution of the L4D series while others like yourself claim that it's a pale shadow of its forefather.

 

I've updated the reviews post with the latest from OpenCritic.

[XxEvil AshxX]

If this game did come out with no unlocks or progression, the game would have the staying power of a coked up porn star. Just look at the fuss over the lack of progression in the solo campaign.

 

I actually have a beef with the solo campaign progression myself. The fact that all the cards in the deck are unlocked by default is just kinda weird. It's like having a pinata, but instead of smacking it open, someone just walks up and dumps the candy out on the table. Sure, you get the candy, but without the satisfaction of beating the shit out of a paper mache Spongebob knockoff.

 

I played up till the ferry on Solo, and there are waaaaaay too many special mobs. I'd swear I killed about 20 of those Exploders before I reached the first safe house. They literally pop up every 5 seconds. There's just no tension.

 

Remember the witch in L4D? You knew exactly how many witches were in a level (I believe it straight up told you) but you didn't know where they'd be. But you'd be making your way through the level and then all of a sudden you'd hear that crying and it was like NOBODY TAKE A FUCKING STEP.

 

The game just spams you with everything, so often stacking multiple special mobs on top of you where it no longer feels like an event when one shows up, it just gets kind of annoying.

 

Oh and the bots are on you like flies on shit. I thought my cat was bad. I run over to shed, turn around and there they are. Run over to the side, turn around and there they are. It makes it really difficult to kill the Tall Boys because they require flanking to shoot at its shoulder (which it hides behind it), but the bots just follow you around everywhere like those damn animated mouse cursors from back in the 90's. I lost count how many times I heard them complain about friendly fire because literally every time I turned around to shoot a zombie I'd hose one of them in the face cuz they're RIGHT ON MY ASS AT ALL TIMES.

[skillzdadirecta]

I played through the first Act I guess? Till you get to the camp? It's ok. I loved Left 4 Dead when it first came out but it grew stale for me after awhile and by the time the second game came out I was so over the formula I didn't even bother getting it. This game has the right idea as far as progression and unlocks to keep things interesting and there's a ton of guns and attachments... I can see this game being fun with a group but I haven't played with anything but Bots yet. 

 

I didn't find the bots to be too bad in my playthrough. They were pretty helpful and pointed out items and loot and stuff and revived me a couple of times. I didn't have too many friendly fire incidents in my run. The game is... fine? I guess. It's pretty and the story seems ok, I guess it would be cool with a group. I feel like @JPDunks4 and @ARZ and I had just as much fun if not more with Aliens Fireteam and World War Z. 

[XxEvil AshxX]

1 hour ago, skillzdadirecta said:

I played through the first Act I guess? Till you get to the camp? It's ok. I loved Left 4 Dead when it first came out but it grew stale for me after awhile and by the time the second game came out I was so over the formula I didn't even bother getting it. This game has the right idea as far as progression and unlocks to keep things interesting and there's a ton of guns and attachments... I can see this game being fun with a group but I haven't played with anything but Bots yet. 

 

I didn't find the bots to be too bad in my playthrough. They were pretty helpful and pointed out items and loot and stuff and revived me a couple of times. I didn't have too many friendly fire incidents in my run. The game is... fine? I guess. It's pretty and the story seems ok, I guess it would be cool with a group. I feel like @JPDunks4 and @ARZ and I had just as much fun if not more with Aliens Fireteam and World War Z. 

 

I saw you playing and thought about sending you a message to team up, but it was already getting late and I was nearing the time of night where my speech gets slurred and I start rambling incoherently until I eventually just fall asleep in my chair and the rest of the party listens to me snore.

 

I actually have heard from a few people that World War Z was pretty much what the natural evolution for Back 4 Blood should have been. i.e. it does Left 4 Dead better than the people that actually made Left 4 Dead. I wouldn't know, as my friends never wanted to play so I was stuck trying to solo it, which didn't go so well.

[ShreddieMercury]

15 hours ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

 

It really does appear to be quite a polarizing game: those who are enjoying claim it as the true evolution of the L4D series while others like yourself claim that it's a pale shadow of its forefather.

 

I've updated the reviews post with the latest from OpenCritic.

 

In order to evolve the L4D formula, they'd have to first at least get the basics right.  The one big thing about L4D is the procedural zombie hordes and the AI "director", and so far B4B doesn't have a hook like that.  Maybe it gets better with more playtime or within other campaigns, but the hordes I've encountered are minimal, bland, and slow, and the special zombies are generic and ever present in a way that saps any tension or sense of team strategy.

 

On its own, it's fine.  It's another generic co-op service game.  But in comparison to L4D (a comparison which it's desperate to achieve) it's lacking in fundamental and baffling ways.

[CitizenVectron]

On 10/13/2021 at 8:30 AM, ShreddieMercuryRising said:

 

In order to evolve the L4D formula, they'd have to first at least get the basics right.  The one big thing about L4D is the procedural zombie hordes and the AI "director", and so far B4B doesn't have a hook like that.  Maybe it gets better with more playtime or within other campaigns, but the hordes I've encountered are minimal, bland, and slow, and the special zombies are generic and ever present in a way that saps any tension or sense of team strategy.

 

On its own, it's fine.  It's another generic co-op service game.  But in comparison to L4D (a comparison which it's desperate to achieve) it's lacking in fundamental and baffling ways.

 

I think I disagree—the game is great. It's not L4D2, but it moves the co-op horde genre forward. The card system is fantastic.

[CitizenVectron]

First balance patch is out, and...it requires no patch!

 

 

The devs have also been quite open about what they are working on (with a public Trello board), and are bumping things up in priority based on feedback (such as allowing progression in solo mode).

 

Patch notes:

 

Campaign – this is an attempt to address some of the concerns regarding the challenges presented by some difficulties.

• Roaming Special Spawn rate decreased on all difficulties
• Adjusted Supply Point earning rates for Blue Dog Hollow: The Sound of Thunder to better account for level repeats

Swarm – adjustments made in response to what we've observed with Swarm matches.

• Bruisers max health reduced to 800 from 850
• Bruisers damage reduced to 15 from 20
• Bruiser Burst delay to 3 from 2.65
• Bruiser Weakspot multiplier increased to 1.65 from 1.5
• Tallboy damage increased to 20 from 15
• Hocker Projectile speed to 2500 from 3000
• Hocker Projectile cooldown to 7 from 6
• Stinger Projectile spread reduced to 20 from 30
• Stinger Projectile speed increased to 5500 from 5000

[Guest]

Played a little this afternoon. I have no idea what I’m doing, the whole card system, etc. but it was fun

[CitizenVectron]

11 minutes ago, sblfilms said:

Played a little this afternoon. I have no idea what I’m doing, the whole card system, etc. but it was fun

 

Honestly I just really like the inclusion of modern features like ADS, sprint, gun modifications, an ACTUAL FOV SLIDER, etc. lol

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

I've updated the reviews post with the most recent from OpenCritic.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Back 4 Blood is peak 00s action cheese and I am here for it

WWW.ROCKPAPERSHOTGUN.COM

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Back 4 Blood harkens back to a simpler time when doing a one-liner counted as having personality and action was uncomplicated, and I am wholly up for that.

 

Quote

 

Back 4 Blood is out today, that new game from the original developers of Left 4 Dead that is definitely not Left 4 Dead 3, but is still about turning waves of zombies into splashes on the post-apocalyptic pavement as a co-op team. And yes, I still love it. It is fun. It is so much fun. When is this formula not fun? The release version is, in several respects, an improvement on the beta. The characters do more bantering, it has cinematic cutscenes, and if you have to play with bots those bots do not spend all their time shooting into the drywall. Tick, tick, tick.

 

But in playing the full game in context, with stuff like opening cinematics and tutorialising videos all embedded in it, something else has become clear: this game is peak early-00s cheese. Not just because many of the enemies have the same texture as a fully loaded pizza.

 

 

[Guest]

If any Xbox players want to get together, let me know. I really have no idea what I’m doing and wouldn’t mind playing with some people more familiar!

[Keyser_Soze]

53 minutes ago, sblfilms said:

If any Xbox players want to get together, let me know. I really have no idea what I’m doing and wouldn’t mind playing with some people more familiar!

 

Also for game pass players check your perks for some B4B skins.

[best3444]

I won't even bother with this game. Hopefully those that are playing enjoy themselves in co-op. 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Let's take a moment to enjoy the post-it notes and graffiti in Back 4 Blood

WWW.ROCKPAPERSHOTGUN.COM

---

Back 4 Blood doesn't just have hot guns and exploding mutants, it has some world-building post-it notes too!

 

Quote

There is a story in Back 4 Blood about the Ridden and the mutating and so on, but the "I miss all the memes" post-it isn't adding to much of its world-building here. Although it does make me laugh to imagine the kind of person who would leave that note. Like, if you stop to leave a note saying, "I miss all the memes" after the entirity of civilisation has been wiped out, then, full offense, you deserve to be eaten by a zombie. I would leave you behind. I would tie you up to give myself more time to escape. I am extremely serious about this.

 

This is the type of diegetic storytelling that the L4D series excelled at, so I'm pleased to see that Turtle Rock continued that tradition with B4B.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

One final update of the OpenCritic reviews post.

[CitizenVectron]

I've really been enjoying this. The card system really provides some great opportunities for specific builds, especially in longer play sessions. 

[Guest]

I’ve been playing this most nights for at least a short amount of time. It is pretty fun and I’ve got a much better feel for the card system now.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

 

[stepee]

I wonder what actual sales without game pass are tho!

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

NOVEMBER 2021 UPDATE - Back 4 Blood

BACK4BLOOD.COM

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Back 4 Blood is a thrilling cooperative first-person shooter from the creators of the critically acclaimed Left 4 Dead franchise. You are at the center of a war against the Ridden. These once-human hosts of a deadly parasite have turned into terrifying creatures bent on devouring what remains of civilization. With humanity’s extinction on the line, it’s up to you and your friends to take the fight to the enemy, eradicate the Ridden, and reclaim the world.