Impressions of the Beta
Where we’d just get ready for another session of Left 4 Dead if we’re craving some co-op zombie action, we only recently got the chance to actually play the beta for the upcoming Back 4 Blood, the closest thing we might get to a Left 4 Dead 3. For this game developer Turtle Rock Studios worked together with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to make a spiritual successor to the Left 4 Dead series.
In Back 4 Blood you’re taken on the Ridden, who’re swarming the earth trying to infect even more people. As one of the so-called Cleaners, being immune to the parasite causing all this havoc, it’s your objective to kill as much of the Ridden as possible. While we didn’t get to see a whole of the story as of yet, there is a lot of fun to be had in Back 4 Blood and even more importantly, it’s nostalgic old-school fun.
Campaign and co-op elements
Basically you’re once again getting from point A to point B in the campaign, across empty parking lots, streets and houses while a boatload of enemies are standing in your way. Depending on the difficulty supplies can become scarce, which can spell your doom if you’re not coordinating with your teammates. Before you know it you’ll be yelling at each other, but it’s all in good fun.
Another fun point of depth is the choices you’ve got between the character, or Cleaner, you’ll be playing. Each of the Cleaners has a distinct personality and can use different kinds of weapons or has a special ability. Holly, for example, carries a baseball bat, can recover stamina by killing more of the Ridden and can tank hits to give more stamina to her teammates. Hoffman on the other hand is able to carry an additional weapon and recover ammunition through killing the Ridden. There’s a lot to like and a lot to choose from in the co-op experience.
Criticism
While there is a lot to like, there were a few issues that became apparent throughout the Beta. Even though they tried to make the characters likeable and give them personality, it can become overbearing, turning them into a walking stereotype most of the time. The zombie design also aren’t very original, while gameplay-wise there’s some elements that can feel unfair.
A deckbuilder is also added behind the scenes which feature cards that give you extra bonuses you’ll be taking into the fight, such as more bullets or stamina. It’s a good idea in concept but you’ll quickly lose track of everything and the bonuses themselves aren’t all that great or clear when you’re playing.
Conclusion
We feel like Back 4 Blood does some things right. The game looks great visually and running around killing zombies hasn’t felt so good in quite a while. Yet there’s a lot of gameplay elements that are a little lacking and it never felt as dynamic as Left 4 Dead did, you’re never as invested. Right now Back 4 Blood is a fine game, but if we’re comparing it to Left 4 Dead, it’s got a long way to go, as it’s releasing on October 12.
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