Warner Bros. partners with Turtle Rock Studios creators of the Left 4 Dead franchise to bring you first-person co-op zombie shooter Back 4 Blood. Available on Xbox game pass as a play anywhere title giving you access to play it on PC or Xbox without purchasing it twice. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers get access to Cloud Gaming (Beta) which also allows you to play it on mobile devices. PlayStation 4 and 5 users won’t be left out in the cold due to its cross-play and cross-generation compatibility. So basically, you can play in the airport on your phone with 3 other friends on PC, PlayStation, or Xbox. Big brain moves here, this is how games should be made. You can pick up Back 4 Blood on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC for $59.99.
I really want to touch a bit on what the cross-play, cross-generation features mean for both users and the developers. I am one of those people who have friends on every platform you can think of available. Unfortunately, once I have it on one platform that is it for me. I think most people feel this way. I even shy away from buying DLC after the first playthrough if some friends are excluded. Some people will buy it for multiple platforms, that is some true dedication or they just have money to blow. I think in the end developers will make more money by allowing all these cross features. People will be more inclined to purchase it just because they can play with friends on any platform. Also, since we have been having so much fun playing with the whole crew, we need to get that DLC. Cheers to whoever thought to implement these features, I hope it becomes a success.
Back 4 Blood takes place after a massive parasitic Devil Worm outbreak. Dubbed the Ridden, they have overrun the planet leaving most of humanity dead. A small group of individuals called the Cleaners has have joined forces to save the earth. If you’re reading this, you most likely have seen all the pre-release FIRE cinematics. These FIRE cinematics do continue in-game as you progress through the storyline. While they do get you mad pumped the story substance itself is lackluster. Without spoiling anything for those who have not played it yet, I was a little bit disappointed with the content of the story. The cinematics seemed to be more about introducing a new monster or character rather than diving deep into the origins of the devil worm plague.
Co-op makes the world turn in Back 4 Blood, it’s the lifeline of its replayability. Games like these do tend to get repetitive and boring no matter how many builds or mechanic variations they have. 4 player squads make it all possible. Another factor is the card system. Completing stages award supply points that allow you to unlock cards, and cosmetics. You can build custom decks to fit any play style. My personal favorite is the Holly Neegan bat melee berserker self-healing build. Oh yeah, it’s a thing homies. While the decks do add a massive amount of playstyle variation, unfortunately, they are not changeable until major checkpoints. I would really like to see these adjustable before each stage or at a safe house. It’s a solid system that will give you the urge to run through the game various times. Its weapon system is pretty basic with a number of guns you can test out in the shooting range before playing them live. You get 4 attachment slots to upgrade but you cannot change attachments! Major ball drop here.
This game gets mega hard mode. 3 levels of difficulty include recruit, veteran, and nightmare all with their own affixes.
- Recruit. Corruption Card Pool: Limited. Friendly Fire: Disabled. -50% Supply Points awarded to players.
- Veteran. Corruption Card Pool: Average. Friendly Fire: causes 35% damage to allies.
- Nightmare. Corruption Card Pool: Maximum. Friendly Fire: causes 60% damage to allies.
Even on veteran things will get out of hand fast. It’s like a snowball, once you start making small mistakes it’s all downhill from there. On nightmare, unless you are all rank one Shroud legends you will 100% need comms to survive. Having good aim is great but team coordination with builds, weapons, items, and group buffs will be the only way to survive. Back 4 Blood does include an in-game vocal communication system that works cross-platform.
Finally, you have Swarm Mode a PVP battleground where you can play as the Ridden. Each team of 3 takes turns playing as the Cleaners and Ridden. The team that survives the longest wins, an enclosing circle of gas ensures you cant kite the entire match. You can create custom swarm decks that can be used when you’re on the Cleaner side. You will also have a chance to set up your loadout during the preparation phase between each round. As Ridden, you can select different mutations from each vanity monster Tallboy, Stinger, and Reeker. Upgrade your horde and mutations as you progress with mutation points. This mode becomes repetitive quickly, I take Swarm mode in small doses. I think most would agree the co-op PVE campaign is where the fun is at.
Back 4 Blood is an absolute ball! Worth every penny. Get the homies together and kill some Zombies ASAP!
