Turtle Rock Studios has recently released the beta for their upcoming gameBack 4 Blood. As the original creators ofLeft 4 Dead,Turtle Rock has endeavored to recapture the magic of those games and reimagine it for modern audiences.Many of the familiar trappings ofLeft 4 Deadcan be found in their newest game.
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LikeLeft 4 Dead,the new title offers a four survivor co-op shooting experience set in a zombie apoclaypse, complete with special infected possessing dangerous abilities. However,Back 4 Bloodis not a reskin. The developers have put in a lot of effort to make it distinct, so that it can stand on its own two feet.
8Card System
Back 4 Blood’scard system is probably the biggest difference between the two games Essentially, theplayer can construct a deck of cardsthat represent perks. Over the course of a campaign, the player will draw more cards from their deck, making the stronger. Therefore, these decks allow for specialized builds.
On the other hand, the game director AI, the one controlling the pace of the campaign, will draw random cards from their own deck that will empower the infected. Combined, these features help make each run unique.
7Less Environmental Storytelling
Many players of the Beta felt underwhelmed by many of the differences found in the game. One of the biggest complaints was a lack of environmental storytelling. Games likeDark SoulsorPreytell a lot of their story through the world. Instead of conventional means of storytelling, players can experience the story and worldbuilding as long as they are willing to explore.
Compared toLeft 4 Dead,Back 4 Bloodwas lacking in that department. The game features more dialogue and other typical methods of worldbuilding, which can drag down the feel of the game.
6Better Graphics
Left 4 Dead 2was released back in 2009. For a game that is now 12 years old, it still looks incredibly good. That being said,graphics technology has come a long waysince then. With the help of the Unreal 4 engine,Back 4 Bloodhas been able to showcase a whole different level of graphics that the orginal team could only dream of.
It’s not just about higher quality textures either. The game also boasts superior lighting, more color, and just an overall improvement over the original series.
5Smaller Levels
Another thing that makesBack 4 Blooddifferent is its level design.Left 4 Deadwould often have linear, yet surprisingly spread out areas that allowed players room to maneuver and explore.Back 4 Blood,however, tries to keep its levels smaller and more focused.
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The game’s few arena-like sections are reserved for bigger encounters, which maintains the more claustrophobic feel. However, thelack of a versus modedoes hurt these campaigns. Some have criticized this change, while others don’t seem to mind; regardless it can’t be denied that it does have a drastic effect on how this game is played over the other. Luckily,it will be on Game Passto sway the hesitant.
4Modernized Shooting
Shooters have come a long way in the past 12 years. Not only do guns feel better than ever, but the player character themself has more freedom of movement than ever before.Back 4 Bloodimplements these changes perfectly. The player can now sprint, vault over low cover, and generally be more maneuverable. It is even possible to aim down sights, angle the gun, and add orremove any attachments. It feels better overall but some people have pointed out that the melee in particular probably didn’t need the same treatment. Now the melee is more focused on killing a single opponent over maintaining crowd control.
3Safe House Vendors
A polarizing decision,Back 4 Bloodallows for the purhasing of equipment at vendors at safe houses. The game’s currency, copper, can be collected throughout a campaign to be used at these vendors. If a player is in desperate need of a particular item, they can spend that copper to receive it.
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This is very different from the free top-ups ofLeft 4 Dead. However, it does come in handy if a player is in need of a particular item. Additionally, it creates some tension, as players must decide which items they want to prioritize over the others.
2The Special Infected
There is nothing more iconic about theLeft 4 Deadgames than their special infected. Luckily,Back 4 Bloodhas their own fair share of ghoulies that will keep the player on their toes. Some special infected are an amalgamation of the previous game’s special infected, like the Hockers or Retches. Others try to be more distinct, like the Ogres.
Their job is the same as it ever was: beat the player’s team into the dirt. One change is that the special infected no longer have distinct audio cues, making them much sneakier and possibly more deadly.
1Characters
BothLeft 4 Deadgames had a group of four to face off against the apoclaypse. Each player could control one of these characters, but they mostly amounted to a different player skin.Back 4 Bloodelects to have awhole cast of playable characters to choose from.
Not only are these characters visually different, but they also possess unique passive buffs that both aid the team at large and also help them to specialize alongside their perk deck. Now team variation and playing to that character’s strengths can be a part of the meta.
