What you need to know
- Back 4 Blood is a co-op zombie shooter that's shaping up to be the spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead.
- A new trailer released today shows off the eight playable characters in the game.
- Each character has a unique backstory that then grants them unique stat bonuses and abilities.
Back 4 Blood from Turtle Rock Studios is, in many ways, the Left 4 Dead spiritual successor many players have been waiting for. One key difference though is the amount of playable characters. Instead of just the four you get in Left 4 Dead, you get to choose between eight "Cleaners" in Back 4 Blood, which were all shown off in a new trailer released today.
Each of the eight characters — Holly, Walker, Doc, Karlee, Jim, Hoffman, Evangelo, and Mom — has their own back story to show players how they all got to this point (or as the trailer says, "how we all got here"). They also each get stat bonuses and other perks based on those stories.
For example, Walker is a war veteran who is great with a firearm, so playing with him nets you increased damage and precision kills increase accuracy. He also provides more team health. Speaking of health, there is a literal character named Doc who grants the team trauma resistance and gets a low health heal bonus. Other characters include Holly, the narrator of the trailer and described as the "glue that keeps the team together," and Mom, who's called that because "she always knows exactly what to say." The latter has an instant revive ability, and grants the team +1 extra life.
You can watch the trailer for the full slate of characters and their backstories, but it's filled with some colorful personalities.
Back 4 Blood is a first-person, co-op shooter that takes place after the outbreak of the Devil Worm — a parasite that turns victims into zombies. There are a few differences between it and Left 4 Dead, even though it comes from a lot of the same creators. For example, there is a focus on cleaning out zombie hordes instead of trying to survive. There's also a the Game Director, which uses a randomized card system to provide variables to any round, including perks that can buff your team.
Back 4 Blood comes out on Oct. 12, 2021 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC.
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Back 4 Blood is a spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead, and we're excited for it. The game is a first-person, co-op zombie shooter that has you choosing between eight different characters and battling the zombie horde.
