Turtle Rock Studios, the developer behind both Left 4 Dead and Evolve, is back this year with a new action-survival game. Fans have been eagerly awaiting more information about Back 4 Blood since it was officially revealed during last year's Game Awards. During a special look from Warner Bros. Games during E3 2021, players got a look at the "Swarm" game mode for Back 4 Blood.Â
Back 4 Blood takes place after a major catastrophe wipes out most of humanity, leaving many mutated and infected monsters in its wake. The survivors in this post-apocalyptic world are called Cleaners, and they have banded together to oppose the destruction of the zombie-like Ridden. Seeing as Back 4 Blood is a spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead, created by the same team, players can expect the same intense action in both the game's co-op campaign and PvP modes.
A deep dive into some of Back 4 Blood's PvP gameplay revealed a multiplayer mode which places two teams of four against each other. All Swarm games are played as a best-of-three match, with each player able to play in a team of Cleaners or Ridden. Players will end up switching back and forth between Cleaners and Ridden over several timed rounds. The team that is able to survive the longest as the Cleaners is the winner in the Swarm game mode.
When players are a Cleaner, they are tasked with surviving as long as possible against the onslaught of enemy attacks. Cleaners need to find the best place on the map to fortify a defense, while avoiding dangerous, Ridden-overrun areas. The Ridden are able to use different abilities to bring down the enemy Cleaners as quickly as they can. There are different types of Ridden zombies to choose from and different upgrades to pick, all of which can help counter the Cleaners team in different situations.
The trailers and previews of Back 4 Blood so far have been promising, and new features like the rogue-lite Card System add in a dynamic factor to gameplay. Thankfully, the developers have also promised to avoid any pay-to-win scenarios with its deck-building mechanics, some of which will be available through content drops post-launch. Back 4 Blood is also coming to Xbox Game Pass, and will be available on day one for subscribers of the service. With Back 4 Blood releasing later this year, players should keep an eye out for more information over the next few months.
Back 4 Blood is set to release October 12, 2021 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.