Back 4 Blood
Whilst Valve continue to umm and ahh over the number three, games like Back 4 Blood are popping up to take over the mantle. A spiritual successor to the hugely enjoyable Left 4 Dead series, development over at Turtle Rock Studios continues along nicely. So nicely in fact, that during The Game Awards, we were treated to two trailers, and the all-important release date. All aboard the hype train!
First up we had a CG trailer that gave us a look at four of the playable characters, but also some backstory or a particularly nasty looking parasite. Those with an aversion to worms crawling in and out of people’s eye sockets, look away now:
Special Zombies
There’s also a look at some of the more ‘special’ zombies which will feel instantly familiar to Left 4 Dead fans. There is one that jumps about all over the place, a bigger one that spews out bile at the survivors, but a couple of humongous looking zombies. During the gameplay trailer that followed, we got a closer look at one of them:
“Turtle Rock Studios, the talented team that put the co-op zombie genre on the map, is the perfect partner for us with Back 4 Blood as we pursue this important genre of gaming,” said David Haddad, President, Warner Bros. Games. “This passionate development team is giving fans a new franchise that pushes this category of shooters forward with fun, frenetic combat.”
“Our fans have been waiting a long time for us to return to our roots and it’s amazing to finally show the world what we’ve been working on,” said Chris Ashton, Co-founder and Design Director, Turtle Rock Studios. “We are making this game with our community in mind and are firing on all cylinders to give players a compelling zombie experience that is unlike any other.”
We were also promised a much larger game than Left 4 Dead with a stronger narrative. Expect a lot more customisation options to kit out characters the way you want them.
Eager for more? Turtle Rock Studios will be given a deeper look at gameplay during the Back 4 Blood Gameplay Showcase on 17th December 6pm GMT. This will also feature a new trailer and a developer interview.
But even if you can’t make the showcase, you don’t have that long to wait: Back 4 Blood is scheduled to release worldwide on 22nd June 2021 on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5 and PC. It will feature full four-player online mode, plus an eight player PVP mode. Here’s hoping we can control the infected horrors known as the Ridden again!
