These differences help make Back 4 Blood feel like an evolution of Left 4 Dead rather than a clone of it. However, Back 4 Blood also features some key design choices and gameplay systems that help differentiate the game from its predecessor. With its wide assortment of weapon and utility pickups, unique and advanced "special infected" zombies, and an AI director that keeps playthroughs fresh by influencing zombie and item spawns, Back 4 Blood is, in many ways, simply a better-looking version of the game that players enjoyed over a decade ago (and still do today). It makes sense considering it developed Left 4 Dead when it was still a part of Valve. With keen senses, a steady hand and a little luck, you'll do yourself (and more importantly, your teammates) proud.It's undeniable that Turtle Rock Studios' upcoming co-op zombie shoot-em-up Back 4 Blood is heavily inspired by 2008's Left 4 Dead. So remember that Golden Horror-Flick Rule: You only have to outrun the slowest person you're with.
After all, a team can still be victorious if at least one person survives – whether that means making it to the safe room, or reviving the wounded before they've died. No, you're getting a genuine survival-horror experience: nursing wounds, scrounging for ammo and acknowledging that strategically making a break for it is usually better than getting slaughtered, especially when the enemy seems focused on a player that isn't you. With the exception of sequences where you're specifically told to activate an object and then brace for impact, there is no "planning" in Left 4 Dead, and there are no climactic, scripted battles: The stronger Boss Infected arrive fairly regularly, at the Director's whim in Campaign mode or perpetually lurking as other players in Versus mode. When in Doubt, Stay Calm and Run Like Hell And if you're not averse to voice chatting, get a mike – it can get kind of hard to type when you're trapped on the ground, firing stray rounds into a disorienting mass of necrotic flesh.Ĥ. The trill of a horn, a haunting choir or a sudden shift in the melody followed by an ominous quaking each signal that something very unfortunate is about to happen, so listen closely. The music also plays a very important role in setting up that cinematic experience.
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The announcements can get kind of annoying – particularly after the hundredth time someone has announced they're reloading – but you'll usually be glad to know exactly what your team is up to while you're in full panic mode. There'll also be the occasional reminder to drop whatever it is you're fiddling around with and get moving, as zombies attack those who linger. Characters issue alerts, letting each other know when ammo or weapons are nearby, or reminding friends to heal. True to that cinematic vibe it hopes to establish, Left 4 Dead offers up quite a few audio cues to help give players a fighting chance. Keep Your Ears Peeled, or Something Will Do It for You This keeps the pace lively, without punishing players.ģ. Skilled players will be rewarded (or punished) with more encounters and greater challenges, while those struggling to survive will find their opposition a little tamer. At which point, the AI Director opens up that magical zombie faucet in the sky, overwhelming you until you escape, or break.ĭynamic, cinematic campaigns means that as you're wading through corpses, struggling to save ammo and stay alive, every shot you fire and every kill you make is being judged. You'll study the maps, hone your aim, and your team will move like a well-oiled, monster-killing machine. Once those spineless humans are blinded and panicking, Hunters and Smokers will need to swarm in to divide and conquer. Send your Boomer in first – the bile he vomits works as zombie bait, sending the NPC horde en masse to attack whatever is covered in his puke.
There are few things worse than being pounced upon or helplessly dragged away, with your friends having gone on without you.Īs the Boss Infected in Versus mode, your only chance at victory lies with getting the humans to split up – there's a hefty re-spawn time after each death, so working as a team is pivotal. As a Survivor, your partners will be there to pick you up when you've been trampled, heal you if you've squandered your own supplies, and generally provide cover fire and support.