Back 4 Blood Reviews
Back 4 Blood is a strange mix of old and new, but it works. The result is a delightfully scrappy hang-out shooter.
Back 4 Blood is an exceptional FPS that sets a new standard for co-op zombie murderfests.
Back 4 Blood doesn't nail all the twists it attempts, but a creative card-based progression system, fantastic campaign, and lighthearted tone make it a fun spin on a familiar genre.
While it never forges its own identity, or escapes the shadow of Left 4 Dead, Back 4 Blood provides a great cover act, that captures all of the original series' magic.
Back 4 Blood is brilliant, co-op fun, with an interesting card system, but it's marred by terrible bots, awkward solo campaign choices, and a lackluster PvP mode.
Back 4 Blood shines when playing with others and has enough systems, spooks, and FPS fun to make players want to come back for more
Back 4 Blood recaptures the spirit of Left 4 Dead while introducing some engaging modern trappings.
Left 4 Dead is a beautiful relic, something I and many others spent hundreds of hours playing in high school and college. But with games like Warhammer: Vermintide 2 and even Aliens: Fireteam Elite branching out and taking more of a class-based approach, I was sure Back 4 Blood’s more classic bone structure would crumble under the pressure. But Back 4 Blood is more like that makeshift, armor-clad Hummer you see in every zombie show and movie: The bones of what it once was are easy to see, but it’s been reinforced to survive in a new environment.
Whether I’m laughing out loud over a brilliant strategy gone awry or just barely getting onto an escape vehicle with Ridden right on my heels, Back 4 Blood has the right formula for a good few weekends of co-op fun. If it gets even more support and updates down the line, I could see this taking up a spot as a go-to social game for quite a while to come. Really, it just feels good to have this sort of game back again.
The biggest question about this game is whether the player base will stay strong or not. Left 4 Dead still gets a steady stream over a decade later, but it’s still up in the air whether Back 4 Blood will inspire the same loyalty. Fortunately, it’s on Xbox Game Pass for console and PC, so there’s little to no risk in giving it a try.
I so badly want to love Back 4 Blood, but its grindy nature and difficulty spikes out of nothing let it down, leaving you with a bad taste in your mouth. It has potential for those in it for the long haul, accumulating cards and building specialised decks to match the challenge, but right now I just have no desire to go back 4 more.
The creators of Left 4 Dead return with Back 4 Blood, a cooperative experience in which to pass over hundreds, thousands of zombies with their hearts in a fist. But this is not just about killing; Back 4 Blood also has a truly interesting strategic component that is nourished, above all, by its customizable system of card advantages.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
We're back to the old cooperative mode of busting zombies like there is no tomorrow with Back 4 Blood, the heir to Left 4 Dead that keeps the essence of the franchise alive and incorporates new mechanics, but with lessons to be learned in the field of PvP.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Likewise, if you are burning to play a Left 4 Dead-style game but you only have a newer console, Back 4 Blood should fit the bill, though there are several more interesting options out there if you look. At the end of the day, this is an inferior version of Left 4 Dead 2 that lacks the style, charm, gore, and engaging characters it tries to reproduce. That said, there is a decent foundation here and there are worse ways you could spend a weekend with some buddies.
Back 4 Blood takes an old-school approach where it makes sense, and modernises where it doesn’t. It’s heartening to be engaged by a game purely for its gameplay and variety, and not to pad out a progress bar somewhere.
Back 4 Blood manages to live up to its predecessors, offering an improved, deeper, funnier and more addictive experience.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Back 4 Blood continues the tradition of PvE shooters started by Turtle Rock Studios with Left 4 Dead, but offering a better gameplay dinamics and a fun campaign to play online with three other players.
Review in Italian | Read full review
It's safe to say that we're probably not going to be getting a Left 4 Dead 3 in our lifetimes, but Back 4 Blood is going to be as close as we'll get in the time being. The game preserves mostly everything that made the two Left 4 Dead games so great while integrating it into the modern gaming sphere.
Thanks to the AI Director, incredible atmosphere and great pacing, Back 4 Blood is a triumphant return for Turtle Rock.