Back 4 Blood: Revival of the Run and Gun Co-op Genre

by Lordtoto01 / Articles, Highlights / 16 Oct 2021

For once, you are not the victim anymore. Instead of cowering in a bunker and waiting for the inevitable end, you get to fight the stinking rotting undead.

Turtle Rock Studios’s latest game, Back 4 Blood, is a fresh take on the zombie shooter genre. They started the run and gun co-op genre with Left 4 Dead, and though many brave souls tried, they never lived up to its reputation.

Back 4 Blood not only surpasses its predecessor but does so with style. It’s a masterpiece with a little of everything (deck building, roguelite, FPS, co-op) but mixed to just the right amount, a new type of game that did not exist until now.

Refined shooting experience

Back 4 Blood implements some of the best shooting mechanics in recent gaming history. The reload animations are smooth and greatly compliments the entire arsenal. Even the attachment system is comparable to Apex Legends and PUBG.

You can pick from a collection of 30 guns, all of which serve a different purpose. Each weapon feels distinct when fired and does not appear to reskin of one another. The gun mechanics are also well balanced to offer a fair gaming experience without appearing as overpowered.

For instance, you can use an Extended Fast Mag to fasten the reload time on the M249 but at the cost of armor-piercing rounds.

Card perks

The deck-building system is quite new, and given the popularity of rougelite card games, it only made sense to include that.

You can choose from a collection of 100 cards to build a 15-card deck. Each card offers a specific bonus, such as higher stamina or faster-reloading speed.

However, like guns, the cards are also well balanced as some of the powerful ones carry significant drawbacks. For example, Quick Kill gives +50% hip-fire accuracy but disables aim-down-sights. Mean Drunk grants +75% melee damage, makes your attacks cleave through enemies but disables sprinting.

The card system is quite new but is greatly rewarding once you know what you’re doing and how to build your character.

Cleaners

Speaking of character, in Back 4 Blood, you play superhuman murder machines known as Cleaners. They do not have ultimate fancy abilities but come with special perks that alter the gameplay ever so slightly.

For instance, Holly restores stamina on each kill, Mom receives a free revive once per mission, and Doc can heal everyone for free and use medkits faster.

Previously in Left 4 Dead, you would pick a character solely based on their voice lines. Back 4 Blood’s ‘Cleaners’ not only have a rich personality, but they also serve a specific role, which further strengthens the core co-op gameplay.

Verdict

To say Back 4 Blood is amazing is an understatement. The new card mechanics, class-based characters, extensive arsenal of weapons, and redefined PvP make it quite compelling, if not the best, to enjoy with your friends. And just in case everyone is busy, you can enjoy the solo campaign mode where all the cards are unlocked so that you experiment to your heart’s content.

Although Back 4 Blood is unlikely to receive much mod support, players are looking forward to Turtles Rock’s annual pass for a fresh dose of mayhem, which supposedly consists of a new story, special Ridden Types, and more ‘Cleaners.’ Nobody knows the details but seems that the game has yet a lot to offer further in the future. Aren’t you excited?

Lordtoto01

I’ve loved games ever since I was a child. I like playing them and sharing my feelings with other like-minded individuals. I started off writing as a hobby, and a few years later, my love for games is still as lively as ever and I intend to spread it throughout the gaming community.
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