When Valve let the Left 4 Dead series rest with an uncertain future, I was worried that we may never get this style of game again. Being some of my favourite co-op games of all time, they provided tons of hours of entertainment with friends. So I was ecstatic when Turtle Rock Studios finally unveiled Back 4 Blood, a spiritual successor to the Left 4 Dead series that had all the makings of a potential third entry that we never got. While it's certainly no Left 4 Dead 3, Back 4 Blood still provides good fun in doses but struggles in other departments.



Back 4 Blood is set in a post-apocalyptic future where humanity is on the brink of extinction from zombie hordes called Ridden, who have infested the planet and taken control. You assume the role of a Cleaner (up to 8 can be unlocked in the game), a hardened and skilled fighter tasked with literally cleaning up Ridden and providing aid to other bases or societies in need.

The story of Back 4 Blood is told over four unique acts, with the first two being the meatiest and longest. The fourth and final act funnels players into a single boss battle, but it ends on a satisfying high note. Across the various acts, players will be given tasks to collect supplies, protect bases, or secure resources, ensuring humanity's survival. It's not the most original narrative and you can get through each act in a couple of hours (a peg down from Left 4 Dead's weighty five-act structure), but it serves its purpose if you're just here for some good old-fashioned zombie-slaying.



Back 4 Blood offers three modes of play: Campaign, Solo Campaign (which is the same campaign but with AI bots for squadmates) and Swarm, a 4v4 PvP mode. Almost immediately, you'll run into the game's major issue here: the solo campaign offers no meaningful progression. You won't be awarded achievements or Supply Points, the in-game "currency" which is then used to buy Supply Lines that unlock new card decks for abilities and skills (we'll get to that in a bit). Add in the fact that the AI bots you're partnered with are pretty awful and aren't the brightest bulbs in the shed - it unfortunately makes for a painful single-player experience.

Almost immediately, you'll run into the game's major issue here: the solo campaign offers no meaningful progression.

That said, teaming up with players online in multiplayer is where the game succeeds. Having real players coordinate tasks and objectives is much easier as most players will already understand the issues at hand - something the AI bots can't seem to wrap their heads around. Matchmaking was breezy and simple for the most part, though there were only a few connectivity issues which can be smoothened out in updates.



Arguably the biggest selling point of Back 4 Blood is its new Card System. On your journey, you'll earn Supply Points which are then used to unlock Supply Lines (think loot boxes, only no real money is used). These will award players with a pre-determined deck of cards - each card offers various skills, buffs and abilities that, when built upon each Cleaner's latent abilities, offer many ways to create specific builds.

At first, I found this system highly rewarding. While each card seemingly offers minor buffs or skills, it's when you start pairing them up with other cards do these abilities feel meaningful and particularly useful when your team is trying to work as a well-oiled machine. For example, a character with healing abilities can be improved and honed to be the team medic with this card system, mixing and matching various perks that best match your playstyle and role on the team.



However, the card system also comes with its faults. After building a handful of loadouts/decks and experimenting with new unlocked abilities, building decks became quite tedious. Instead of being in the thick of the action, you're forced to spend a good chunk of time looking at cards on screen and mixing/matching builds. Some players might not find this as much of a chore, but when the moment-to-moment gameplay is so good, it's noticeable when the game slows to a crawl whenever you need to build a deck. Thankfully, there aren't any microtransactions in sight so you have earn all of them by simply playing.

The star attraction is the Ridden...

Gameplay in Back 4 Blood plays similarly to Left 4 Dead if you're already familiar with that series. Shooting feels excellent and guns have a terrific kick to them. You're given two weapon slots: one for primary weapons like shotguns, sniper rifles and assault rifles, and the other for secondary weapons like pistols and melee weapons. The star attraction is the Ridden, which is this game's version of the Infested from Left 4 Dead. Unlike the Infested, the Ridden are meaner, brutish and will overwhelm you if you aren't careful. I loved how aggressively they rushed the player, giving them a more ferocious presence than any other zombie hordes I've seen in gaming.



This is where Back 4 Blood bounces from challenging to downright unforgivable in the wrong situation. Difficult felt far more balanced in the beta, but in the final product, it's all over the place. This is something that Turtle Rock Studios will need to tweak and adjust at some point in the future as it makes certain portions of the game a brutal slog, but never in a fun or rewarding way. This will be down to personal preference in the end, though the inconsistencies in difficultly were notable enough to stand out.

I didn't get a chance to dive too deeply into Swarm mode, unfortunately, but for what it offered in terms of a 4v4 PvP multiplayer experience, it was fine. There's some fun to be had in playing as one of the Ridden, but it's a formula we've seen done before and doesn't feel any fresher here. Sadly, I don't see players sticking around for this mode too long as most of your time will be invested in the more impressive campaign.



On the technical front, Back 4 Blood is marvelous. Sound design is especially fantastic with Ridden being given horrifying screeches and roars that often made my skin crawl and kept me on high alert. It also added to the game's overall feeling of dread and haunting atmosphere. The visuals are also fantastic on PS5, and I rarely encountered framerate drops except for sections where the action got a bit too chaotic (especially towards the end of the game). It's all polished and runs well, though having only the current-gen version to review it, I can't say how it performs on last-gen consoles.



Overall, Back 4 Blood is definitely one for Left 4 Dead fans who have gone without a new game for over a decade. The gameplay and combat is fun and engaging, the Ridden are terrifying and diverse, and the campaign packs a solid punch in terms of what you get out of it. When it does stumble though, the fall hurts. No progression in the solo campaign makes playing alone useless and a waste of time. The card system will either please enthusiasts who love to optimize builds, or infuriate players who just want more of the action with no roadblocks. Back 4 Blood doesn't scale the same ambitious heights of the Left 4 Dead series, but there's still something here to sink your teeth into.

*Review code provided by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment | Reviewed on PS5