Back 4 Blood

Thanks to the AI Director, incredible atmosphere and great pacing, Back 4 Blood is a triumphant return for Turtle Rock.

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"Back 4 Blood" is a cooperative first-person shooter where players fight against a zombie apocalypse. Players can team up with up to three others to clear infested areas and battle powerful enemies, utilizing a wide range of weapons and abilities. The game features a dynamic card system that affects gameplay, adding an extra layer of strategy to the intense action.

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Play Modes

Reviews

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 30,893 reviews

gameplay1,073 positive mentions

stability528 negative mentions

gameplay
3,713 mentions
29 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Back 4 Blood" has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its fast-paced, cooperative action reminiscent of the "Left 4 Dead" series, while others criticize its complexity and reliance on a card system that can feel overwhelming. The shooting mechanics are generally praised for their responsiveness and variety, but some players find the game repetitive and the special infected mechanics frustrating. Overall, while the game offers engaging multiplayer experiences and strategic depth through its deck-building mechanics, it struggles with balance and can be less enjoyable for solo players or those unfamiliar with its systems.
- “At its core, Back 4 Blood delivers moments of adrenaline-pumping gameplay.”
- “The shooting mechanics are solid, and the variety of weapons, from melee options to firearms, feels satisfying.”
- “The gameplay is fast-paced and intense, offering a perfect mix of strategy and action.”
- “The gameplay feels pretty straightforward.”
- “One of the biggest issues is the excessive reuse of maps, with little variation between acts, which makes the gameplay feel repetitive.”
- “The mechanics are overly complicated and unreasonable in the game.”
story
2,906 mentions
16 % positive mentions
74 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The story in "Back 4 Blood" is generally viewed as weak and generic, often compared unfavorably to its predecessor, "Left 4 Dead." Players note that while the game features a campaign with multiple acts and missions, the narrative lacks depth and character development, making it feel repetitive and uninspired. Despite this, some players appreciate the cooperative gameplay and card system, which adds variety to missions, though many agree that the story is not the main draw of the game.
- “The story is engaging and the characters diverse in skills and personality.”
- “The story running through the game is interesting and cohesive, the gameplay is fun and accessible so long as you don't try to work against the grain of how the game is designed.”
- “The story is fine, its just a vehicle to get you to each set piece.”
- “The writing is very poor quality, the voice acting feels lifeless and phoned in, and the 'story' is a total nothingburger.”
- “The story of the campaigns is actively intrusive, with intro and outro cutscenes taking an annoying amount of time, and conversations range from useless chatter to missable, but mission-important details.”
- “The story is so forgettable, I do not even remember the names of the characters after playing this for 14 hours and watching the cutscenes.”
graphics
1,467 mentions
47 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Back 4 Blood" have received widespread praise for their stunning visuals and optimization, often being described as a significant upgrade over the "Left 4 Dead" series. Players appreciate the detailed environments, character models, and smooth performance, even on lower-end hardware. However, some critiques mention that while the graphics are impressive, they do not compensate for perceived shortcomings in gameplay and level design, leading to mixed feelings about the overall experience.
- “The visuals are stunning, and the sound design adds to the atmosphere, making each encounter with the ridden both thrilling and terrifying.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, and the story is good.”
- “The graphics are stunning, with highly-detailed environments that immerse you in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by terrifying zombies.”
- “The graphics and art style are shockingly bad.”
- “The only thing this game has over l4d2 is graphics but frankly, that never really mattered to gamers.”
- “The graphics are decent, but the game itself feels like someone modified the EA Fortnite clone and called it a day.”
replayability
1,055 mentions
36 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The replayability of "Back 4 Blood" is largely driven by its innovative card system, which allows players to customize their builds and experience varied gameplay with each run. While many players appreciate the depth and strategic options this system provides, some express concerns about the game's potential for repetitiveness and the lack of mod support, which limits long-term engagement. Overall, the game offers a solid replay value, especially when played with friends, but opinions vary on its longevity compared to its predecessor, "Left 4 Dead."
- “The card system adds a good amount of depth, progression, and replayability.”
- “The randomized cards are a fun challenge too, making the replayability much more appealing to me.”
- “The card system is a standout feature, adding a layer of depth and replayability.”
- “While the game's replayability is there, I can't see myself replaying the campaign act more than twice because each level already feels the same as the last one.”
- “The game rarely surprises the players, the environments are nearly completely static, and the game doesn't have a lot of replayability.”
- “After unlocking most of the cards and having acquired most of the skins, the replay value of the game decreases.”
stability
567 mentions
6 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
93 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been a significant concern among players, with many reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and performance issues that can disrupt gameplay. While some users have noted improvements and a smoother experience on platforms like the Steam Deck, others continue to experience severe freezing, AI malfunctions, and game-breaking bugs that detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game is described as "buggy" and "unpolished," with many recommending patience for further updates and fixes before fully committing to play.
- “The game runs great, looks great, and sounds okay-ish.”
- “It's polished, looks nice, runs great on my setup, and it's (mostly) fun with friends.”
- “Unbelievable game that is polished and bug-free on release.”
- “But the game is still unplayable, it freezes every few seconds.”
- “I have bought this game twice and both times it has been surprisingly bad, the combination of the game running so incredibly bad (I have a 4090, there should be no issues) and the lack of intriguing content make me question if my purchase of $6 was worth this; I have spent more time troubleshooting than in-game and honestly it has been more fun than the actual gameplay.”
- “The game is currently still very buggy and occasionally has its moments of utter BS, but aside from that, it's incredibly fun and rewarding with its card system creativity and strategy that players can bring to the table.”
grinding
476 mentions
1 % positive mentions
10 % neutral mentions
89 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it excessively tedious and time-consuming. While some enjoy the grind for unlocking cards and cosmetics, others feel it detracts from the overall experience, making gameplay repetitive and frustrating, especially when playing solo or with uncooperative teammates. The card system, intended to add depth, often feels convoluted and requires significant grinding to access meaningful upgrades, leading to a consensus that players may need "a second life" to fully engage with the game's progression system.
- “The progression is also so well paced, playing through all chapters takes about 30 hours, and during that time you will unlock everything, no grinding, no farming, play the game start to finish and you'll have every card, and a bunch of outfits and camos.”
- “You quickly get a lot of cards, the game is absolutely not grindy in that regard.”
- “The guns handle well, the progression isn't too grindy and its deck building gives it a lot more depth than the Left 4 Deads before it.”
- “The progression system, while rewarding, also feels very grindy.”
- “The only real negative to this system is you can't play the harder difficulties without grinding.”
- “This game is just really not fun and adds too many steps to anything and just ends up tedious to play.”
optimization
372 mentions
43 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with many players praising its ability to run smoothly even on lower-end hardware and at high settings, resulting in good performance overall. However, some users have reported issues such as stuttering, lag, and bugs that can detract from the experience, particularly during online play or in specific game modes. While the graphics are generally well-optimized, there are still inconsistencies and performance hiccups that need addressing.
- “The game is perfectly optimized, running smoothly on ultra settings even for medium or lower-spec systems.”
- “The graphics are good without any real impact on performance; the game runs very well even on older hardware.”
- “Great optimization, DLSS support, no issue on FPS drop even from the beta.”
- “The game is a poorly optimized mess that not only tries to implement far too many different systems into a single game, but dev interaction with the community seems to be non-existent or the community is ignored, the environments and gameplay is incredibly repetitive, and the difficulty scaling is awful.”
- “This game is very badly optimized and honestly wasn't even worth it on sale because of how many times I had to relaunch, had connectivity issues, etc. It was frustrating.”
- “Game stuttering soon after launching, get into the game and see there's a bunch of special infected with the exact same shape but different functions entirely, stick to using just a couple guns for a map because of independent ammo pools, molotov has worse effects and range than early 3D games let alone a 2020+ game.”
music
370 mentions
27 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The music in "Back 4 Blood" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it generic and forgettable compared to the iconic soundtracks of "Left 4 Dead." While some appreciate the inclusion of licensed tracks in specific missions, others criticize the lack of distinctive musical cues for special infected, which diminishes the game's atmosphere and tension. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a missed opportunity to enhance the immersive experience that fans of the genre expect.
- “The music, the scenes, the gameplay, the immersive feeling while you're playing the game.”
- “The music in Left 4 Dead helped set a convincing horror ambiance, which Back 4 Blood lacks.”
- “The music is amazing in Left 4 Dead 2; there basically is none in Back 4 Blood, whatever is there is extremely generic.”
- “The soundtrack is soulless and does not hold a candle to Left 4 Dead 2's brilliant soundtrack.”
- “The music is pretty generic and boring, and characters are 'meh' as far as their personalities.”
- “The sound design generally is bad; the music the game has is just boring and generic, the gun sounds are all just horrid, and the zombie sounds don't add to the atmosphere.”
monetization
364 mentions
5 % positive mentions
26 % neutral mentions
69 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players labeling it a "cash grab" that exploits the legacy of Left 4 Dead. While some appreciate the absence of invasive microtransactions, others express concern over the potential for future monetization strategies, particularly regarding cosmetic items and DLCs. Overall, the game's pricing and reliance on additional content have left players feeling disappointed and wary of the developers' intentions.
- “I like the ability to pick your favorite characters and their unique abilities and customize them without microtransactions.”
- “There are great cosmetics in the game, and zero microtransactions!”
- “The best part is that you don't need microtransactions in order to get these; you just need to play the game and that's really it, and the points are quite easy to get.”
- “This makes them feel like a blatant cash grab rather than meaningful additions to the game.”
- “The game also relies too heavily on microtransactions for cosmetics, adding to its sense of being overpriced for what it offers.”
- “This game is just a soulless cash grab of its predecessor.”
humor
324 mentions
96 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The humor in "Back 4 Blood" is a mixed bag, with some players finding it entertaining and others deeming it forced or cringeworthy. While the game features funny character banter and amusing glitches that can lead to hilarious moments, many reviews criticize the writing as lacking depth and originality compared to its predecessor, "Left 4 Dead." Overall, the humor shines best when playing with friends, as shared experiences and unexpected gameplay moments often lead to laughter, despite the game's darker themes.
- “The banter between characters is constant but funny too.”
- “Grab your squad, load up your weapons, and get ready for an adrenaline-fueled experience that will have you laughing, screaming, and cheering all at once!”
- “In summary, Back 4 Blood is the game that’ll have you screaming, laughing, and questioning your life choices—all in the span of a single zombie chase.”
- “The writing is cringey and trying to be funny, which does not work for me because the context is so dark.”
- “In-game, the cleaners spew unfunny, poorly written jokes and one-liners that make no sense half the time.”
- “Many of them just fall super hard into generic character tropes times 10, god awful monologues, extremely unfunny bad jokes, and just end up being super uninteresting.”
atmosphere
174 mentions
35 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Back 4 Blood" receives mixed reviews, with some praising its stunning visuals and immersive sound design that enhance the tension during gameplay. However, many players feel it lacks the gritty, memorable atmosphere of its predecessor, "Left 4 Dead," describing it as more arcade-like and less immersive, with repetitive environments and uninspired character interactions. Overall, while the game has moments of atmospheric tension, it often falls short of creating a cohesive and engaging experience compared to the classic zombie shooter.
- “The visuals are stunning, and the sound design adds to the atmosphere, making each encounter with the ridden both thrilling and terrifying.”
- “Back 4 Blood’s environments are gritty and detailed, with dynamic lighting and atmospheric sound design that amplify the tension.”
- “The graphics and sound design are top-notch, creating an immersive atmosphere that makes you feel like you’ve stepped right into the apocalypse.”
- “The atmosphere of this game does not even hold a candle to Left 4 Dead at all.”
- “The campaign levels are incredibly one-note with no atmosphere whatsoever; so much so that I can barely recall a single level.”
- “It's definitely not a spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead as it has none of the atmosphere and feelings that the old games gave you.”
emotional
57 mentions
95 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players finding moments of heartwarming connection and nostalgia reminiscent of Left 4 Dead, while others criticize the forced dialogue and lack of character depth that fails to evoke genuine emotional responses. Many reviewers express disappointment over the absence of meaningful interactions and emotional stakes, particularly in high-pressure scenarios, leading to a sense of frustration rather than engagement. Overall, while there are glimpses of emotional resonance, the game's execution leaves many feeling disconnected and unfulfilled.
- “I have never, and I mean never, found a game that so emotionally drains me that I question the meaning of life and all that follows.”
- “If one team member is down, it turns into a difficult decision of whether to continue moving forward or leave them due to the sheer amount of zombies; making this emotionally hard to decide as well.”
- “Some characters can have genuinely amazing lines; a bot got downed because its pathing broke, but hearing an optimistic character slowly lose hope is heartbreaking and I literally had to take my headphones off for a time to continue playing.”
- “Boring story, no versus mode like L4D1 and L4D2.”
- “Boring story.”
- “Boring story and bland characters.”
character development
55 mentions
33 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
Character development in "Back 4 Blood" is widely criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting that while character designs are visually appealing, the personalities and interactions of the characters fail to engage players. Comparisons to "Left 4 Dead" highlight a significant shortfall in character storytelling and development, leading to a sense of disconnection among characters. Overall, while the game features diverse and unique character designs, the lack of meaningful development and memorable interactions detracts from the overall experience.
- “The character design is diverse in gender, age, and race, which is much appreciated.”
- “The character design is fun; I actually enjoy the character comments and the interaction with them.”
- “Character design is pretty cool; the characters themselves have unique abilities tied to them, which change your playing experience.”
- “The voice acting, interactions, and dialogue between the major and minor characters of the L4D franchise illustrate just how immensely lacking B4B's characters are, as it is glaring the minor to nonexistent character development in B4B's campaigns as they progress compared to L4D's enormous contrast in this regard.”
- “The characters and attempt to tell a story aren't great and frankly are dragging the game down. I'd be glad if they got cut or even just made more character designs (or even just added character creation).”
- “Also character-wise, there's not much going on; pretty much non-existent actually, whereas in L4D you had some character development going and a story that was being told through said characters. Here, there is not much going on sadly.”