Back 4 Blood Is The Game Left 4 Dead Fans Have Been Waiting For
It's been a long time since survivors got to kick some zombie butt (and vice versa!) in the Left 4 Dead franchise. Fortunately, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for fans of the series. Back 4 Blood marks a return as triumphant as the title would suggest. It was officially announced at The Game Awards 2020, and some critics have gotten hands-on experience with the alpha build and are happy to report it is exactly what everyone has been waiting for.
PC Gamer's Evan Lahti said, "I can't stress enough that Back 4 Blood is Left 4 Dead 3." In his article, Lahti explained that the game falls under a new name due to licensing issues. Valve took over after the first game, preventing the original team, Turtle Rock Studios, from pursuing more installments in the franchise. According to Lahti, the game is structurally similar with a glossy next-gen finish, the ability to run, and new weapon attachments that include iron sights.
After taking Back 4 Blood for a test drive, Michael McWhertor of Polygon felt that it "adds new complexity in the form of player progression and deck-based character customization." He also noted that the cast of characters in this installment has evolved from the previous two games' squads. For the article, McWhertor spoke with the developers, who expressed how they wanted to present the zombie genre from a different angle — one that is more optimistic. This change should make for an interesting and possibly more sophisticated dynamic in the upcoming title.
The beloved Left 4 Dead franchise has left fans hungry for over ten years. While it looked as though Left 4 Dead 3 would never happen (which technically is still true at the moment), gamers had renewed hope earlier in the year. On Twitter, Alvin Wang Graylin, President of HTC China, posted slides from a presentation that led many users to believe he had leaked plans for L4D3. While this was later disputed by Valve, the news of Back 4 Blood surely remedied the sting of such bitter disappointment.
The desire for new content has simmered over the past 11 years — so much so that a major community-made DLC update for Left 4 Dead 2 in September 2020 caused quite a stir on Steam. Such a reception is hard proof that the Left 4 Dead series is long overdue for a sequel. When Back 4 Blood finally arrives in its finished form, gamers will be eager and ready for more friendship-ruining multiplayer action.