Back 4 Blood: All important information about PvP mode

Back 4 Blood

Shoemaker, stick to your last: That's probably what the developers at Turtle Rock Studios thought, and after their asymmetrical multiplayer flop Evolve, they returned to the studio's successful roots: zombie blasts in four-player co-op. Now no longer under the name Left 4 Dead, but Back 4 Blood. In the last few months we have only ever been shown the campaign, which is classically about horror characters infected by parasites. But now it has also been announced that there will be a Versus mode at the launch, which should provide a lot of additional replay value.

It was particularly important for the creators: the feel of the intellectual predecessor should largely be retained and only can be supplemented with a few innovations. Accordingly, Left-4-Dead veterans can find their way very quickly in the PvP mode of Back 4 Blood (buy now € 69.99), which of course focuses on the tough fight for survival, fast-paced action and massive monsters.

Table of contents

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Left 4 Dead does it

The game is based on the game variant "Versus Survival" from Left 4 Dead 2. So you are in a team of four on maps that are separate from the campaign, which are used for nerve-wracking battles conceived in a confined space. The goal is now to defend yourself against the invading hordes and to survive as long as possible. You don't just have to deal with standard zombies, but also with four other players who slip into the roles of particularly infected people. The highlight: While they are allowed to respawn again and again, each human survivor only has one attempt. If your entire team has been wiped out, the round is over, the clock is stopped and the side changed. Now it is in reverse roles to prevent your opponents from beating the time you have set.

Hoffmann, Karlee or is it Doc? The choice of your character is much more important in the PvP mode of Back 4 Blood than in Left 4 Dead. Source: Turtle Rock In contrast to Left 4 Dead, Back 4 Blood is played in Best of 3 mode. So the team that can win two comparisons first wins. In addition, the creators have built a kind of "battle royale" aspect into the game. The zombie swarm that falls on you in waves becomes more and more violent over the course of the match and finally circles you at one point. This provides additional intensity, so we liked it quite a lot in theory.

We found it a bit unfortunate that there will be no campaign versus. After all, that was one of the most popular game variants in Left 4 Dead. And not without reason! Sprinting towards the saferoom while the opponents are getting more and more into the mangle, provided more dynamism and thrills. Instead of entrenching yourself, you had to keep moving here. After all, there could be a hunter lurking around every corner who would turn off the lights straight away. The fact that other Versus variants such as Scavenge did not make it into the Back 4 Blood line-up also dampened our anticipation a little. Due to the lack of scope, PvP threatens to get a little boring in the long run.

A heart for Mutti

After all, the so-called Scharm mode should offer a lot of variety in a playful way: On the side of the Survivors can choose from eight different characters with different characteristics. Mom can revive comrades instantly, for example, while Jim increases the team's weak point damage. From a tactical point of view, it is quite relevant which warrior you choose in order to go into battle with the most balanced bonuses possible.

Saferooms does not exist in the Versus mode of Back 4 Blood. The action takes place on separate maps that have nothing to do with the campaign. Source: Turtle Rock Also important: the choice of your equipment. As in the campaign, Back 4 Blood relies on an innovative new card system. To put it simply, this works in such a way that you decide on a certain deck at the beginning of a match, which gives you all kinds of helpful passive perks - such as increased stamina or an additional grenade slot. In addition, the choice of your weapons is of course also important: Submachine gun, revolver, shotgun or sniper rifle all have their own individual advantages and disadvantages. You can find the shooting men - as well as matching visors, silencers and other attachments - in boxes hidden on the map. At the beginning of the round you first have to scout out the area, find suitable equipment and decide on a suitable point of view that can be defended tactically.

Of course, the infected also have the opportunity to make life difficult for you . However, not through a card system, but a so-called mutation system. With every kill and every other successful action, the zombies receive points that can be invested in special upgrades. You can, for example, provide the AI-controlled swarm with buffs and sprinkle a few armored zombies. Or you can give your character bonuses such as more damage or a greater range. They are not only retained over several rounds of a match, they are even applied to the entire team! So if you give your Tallboy more bang, your fellow players will also benefit.

Upgrades for everyone!

On the part of the infected, you can secure various buffs and bonuses with a mutation system. Source: Turtle Rock The tall infected person with a club as an arm is only one of a total of nine playable zombie characters. Then there is the acid-puking Retch, the deadly Exploder, whose name is probably self-explanatory, or the Stinger, which sticks to walls and targets opponents from a distance. That sounds like a lot of variety at first, but at the end of the day all undead fall into three broad categories: There are DPS characters who deal a lot of damage, but are incredibly slow on the way. There are stealth-heavy figures that can climb and jump, but can hardly withstand hits. And there are tanks with area damage. That sounds a lot like the Chargers, Hunters or Boomers known from Left 4 Dead. But it felt like the classic offered a few more options.

This also applies to the game itself: If one of your teammates leaves the match in Back 4 Blood, he will not be replaced by a bot. Instead, you have to continue in the minority. That solved the spiritual model much better. After all, the developers are supposedly working on a solution that is supposed to provide a little more fairness.

You can convince yourself again from August 12th to 16th whether they actually find it. There is a final open beta phase in progress, in which you will be served a small sample of the content that should await you at the launch. That is still planned for October 12th. Back 4 Blood will be available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles as well as the Xbox Game Pass. From the start, cross-generational crossplay between all platforms should be supported.