Whilst Valve continue to umm and ahh over the number three, games like Back 4 Blood are popping up to take over the mantle. A spiritual successor to the hugely enjoyable Left 4 Dead series, development over at Turtle Rock Studios continues along nicely. So nicely in fact, that during The Game Awards, we were treated to two trailers, and the all-important release date. All aboard the hype train!
First up we had a CG trailer that gave us a look at four of the playable characters, but also some backstory or a particularly nasty looking parasite. Those with an aversion to worms crawling in and out of people’s eye sockets, look away now:
There’s also a look at some of the more ‘special’ zombies which will feel instantly familiar to Left 4 Dead fans. There is one that jumps about all over the place, a bigger one that spews out bile at the survivors, but a couple of humongous looking zombies. During the gameplay trailer that followed, we got a closer look at one of them:
“Turtle Rock Studios, the talented team that put the co-op zombie genre on the map, is the perfect partner for us with Back 4 Blood as we pursue this important genre of gaming,” said David Haddad, President, Warner Bros. Games. “This passionate development team is giving fans a new franchise that pushes this category of shooters forward with fun, frenetic combat.”
“Our fans have been waiting a long time for us to return to our roots and it’s amazing to finally show the world what we’ve been working on,” said Chris Ashton, Co-founder and Design Director, Turtle Rock Studios. “We are making this game with our community in mind and are firing on all cylinders to give players a compelling zombie experience that is unlike any other.”
We were also promised a much larger game than Left 4 Dead with a stronger narrative. Expect a lot more customisation options to kit out characters the way you want them.
Eager for more? Turtle Rock Studios will be given a deeper look at gameplay during the Back 4 Blood Gameplay Showcase on 17th December 6pm GMT. This will also feature a new trailer and a developer interview.
But even if you can’t make the showcase, you don’t have that long to wait: Back 4 Blood is scheduled to release worldwide on 22nd June 2021 on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5 and PC. It will feature full four-player online mode, plus an eight player PVP mode. Here’s hoping we can control the infected horrors known as the Ridden again!
To tide you over until June, check out the free Left 4 Dead DLC for Dying Light on Xbox, where you can craft classic L4D weapons. And let us know your memories of Left 4 Dead in the comments!
