Back 4 Blood is one of, if not my favorite four, 4-player survival co-op games. I got it the day it was released and had a lot of fun while the game was hot. In Back 4 Blood, you take the role of a Cleaner and go out to try and save what’s left of humanity from the Ridden. 

Game Details

Developer and Publisher 

Back 4 Blood was developed by Turtle Rock Studios and was published by Warner Bros. Games in 2021. 

Platforms 

Xbox One

PlayStation 4 

PlayStation 5 

Windows 

Xbox Series X/S 

The Campaign 

Back 4 Blood is divided into different Acts, and each Act has different levels that you play through. The level design in Back 4 Blood is a big reason why I come back to play every so often. The world, art style, and ambiance are top-notch, and each environment feels well-crafted. 

Bar Room Blitz, The Diner, and Making The Grade are among some of my favorite levels in any co-op zombie shooter ever. There is something to love about each level, but Back 4 Blood has a lot of similarities that carry from level to level that I find irritating. For starters, a lot of the levels in this game involve the forest or swamp. I get tired of seeing these environments for one reason, the amount of “special ridden” that spawn is still ridiculous all these years after the game came out. It’s a lot easier to handle these spawning issues when there is nothing for the ridden to get stuck on. 

Back 4 Blood also has a lot of fetch objectives where you have to repair something; this only bothers me when I’m playing solo. In general, these objectives are not an issue when playing online. The objectives where you have to save people are among my favorites because the goal of the game for the Cleaners is to stop ridden and help rebuild society. 

Weapons and Equipment 

I love the way shooting in Back 4 Blood feels on the PlayStation 5. Everything has weight and the haptic feedback is fantastic; I also love that the game doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously. You can attack a sniper scope to a Desert Eagle and have a fun time if that’s your thing. 

There is also a serious amount of equipment to choose from. There are melee weapons; my favorite is the baseball bat and the claws; there are machine guns, rifles, and pistols, and if you have the DLC, there is a bow and a flamethrower. 

Final Thoughts 

The Cleaners in Back 4 Blood have a good amount of character; Each can be customized with a selection of skins. 

The deck system is amazing; I love it because it makes all the Cleaners feel different, and the gameplay changes can be huge, especially if you synergize your build with your friends. In addition, I like the system for getting new cards, skins, and other cosmetics. Spending resources that you earn by completing levels feels right. 

However, there is a major issue with the way “special ridden” spawn in Black 4 Blood. The game will throw them at you back to back and sometimes repeat the same ridden as much as 4 times. While I like the level design, the objective design gets stale quickly. Completing objectives in Back 4 Blood is boring and is often hindered by spawning issues. 

Scoring and Breakdown 

• Although Back 4 Blood has spawning issues, there is a lot of content to go through and replay. 
• Shooting and hitting with melee weapons feel fantastic and the gun customization both with skins and attachments is superb. 
• Special Ridden spawn way too much and can spawn in clumps. 
• The objective design becomes stale.