PLATFORM: PC, PS4, PS5 (REVIEWED), XBOX ONE, XBOX SERIES X | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Since the launch of Turtle Rock Studios’ Left 4 Dead back in 2008, the “asymmetric” game has become a staple of the gaming landscape with some attempting to capture the essence of L4D but falling short, while others evolved it with 4v1 such as Dead by Daylight.

But none have come close to the chaotic and entertaining nature as the granddaddy L4D, so Turtle Rock saw fit to make it themselves with their newest title Back 4 Blood which is the worthy successor fans have been waiting for.

B4B‘s predecessor, along with titles such as Dead Rising, pushed the hardware to its limits with a seemingly infinite amount of zombies (or infected) on screen at any one time 13 years ago, so with the power of the new generation of consoles, Back 4 Blood is able to take this technology a huge step further with seamless integration of small and large enemies hunting you relentlessly for you to mow them down with fun and customisable weapons. During our time playing the game, there were no game-breaking bugs or jittery interruptions to see, so the slaying fun could continue.

The biggest concern with these types of games is replayability – and Back 4 Blood has bucket loads compared to L4D. Whereas the former had a few enemies and difficulty changes to keep people playing, B4B has the ingenious card system. Players can select and build decks of cards (that can be unlocked or acquired through progression) which give buffs and perks to them and their team, meaning that each run is truly unique and playstyles must adapt in order to survive. Finally, characters are more than skins and actually have a critical role to play in reaching the end goal.

With endless and exhilarating Ridden-slaying gameplay coupled with an inventive deck building system adding RPG-esque elements, Back 4 Blood is a worthy successor to Left 4 Dead that fans have been waiting a long time for – and is a BLOODy enjoyable time to boot.