![]() ![]() ![]() It’s 4v4, Cleaners (humans) vs Ridden, in short bite-sized rounds that have the humans fortifying their defenses in a relatively compact arena and surviving against hordes of AI-controlled zombies with player-controlled special Ridden in the mix. ![]() Back 4 Blood's PVP Swarm Modeīased on my experience with the alpha, I expected that I’d have a great time with the PVE of Back 4 Blood – which I absolutely did – but as someone who is typically very lukewarm on most competitive asymmetrical multiplayer modes, what I didn’t expect was that I’d absolutely love its PVP Swarm mode. ![]() As a vehicle to drive the variation of each run, the Corruption Card system is extraordinarily effective, and when combined with the more subtle under-the-hood tweaks of the Left 4 Dead “Game Director'' AI system that orchestrates nearby item and enemy spawns, it's easy to see that a clear focus of the team at Turtle Rock's team is making every run of Back 4 Blood feel as distinct as it can, and so far it’s a goal that they’re absolutely succeeding at. This time we had to creep along, making sure to keep an ear out for any hidden Snitches and either avoid their detection or coordinate fire to kill them before they could let out a scream. In another playthrough we had a card that increased the spawn rate of Snitches, a special type of Ridden that, when alerted, makes a ton of noise and triggers a horde. Oh, and we’d have to go through it again in just two and a half minutes. Our squad survived, but was left in utter shambles. Of course, that’s not always possible in Back 4 Blood, and we eventually ended up having to fight off a horde in an area that was open on all sides and had a pack of birds that inevitably got spooked. It caused our team to keep an eye on the countdown clock and call out when a horde was approaching so we could attempt to find a position that’s relatively defendable. One round dealt us a card that would trigger a horde every couple of minutes, regardless of what’s currently happening in the level – that completely changed how we had to play, to put it mildly. The latter is especially interesting because it can mean challenging you to play fast enough to beat a speed-run challenge or careful enough to get through the level without scaring birds or triggering a horde.Īll of this was stuff that we got a small taste of in the alpha, but the beta really kicks it up a notch – especially on the Corruption Card side. Every level of Back 4 Blood introduces a number of Corruption Cards that can enhance the zombies – AKA the Ridden – in specific ways, create challenging world events for your squad to overcome, and even offer a special reward for completing an optional challenge that encourages your team to play a certain way. There are cards meant for those who want to play a healer, cards for people who want to be a leader by calling out and marking special zombies, or if you want to scavenge supplies around the map, or even just focus on bashing zombies' faces in.Īt each safehouse (and also after each continue if your team wipes) you’re able to add a new card from your deck to your set of active cards, which can often be just the leg up you need to meet the rising difficulty with each new level within an act. But there’s a key twist: there's a deck-building card system that allows you to build decks of stat-altering cards that help define the roles each individual player plays on a squad. In any case, the main thing you need to know is that it’s you and three other friends, facing off against the zombie horde with a heavy teamwork-oriented focus, much like Left 4 Dead. If you’re not up to speed on Back 4 Blood or familiar with its pedigree, I’d highly recommend that you first check out our Back 4 Blood Alpha Preview. ![]()
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