Massive rumors have recently cropped up that point towards the development ofBack 4 Blood 2, a sequel to the fast-paced 2021 zombie title from Turtle Rock Studios. While there was a huge amount of hype surrounding the original game prior to launch, the project struggled to match the expectations of many fans, making the recently surfaced evidence of a sequel all the more of a surprise to some.
Despite the high-profile rumors surrounding this alleged sequel toBack 4 Blood, a lot of the finer details around what the game might actually entail are still largely unknown, with fans only being able to assume that the game will adopt the same co-op-centric zombie survival mechanics as its predecessor. Having said this, there is some evidence to suggest thatBack 4 Blood 2could be set around Los Angeles and wider parts of California, with some fans already debating how this might impact the rumored project. If true, this Los Angeles setting could end up being quite a misstep forBack 4 Blood 2, primarily due to the huge amount of zombie gaming content that has also used L.A. as its primary location in recent years.
Back 4 Blood 2’s Rumored Setting Might Not Be Unique Enough
The expectations around 2021’sBack 4 Bloodwere so high due to the way it heavily marketed itself asa spiritual successor to theLeft 4 Deadfranchise, which has been dormant for 15 years despite producing some of the best zombie survival gaming experiences that the industry has ever seen. A handful of developers from the originalLeft 4 Deadgames worked onBack 4 Bloodthrough Turtle Rock Studios. In its final form, the title adopted the same fast-paced survival, largely co-operative gameplay, zombie threat mechanics, and safe rooms as theLeft 4 Deadseries.
With the name of the project even being a nod to theLeft 4 Deadfranchise, huge expectations quickly grew aroundBack 4 Bloodas the modern extension ofL4Dthat many fans had been waiting for, putting pressure on the game to match a titan of the genre. Ultimately, these inevitable hopes and comparisons were too much for the game to deliver on, withBack 4 Blood’s launch being quite a controversial disappointment in the eyes of some players.
Turtle Rock announced that continued major support forBack 4 Bloodwas ending in early 2023, with attention instead being placed on the next big release for the studio, and somerecent developments indicate that this next project could beBack 4 Blood 2. References to a project titled “Gobi2” have been found online; Gobi was the internal title for the originalBack 4 Bloodduring its early development.
Back 4 Blood 2 Needs a Unique Setting to Pave its Own Way Forward
This seems like a pretty big clue towards aBack 4Bloodsequel surfacing in the near future, which raises questions about its premise. Turtle Rock has been quite vocal in the past about using the studio’s California home as inspiration for its next title’s setting. IfBack 4 Blood 2is to use a California setting as its primary location, then the game will face a huge amount of competition within zombie gaming media.
For example, the recently releasedDead Island 2leaned into its Los Angeles settingwith lots of satirical takes on the city and its iconic locations.Dead Island 2’s April 2023 release is still fresh in the minds of zombie gaming fans, but older titles likeDead Rising 3have also delivered stories massively inspired by L.A. in the past. It seems clear that the nextBack 4 Bloodtitle will need to do a lot to truly shape its own identity, and using a core location that is already so heavily associated with other major zombie releases could make this an even tougher task for the rumored project.
Back 4 Blood
WHERE TO PLAY
Back 4 Blood is a thrilling cooperative first-person shooter from the creators of the critically acclaimed Left 4 Dead franchise. You are at the center of a war against the Ridden. These once-human hosts of a deadly parasite have turned into terrifying creatures bent on devouring what remains of civilization. With humanity’s extinction on the line, it’s up to you and your friends to take the fight to the enemy, eradicate the Ridden, and reclaim the world.Cooperative Campaign: Fight your way through a dynamic, perilous world in a 4-player co-op story campaign where you must work together to survive increasingly challenging missions. Play with up to 3 of your friends online or go solo and lead your team in battle.Choose from 8 customizable Cleaners, one of the immune survivors, and a range of lethal weapons and items. Strategise against an ever-evolving enemy bent on your total destruction.Competitive Multiplayer: Play with or against friends in PVP. Switch between playing as a Cleaner with special perks and the horrific Ridden. Both sides come with unique weapons, abilities, and specialties.Extreme Replayability: A new “rogue-lite” Card System creates different experiences each and every time, putting you in control to craft custom decks, roll different builds and undertake more demanding fights.The Game Director is constantly adjusting to player actions, ensuring exciting fights, extreme gameplay diversity, and tougher legions of Ridden - including mutated boss types up to 20 feet tall.
