Released in October 2021,Back 4 Bloodwas a fairly solid zombie shooter. Though it may not have been able to fillLeft 4 Dead’s bloody shoes,Back 4 Blooddid still offer some co-op fun for those willing to overlook some technical hiccups and some repetitive combat encounters, and it’s clear that its developers had a deep passion for the zombie genre.
Now, three years after launch, a rumor has surfaced thatBack 4 Bloodmight be getting a sequel. As initially reported by MP1st, stuntman Jesse Hutch recently updated his iStunt resume to include a game called “Gobi 2,” which was listed as a Turtle Rock Studios project. With “Gobi” being the codename forBack 4 Blood, fans have theorized this resume listing all but confirms that aBack 4 Bloodsequel is on its way. Though this listing has since been removed from Hutch’s resume,aBack 4 Bloodsequelstill seems likely to happen at some point, though it could have a few more obstacles in its way than its predecessor.
The First Back 4 Blood Released In a Different Gaming Landscape
The zombie genre has maintained its popularity pretty consistently over the last three decades, with a handful of well-regarded games landing every year. 2021 was no exception.Back 4 Bloodreleased right alongside fellow zombie-centric titles likeResident Evil Village,Days Gone,After the Fall, andWorld War Z: Aftermath.
But while all of these solid zombie titles were released within the same year, each one offered a very different gameplay experience.RE Villagewas a survival horror game,Days Gonewas an open-world action-adventure title,After the Fallwas made for VR, andWorld War Z: Aftermathwas a third-person shooter. Even against all that,Back 4 Bloodstill stood out with itsLeft 4 Dead-like co-opFPS formula.
But if aBack 4 Bloodsequel was released today, the same wouldn’t necessarily be true.Dying Light 2andDead Island 2have become flagship entries in the zombie genre, setting a new bar for first-person zombie-slaying action. And more recently,No More Room in Hell 2has entered Steam Early Access, offering an experience that plays very similarly toLeft 4 Deadwhile pushing the formula forward with 8 player co-op and permadeath mechanics.
Back 4 Blood Doesn’t Have The Strongest Legacy
A hypotheticalBack 4 Bloodsequel wouldn’t be able to rest on its laurels, not just because of the increased competition in the modern zombie market, but because of the first game’s mixed legacy. Whilethe firstBack 4 Bloodcertainly had its fans, it was never a major hit with critics, and though updates were released that fixed technical issues and added content, it was never quite enough to give the game a second wind.
As such, aBack 4 Bloodsequel wouldn’t be able to survive on brand recognition alone. Instead, aBack 4 Bloodsequel would need to make some significant improvements to its predecessor’s formula, and go out of its way to try and get fans excited about a new entry. Simply being aLeft 4 Deadspiritual successorprobably wouldn’t be enough to pique players' interest anymore.
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.
