Back 4 Blood is almost here, and to get players hyped, Turtle Rock Studios just dropped the launch trailer for the first-person shooter. As expected, the video highlights the ongoing struggle between the human protagonists and zombie hoards, known as ‘The Cleaners’ and ‘The Ridden’ respectively. There’s also plenty of glimpses of those sparkly melee weapons, guns, combustibles, and all the other items you can use to absolutely wreck those flesh-eating scumbags.
Those accustomed to Left 4 Dead‘s PvP experience should be ready for something new. The PvP mode in Back 4 Blood is called ‘Swarm,’ which will be round-based rather than chapter-based. Teams switch sides to find out who can last the longest playing as ‘The Cleaners.’ If you’re wondering whether or not the old-fashioned chapter-based mode will also be available, sadly, Swarm is all you get.
Swarm isn’t the only change to the formula. At the beginning of each level, players will need to use cards to build decks that adjust gameplay, such as changing the player’s health, stamina, and damage output. Of course, to counter this, the AI Director will use a selection of Corruption cards, capable of increasing the size of the incoming zombie horde or impact the environment. The story of Back 4 Blood is confirmed to be more expansive, and a bit more uplifting than your typical zombie game–hard to see in the trailer, but we’ll just have to trust Turtle Rock.
Originally slated for a June release, Back 4 Blood will release for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on October 12, 2021. Those who purchased certain editions of the game will be able to play a little before that, as early access is scheduled to start on October 7. A campaign trailer was released earlier this month.