Should you buy Back 4 Blood? Or will you regret the purchase after just a few hours? We reveal who the shooter is made for.
Since October 7th, Back 4 Blood has been playable for pre-order customers of the Deluxe and Ultimate Edition, as early access has begun. While some are already stepping into the roles of the Cleaners, many are still unsure. Is the game worth the full price? For what type of player is Back 4 Blood worth it? Is it worth it for ME?
For this reason, we want to mention a few key details that might help you make a decision.
Back 4 Blood is worth it if …
... you have a solid team of regular players: Back 4 Blood is designed as a co-op experience and beyond the easiest difficulty level, this is absolutely necessary.
Communication, coordination, strategic approach, and consideration for team members are essential to succeed in Back 4 Blood. Although you can fill missing positions with bots, this takes much of the game’s appeal away.
However, if you have 2-3 friends regularly available, then Back 4 Blood can entertain for weeks and months.
… you are primarily a PvE player: Back 4 Blood is fundamentally a PvE experience. While the game is heavily marketed with the Swarm PvP mode, many found it lacking during the beta and it suffers from numerous issues – and was especially monotonous compared to the campaign.
The PvE experience, however, is much better. The total of 33 maps may not be particularly long, but they have an extremely high replay value. This is not only due to the challenging difficulty levels but also to the “Corruption Cards.” These are additional (almost always negative) effects that can drastically change maps.
For example, some maps suddenly lie in deep darkness, thick fog rolls in, or the zombies display new, even nastier mutations – for instance, exploding into an acid puddle. There are numerous Corruption Cards, and most of them can be mixed wildly.
This way, even the tenth run of a map feels fresh. You may know the layout of the map and where the weapons are located and events start – but the actual action on the map can differ significantly.
… you have enough time: Back 4 Blood requires time. If you can only play for 20 or 30 minutes at a time, you probably won’t be happy. While that’s theoretically enough time to rush through one or maybe two maps, you should plan on 1 to 2 hours to tackle an entire act or at least a connected area – even more on higher difficulty levels.
However, this is when Back 4 Blood shows its best side. With each map you complete, you get stronger, receive new cards, and thus become more effective against the zombies, while they simultaneously gain deadlier abilities.
Back 4 Blood is not worth it if …
… you are a solo player: Back 4 Blood is a co-op shooter. This cannot be emphasized enough. As a pure solo player, you will not be happy here. With bots, the game loses much of its appeal. Worse still: Currently, you cannot earn any progress in the solo campaign at all. This only works if you play with other people.
Back 4 Blood is simply not a solo experience. While you can start the campaign solo, you should understand it only as a tutorial – fun and excitement do not come even with the good cut-scenes.
… you expect “Left 4 Dead 3”: While Back 4 Blood and Left 4 Dead have some parallels – and are from the same developer team – the games differ in many aspects. The card system, weapon modifications, and the increased number of various weapons slow down the game. Every now and then, you need to pause, carefully consider the next step, and also engage in detailed preparations, such as building your own decks.
This results in Back 4 Blood having longer and more frequent planning phases, where the action is briefly paused – something that was only the case in Left 4 Dead during special conclusion events.
Also important: The popular “versus co-op” mode is not available. You cannot play as a zombie against humans in the campaign. PvP is only available in a separate mode, which essentially is a classic “King of the Hill” against the Cleaners.
… you can’t handle losing well: Hand on heart. Not everyone can handle defeats well. And in Back 4 Blood, you die – often. Especially on high difficulty levels, an entirely healthy team can be completely wiped out in just about 10 seconds when everything goes wrong.
This can be frustrating – especially when you have to play through 1-2 maps completely again. Some players derive their enjoyment from such situations, while others get frustrated after a defeat. If you belong to the latter group, Back 4 Blood will bring you little joy.
Should you buy Back 4 Blood? A question that in the end everyone must answer for themselves. If you are attracted by the pros, you will most likely have a good time in the game. If any one or even several of the negatives apply to you, you should think twice about buying it.
After all, Back 4 Blood is also part of the Xbox Game Pass. This way, you can test the game relatively cheaply from October 12th. And in case of doubt, it is probably not going to take many months until the game appears in one or another sale at a significantly discounted price.
Have you already gotten Back 4 Blood? Are you waiting for a cheaper price? Or are you completely steering clear of the game?
