The story of Bill from Left 4 Dead is continued – but in Dead by Daylight. After 11 years, the war veteran’s journey continues.
There are a number of game series where fans have been eagerly waiting for a sequel for many years. One of these series is “Left 4 Dead,” which has delivered the best cooperative zombie action of all time for many players. However, over 11 years after the release of Left 4 Dead 2, there are no signs of a third installment. Fans can still get a bit of story – but in a completely different game. Namely in Dead by Daylight.
Why is there Left 4 Dead in Dead by Daylight? Valve and Behaviour collaborated to bring Bill from Left 4 Dead to Dead by Daylight a few years ago. There, he is not only a popular survivor but also has one of the strongest survivor perks – Borrowed Time. Now Bill is getting a bit of “new” story for the first time. This gives players of Dead by Daylight what many “Left 4 Dead” fans have wished for over the past decade – more of the beloved characters.
Who is Bill? William “Bill” Overbeck is one of the four original survivors that players could play in the original Left 4 Dead. He is an aging war veteran who often comes off as a bit grumpy, but has a good heart and selflessly supports his comrades.
He even made another appearance with his fellow survivors in Left 4 Dead 2. There, he saved all the other survivors by sacrificing himself to the zombies and protecting the missing generator that allowed the rest of the group to escape. In Dead by Daylight, the story goes a bit further, as instead of dying, the Entity pulls the former soldier into its realm to allow him to escape death over and over again.
How does story work in Dead by Daylight? The gameplay of Dead by Daylight contains very few story elements. The stories are instead unlocked through a challenge system. Here, players can complete various missions, such as rescuing a specific number of survivors or escaping the killer for two minutes. This gradually unlocks small memory fragments that are then narrated by a speaker.
Once all memory fragments of a specific story have been collected, a small cutscene awaits at the end, giving more insight into the character’s life.
What can be seen? The first trailer already roughly shows what Bill’s story will be about. It seems to be about his service in the war, where he lost many comrades. There, he made, at least according to what the trailer suggests, his first contacts with the outbreak of the zombie plague. Bill had to witness many of his comrades not only die but also ensure that they stayed dead.
When is it playable? The latest “Tome” featuring the stories of Bill, the plague, and the Observer starts tomorrow, May 5th. You can then begin to complete the challenges and unlock the story gradually. This will unlock not only the story but also cool rewards in the form of cosmetic items. How exactly this works has been explained in the presentation of the “Battle Pass in Dead by Daylight”.
Even though fans would prefer a Left 4 Dead 3 over a little story about a single character in Dead by Daylight, it’s better than nothing. Those who enjoyed Dead by Daylight and played Left 4 Dead are likely to enjoy the upcoming stories.
The former creators of the first Left 4 Dead are working on a new zombie shooter – Back 4 Blood.
