Gaming/Game Reviews

There’s a joke that Half-Life, Portal and Team Fortress creator Valve never gets around to making a third in its franchises. Some games don’t die so easily. The creator of the Left 4 Dead series, Turtle Rock Studios, has returned with Back 4 Blood, bringing along an army of undead.

Released in 2008, Left 4 Dead saw up to four players make their way across a zombie-riddled America, safe house to safe house, collecting supplies and keeping corpses at bay. Back 4 Blood reanimates the beloved formula with some twists.

Multiplayer games have shifted seismically since 2008, a challenge Turtle Rock is taking on. Back 4 Blood features new ways to play, including a more intricate versus mode in which four players fortify their surroundings while four others attack as supercharged ghoulies known as the Ridden.

The main campaign features eight cantankerous survivors and even added deck-building elements. Between safe houses, players can collect and manage cards that can boost their own skills or benefit the entire team. But beware: hands are dealt against squads too, subjecting additional challenges like time limits and larger hordes — making sure those navigating the apocalypse aren’t too comfortable.

Back 4 Blood had an extensive open beta over the summer but releases in full on Oct. 12 for PlayStation, Xbox and PC.

Watch the Back 4 Blood trailer