Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 46
  2. Negative: 0 out of 46
  1. Feb 16, 2022
    70
    Back 4 Blood is one of those games that you don’t have to particularly worry about grinding, which is incredibly refreshing. Between grinding for in-game currency for dungeon gear in FFXIV, and trying to level up my weapons in Dauntless, it’s nice to have a game I can jump back into with my friends at any point in time and just play. It’s fast-paced, creative, and just all-around good fun. What’s not to love? The game has been out for a while, but that just means that the developers have had more time to listen to feedback and start fixing some of those bugs that have been bothering players.
  2. Nov 10, 2021
    70
    I don’t think I’ll revisit Back 4 Blood in a decades’ time the same way I do with Left 4 Dead now, but it does a good enough job at modernising the formula for better or worse.
  3. Nov 5, 2021
    70
    Very exciting on paper, Back 4 Blood still blows hot and cold once you take it in hand. It's a good shooter, yes. The atmosphere and the Left 4 Dead touch are directly perceptible, of course. The card system extends life and encourages players to be strategic, okay. But there are still too many small imperfections here and there to consider the game a total success.
  4. Oct 16, 2021
    70
    If the purpose of Back 4 Blood is to resurrect Left 4 Dead, then mission accomplished. I still feel that the game would have been better if it managed to differentiate itself more from its contemporaries.
  5. Oct 14, 2021
    70
    Back4Blood is the perfect game to play with friends, if we have enough party members to make it so our team isn't filled with Bots. This title promise complex experiences, that defy the laws of physics and communication, where hope is always the last to die. In a scenario where resources are low, and the hordes are endless, the path is long until the next safe zone. In contrast, it shows some bugs that although aren't game breaking, turn the attention from which should be a gameplay focused exclusively on the mission, without any visual distraction. Still, Back 4 Blood has potential to be one of the best zombie multiplayer games of our time.
  6. Oct 11, 2021
    70
    Back 4 Blood is a premium multiplayer game that feels quite complete at launch, a rarity in the current games market. It misses the mark with Swarm and needs an offline mode, but its core shooter mechanics and card-driven gameplay combine for an excellent evolution of the co-op formula. The depth of post-launch support it receives will rely on the success of Back 4 Blood's multiplayer offerings and that can't be presently assured, but this latest attempt easily escapes the shadow of Evolve's flop and builds on what made Left 4 Dead a classic.
  7. Oct 12, 2021
    68
    An enjoyable co-op shooter that doesn't know what it wants to be - other than taking your money.
  8. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Nov 30, 2021
    66
    One step forward, two steps back, couple steps to the side with some awkward shuffling thrown in-between – that’s how Back 4 Blood feels compared to Left 4 Dead. Card-based power-up system is the only interesting thing about it. [Issue#256, p.40]
  9. 60
    At every turn, Back 4 Blood frantically alludes to its superior predecessor, digging its own grave as it crumbles under the weight of blasé characters and overly complex systems.
  10. Oct 22, 2021
    60
    With Back 4 Blood, developer Turtle Rock tries to revive Left 4 Dead's cooperative, zombie-shooting glory days. The result is a mixed bag that features solid ideas, but half-baked execution.
  11. Oct 16, 2021
    60
    At the end of the day, this is an inferior version of Left 4 Dead 2 that lacks the style, charm, gore, and engaging characters it tries to reproduce. That said, there is a decent foundation here and there are worse ways you could spend a weekend with some buddies.
  12. Nov 30, 2021
    50
    Do you want to massacre undead hordes? Go ahead - but the technical issues and design problems are much scarier than any old zombie.
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  1. Oct 13, 2021
    Back 4 Blood is one of those titles that is worth leaving permanently installed on your computer. Its shooting mechanics are tremendously entertaining, and it is always a pleasure to kill countless hordes of infected that do not give us rest. Despite having only two game modes, the card system and modifiers make it a very versatile experience both in its cooperative and competitive sections. You may end up missing a few more infected types, however, as you play, you will see that the subclass system gives more variety than it seems. With excellent performance on both consoles and PC, having cross-platform play ensures that there are always people ready to join you in its various scenarios. It remains to be seen how the title evolves over time, as Turtle Rock has confirmed that new DLCs will arrive, in which it will be enough for a single member of the group to have them to be enjoyed by all. [Recommended]
  2. Oct 21, 2021
    While I wish Back 4 Blood had a classic, stripped-down mode and wasn’t so annoying on harder levels, I’m still craving it. I still want to play it. I actually stopped writing this draft to load it up and play a few levels. You have to climb some hills to reach the fun summit of Back 4 Blood, but I think it’s worth it.
User Score
4.9

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 375 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Dec 7, 2021
    1
    Trashy and completely unneeded title made for the Gen Z kids:
    - Poor boring story
    - Dated graphics - Unbalanced difficulty - Horrible AI
    Trashy and completely unneeded title made for the Gen Z kids:
    - Poor boring story
    - Dated graphics
    - Unbalanced difficulty
    - Horrible AI
    - very poor Solo experience
    - Inferior copy of Left 4 dead
    Full Review »
  2. Oct 17, 2021
    2
    This game is really bad.

    The story is ridiculous, the characters have absolutely zero personality, the dialogues are very bad (including
    This game is really bad.

    The story is ridiculous, the characters have absolutely zero personality, the dialogues are very bad (including the farting jokes). I also think that a lot of their sentences are often the same at the same moment. Presumably to explain what you will have to do, even if it fails do to that most of the time. For example, why do the military does not trust the cleaners, which is what he says at the beginning of Act 2 I think (he was very clear about the fact they they should earn his trust), I don't know (and I don't care).

    The objectives are not interesting,and the same objectives are reused several times in the game, and they are not well explained. They are also bugged, i encountered a game breaking bug in Act 2 when I destroyed the three nests which blocked the progression, including the final bug one, but the game considered that I only destroyed one. Restarting the level did not fix this, I thing I should have quit and restarted the game.

    The objectives are also often totally disconnected from the flow of the game, leading to the player have absolutely zero engagement to do them (except that he must, or he can not continue the level). The characters are 100% engaged, but not the player.

    The Director seems to still be bugged since the Beta. And his way to give challenge is to put several specials of the same type (and make them much more resistant to bullets). Their only tactics is to go to the players in a straight line (from afar if its outside).

    There are a LOT of invisible walls everywhere, some of them are of a special type which don't prevent to cross this invisible line but lead to the immediate death of the player.
    Full Review »
  3. Oct 13, 2021
    3
    Boring story, No currency gain or true progress in offline, not everyone wants to play with others to gain in game currency.
    Character design
    Boring story, No currency gain or true progress in offline, not everyone wants to play with others to gain in game currency.
    Character design was god awful, the card system is terrible this wasn't supposed to be like a worse star wars battlefront card system.
    I will say the visuals aren't as bad as some people say but they sure aren't as good as the what the fan boys state they are either.
    Id ignore this unless you are desperate to play another cookie cutter L4D rip off that's much worse.
    Full Review »