Back 4 Blood Played: Good game with bad views

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a 2018 action-adventure game developed and released by Rockstar Gamings. The game is the third access in the Red Dead series and is an innovator to the 2010 game Red Dead Redemption. The story is established in 1899 in a fictionalized representation of the Western, Midwestern, and also Southern USA as well as adheres to outlaw Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang. Arthur needs to manage the decline of the Wild West whilst attempting to survive versus federal government pressures, rival gangs, and also other enemies. The tale additionally adheres to fellow gang member John Marston, the lead character of Red Dead Redemption. The game is presented via both very first as well as third-person viewpoints, and also the gamer might easily roam in its interactive open world. Gameplay elements consist of shootouts, heists, searching, horseback riding, connecting with non-player personalities, as well as preserving the character's honor ranking through ethical choices and also actions. A bounty system comparable to the wanted system from the Grand Burglary Vehicle franchise business governs the feedback of regulation enforcement and also bounty hunters to criminal activities dedicated by the gamer. The game's development lasted over eight years, starting not long after Red Dead Redemption's release, and it turned into one of one of the most expensive video clip games ever made. Superstar co-opted all of its studios into one big team to help with advancement. They attracted influence from real areas in contrast to movie or art, concentrated on creating an accurate reflection of the time with the game's characters and world. The game was Superstar's first constructed especially for eighth generation gaming consoles, having checked their technical capacities while porting Grand Theft Car V to the systems. The game's soundtrack features an original rating made up by Woody Jackson and numerous singing tracks generated by Daniel Lanois. Red Dead Redemption 2 was launched for the PlayStation 4 and also Xbox One in October 2018, as well as for Microsoft Windows and also Stadia in November 2019. Red Dead Online, the on-line multiplayer setting of the game, was released as a beta version in November 2018 prior to a full release in May 2019. Extensively expected and marketed prior to release, Red Dead Redemption 2 damaged a number of documents and also had the second-biggest launch in the background of home entertainment, producing US$ 725 million in sales from its opening weekend break and also surpassing the life time sales of Red Dead Redemption in 2 weeks. It obtained vital recognition, with praise guided at its tale, personalities, open globe, graphics, music, as well as level of information; minor criticism was routed at its control scheme as well as focus on realism over player freedom. Thought about as an example of computer game as an art form, it won year-end honors consisting of Game of the Year honors from several gaming publications. It is among the best-selling video clip games with over 38 million duplicates delivered.

We had a lot of fun in the beta of Back 4 Blood a lot of fun and yet we can not really be euphoric.

When Turtle Rock Studios announced two years ago to develop a new co-op zombie shooter, the anticipation was huge. With the two Left 4 Dead games, the developer team from California delivered the end of the 2000s under the banner of Valve truly great greatly. Unfortunately, we never got an LEFT 4 Dead 3 because Turtle Rock and Valve started separated paths from 2010. And instead of just breaking the virtual zombiepocalypse again under a new name, the studio evolve developed. His story went, well, is less good. 2019 then the good news of Turtle Rock: We make back 4 blood. Oh yeah!, We thought. And that's exactly what we would like to think after we played the beta now. There is only one problem and that is strongly reminiscent of Evolve - no good sign.

It does not mean Left 4 Dead 3, but for us it is exactly that

But before we look into the glass ball and share our concerns with you, we first deal with the game in itself and thus what we have experienced in the beta. It really liked that very much. The core discipline, ie the coop mode for up to four players in which you are shooting through linear levels, is fantastic. Here Back 4 Blood offers exactly this left 4 dead feeling, which we wished. OK, the characters no longer call boomer! Or Witch!, Because the old special zombies are no longer part of the game (of course, there is still an opponent type that pufs you), but apart from this back 4 Blood Like the Left 4 Dead 3, which we never got.

The campaign is divided into several file, which in turn consist of several consecutive missions. In the beta, the first act with two chapters of four levels is included - and make a lot of fun. This is on the one hand at the good gunplay. The various shotgun, storm and sniper rifles as well as pistols feel wisdily and the control is very direct. It simply makes a celestial fun to hunt a ball in the head after another one.

But that does not mean that the shooter gameplay would be perfect. As powerful as in one of the most recent two Call of Dutys, the shooting bias are not and the hit feedback is a bit disappointing, because although neat blood splashes, but the zombies rarely lose body parts. At least we had not noticed, that should happen more frequently. Well, in the German versions of Left 4 Dead 1 and 2, there was no splatter, which is why Back 4 Blood represents an upgrade for us. But the German youth protection of past days can not be excuse that the monsters will not be completely tattered in a game appearing over ten years later, when we fire on them with heavy gun.

Great environments

For this, the leveldesign is awarded in Back 4 Blood. On the one hand, the environments are very varied. In a level you still move to house roofs, in the next you are in a gloomy forest, then an industrial plant follows and finally lands on a ferry. On the other hand, the levels know how to like their partially quite vertical construction. This allows different routes for each player, but of course for the zombies. On top of that, you are motivated to explore the area exactly because everywhere ammunition, auxiliary items or copper, from whom you buy new equipment and benefits for the entire team in each shelter.

The highlight are special mission targets. Sure, often you just should come to Hil from A to B, but at the end of the first chapter, for example, you would have to hunt the already mentioned ship into the air after you have already fought you there. For this you have to attach two explosive charges inside the barrel and then escape from there before the bombs go up. Because back 4 Blood just hit the neck right now then, so much zombies gets on the neck, enormously high tension. In addition, the situation requires you with your teammates. Who takes the explosives, who gives back from outside the ship's support fire? That should be clarified - at least on the higher levels of difficulty.

It is still missing the fine grinding

Currently back 4 Blood still has a balancing problem. On the lowest level of difficulty, the game is actually too easy. Ammunition shortage is then no topic at all and the zombies do not even do so much damage. On the middle of the three levels in turn, the game is already properly challenging, so you can actually forget it to play it with strange players. Here is a team of friends who communicate with each other by voice chat. But not always one has three buddies for a game ready. Then you depend on the matchmaking. Turtle Rock should necessarily create a hand here, so that the players back 4 Blood do not premature uninstall because it is either too light or too difficult.

A feature of which we are also not 100 percent convinced is the card system. Before a game, you make a deck from various cards with passive bonuses. In the beginning you still have quite a few copies available, others will shut down in the gameplay. The cards ensure that you can wear more ammunition or restore melee-kills life energy. In principle, this is a nice idea, but it looks more like a gimmick, which is above all, so that you are constantly unlocking something like an elementary gameplay element that this type of game has necessarily needed. The same applies to the camp, which serves as a hub area. Apart from the fact that it offers a shooting range, it is no more than an increasing alternative to the menu. If you do not feel like moving within the camp, you can also keep Tab pressed and then select in the menu in seconds, which you want to play next.

We have imagined the PVP differently

This leads us to a big issue: the versus mode. As much as Left 4 Dead always the co-op was the focus, so fun, the PVP battles, in which one team has played the survivors and the other the zombies. There is also it in back 4 Blood, but it's different. Instead, however, the people have to get here as in the campaign from A to B, the versus fell in small areas, where it is necessary to survive several opponent waves. The opposing team plays the special zombies and has to look for himself his spawn points (they must be outside the sights of the other players). While they try to survive as long as possible, the others have to eliminate their opponents as soon as possible. Then the pages are changed. The team that succeeds as people to survive longer than the other, wins the lap. Then it goes on on another map and who triumphs in two out of a maximum of three rounds brings the overall victory.

Our impression of versus mode is very similar to what we think about the card system. Basically, a PVP Horde mode is a cool idea. However, we believe that the whole thing in this form quickly exploits because the dynamics and variety is missing. Thus, it is not more than a nice bonus to the campaign, but which will not have a significant proportion of long-term fun, which you should have with back 4 blood. Ultimately, however, it does not matter if the mode is really bad or only moderate. The final result will be that he will have barely players shortly after release and thus is not a real added value.

The price is too high

We believe that Back 4 Blood, as well as co-hull mode and the core gameplay is also no success in the long run. The main reason for this is the business model. Turtle Rock and Publisher Warner Bros. have opted for a very classic form of monetization: the game costs the full price - 60 euros on the PC, 70 euros on the consoles. Alone only can be viewed critically. Many pure multiplayer shooters (we staunch that you can play the campaign with stupid bots) cost nowadays for launch less, unless they are called Call of Duty or Battlefield. Hunt: Showdown, for example, is offered for 40 euros, the recently released bright LET LOOSE as well. And both titles probably offer more long-term fun as back 4 of Blood due to their game concepts.

Yes, Back 4 Blood has the Ki director, thanks to which the zombie spawns are dynamic in each game and it comes to unique moments. That was great at Left 4 Dead and is still today. Nevertheless, the survival champion can never reach the high variance that offer the other titles mentioned. The versus mode does not contribute much to change a bit due to the limitation on small maps and the always equal game sequence. That's why you can already ask if Warner does not call here too high purchase price.

In addition, Back 4 Blood technically has long not been such a high quality game as a Battlefield 2042. The latter looks graphically so spectacular that you can imagine what a high effort may be behind it. Back 4 Blood, on the other hand, is optically no more than solid. The lighting is consistent and the zombies are entirely animated, but all in all it does not look like a game from the year 2021. Nobody will play back 4 Blood because of his graphic. In order to draw the comparison to Hunt: Showdown again, for which Crytek certainly no larger development budget has had been available: that is much prettier.

Worriage for a core great game

In our eyes there is no reason why Back 4 Blood must cost full price. But since Warner is a publisher who publishes AAA games, it must probably. But then it is quite problematic that all content that will appear after releasing (new campaign files, characters, special zombies) are chargeable. Warner Bros. relies on the classic Season Pass model, from which ACTIVISION and EA have meanwhile spaced Call of Duty or Battlefield. Although only one player needs the DLCs in each group so that everyone else can play them, a cleavage of the community will certainly not prevent that.

Why not simply put on a battle passport with paid cosmetic content and everything that is playfully relevant is free, as it is standard for multiplayer shooters, we are inexplicable - and awakens memories of Evolve. This has failed, among other things, for the same reason: it cost the full price and who wanted to play additional hunters and monsters, had to pay for it. The end of the song: After a few weeks, no one has interested for the game. At some point it was turned to the free-to-play title, which has no longer helped, and 2018 Publisher 2K Games introduced support and server operation.

It would be too bad if the same thing would happen with Back 4 Blood. We like the coop gameplay much too much for that. Only the responsible persons will hardly reconsider the business model two months before release. A large community will definitely have the title to release, the Xbox Game Pass is thank you. But whether that will remain in the long run, we dare to doubt when nothing changes.

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