Massive rumors have recently cropped up that point towards the development of Back 4 Blood 2, a sequel to the fast-paced 2021 zombie title from Turtle Rock Studios. While there was a huge amount of hype surrounding the original game prior to launch, the project struggled to match the expectations of many fans, making the recently surfaced evidence of a sequel all the more of a surprise to some.
Despite the high-profile rumors surrounding this alleged sequel to Back 4 Blood, a lot of the finer details around what the game might actually entail are still largely unknown, with fans only being able to assume that the game will adopt the same co-op-centric zombie survival mechanics as its predecessor. Having said this, there is some evidence to suggest that Back 4 Blood 2 could be set around Los Angeles and wider parts of California, with some fans already debating how this might impact the rumored project. If true, this Los Angeles setting could end up being quite a misstep for Back 4 Blood 2, primarily due to the huge amount of zombie gaming content that has also used L.A. As its primary location in recent years.
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Back 4 Blood 2's Rumored Setting Might Not Be Unique Enough
The expectations around 2021's Back 4 Blood were so high due to the way it heavily marketed itself as a spiritual successor to the Left 4 Dead franchise, which has been dormant for 15 years despite producing some of the best zombie survival gaming experiences that the industry has ever seen. A handful of developers from the original Left 4 Dead games worked on Back 4 Blood through Turtle Rock Studios. In its final form, the title adopted the same fast-paced survival, largely co-operative gameplay, zombie threat mechanics, and safe rooms as the Left 4 Dead series.
With the name of the project even being a nod to the Left 4 Dead franchise, huge expectations quickly grew around Back 4 Blood as the modern extension of L4D that many fans had been waiting for, putting pressure on the game to match a titan of the genre. Ultimately, these inevitable hopes and comparisons were too much for the game to deliver on, with Back 4 Blood's launch being quite a controversial disappointment in the eyes of some players.
Turtle Rock announced that continued major support for Back 4 Blood was ending in early 2023, with attention instead being placed on the next big release for the studio, and some recent developments indicate that this next project could be Back 4 Blood 2. References to a project titled "Gobi2" have been found online; Gobi was the internal title for the original Back 4 Blood during its early development.
Back 4 Blood 2 Needs a Unique Setting to Pave its Own Way Forward
This seems like a pretty big clue towards a Back 4 Blood sequel surfacing in the near future, which raises questions about its premise. Turtle Rock has been quite vocal in the past about using the studio's California home as inspiration for its next title's setting. If Back 4 Blood 2 is to use a California setting as its primary location, then the game will face a huge amount of competition within zombie gaming media.
For example, the recently released Dead Island 2 leaned into its Los Angeles setting with lots of satirical takes on the city and its iconic locations. Dead Island 2's April 2023 release is still fresh in the minds of zombie gaming fans, but older titles like Dead Rising 3 have also delivered stories massively inspired by L.A. In the past. It seems clear that the next Back 4 Blood title will need to do a lot to truly shape its own identity, and using a core location that is already so heavily associated with other major zombie releases could make this an even tougher task for the rumored project.
Back 4 Blood
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 76 /100 Critics Rec: 71%
- Released
- October 12, 2021
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Turtle Rock Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Games
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S and PS4 & Xbox One
WHERE TO PLAY
Back 4 Blood is a thrilling cooperative first-person shooter from the creators of the critically acclaimed Left 4 Dead franchise. You are at the center of a war against the Ridden. These once-human hosts of a deadly parasite have turned into terrifying creatures bent on devouring what remains of civilization. With humanity's extinction on the line, it's up to you and your friends to take the fight to the enemy, eradicate the Ridden, and reclaim the world.
Cooperative Campaign: Fight your way through a dynamic, perilous world in a 4-player co-op story campaign where you must work together to survive increasingly challenging missions. Play with up to 3 of your friends online or go solo and lead your team in battle.
Choose from 8 customizable Cleaners, one of the immune survivors, and a range of lethal weapons and items. Strategise against an ever-evolving enemy bent on your total destruction.
Competitive Multiplayer: Play with or against friends in PVP. Switch between playing as a Cleaner with special perks and the horrific Ridden. Both sides come with unique weapons, abilities, and specialties.
Extreme Replayability: A new "rogue-lite" Card System creates different experiences each and every time, putting you in control to craft custom decks, roll different builds and undertake more demanding fights.
The Game Director is constantly adjusting to player actions, ensuring exciting fights, extreme gameplay diversity, and tougher legions of Ridden - including mutated boss types up to 20 feet tall.
