Turtle Rock Studios has provided a substantial amount of new information for its next game. As a sequel to the Left 4 Dead series in all but name (Valve still owns the IP), Back 4 Blood, much like its forbear, allows a team of four survivors to team up and take on the undead horde across several distinct locations. While the core objective remains largely the same as before (reaching a safe house), the developer has accounted for modern tastes with the introduction of a card-based progression system.
Besides promoting near-infinite replay value, players can use the feature to completely customize their abilities and curate unique builds, with traditional archetypes such as melee, medic and demolitions expert shown as examples in the above trailer. While the most effective loadouts will likely be those personally constructed and altered to suit certain combat situations, Turtle Rock has included a number of pre-made ‘decks’ for the sake of accessibility.
As for how one goes about expanding their collection of card modifiers, these can be unlocked through play by levelling up and come in various different varieties, including cosmetic unlocks. Weapon and character skins are among the item types showcased, though it’s still unclear whether all be earnable for free or if premium alternatives will be available for purchase (see: microtransactions). A decision has yet to be made on that front, but previous comments by studio members have stressed that any optional purchasable content will only ever be superficial in nature.
Following confirmation of the game’s delay earlier this year, Back 4 Blood is now slated for release on consoles and PC on October 12th with pre-orders currently available. See here for a breakdown of every special edition and its contents.