Earlier today Turtle Rock Studios shared that its upcoming co-op shooter Back 4 Blood has been delayed. Luckily, that news was somewhat tempered by the announcement of a Back 4 Blood open beta on PC and console this summer. Then, during Thursday's Future Games Show: Spring Showcase, a new extended gameplay walkthrough was shared going through Back 4 Blood's core features.
The Back 4 Blood walkthrough starts off quickly, conveying exactly what kind of game it is. It features four players in the role of the Cleaners, heavily armed with salvaged guns and ammo, burning through a level littered with zombies. This early part of the walkthrough shows off the Ridden, what Back 4 Blood calls its zombies, as well as special zombie types that are more threatening. The most immediate takeaway is probably how similar Back 4 Blood seems to Left 4 Dead, which is clearly what Turtle Rock is going for.
After an introduction to the Cleaners and Ridden, as well as a healthy amount of zombie destruction, the new trailer introduces a big mechanic: the Ogre, which is one of Back 4 Blood's mutated Ridden. It's a giant, and a sort of boss to be found within a standard Back 4 Blood stage. It was also revealed that players don't actually have to fight the Ogre. Turtle Rock says players can run and fight it another time.
The last major mechanic shown in the gameplay walkthrough is Back 4 Blood's biggest original feature. In Back 4 Blood, the Game Director that controls the enemy spawns and co-op players will have hands of cards. For the director, these cards augment the strength of the Ridden, including mutated special Ridden. Players can use these cards to influence the game in their favor.
As noted, Back 4 Blood has been delayed, so it will be some time before players get the full game in their hands. It was previously planned to launch in summer 2021, but is now scheduled to launch on October 12. Turtle Rock said it simply needs more time to finish the game.
The delay also opens up the opportunity to introduce fans to part of Back 4 Blood early, however. An open beta for Back 4 Blood has been announced that will run this summer. Players can register now, though they may already be registered if they signed up early for Back 4 Blood's closed alpha tests. No platforms or starting dates have yet been confirmed, so fans can expect more information in the months to come.
Back 4 Blood releases October 12 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.