The Left 4 Dead-like seems to be a genre that's quickly become popular over the last few years. In 2021 alone, there were plenty of games that use the co-op horde shooter gameplay to explore every aspect of what makes mechanics like that fun, from Back 4 Blood to Aliens: Fireteam Elite. Given the popularity of the Left 4 Dead series, it makes sense why shooters just like it would be popping up, but it's a little curious that they've waited until now to start releasing. That's not a complaint, as co-op horde shooters are a ton of fun, but hopefully the games listed below will be able to stand out as original and gain player bases big enough to support their co-op concepts.
The industry has already seen what happens to these Left 4 Dead-likes if they don't innovate or stand out, as Back 4 Blood's player count on Steam dipped below Left 4 Dead 2's. Further, despite the great initial pitch of "Left 4 Dead but with dinosaurs," Second Extinction's early access hasn't quite turned the heads that it seemed like it might. Luckily, there's still plenty of time for the titles listed below to impress as their release dates grow ever closer and the games hopefully live up to the legacy of Valve's zombie co-op franchise.
The Anacrusis
The Anacrusis takes the co-op zombie-shooter formula of Left 4 Dead and turns it into a 1960s inspired sci-fi romp where four players need to work together to shoot their way through an unrelenting alien horde and cleanse their ship of all alien life. Anyone who appreciated Deathloop's visual style should give The Anacrusis a try when it releases as the first Left 4 Dead-like of 2022 on January 13. The game has marketed itself as being "infinitely replayable" thanks to the AI driver which changes the enemies, bosses, items, and weapons each time the players load into a level.
The Anacrusis releases on January 13, 2022, for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction
Tom Clancy's Rainbox Six Extraction takes a more grounded approach to the survival shooter than the rest of the games in the genre coming out in 2022. It follows groups of three players who are fighting against an alien species called the Archaeans as they attempt to complete objectives and push back against the horde. Players have the option to choose from 18 different characters or operators, many of which appeared in Rainbox Six Siege, who all bring something different to the table in the form of abilities and perks.
Tom Clancy's Rainbox Six Extraction releases on January 20, 2022, for Luna, PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Similar to Left 4 Dead-likes, there seems to be a resurgence in Warhammer games over the past few years with Warhammer 40,000: Darktide being one of the most anticipated titles in the 40K community. Developed by the studio that made both Warhammer Vermintide titles, Fatshark seems to be extending itself into the futuristic setting of 40K to make a horde-shooter with an interesting cast of survivors from the Warhammer universe. As more Warhammer games such as Space Marine 2 continue to release, Darktide will be an interesting first for the franchise.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is set for release in early 2022 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
Redfall
There still isn't very much known about Redfall other than it's going to be a four-person co-op shooter by Arkane that features vampires instead of Left 4 Dead's zombies. The game essentially served as Microsoft's "mic drop" moment at the end of its E3 2021 showcase, but since there wasn't any gameplay shown, it's tough to say what exactly Redfall will be like.
Redfall is set for release in Summer 2022, for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.