I’m sure we all have fond memories of playing Left 4 Dead and its brilliant sequel. But as nice as they are, there’s no hiding the fact that the couple is getting along a bit, and it’s time enough for something to intervene to continue that joint carnage *. Thankfully, Turtle Rock’s own Back 4 Blood has entered closed alpha today, and while it’s not Left 4 Dead 3 by name, early reports suggest the developers have delivered a rock-solid successor to Bill and the gang’s zombie-smashing classic.
* That something was Warhammer: Vermintide 2, but you know. Fantasy hacking ‘n’ slashing is not to everyone’s taste, I understand that.
After unveiling the gameplay at The Game Awards last week, Back 4 Blood has since opened registrations for its closed alpha – an alpha that really took off earlier tonight. The limited alpha runs through next Monday and lets you play a full level with the game’s new special infected (sorry, ‘ridden’) and the game’s pseudo-roguelike cards, which show you to battle a pile of ‘corruption’ modifiers to deal with your own hand of favors.
While I haven’t had a chance at Back 4 Blood yet (and I have my own painfully fussy hangups regarding the game’s aesthetic compared to L4D), our friends at Eurogamer had a blast thinking Back 4 Blood “really one as you might imagine a new Left 4 Dead could play when it comes out today”. That’s a great promised start.
“Right now, it’s just a pleasure to be reminded of the power of the formula that Turtle Rock introduced all these years ago, and to see where it can be pushed with modern technologies and techniques,” writes Martin Robinson. “It’s great to see a team again doing what they do best and for what is going to be a damn good time.
You can register for the Back 4 Blood alpha on the game’s official website. Then it’s just a matter of waiting for your invitation to appear. Fancy a quick No Mercy flight, anyone?