

“Back 4 Blood is playable in single-player, but the game practically bullies you into engaging with other players thanks to the sheer volume of restrictions it puts on solo play.” Things like improved reload times, more stamina, and more proficiency with a certain class of weapons.

These are essentially your skills that you’ll take from level to level. The game also employs a deck-building mechanic. It stands out massively in a game that has so few memorable moments outside of this and the final two levels. Licensed music is so rarely used well, but here it was a masterstroke that really impacted the quality of the section. Special mention must also go to the sequence in the bar where you need to activate and then defend a jukebox. If you aren’t playing this while also talking to someone you’d happily talk to while doing nothing, you’ll be bored stiff. The mission objectives are almost universally a case of slogging through an area you’ve been through previously at a slightly different time of day, collecting something and then waiting to be picked up while you defend your position.
