Back 4 Blood is a game that prides itself in its cooperative aspects, especially when it comes to its rogue-lite system that creates “extreme replayability” in the campaign mode. Recently, the whole Rogue-like genre has grown rapidly in popularity. That term is often associated with difficult gameplay and frustratingly ended runs. This guide will help you prevent early wipeouts for your runs, but also better you as a player.
Don’t stick to a main
This one goes out to all the people who may not have dedicated groups to play in. Chances are if you have one main, they might be chosen. It’s always good to specialize in a class-based game so you know the ins and outs of your roles, but sometimes it might just be taken. Main at least more than one character so your odds are a lot lower in having a character you want taken.
Know what works best for your class
Say you want to main someone like Holly. She’s a melee class who excels at close quarters combat, especially when she has something like a club or machete on hand. Don’t pick up a sniper with her. She’ll hardly benefit from it. Know what types of items work best for your class so you can make the most out of their passives and perks!
Familiarize yourself with the card system
The card system is a unique twist on the roguelike genre in Back 4 Blood. Think of it as your build. You’ll have cards that can boost your stamina, movement speed, trauma resistance, health, and many other perks. Ideally, you’d want to create or build a deck for each character. That way, you can specialize what can work best for that specific role.
Of course, if you’re just starting out, your deck will be very limited and basic. Don’t worry. With the roguelike system in place, your subsequent runs will only make you more aware of what works best with the characters you use. You’ll eventually unlock more cards to add onto your decks along the way.
Make a mental note of what Corruption Cards are played before every mission too! A handful of them are going to force you to play a certain way given their modifiers.
Never stray away from your allies
Back 4 Blood is a game about surviving through tons of Ridden and plowing through them to complete your objectives. Don’t be the hero of your group thinking you can charge into a horde of them. Chances are, you’ll be extremely overwhelmed and most likely incapacitated, leaving the rest of your allies with significantly less firepower to deal with the threat at hand.
Do not initiate fights until everyone is ready
You’re making your way through a level and see a flock of birds or a car with a possible alarm on it. Don’t make excessive noise if you can avoid an unnecessary battle, especially if a teammate is also on the verge of dying and is trying to patch themselves up. Imagine getting into a giant fight and the first enemy that comes up on you downs you because a teammate didn’t consider checking if everyone else is ready. That’s just rude!
Don’t go rogue
This doesn’t apply if you play on the Recruit difficulty. On the Veteran and Nightmare difficulties, friendly fire is enabled. Don’t deliberately shoot or slash at your teammates. You’re only going to make things harder for the rest of your team and cost the group a continue or even the entire run.
Don’t be greedy
If you’re the hot shot who has a solid loadout and some cash to spare, help out in buying items at the safe house for teammates. It’ll help bolster the team’s overall efficiency when it comes to surviving and taking down the Ridden. Buying your team mate that one extra med kit or grenade might make all the difference between completing a mission and wiping. The same goes with ammo. Don’t pick up shotgun shells if you’re rocking a pistol and an assault rifle. Someone else might make use of it.
Manage your healing
Ideally, you’d want to approach a fight as prepared as possible. Anytime a big fight has concluded and your team is scavenging for weapons and other items, you’ll periodically find some curatives. This goes a bit hand-in-hand with not being greedy. Make sure everyone is healed to or close to full health before taking those extra meds. Everyone having full health gives the team a higher chance of making it out alive.
Have a game plan
You’re making your way through a scenario and see that the environment is set up in a way for a big battle to occur. Plan out with your teammates where you’ll possibly perch up to fight the Ridden. Don’t just go out in the open and give yourselves an environmental disadvantage. Imagine initiating a big fight against the ridden and you’ve completely become surrounded from all four areas. Now that’s what leads to a team wipe.
Help each other out
Use healing items on one another if you see your teammates fall below a certain threshold of health. Don’t be stingy and keep all the curatives to yourself when you’re in tip-top shape. Also, be on the lookout for items left off the beaten path. Sometimes you’ll find things like free cards and secret rooms that can be accessed with a tool kit.
Spend your copper wisely
Copper is the currency you use to spend on med stations and the Safe Houses before every mission. You’ll practically buy new weapons, attachments, and gear like grenades and med kits using it. Always have some spare copper on hand for people who may be short a few.
Back 4 Blood is out now in early access for Ultimate Edition purchasers. The game will be out for everyone else on October 12, 2021. You can get this game on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series S/X, and PC via Steam and Epic Games. To check out more information on Back 4 Blood like news, guides, and even an upcoming review, click here.
