Back 4 Blood has 8 characters (or Cleaners) to choose from. Each one plays a specific role in this rogue-lite zombie survival game. Everyone has a typical role that is assumed in other class-based games. However, you’d ideally want to pick the role that best suits your playstyle. Here, we break down each character in terms of their perks and abilities.
Which character should you play in Back 4 Blood?
Hoffman
He plays a critical support role of maintaining an ammo economy for him and his team mates. Hoffman can generate ammo when he kills the Ridden, as well as boosts the overall team’s ammo capacity by 10%. He can also carry an additional offensive item like grenades and barbed wire. If you’re a trigger happy player who might struggle with ammunition, you can never go wrong with Hoffman.
Walker
He is the standard issue character of the bunch. Walker adds 10 health to his teammates, giving them just a bit more survivability. He has a precision bonus perk where when he kills enemies with precision shots (headshots, weakpoint kills), he gains an accuracy boost of 20% for 5 seconds. He also has 10% more damage output. If you are a person who has a versatile set of skills in a game like this, he is a solid pick for just that.
Doc
Doc is the dedicated medic or healer class of this game. She has the ability to heal each team mate for 25 health once per level, meaning she basically has free medkits. She also has 20% healing efficiency, meaning that if she patches up a team mate or herself with a curative, it has a higher effect than other Cleaners. Finally, she grants 25% trauma resistance for all her teammates, making her extremely viable for tougher content. Plus, everyone loves a medic. If you like healer and support roles, Doc is your gal.
Mom
Mom can bring the team back from a dicey situation. She can hold down the line thanks to her supportive abilities. She can instantly revive a downed teammate once per level, so she basically gets a free defibrillator. She also can carry one additional support item like medkits and pain meds. Finally, she adds 1 life to all her teammates, allowing them to go down one more time before permadeath. If you like support roles like a healer but with less pressure to maintain everybody’s HP, this is the class for you.
Holly
The dedicated melee and CQC (Close Quarters Combat) role of the bunch. Holly excels in drawing aggro and being in the frontlines of combat. She has skills that all complement each other for being a bruiser that never quite gives up. She recovers 10 stamina when she kills a Ridden. Pair that with her 10% damage resistance and the Battle Lust card for decks, she’ll have a hard time going down. She also grants her entire team 25 additional stamina, giving them just a bit more time to run when things get dicey. If you like melee classes, she’s a strong pick.
Evangelo
Evangelo is like a hybrid between a speedster and brawler. He can break out of grabs every 60 seconds, meaning he is oftentimes going to be in the front lines of battle. He also has 25% stamina regeneration, giving him a bit less downtime between using his melee attacks and running. Evangelo also grants his team a 5% movement speed bonus, which can be useful when trying to escape a horde of Ridden. He is a good pick for people who want to try to avoid unnecessary confrontations with the enemy should the opportunity present itself.
Karlee
Karlee is a rather versatile character in terms of utility. First of all, her ability to sense nearby hazards and mutations can really help her prevent teammates from getting jumped and having unnecessary damage taken. Though, she’d be far more useful in a setting where everyone communicates via voice chat. She also has an extra slow for quick accessories; think of items like ammo pouches, stun guns, tool kits, and defibrillators. She grants all team mates a 50% boost in using items like med kits and tool kits. If you’re a person who likes to play an alternative support role, look no further than Karlee.
Jim
The dedicated ranged class of the bunch. Jim is all about precision, granting him a 2.5% damage boost that stacks every time he gets a precision kill. It resets once he takes damage, so he definitely has to be further away from the action. He gets a 25% boost to ADS speed, too, making scoped weapons ideal in his case. Finally, he gives his team a 10% damage buff when attacking enemies in their weak spots (red, fleshy, boils of the Ridden). If you’re good at using semi-auto weapons and snipers, Jim can really help in taking down the larger threats of the Ridden.
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.
