Despite Back 4 Blood's departure from the original formula that made survival games like Left 4 Dead so addictive, it still surpasses all of its goals, even if it occasionally goes awry.

We’re almost there. I see the markings for the safe house painted on the side of a building, and push my small group of survivors to safety. It’s a feeling I’ve grown accustomed to over the years, and it’s always welcome when it starts to happen.

We turn a corner and come face to face with a Tallboy, one of the many unique enemies Back 4 Blood has to offer. On their own, they’re not too difficult to guide through the world, shooting at their weak points, but when the Director (what Turtle Rock calls the AI that decides how many and which zombies to throw at you in a given level) starts throwing more at you, things can get tricky. As we prepare to take it on, we hear another roar from behind it, a second Tallboy emerging from behind a semi-trailer.

Our hopes of reaching the safe room easily are fading. We are already running out of ammo and Tallboys take quite a few bullets to shoot down. The Director has not made it easy for us this time and it doesn't look like he intends to hold us back, even at the end of the level.