Yesterday, Turtle Rock Studios' co-op, zombie slaying shooter received its latest expansion, Back 4 Blood: Children of the Worm. The second DLC for Back 4 Blood brings a host of new content to game, including a whole new category of Cultist enemies, additional weapons, another Cleaner, and a fifth act that entails a single, six-chapter mission.
Game ZXC talked to Turtle Rock Studios' Community Manager, Rose Ty, about Children of the Worm's new threats, the game's expanding arsenal, and the wealth of new options for customizing Cleaners. In addition to fresh firearms and tools, the heroes of Fort Hope will be receiving a collection of new skins and plenty of perk cards that will allow them to develop entirely new builds.
Deck Yourself Out
Back 4 Blood's player cards are arguably the most impactful mutations to the Left 4 Dead DNA that serves as the franchise's foundation. Cards allow players to customize their character in a system that skirts the line between RPG perks and Call of Duty loadouts. Ty called out a couple cards that Cleaners will want to keep an eye out for in the expansion, including a personal favorite for melee builds:
"Do you like Damage Resistance? You might want to take a gander at Crippling Frequency. It’s a new gadget type card—this one takes up your offensive item slot and replaces it with a gadget that uses SMG ammo in order to trigger an effect."
Crippling Frequency will not only reduce damage for the player who is equipped with the card, but for nearby party members as well, effectively allowing bruisers to act as party tanks—provided they can stay topped off on SMG ammunition. When Crippling Frequency is paired with one of Back 4 Blood's top-tier shotguns or melee decks, Cleaners can wade into the frontline fray with less fear of whittling down the squad's supply of healing items.
Another card Ty mentioned will be familiar to fans of Call of Duty 4's classic "Martyrdom" perk. If a Cleaner is downed, they will automatically drop a live pipe bomb at their position. And since pipe bombs draw the attention of Common Ridden, a tactical incapacitation can actually become an asset for a besieged squad, buying allies some breathing room amidst an onrush. The remaining Cleaners can then clear out the remaining Ridden and resuscitate the fallen bomber. This card also seems tailor-made for squads featuring Children of the Worm's new Cleaner, Dan "The Prophet," whose character skill triggers a host of benefits when a Cleaner is downed.
It will be interesting to see how these new perk additions affect the game's over all meta, and where these cards end up ranking on Back 4 Blood's list of best player cards.
The Clothes Make the Cleaner
In terms of character customization, nothing is quite as satisfying as finding an outfit for a favorite Cleaner or gun that resonates with a player's personal sense of style. Ty gave a rundown of the cosmetics that are included in Children of the Worm.
"Owning Children of the Worm grants an exclusive weapon skin theme pack for twelve weapons and eight exclusive Cleaner skins."
According to Children of the Worm's launch patch notes, the new skins for Cleaners are intended to demonstrate "what Cleaners' lives were like before the collapse." The new looks include a Wednesday Addams-esque school uniform look for Karlee, while Evangelo can rock a Mohawk in a punk-themed costume. Players will find other new Skins, Cards, Banners, Emblems, and Sprays within Duffel Bags, a new item you can find in Act 5.
Looking to the Future
Even though Children of the Worm is still fresh, Turtle Rock Studios is already working its third DLC for Back 4 Blood. Ty didn't have any details to share yet, but she suggested that the forthcoming expansion, included in Back 4 Blood's Annual Pass, will please players who are impressed with Children of the Worm and Back 4 Blood's first expansion,Tunnels of Terror.
The fresh cards, new threads, and weapon skins should prove to be a breath of fresh air for veteran Cleaners, providing an ideal opportunity to mix things up with a new look and play style. When it comes to tackling the fifth act's mission, however, Ty urges new and rusty players to tackle the game's preceding acts on "Standard" or "Veteran" difficulty as a warm-up.
Back 4 Blood: Children of the Worm is out now for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
