Though it didn't quite meet some fans' expectations, Back 4 Blood still sold incredibly well, with over 10 million players having logged in by February 2022. And despite some middling reviews, Back 4 Blood is still a solid 4-player co-op horde game, with a lot of potential still left to realize. With its first major expansion on the way, Back 4 Blood may inch just a little closer to being the Left 4 Dead successor that some had hoped for.
Dropping on April 12 for those with the Annual Pass, Deluxe or Ultimate editions of Back 4 Blood, or those who buy the expansion separately, Tunnels of Terror offers a pretty sizable chunk of new content. Along with a brand new difficulty setting called "No Hope," players will have access to two new Cleaners and an entirely new game mode called the Ridden Hives, featuring three new types of special infected.
Two New Back 4 Blood Cleaners
Tunnels of Terror brings two new Cleaners to the game, bringing the total up to 10 distinct playable Back 4 Blood characters. These two new characters offer some unique abilities that should mesh pretty well with the rest of the crew, and should go hand-in-hand with the new Ridden Hives game more.
Former chef Heng wields a mean-looking kitchen knife as their secondary weapon in Back 4 Blood and has the ability to see and ping attachments, doors, and entrances through walls. Heng's Team Effect should be pretty helpful on the field, giving the crew a 5% chance to reuse their items.
The second Back 4 Blood Cleaner, Sharice, used to be a firefighter before the Ridden took over, still wielding her fire axe as a secondary weapon. Sharice has a few passive abilities, one of which gives her 25% Trauma Resistance. Any armor plates that Sharice shoots off an enemy have a chance of becoming armor plate pick-ups. Sharice's Team Effect gives the crew a 25% boost to their health right off the bat.
Three New Ridden in Back 4 Blood
The Tunnels of Terror expansion is also bringing three new Ridden types to the game. Appearing from the mysterious purple rifts shown in the Tunnels of Terror launch trailer, these new special infected types are categorized as Warped Ridden.
Players will need to watch their step with the new Urchin Ridden, who drops land mines around the field. The new Shredder type will use its intimidatingly sharp claws to hack away at the Cleaners, and the new Ripper looks to be a hulking monster that is capable of dishing out absurd amounts of damage. Players will have to use the new Cleaners' abilities, and bring their best tactics to successfully take down these new Ridden types.
Back 4 Blood: Tunnels of Terror's New Game Mode
Perhaps the most exciting piece of new content coming with the Back 4 Blood Tunnels of Terror expansion, however, is an entirely new game mode called the Ridden Hives. This mode pits the players against the same hordes of infected, but deep underground, in a system of maze-like tunnels.
Players will need to use their abilities effectively to navigate their way through the labyrinth, and reach the exclusive rare loot at the end of the stage. Gameplay will consist of the same looting and shooting from the Back 4 Blood's campaign mode, but with some additional platforming sections occasionally thrown in for good measure.
The Tunnels of Terror is also bringing a hefty number of unlockable cosmetics to Back 4 Blood, including eight new character skins, seven legendary weapons, and 12 new weapon skins. More than 15 cards are also being added with this expansion, which should add a little variety to the gameplay for those who have been playing since day one.
Back 4 Blood is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, and the Tunnels of Terror expansion releases on April 12.