Obviously, we're still left wondering what shape the final game will take, or whether microtranscations or other balance issues will creep up before its retail launch on June 22. But in a wacky, cooped-up year like 2020, the harrowing, cooperation-filled combat of Back 4 Blood, and its attention to systems suited for repeat gameplay, already feels like the kind of game I want to master with my friends as soon as possible. [Alpha test]

All in all, I’m extremely impressed with what I’ve played so far. Back 4 Blood exceeded my expectations and then some. But, if I had to nit-pick at any doubt I have, then it would be that the developers keep a keen focus on the all-around player experience and that they will continue to add new and interesting features to keep this game alive and kicking for as long as possible so that it doesn’t fall into a pit of monotony. [Impressions]

Having all that to tinker with is enticing, but right now it's just a pleasure to be reminded of the potency of the formula Turtle Rock introduced all those years back, and to see where it can be pushed with modern technologies and techniques. It's a thrill to see a team back doing what they do best, and for what's shaping up to be a bloody good time. [Hands-on Impressions]

It’s very early days for Back 4 Blood; we only experienced four short levels, the versus mode wasn’t available, and we’re unsure of what’s still to come. Despite this, from what we’ve played so far, Back 4 Blood is everything Left 4 Dead fans have been waiting for – and then some. [Alpha impressios]

There’s a lot of personality here, in the character interactions, the details in the world, the environmental storytelling. And there’s quality too, in the new deck-building element, the movement and ferocity of the horde, and the feel of the weapons and movement. For many, simply having this exact game made by this exact team is enough to sell it regardless, but in a genre that has grown ever more crowded in the long years since Left 4 Dead 2, will that be enough to satisfy everyone? We won’t know that for a while, unfortunately, but what I can tell you right now after a weekend of blasting through the Ridden hordes and failing way more than succeeding, is that Left 4 Dead is back in every way that matters.

Overall, my first experience with Back 4 Blood felt like just the right balance between old and familiar and new and fresh. Turtle Rock obviously knows this genre inside and out, and the ways in which they’re emphasizing player choice through deck customization and vendors at the end of every act feels like a smart shift in direction that still stays true to its roots. [Alpha Impressions]

Back 4 Blood really does seem like the game fans have been waiting for all these years and, based on the alpha, Left 4 Dead looks and plays better than ever, regardless of what it’s actually called. [Alpha review]