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Turtle Rock Studios is synonymous with killing zombies in video games. The Lake Forest, California-based studio is most known for its work on the Left 4 Dead series, which it created for Valve. But in 2011, the company re-founded itself as an independent studio to focus on creating its own original properties. After developing a slew of virtual reality games for Oculus headsets, the developer is returning to its zombie-slaying roots. Intel Gaming Access caught up with Chris Ashton, co-founder and design director at Turtle Rock Studios, to talk about its upcoming cooperative first-person shooter Back 4 Blood which launches on October 12.
Similar to their previous series — which more or less established the entire wave-based survival shooter genre — Back 4 Blood is all about killing hundreds of zombies. In this horror thriller, four players fight against waves of grotesque creatures infected with a twisted parasite that morphs the once-human hosts into terrifying monstrosities that are hellbent on stopping players from making their way across an assortment of missions. 
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With launch right around the corner as spooky season approaches, the stakes are high for Turtle Rock Studios as they seek to reclaim their co-op zombie shooter crown. With Back 4 Blood they have to strike a tricky balance between not only meeting the expectations of fans of their past games, but also evolving the formula to create something new and fresh. “I think it’s only a spiritual successor in as much as we are building on top of the now well-defined four-player co-op shooter genre and we have zombies, but we definitely approached the game with a sense of freedom that an original IP provides,” Chris said. “If we wanted to add something new to the genre, no problem. If we wanted to take something away, no problem. As long as the game is better for it, we feel good about it.”
That freedom to experiment is a big part of what makes Back 4 Blood so exciting. With a new series and fresh concepts on the table, fans have an exciting adventure to look forward to. “From the beginning, we knew we wanted to have more story, more variety in everything, asymmetrical human versus zombie PvP and much larger zombies,” Chris continued. “We also knew we needed to incorporate elements from modern day shooters like progression systems, aim down sights, sprint, mantle, ammo types, weapon attachments, and so on.”
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Luck of the Draw
Fans of Left 4 Dead probably recall the game’s AI Director, a computer-controlled feature that helped ensure the experience was constantly evolving. With Back 4 Blood, Turtle Rock Studios cranks things up several notches with the Game Director, an even more advanced version of the idea. 
“Which brings us to the card system,” Chris said. “Every time you load a new chapter in the game, you and the Game Director get to pick new cards. Cards can affect almost anything in the game. There are tons of possibilities.” The chosen cards can have an impact on weather, lighting, enemy types, weapon stats, player stats, player abilities, team stats, item spawns, and more, with the Game Director’s picks being generally less favorable for the player. For their part, players can use cards to strategically overcome tough obstacles, modify the game to suit their playstyle, or just for pure fun, such as selecting two primary weapons.
The card system is a big new feature that fundamentally changes how the game works. Crucially, it adds replayability and constant progression to a genre in which repetition is often the norm.
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Fighting through a Pandemic
Any developer with a major game slated to release over the next year or two probably has stories about the difficulties of working through a global pandemic, and Turtle Rock Studios is no different. “We spent the last year and a half working from home,” Chris said. “I can’t imagine anything having a bigger impact on the team, especially because we are such a collaborative group. Overnight our development process — along with our partners’ — was turned upside down, but we still had to finish and ship this game across five different platforms.” Despite the challenges, endless video meetings, and difficulties of remotely coordinating the game’s complex production process, they always found a way. “I continue to be blown away by the team’s ability to overcome obstacles and crank out amazing work in times like these,” Chris continued. “We are forever changed by it.”
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The studio’s commitment to the game in the face of adversity looks like it’s working out. Back 4 Blood had an open beta period in early August to let players try the game out and give feedback. “It was a big success,” Chris said. “We had over 5.6 million players participate in the beta. That’s stunning. And the number of games being streamed and watched blew our minds.” 
“The beta had a massive impact on the game,” Chris continued, “and we can’t wait for players to see the improvements made to the game at launch”. Fans won’t have to wait much longer. Back 4 Blood launches October 12, 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. 
<a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/924970/Back_4_Blood/">Order Back 4 Blood on Steam</a>

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