10 Video Games That Exploited Your Nostalgia
6. Back 4 Blood
Over the last decade or so we’ve seen many former development teams reunite to create something that honours their previous efforts. Typically they’ve delivered in at least some form and that isn’t necessarily any different with Back 4 Blood.
With the big, bold “from the creators of Left 4 Dead” heading on their marketing you’d think a decent chunk of the 190 people that made the classic Valve co-op zombie survival game were accounted for. In actuality, just 7 people who had laid their hands on that game returned for Back 4 Blood but the promotion kept hammering the connection home.
Heck, even the name is like the studio is grabbing you and shaking you by the shoulders. Get it!? It’s like Left 4 Dead! There's even special zombie types and everything!
Thankfully, despite its flaws, there is a lot to like about Back 4 Blood and it manages to build off the formula in interesting ways. For example, players and the AI pick from decks of cards to affect various aspects of a mission before it takes place.
Arguments can be made however that it perhaps needed to take a few steps further outside of the shadow of its predecessor to make a mark, but the allure of the easy nostalgia grab is strong.