Zombie game fans may be spoilt for choice this winter – so we’re looking at World War Z: Aftermath and Back 4 Blood and asking which game looks best. Both offer co-op PVE gameplay, focussing on teamwork to defeat the undead. And the striking similarities don’t end there. But which one should you buy?
Back 4 Blood is the spiritual successor to the hugely popular Left 4 Dead series, which hasn’t released a new mainline game since 2009. It is being made by L4D‘s original developers at Turtle Rock Studios, whose most recent big release was the disappointing Evolve. B4B offers first person zombie slaying mayhem just like Left 4 Dead.
World War Z: Aftermath is an expanded edition of 2019’s World War Z with next-gen enhancements, improved melee combat, and first and third person gameplay. The game is set in the same universe as the 2013 World War Z movie starring Brad Pitt. It has garnered significantly less attention than Back 4 Blood. That’s likely because of the mixed reception of the 2019 base game. But that doesn’t mean it should be discounted before it’s even gotten out the gate.
With some serious similarities, let’s take a look at the key differences to help you decide which is right for you…
#1 – World War Z: Aftermath vs. Back 4 Blood – Size of the Zombie Horde
If size matters to you, there’s a clear winner. The World War Z universe is famed for the colossal size of its zombie hordes. The 2013 movie even featured thousands of the undead creepers climbing over each other to scale walls and buildings. And luckily for fans, World War Z: Aftermath looks set to replicate the immense scale of its predecessors. Players can look forward to battling hundreds of zombies at any one time in World War Z: Aftermath, and it makes the game look like a large scale, survival free-for-all.
Back 4 Blood, on the other hand, is a bit more modest with its armies of the dead. You won’t be battling hundreds (or thousands) at a time. It offers players a slower, more methodical pace to its zombie obliteration. The experience Back 4 Blood presents looks to be much closer to the original Left 4 Dead than World War Z: Aftermath. And that might be exactly what you’re after.
#2 – World War Z: Aftermath vs. Back 4 Blood – Zombie Types
If it’s variation you want, Back 4 Blood offers six different types of zombies for you to slaughter. Of course, there’s the common infected who are fun to slaughter but dangerous in numbers. There’s the Hocker, a mutated leaping zombie with four arms that spits adhesive goo. The Bruiser, a large foe with a highly muscled right arm capable of knocking survivors back several metres and dealing big damage. The Retch spits corrosive acid that summons hordes of normal zombies. Snitches have long necks and are able to spot survivors before alerting their fellow hordes if not killed quickly. And finally, there’s Ogres, which are level bosses that stand 20-feet tall and can regenerate health.
Unfortunately, World War Z: Aftermath offers nothing like the level of variety of Back 4 Blood. According to the official website and the gameplay overview trailer, there’s the huge hordes and that’s it. Well, except for the new scurrying swarms of infected rats. It’s a bit of an odd choice and they look incredibly similar to the plague rats in A Plague Tale: Innocence. But at least it’s something.
#3 – World War Z: Aftermath vs. Back 4 Blood – Campaigns
Both games offer narrative campaigns that can be tackled with up-to three of your friends (or AIs if you’re a lonely boi). They also take place across different levels or areas and require you to pick between 8 different unique characters or classes. But what separates them?
World War Z: Aftermath‘s campaign focusses on different groups of survivors across the globe. It boasts recreations of real-life locations including Rome, Vatican City, New York, Tokyo and Jerusalem. If you’ve ever wanted to travel the world from the comfort of your home, now’s your chance. And you can kill copious zombies along the way.
Back 4 Blood is, again, very similar to Left 4 Dead in the execution of its campaign. Players take control of 8 “Cleaners” who aim to cleanse the world of the “Ridden”. They are Walker, Holly, Hoffman, Evangelo, Karlee, Doc, Jim, and Mom. Players progress between levels that are smaller in scale than World War Z: Aftermath. But reportedly offer significant replayability thanks to what Turtle Rock are calling “a dynamic Game Director which constantly adjusts to player actions, ensuring exciting fights, extreme gameplay diversity, and tougher legions of Ridden – including mutated boss types up to 20 feet tall.”
When is Back 4 Blood coming out?
Back 4 Blood‘s release date is set for October 12, 2021. All being well and the game launches without delay, it’s sure to be a top seller this holiday season.
When is World War Z: Aftermath coming out?
The expanded and enhanced World War Z: Aftermath is due towards the end of 2021. In early 2022, Aftermath will receive further next-gen enhancements for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S including “Horde Mode XL” as a free upgrade.
Which one should you buy?
These games are fairly similar. World War Z: Aftermath might be facing a bit of an uphill battle thanks to Back 4 Blood‘s association with the popular Left 4 Dead series. But Aftermath certainly has some exciting features and offers a breathtaking scale players won’t find in Back 4 Blood. Still, it is awesome to see Left 4 Dead‘s legacy continue.
It all depends what you look for in your zombie games, but I hope this list has helped you decide which undead shooter is for you. After all, there isn’t too much between them.
Which zombie shooter will you be picking up in 2021? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles…
