Despite not having the PvP campaign, Back 4 Blood features a lengthy PvE campaign, in which four survivors try to make their way through a zombie-infested world. To help you survive and defeat the Ridden, here are some essential tips and tricks for the Back 4 Blood PvE campaign.
Make sure your team is ready before calling the Horde
Some events in the PvE campaign will trigger the arrival of many enemies at once, or of a single uber-zombie. Make sure that your team has enough health and ammo before engaging in such a big fight.
Always carry a tool kit
Make sure to pack a tool kit with you when you venture outside. Tool kits open secret rooms that contain free supplies, such as ammo, weapons, cards, and first aid stations.
Look out for the first aid stations
If your health is not critically low, save your bandages and medkits as long as possible. They don’t come cheap, and you have a chance to find a free way to heal yourself by interacting with a first aid station. They are usually located inside buildings and will restore your full health in a matter of seconds. Make sure to have a tool kit ready to open any door that could come between you and your precious health restoration.
Pain meds only have a temporary effect
Pain meds only restore health for a short amount of time. They can heal trauma damage, but the effects will fade away with time. Use pain meds only until you can find a better healing option.
Switch to your secondary weapon to save ammo
Ammo is a scarce commodity in Back 4 Blood. If fights are not too intense or if you are just killing a few Ridden on your way to an objective, consider switching to your secondary weapon. Secondary weapons are usually handguns or melee weapons. Killing zombies with your secondary weapon could save ammo for your main one, which will make a big difference when things go south.
Turn all firearms into automatic weapons
There is an option in the gameplay settings to make all weapons full auto, including things like semi-auto pistols, pump action shotguns, and bolt action rifles. This is handy for players who mix and match weapons with different fire modes.
Pack on firecrackers
The firecrackers item goes in the offensive item slot, but it’s really a utility. It attracts all Ridden to wherever you throw it, which is perfect if your teammates have actual offensive items like a Molotov or a Frag grenade to follow up with.
If you are down, fire away
When downed, Cleaners switch to their secondary weapon. In this state it does not consume ammo, and it deals no friendly fire damage – so don’t hold back.
Be careful of birds and car alarms
As you make your way through Back 4 Blood’s PvE campaign, you may encounter murders of crows. Shooting at them or running into them will make them fly away, shrieking loudly. The sound attracts nearby zombies, so make sure to avoid them. The same goes for car alarms that may blast if you break one of the vehicle’s windows.
Keep your deck small to raise your odds of picking good cards
At each level, you can select new cards to help you defeat the Ridden more easily. While there are plenty of cards and they all seem great, adding them all to your deck is not necessarily the best option. If you have a powerful card you want to get early on in each run, or would like to use a specific set of cards, keep your deck deliberately thin. The smaller your deck, the higher your odds are of drawing the cards you want.
Spend your copper on team upgrades instead of weapons
Since Back 4 Blood‘s levels are practically littered with weapons, there is rarely a reason to spend money on buying or upgrading them at safe rooms. However, buying the team upgrades (increased item efficiency, increased item cap, and so on) is always worth it, since they provide passive buffs to the entire team, and will never go to waste.
Speaking of which, it is a good idea to check if the support item upgrade is available to purchase at each safe room before buying and using support items, to ensure you get the most HP back possible.
Always aim for the head
In zombie movies just like in FPS games, the best way to deal with the undead is to destroy their brains. In case you haven’t noticed yet, this rule applies to everything in Back 4 Blood, not just the guns. Melee weapons (and punches) can headshot just like ranged weapons.
Hopefully, our Back 4 Blood PvE tips and tricks will help you survive a little bit longer. Stay tuned to SQUAD for more Back 4 Blood content!
