Back 4 Blood Nerf Makes Enemies Easier Than Ever
It’s only been a matter of days since Back 4 Blood released to mostly solid reviews, but fans' concerns with the game’s difficulty have already seen Turtle Rock offer a patch to nerf the special infected. Well, that didn't take long.
We expect a bit of difference in difficulty, but one of our biggest complaints was that Back 4 Blood makes it far too easy to be surrounded and be ripped to shreds by OP zombies. The developer has thankfully issued patch notes for a hotfix that makes the Mutations a little easier to deal with in the Campaign and Swarm modes.
What nerfs have been made to Back 4 Blood enemies?
The patch comes in two parts, making specific changes to both the Campaign and Swarm game modes. The changes made to the former mode were added as "an attempt to address some of the concerns regarding the challenges presented by some difficulties," such as reducing the spawn rate of the special infected - called Mutations - on all difficulties. Turtle Rock also made adjustments to the rates that players earn supply points to factor in level repeats.
The Swarm mode changes are a little more in-depth, which specific changes made to the variables of the Mutations. Firstly, Bruisers saw huge nerfs, as their health and damage was reduced, the Burst ability also saw an increase to its delay, and finally, their weak spot multiplier was increased - meaning they can be hit with big damage quicker.
Many of the more ranged Mutations saw some nerfs too, as Hockers had their projectile speed lowered and cooldown raised, while Stingers had their spread reduced - although with a buff to their projectile speed. The Tallboy also scored a win, as its damage was buffed slightly.
How are fans reacting to the patch?
The initial complaints about the game’s difficulty clearly came from players who hadn’t read our Back 4 Blood beginners tips, however, the changes will be massively popular with the burgeoning community. They were definitely needed. The reactions to the changes are generally positive, with fans happy at the quick turnaround time for the patch and its content.
There are many still demanding other changes to Back 4 Blood. A common complaint is the inability to meaningfully play the horror title in solo. It has left many players barely able to progress forward. Linking into that is the supposedly terrible bot AI, which stops them from reviving other bots and saving yourselves from Mutations.
As of now, Turtle Rock has given no word on when a more comprehensive update will come to address the fans' biggest issues with the game. The speed of this latest patch is a good sign of the developer's relationship with the community. Hopefully, Back 4 Blood can keep on shuffling!