Price: £49.99

Developer: Turtle Rock Studio

Publisher: Warner Bros

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One

Initially I was aghast at the confusing mess Back4Blood laid in front of me. It's a game stacked with so many bells and whistles that it wouldn't look out of place in Rio's Carnaval. The whole thing felt like a massive overcomplication of Left4Dead's simple and elegant multiplayer fun, and I was concerned that developer Turtle Rock had completely messed this up.

But the more I played of Back4Blood, the more I warmed to the design decisions Turtle Rock have made. I don't think it's a brilliant game, but it is a good enough successor to Left4Dead to keep me engaged, while also being different enough that it doesn't feel like a simple retread.

The premise, at least, is essentially the same.…