With the release of Back 4 Blood in early October, Left 4 Dead fans the world over finally have an opportunity to slay hordes of the undead once again. But this time around, an all-new cast of characters join the fray. Which character you play as in Back 4 Blood makes a difference, so choose wisely, survivors!
How to Unlock Characters in Back 4 Blood
Right off the bat, you’ll notice half of the available characters are locked. You cannot select Hoffman, Doc, Jim, and Karlee.
But hey, worry not, because you can unlock characters in Back 4 Blood easily by completing the first chapter of Act 1. The Devil’s Return, as the chapter is called, requires you to play online with friends or random players, but the four levels won’t take you long to finish either way.
Choosing Your Playstyle
Unlike in Left 4 Dead and its sequel, Left 4 Dead 2, characters in Back 4 Blood come with unique specializations that help the team out. No one is a generalist here.
Each character includes a team skill, like increased ammo capacity or increased health, but also character-specific traits that alter gameplay in benefitting ways.
Do you want to play as a healer? Then picking a character like Doc genuinely helps the whole team. If you prefer to tank, then perhaps Walker, with his additional health bonus and personal damage increase is more your bag!
The Characters of Back 4 Blood
As of this writing, there are eight playable characters in Back 4 Blood. Developer Turtle Rock intends to support the four-player cooperative shooter well into the foreseeable future, though, so expect additional characters down the road.
Every Cleaner is unique. They offer custom vanilla appearances, personality, dialogue, backstory, and you can customize their clothing with unlocks down the line.
Hoffman
Character Traits
- Increased chance to find ammo whenever Hoffman kills a Ridden
- +1 Offensive inventory
Team Effects
- +10% Team Ammo Cap
Hoffman saw this whole mess coming from a mile away. As the resident doomsday prepper seeking to prove his worth to the team, Hoffman’s meticulous preparation means the whole group receives more ammunition for their weapons.
If you enjoy playing a fire support role, laying down hate from a fully automatic weapon as Ridden surround your Cleaners, then Hoffman is clearly a top choice for your playstyle.
Walker
Character Traits
- Precision Kills grant Walker +20% Accuracy for a total of 5 Seconds
- +10% Damage
Team Effects
- +10 Team Health
Elijah Walker, referred to as Walker in-game, is the group’s seasoned veteran with combat experience under his belt. This prior warfare experience means he enjoys additional accuracy and damage personally while boosting the health of his teammates.
Walker is the all-around assault class type, which is a fine choice for new players or those who like a more well-rounded playstyle.
Doc
Character Traits
- Doc heals teammates for 25 Health once per level
- +20% Healing Efficiency
Team Effects
- +25% Team Trauma Resistance
As her name would suggest, Doc is the resident medical professional, whose prior experience helped put Fort Hope on the map in the apocalypse.
If your playstyle leans more towards the support side of things, specifically a healthier, then Doc’s abilities, including increased team trauma resistance and greater healing efficiency, will make you a favorite in your lobby.
Mom
Character Traits
- Mom can instantly revive a single teammate once per level
- +1 Support Inventory
Team Effects
- +1 Team Extra Life
A tough-as-nails second-in-command at Fort Hope, Mom stands strong as the voice of the survivors as never retreats from a challenge. Her support playstyle will allow you to revive teammates and keep someone alive a bit longer each game.
Holly
Character Traits
- Holly recovers 10 Stamina whenever she kills a Ridden
- +10% Damage Resistance
Team Effects
- +25 Team Stamina
Holly is a fun-loving rebel, accompanied by her trusty baseball bat, who seems more at-home in the apocalypse than any other Cleaner at Fort Hope.
If you played Scout in Team Fortress 2, or generally enjoy fast-moving, hard-hitting playstyles, then Holly’s additional stamina and damage resistance make her a force on the battlefield.
Evangelo
Character Traits
- Evangelo quickly breaks out of a grab once every 60 seconds
- +25% Stamina Regen
Team Effects
- +5% Team Move Speed
As the new guy on the block, Evangelo was thrust into the world of the Ridden and found his footing at Fort Hope.
Like Holly, Evangelo exceeds at fast-moving plays, with stamina regen, increased team move speed bonuses, and the ability to break out of a Ridden grab, players who prefer scouting and looting will likely gravitate to Evangelo.
Karlee
Character Traits
- Karlee senses nearby hazards and mutations
- +1 Quick Inventory
Team Effects
- +50% Team Use Speed
Before joining the Cleaners at Fort Hope, Karlee roamed the boundaries as a self-sustaining survivor whose odds were beginning to run out.
With her ability to sense nearby hazards and mutations, along with increased team use speed for all Cleaners, Karlee proves an effective support personnel for those who make use of inventory items regularly.
Jim
Character Traits
- Precision Kills grant Jim 2.5% stacking Damage until he in turn takes damage
- +25% Aim Down Sights Speed
Team Effects
- +10% Team Weakspot Damage
Finally, we have Jim, a middle-aged outdoorsman native to Finleyville. His prior hunting and scouting skills make him an ideal frontline soldier against the Ridden, with stacking damage bonuses and weak spot benefits against boss-type monsters.
If, like with Walker, you prefer to tackle the Ridden head-on with a high-powered assault rifle, then Jim takes the cake. But Jim is versatile. Jim also excels with a sniper rifle at long ranges, too.