Back 4 Blood developer Turtle Rock has officially ended support for the game, with no further updates.
Turtle Rock’s underrated co-op zombie slaying Back 4 Blood actually let you play as its horrifying mutant zombies in its versus mode. If you had fond memories of playing Left 4 Dead, then you were in luck as there was a varied horde of undead to battle – the Ridden.
If you’re interested in a trip down memory lane to take a gander at Back 4 Blood’s disgusting bestiary, then you’re in the right place. After all, these unique Ridden types were playable in Back 4 Blood’s Swarm Mode which let you tear apart other players. Though good luck finding a match nowadays.
Back 4 Blood Ridden
Reeker
Reeker was a fast-hitting melee monster. You didn’t want to let it get too close or it would rain down punches and pummel your poor Cleaner into a pool of fleshy goo. However, Reeker had a big build and therefore a pretty sizeable hitbox. This meant that it had the strength to do some serious damage, but you had a big target to shoot before it got to you – and vice versa in PvP.
Retch
Retch was honestly perhaps the most disgusting of Back 4 Blood’s Ridden. As well as its sinuous skin stretching to cover its rotting flesh, Retch’s main mode of attack was, well, throwing up on you. Luckily the attack didn’t have a great deal of range, but the Vomit Blast attack affected quite a large area, so you didn’t want to be caught in it.
If you were playing on the Ridden side of things, Retch was a good pick to disperse cleaners for your teammates to clear up – a combo with Stalker immediately sprung to mind.
Exploder
The Exploder did what it said on the tin. Upon death, this Ridden exploded, taking down anything in the vicinity. This was perfect for running straight at Cleaners who were reviving or otherwise prone, but being taken out in your own ranks made your whole plan backfire.
Stinger
Stinger was the first of the lighter Ridden, small and quick. It had a long-range projectile attack that was fairly weak, but most importantly it could cling to walls. We loved using this ability to surprise opposing Cleaners or flank bunched-up foes.
Likewise, you could use Stinger’s speed and climbing movement to your advantage and to scout out enemy movements, as its projectile attack was a little underwhelming.
Hocker
Hocker was a revolting phlegm-based Ridden that was just as gross as you think. It gobbed up a huge mouthful of phlegm and then spat it out at opposing Cleaners. The projectile could go a lot further than you would have thought, and instantly locked the Cleaner in place, leaving them unable to move. As a Cleaner, avoiding the phlegm projectiles was your only real option, but Hocker’s small body type did result in it being less tanky compared to a bulky Retch.
Stalker
Stalker was the final variant of the small, fast Ridden. The idea of the Stalker was to move through the shadows, attacking only when the time was right.
Its leaping pounce ability was perfect for quickly closing the distance between yourself and an unsuspecting Cleaner, and its drag attack could help to move enemies out of formation.
Tallboy
Tallboy was the first variant of the final Ridden archetype. As its name suggests, this was a lanky zombie, but they were still pretty slow. The other key feature it had was one giant, club-like arm which was used to beat Cleaners to death.
Tallboy’s overhead smash was slow and well-telegraphed, but it sure did massive damage if it landed.
Crusher
As its name suggests, Crusher quite literally crushed its opponents to death. Its oversized arm had added tentacles so that once a Cleaner was in its grip, there was no escape.
Like Tallboy, Crusher was really slow and very hard to miss. We recommended taking this big lad out before its deadly arm got in grabbing distance.
Bruiser
Bruiser attacked slightly quicker than its large-armed counterparts. Its frenzied melee attack included a burst smash, meaning that its flailing limb could catch any Cleaners around it.
Bruiser undoubtedly wreaked havoc once it made it to the Cleaners’ lines, so it was crucial to take it out quickly before it unleashed its wrath – player or not.
That’s everything there was to know about Back 4 Blood’s Ridden zombies. While it’s technically still playable, since Turtle Rock ended support for the game, it’s often too quiet to enjoy.