In true zombie horror fashion, Back 4 Blood couldn't just offer waves of the same boring zombies for players to mow down over and over again. To spice up combat and keep players on their toes, Back 4 Blood will occasionally throw in a few special infected each with their own unique abilities. These are similar to the special class zombies in the Left 4 Dead series, but with more horrifying visuals of modern-day gaming.
While fighting the war against the undead players will encounter what the game refers to as "Sprinters". These are the normal everyday zombies that don't possess any special abilities. They are pretty fast and can easily overwhelm players in large groups, but players won't have to worry about these infected spitting on them or throwing them across the map. Shooting these creeps in the head once or twice will be enough to take them down, but it won't be so easy to deal with the special infected. Here is every special infected in Back 4 Blood:
Back 4 Blood Hockers
Hockers are four-armed freaks that do exactly what their name sounds like; they spit on players. Their dangerous loogies don't contain acid, but instead, the sticky substance glues players where they are standing rendering them unable to move or shoot. Other players will need to melee the Hocker's spit in order to free the captive player. Hockers can also cling to walls making them difficult to locate in certain situations. They aren't hard to take down, but they can prove to be a bit of a nuisance.
Back 4 Blood Retches
These big fat infected are known as Retches and they are a double whammy when it comes to abilities. While loafing around, these big boys can spit acid at players dealing a decent amount of damage over time. The acid spit can also alert the horde of sprinters to that player's presence making them the number 1 target. However, the Retch will also explode upon death if they aren't shot in the head. This explosion will cover players in the same acidic spit but this time it is guaranteed to alert the horde of that player's presence.
Back 4 Blood Bruiser
Officially named the Bruiser, these undead NBA stars are extremely tall and powerful. While their height may have been inherited from their past life, their giant meaty arm is definitely a side effect from whatever virus turned them into a zombie. If a player gets too close, the Bruiser will use its giant arm to knock the player away dealing a significant amount of damage. Luckily, the Bruiser's greatest weapon is also its weak point. Shooting its arm will cause it to explode making quick work of these goliaths.
Back 4 Blood Snitch
These zombies are among the most annoying to deal with and they are aptly named. Snitches are loud-mouthed infected that call upon the horde whenever they spot a player. They also scream when taking damage, so players will want to make sure they get in a couple of headshots before the Snitch can alert the rest of the gang to the player's presence. Snitches can easily be spotted as they have an auspiciously long neck.
Back 4 Blood Ogre
The mack daddy of infected is the enormous and powerful Ogre. This behemoth of an infected only appears in special sequences during the game and is a force to be reckoned with. It is also the only infected that comes with a health bar if that's any indication of how strong this infected is. Players will want to avoid the Ogre at all costs as he can pick up players can eat them in one fell swoop. Best leave the Ogre to the professionals.
Back 4 Blood is in closed alpha on PC. It will release on June 22, 2021.