A new Left 4 Dead sequel doesn't appear to be anywhere in sight, and in the absence of a new entry from Valve there are plenty of other contenders to the co-op FPS survival throne. Call of Duty Zombies. Back 4 Blood. Killing Floor 2. GTFO. And now Hellbreach: Vegas, a new Steam game from solo developer Infinity Ape Studios, set to launch in early access very soon, and with a free playtest coming even sooner.
co-op games in the wave-based survival mold. Set, perhaps unsurprisingly, among the sordid neon glamor of Las Vegas, the most immediate comparison to draw here is to Left 4 Dead 2, although the hordes you'll face here are more demonic than undead in nature.
Whether solo or in a team of up to four, you'll have to hold out against the masses across three different maps at launch. Bringing in a little of that mystery box flavor from CoD Zombies, Hellbreach: Vegas embraces its hometown with slot machines that let you gamble for optimal gear and perks – with 16 guns, three melee weapons, and ten perks up for grabs at launch, there are plenty of ways to tool up against the demons.
Three modes are on offer to further enhance your experience. The default is 'Survive,' where you'll go up against endless waves of increasingly numerous and dangerous demons and must hold out as long as you can. 'Trapped' puts you on a smaller, more challenging variant of the map where you have less room to play with, ratcheting up the tension to ever-greater levels, while 'Gun Pro' gives you free reign of all the weapon types to enjoy in less high-pressure conditions.
While it's not yet got the polish of Valve's Left 4 Dead series, Hellbreach: Vegas is an impressive initial showing from a single developer and is already shaping up to be well worth a look. I had a great time with Back 4 Blood, but with developer Turtle Rock moving on to new projects, there's certainly space in my heart for some horde survival, and Hellbreach is very much on my radar now.
Hellbreach: Vegas is set to launch Monday March 11 via Steam Early Access. Ahead of that, you can try the pre-launch playtest for free from Wednesday February 21 to Monday February 26. You can head to the game's Steam store page now to add it to your wishlist or request access to the playtest.
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