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4:LOOP - Announcement Trailer
- Thread starter IbizaPocholo
- Start date
- Trailer
The Cockatrice
I'm retarded?
Redfall vibes.
Mortisfacio
Member
That like/dislike ratio is not looking too good.
Bojji
Gold Member
Redfail mixed with Concord.
Comandr
Member
This game looked super forgettable. The fact that it took until this morning to get its own thread, and then the lack of discussion around it is extremely telling.
This has got to be such a difficult time for developers and publishers. You release a preview for your game, and the silence is absolutely deafening. What do you do? Do you just pull the plug now? Do you hope and pray that between now and release you can drum up some kind of engagement to make some kind of sales on this game?
I dunno. But this ain't it.
This has got to be such a difficult time for developers and publishers. You release a preview for your game, and the silence is absolutely deafening. What do you do? Do you just pull the plug now? Do you hope and pray that between now and release you can drum up some kind of engagement to make some kind of sales on this game?
I dunno. But this ain't it.
touchfuzzy
Gold Member
Another Sony funded GAAS flop incoming, how many we at now?
Angry_Megalodon
Member
Damn, this looks like the next big thing.
Hero_Select
Member
The narrator is so grating. Who though this was a good idea?
Men_in_Boxes
Snake Oil Salesman
Ooh, people are whiffing on this one.
It'll likely have some of the best progression in PvE and it's difficult coop? Still need to see proper gameplay but this feels like a winner. The annoying narrator and generic artstyle are irrelevant.
It'll likely have some of the best progression in PvE and it's difficult coop? Still need to see proper gameplay but this feels like a winner. The annoying narrator and generic artstyle are irrelevant.
Men_in_Boxes
Snake Oil Salesman
Q: How has your time on the Left 4 Dead series influenced the design of 4:Loop?
Mike Booth: When I was building Left 4 Dead, the big risk at the time was whether random folks on the internet would actually co-operate to the degree we wanted them to – rescue each other from Hunters and Smokers, help downed players, save players dangling from ledges, and so on. Many of these game mechanics have now become well-known and expected, which allows us to push the boundaries in 4:LOOP even farther. For example, where the environments in Left 4 Dead were essentially linear paths to help shepherd the players together, the environments in 4:LOOP are wide open. It's up to the players to improvise and manage their own risk/reward as events unfold in the game. Plus, you can actually pick up and carry a downed friend in 4:LOOP, which is something I always wanted to have in Left 4 Dead.
Q: The game appears to have some roguelike/roguelite elements. What inspired that approach, and what kinds of combinations of equipment and skills are possible?
Mike Booth: I've been a fan of roguelikes since the original Rogue, and they continue to be some of my favorite games. One of the things that attracts me to these games is the combinations of game mechanics that allow the player to be creative and come up with their own clever ways to win. Some runs even feel like you have such a great combination of tools that you "break the game". Providing that kind of creative improvisation and especially replayability in an exciting world you can explore with your friends is very much the kind of game I love to create. That said, it is also very important to me that it's frictionless to jump into a game session and just start playing. I don't want to wrangle stats, build a deck, or visit a bunch of vendors when I start a game session with my friends – I just want to jump in and play!
As for examples of equipment combinations, there are so many possibilities. But an example that comes to mind is when I was watching a recent internal playtest. One of the enemies in the game, The Enforcer, had arrived, and its lethal beam was chasing down a player. This normally means "scramble to the Escape Zone and get out ASAP before everyone dies and the run is over". However, in this case, one of our very skilled testers saved the day in a very interesting way. Earlier, she had picked a Blink Berry from a Blink Root plant. These berries can be thrown like a grenade, and when they land, they pop and teleport everything nearby somewhere else on the map. They are great to send a rampaging Beast away, or maybe even save yourself from a squad of Killbots if you throw it at your feet. Back to the Enforcer example. Our clever tester was running away from the Escape Zone, with the Enforcer's beam chasing her, which seemed crazy. But, just before the beam crystallized her, she used the Blink Berry to teleport herself away! She was then able to reach the Escape Zone herself before the beam could catch up again, which gave her teammates enough time for all of them to escape, too. I built both of those game mechanics and had never even considered that strategy. I'm excited to see how our gaming community "breaks the game" in other unexpected ways.
Q: What, ultimately, is the game's loop – and what am I working towards in the long run?
Mike Booth: The goal of the players is to draw the attention of the Mothership by disrupting the alien's global mining operation, and then somehow destroy it. Each time the four-player team succeeds in a mission, they make choices to improve their equipment, building out a unique kit to survive the epic boss battle at the end of the Act. If the team completes all three Acts, they defeat the Mothership and save the world. All of this is, of course, easier said than done. There are also various layers of meta-progression as well as lots of actual details to learn about how the world works (like Blink Berries), to give you an edge for your next run.
Mike Booth: When I was building Left 4 Dead, the big risk at the time was whether random folks on the internet would actually co-operate to the degree we wanted them to – rescue each other from Hunters and Smokers, help downed players, save players dangling from ledges, and so on. Many of these game mechanics have now become well-known and expected, which allows us to push the boundaries in 4:LOOP even farther. For example, where the environments in Left 4 Dead were essentially linear paths to help shepherd the players together, the environments in 4:LOOP are wide open. It's up to the players to improvise and manage their own risk/reward as events unfold in the game. Plus, you can actually pick up and carry a downed friend in 4:LOOP, which is something I always wanted to have in Left 4 Dead.
Q: The game appears to have some roguelike/roguelite elements. What inspired that approach, and what kinds of combinations of equipment and skills are possible?
Mike Booth: I've been a fan of roguelikes since the original Rogue, and they continue to be some of my favorite games. One of the things that attracts me to these games is the combinations of game mechanics that allow the player to be creative and come up with their own clever ways to win. Some runs even feel like you have such a great combination of tools that you "break the game". Providing that kind of creative improvisation and especially replayability in an exciting world you can explore with your friends is very much the kind of game I love to create. That said, it is also very important to me that it's frictionless to jump into a game session and just start playing. I don't want to wrangle stats, build a deck, or visit a bunch of vendors when I start a game session with my friends – I just want to jump in and play!
As for examples of equipment combinations, there are so many possibilities. But an example that comes to mind is when I was watching a recent internal playtest. One of the enemies in the game, The Enforcer, had arrived, and its lethal beam was chasing down a player. This normally means "scramble to the Escape Zone and get out ASAP before everyone dies and the run is over". However, in this case, one of our very skilled testers saved the day in a very interesting way. Earlier, she had picked a Blink Berry from a Blink Root plant. These berries can be thrown like a grenade, and when they land, they pop and teleport everything nearby somewhere else on the map. They are great to send a rampaging Beast away, or maybe even save yourself from a squad of Killbots if you throw it at your feet. Back to the Enforcer example. Our clever tester was running away from the Escape Zone, with the Enforcer's beam chasing her, which seemed crazy. But, just before the beam crystallized her, she used the Blink Berry to teleport herself away! She was then able to reach the Escape Zone herself before the beam could catch up again, which gave her teammates enough time for all of them to escape, too. I built both of those game mechanics and had never even considered that strategy. I'm excited to see how our gaming community "breaks the game" in other unexpected ways.
Q: What, ultimately, is the game's loop – and what am I working towards in the long run?
Mike Booth: The goal of the players is to draw the attention of the Mothership by disrupting the alien's global mining operation, and then somehow destroy it. Each time the four-player team succeeds in a mission, they make choices to improve their equipment, building out a unique kit to survive the epic boss battle at the end of the Act. If the team completes all three Acts, they defeat the Mothership and save the world. All of this is, of course, easier said than done. There are also various layers of meta-progression as well as lots of actual details to learn about how the world works (like Blink Berries), to give you an edge for your next run.
Hero_Select
Member
If people want difficult coop just go play Remnant 2 - an actual good coop game with a better artstyle.
Tobimacoss
Member
Has some elements that look like fun, at least for one playthrough. But Sony still hasn't learned any lesson for GAAS. Publish everywhere or add to subscription or both.
Sadly this will fail.
Sadly this will fail.
diffusionx
Gold Member
more like 4:SKIN amirite
Men_in_Boxes
Snake Oil Salesman
I bet this game will be better. I'm getting a good feeling about this one.
Dr. Samuel Hayden
Member
Another sony live service banger
vivftp
Member
I'm curious to learn more. I play Destiny 2 and Helldivers 2 with my friends, and this might be able to scratch the same itch. We've played many such games over the years like Destiny 1, The Division, The Division 2, Avengers, and several other smaller co-op games, so I'm eager to learn more about this.
It seems to use a similar 3 mission structure per act, like Helldivers 2 where it's 3 missions per operation. Remains to be seen if they can nail the shooting and movement, and if there's much in the way of permanent progression to keep you coming back for more. It's certainly on our radar, we just need to wait for more info now.
I am also hopeful that the missions can either be completed solo as well as with a group.
Sethbacca
Member
I mean, this actually sounds fun and I had a good time with L4D so I'm likely to give it a shot, but I'm not the worlds biggest fan of pure coop games.
Men_in_Boxes
Snake Oil Salesman
2nd best game of the show. This looks awesome.
The_hunter
Member
This game looks really low budget in the animation department.
Men_in_Boxes
Snake Oil Salesman
GO PLAY HUNTERS GATHERING THEN! 4Loop has to make sacrifices due to scope ambition.
(Sorry for yelling)
March Climber
Member
I like the concept (and the fact that I can play this single player), but like
The_hunter
the animations still need a bit more work.
As of now it looks more stiff than Mortal Kombat, but that can be improved over time.
The_hunter
the animations still need a bit more work. As of now it looks more stiff than Mortal Kombat, but that can be improved over time.
Faltherion
Banned
Dude... I normally like co-op shooters and I tried really hard to like this game but I just cannot. It reminds me of one of those games from the PS3 era with a piss/gray filter and really low budget production values. It feels like the game is being made by a newbie team or something and the art-direction of this game just reeks of what I call super generic 3rd person shooter. The purple hue doesn't help it either. I really don't understand who approves theses concepts or art direction for modern day games.
Also, wtf was that low tier framerate in the new trailer? They should change the name from 4-LOOP to 4-Frames.
Arsic
Loves his juicy stink trail scent
For me I think it's the character design. Generic is too generous.
saintjules
Gold Member
No spiritual successor to Deathloop.
Men_in_Boxes
Snake Oil Salesman
Way more interesting than The Division. This game is going for the "emergent gameplay throne". Pause and look at those upgrades in the trailer. This definitely isn't your +10% attack radius type of roguelite. This looks like a vastly superior Helldivers 2.
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Dr. Samuel Hayden
Member
Just cancel this dogshit.
DeepSpace5D
Member
New trailer actually looks very fun. I'll give it a chance when I've had my fill of Helldivers 2. It looks to be in a similar vein to that.
Light_Crusader25
Banned
It is a ridiculous trend at this point. Grifters on social media have trained tens, hundreds of thousands of sheep to simmer in the stinking oil of negativity. I definitely am old (44 years), but I feel so much older because of the constant dogpiling, bad faith and such pavlovian reactions that have been coming in waves for the last 5-6 years. Insanity, in spite of there being so many exciting options to choose from...
NormalGamer
Member
The first game made exclusively by the marketing department.
Men_in_Boxes
Snake Oil Salesman
I'm noticing a lot of people grouping Marathon and 4Loop as some of their least favorite games of the show.
These people hate player choice and are not to be trusted.
These people hate player choice and are not to be trusted.
IbizaPocholo
NeoGAFs Kent Brockman
Men_in_Boxes
Snake Oil Salesman
4:Loop – designing the ominous cube-shaped Scanner boss
Learn how Bad Robot Games created a hellish cube that requires players to keep moving.
blog.playstation.com
PlayStation.Blog
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April 28, 2026
4:Loop – designing the ominous cube-shaped Scanner boss
0047
Learn how Bad Robot Games created a hellish cube that requires players to keep moving.
Mike BoothChief Creative Officer, Bad Robot Games
Hi, I'm Mike Booth, Chief Creative Officer at Bad Robot Games, and Game Director of 4:Loop. In my last post, I shared how our core gameplay systems come together to create an unpredictable and endlessly replayable experience. Today, I'd like to share more details on one of our co-op shooter's high-stakes boss fights.
Specifically, I'd like to talk about how our team approaches designing these battles, and how these considerations led to one of our most unique enemies so far: The Scanner.
No two bosses are alike
One of our main goals when designing bosses in 4:Loop is making each of them unique – not only in their visual design, but in how they behave. We know we're on the right track when a boss requires players to adopt new forms of cooperation, improvisation, and combinations of equipment and abilities. All of this results in the kind of creative problem solving at the heart of 4:Loop. When we first started exploring the Scanner, or "The Cube," as it's called internally, I wanted to do something a bit different: create a boss battle that wasn't about direct combat, but navigation, spatial awareness, and cross-map coordination.
Play
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Keep moving to stay alive
For some of our boss battles, players can succeed by finding cover, hunkering down, and dishing out heaps of damage. But with the Scanner, that's a sure-fire way to get yourself killed. Rather than attacking players directly, the Scanner emits a Laser Matrix over the entire map. This "Grid of Doom" (to use another internal name) is an interlocking grid of bright red and extremely dangerous lasers. One hit is enough to knock a player down. A second hit and you are out of the fight.The grid is slow moving and easy to see, making it manageable enough at the start of the encounter – and seemingly safe enough to lull you into a sense of complacency. But as the fight progresses, the laser grid becomes tighter and tighter, making navigation and survival increasingly difficult to manage. Of course, it's not enough to just survive the Scanner. Players must destroy it to win.
Your doom is six sided
Being a cube, the Scanner has six faces. On each of these faces, we've put nine destructible tiles, making 54 targets in total. To actually damage the Scanner, players must knock out all 54 panels at once, forcing the machine to reveal its vulnerable Reactor Core.
Sounds straightforward enough… until the Scanner starts moving. We built the Scanner to constantly rotate and swap sections like a giant Cube Puzzle from Hell. On top of that, damaged panels reset over time. This creates a boss fight that requires players to spread out and attack from multiple angles, while navigating the Scanner's ever-tightening Laser Matrix. All of this results in a unique gameplay challenge. Stay mobile enough to avoid the Grid of Doom, while remaining focused enough to knock out panels and coordinate a team-wide attack on the Reactor Core once it's exposed.
Hit the Scanner with everything you've got
Once all 54 tiles have been knocked out, the Scanner reveals its vulnerable Reactor Core for a brief window. This is the moment where the team – who could be on opposite ends of the map by this point – strike together as a cohesive unit to inflict as much damage as possible. The coordination that occurs in these brief windows are intuitive and natural. They emerge from the boss's core design, rather than telling players what to do.
Your choices matter
In 4:Loop, we're constantly trying to design gameplay moments that ask players to make interesting decisions – and then live with their consequences. The Scanner is no different.The game's Probability Map makes it clear what boss you'll be facing at the end of the Act. This forces players to think about what kind of gear and abilities to select leading up to the fight. Sure, shotguns are powerful… but they won't be effective against the Scanner's Reactor Core at range. Or maybe rather than taking that totally sweet Cloaking Backpack, you might want to choose equipment to help you navigate the Laser Matrix instead.
Different by design
The Scanner is just one of several bosses in 4:Loop, each built to push on players' coordination, cooperation, and creative problem-solving skills. We hope all our bosses will generate crazy moments you'll be talking about with your friends for a long time after you win or lose.The Scanner started from a simple image: A giant, floating cube puzzle with breakable panels. Over time, it grew into one of our most iconic enemies, and one that touches on almost every layer of how players can improvise to overcome overwhelming obstacles together. And it does all of this without firing a single shot at the players.
Ready to fight the Scanner?
See if you and your friends have what it takes to defeat the Scanner when 4:Loop enters Closed Beta on PlayStation 5 and PC April 30. Sign up at play4loop.com to join Closed Beta Weekends, provide feedback, and experience new features and updates.* Closed Beta will initially be available in the U.S., with plans to expand to additional regions at a later date.
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Tobimacoss
Member
Is this the third recent game with a Cube as a major villain?
mckmas8808
Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
I love the idea of this game. Now, they have to execute!
Men_in_Boxes
Snake Oil Salesman
I knew we were BFFs! Just took me a few years to build up the courage to say it publicly!
Men_in_Boxes
Snake Oil Salesman
Anyone get keys to the closed beta? It starts today. Check your emails!
they will not.