The Cleaners weaken the Abomination with a T-5 payload before their helicopter crashes, killing Rogers.
There, the Cleaners discover a mass grave, which has become a breeding ground for the Ridden and their new mutant variants.Īfter securing the T-5 compounds, the Cleaners fly back to Fort Hope in a Black Hawk helicopter piloted by Rogers, and see Fort Hope being attacked by a massive burrowing Ridden called "the Abomination". After successfully extracting Rogers and his research materials, the Cleaners travel to an abandoned research and quarantine center to collect materials to produce T-5. Phillips sends the Cleaners to another location to extract Doctor Rogers, a scientist who has developed a chemical weapon called T-5 that is significantly effective against the Ridden. After sealing the mine, the Cleaners raid a police station and a crashed military cargo plane to secure more armaments. The Cleaners are sent to a mine where the Ridden hordes have been emerging from. With the help of Hoffman, Karlee, Doc, and Jim, they successfully defend the fort and rescue survivors. As the team retreats to Fort Hope, their commander, General Phillips, has them demolish the Washington Crossing Bridge to delay the Riddens' advance.Īt Fort Hope, the team finds more Ridden attacking their stronghold and overrunning the town outside its walls. A horde of mutated Ridden suddenly swarm and overrun Evansburgh. The game's campaign begins with Walker, "Mom", Evangelo, and Holly, arriving at a settlement in Evansburgh to trade supplies. For example, Doc can restore more health when healing herself or other players, and gives the team a passive bonus against damage, while Karlee automatically highlights mutants in her immediate proximity, and can use or activate environmental features faster.ĭuring a mission, characters in a party will comment on their immediate situation and banter with one another, revealing insights into their backstory and personality. In the primary game modes, the player can control one of 11 Cleaners: Walker, an Army Ranger veteran and de facto leader of the Cleaners Chris, the eldest Cleaner nicknamed "Mom" because of her maternal attitude Holly, a brash fighter who wields a baseball bat named Dotty Evangelo, an optimistic recruit and lover of cheesesteaks Hoffman, a socially awkward survivalist, and conspiracy theorist Sue, who is nicknamed "Doc" for being the group's medic and scientific expert Jim, an experienced hunter, and marksman, Karlee, a cynical lone wolf, Heng, a survivalist and chef at heart, Sharice, a tough as nails former firefighter as well as the newest member of the team "Prophet" Dan.Įach character has unique perks and attributes which can favor certain strategies and roles within a four-person team. A group of veteran survivors called the "Cleaners" fight the Ridden and defend Fort Hope, a settlement within fictional Finleyville, Pennsylvania, United States. One year after the beginning of the outbreak, pockets of humanity attempt to survive in the post-apocalyptic world. The teams are tasked with eliminating one another within a closed area.Ī parasite called "the Devil Worm" (implied to be of extraterrestrial origin) infects most of humanity, turning them into vicious undead mutants called the "Ridden". The game also has an eight-person player versus player mode called Swarm, where a team of four players assumes the role of Cleaners, and the other team of four control mutated Ridden. The game features pre-defined hero characters who have preset attributes and abilities, and players can purchase upgrades and items with an in-game currency called Copper. The AI can spawn extra enemies, activate a fog effect, and increase the size of the horde. Along with player cards, the AI Director will also use Corruption cards against the player to hinder their progress.
At the start of each level, players need to build their deck with cards that adjust various elements of gameplay, such as modifying the player's health, damage, and stamina. Teammates are either controlled by other players or AI bots depending on matchmaking preferences and player availability. In the game's primary player versus environment game modes, players join a four-person team of post-apocalypse survivors called Cleaners, who must fight their way through levels populated by zombie-like monsters called The Ridden.